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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Recently I was facilitating a group of remodelers at a “Mentor Visit” meeting. The idea was that the host, an experienced and successful remodeler, would serve as a mentor to visiting remodelers, answering their questions and offering advice based on his own experience starting and growing his...
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Every mistake is also a learning opportunity. That's why I stress the importance of a daily debriefing for business owners. Whether you spot a huge mistake or it's just business as usual, every day presents an opportunity to find ways to improve the systems you have in place so that you can...
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Do you ever wonder why your business is plodding along when the remodeling business down the road, which began around the same time as yours, is booming? It can be frustrating when two remodelers appear equal at the outset, but the scale of success eventually tips in one company's favor.
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A thriving business should be one that runs smoothly, creates happy customers, fairly compensates the owner and employees for their contributions, and, above all, generates a net profit. As business author Charles Abbott puts it, “Business without profit is not business any-more than a pickle is...
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Welcome to that dry spell in the remodeling business. It happens to every growing company, regardless of size. It often arrives just after the busy holiday season. The team worked nonstop to get that big kitchen finished just in time for the customer's holiday party. Fantastic! That is, until they...
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For many small-business owners, the start of a new year means making resolutions about getting better organized, becoming more efficient, being more productive. Unfortunately, statistics show that more than 75% of those who make resolutions fail to see them through. The new year is still an ideal...
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Eventually, I talked with enough design/build practitioners to realize that it is a method of doing business, rather than just a service to provide clients. This requires some discussion about project size, general scope of work, types of finishes, and so on, but we are typically able to provide a...