Shawn McCadden founded, operated, and sold a successful design/build remodeling business. A co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute and former director of education for a national K&B remodeling franchise, Shawn frequently speaks at industry events and consults with remodeling companies. shawnm@charter.net.
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When business slows down or cash gets tight, remodelers tend to look for ways to save money. They lay off carpenters, slash marketing dollars, lower margins on bids, and perhaps even strap on their old toolbelts. It's instinctive. It's immediate. And sometimes it's completely wrong.
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A remodeler also needs to be alerted to threats to the health of his business. But unlike a canary, which croaks to signal danger, you need monitoring tools that you can use over and over again, and that are sensitive enough to give you enough time to resuscitate your operation.
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Nobody wants his business to stand still; everybody wants to make progress. The best way to make that happen is to create a vision, make a plan, and then lead.
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Experience teaches that until owners, managers, and employees can separate their identities from their roles, they may be personally affected by the comments, attitudes, and expectations of their clients and co-workers.
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A well-run lead carpenter system works best for your team and your company when the production manager acts as a mentor rather than as a supervisor.
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We've all heard the adage, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” And how many times have you heard someone say, “It's good enough for now,” or “We don't have time to improve how we do it; we need to just get it done”?
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Just make sure you look at the big picture.
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Some remodelers lose sleep because they're losing money; others lose sleep because they just don't know how to tell if they're losing money. Either way, it's a problem, especially for the remodeling business owners I talk with who think they're successful — right up until the moment when their...
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If you're married to your business, take my advice: Get a divorce. Your business doesn't need a husband; it needs someone to be the boss.
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Retirement. Most remodelers are too busy running jobs to even think about it. Or they love their work so much that they can't imagine a time when work might be replaced by leisure activities. Either way, your body may not allow you to work forever. The smart thing to do is to plan for a life after...