Joe Stoddard is an industry consultant and the director of builder operations for Dynami Solutions; www.joestoddard.com.
-
If you're missing messages, you may want to try uReach.com's unified messaging system.
-
To increase referrals, compile an end-of-project "memories" CD, with crew interviews, clips of the client's family, and critical project documents. Other ideas: sales presentations featuring customer testimonials and training presentations with expert installers.
-
A 3-mega-pixel camera produces excellent 8x10 prints, good 12x16s, and so on.For example, every 2x digital (electronic) zoom cuts image resolution and clarity in half.
-
The InkLink tracks the position of the pen on the paper and sends the result to either a computer or PDA (personal digital assistant). --Joe Stoddard, a technology consultant to the construction industry, can be reached at stoddard@cbczine.com.
-
Computers have made it easy to packrat away all kinds of data, but not so easy to find it again. The numbering scheme can be something you create, but it's probably better to base it on an established source like NAHB's Chart of Accounts (see www.nahb.com/builders/chart.doc).
-
By Joe Stoddard. Many remodelers use CAD to create drawings and sales presentations but skip another important feature: the ability to automatically estimate materials. TurboCAD, AutoCAD, Visio, and other CAD programs all can count and report items on a drawing.
-
For about $6 per month per user, Intranets.com provides an easy way to put everyone on the same page. For instance, you can set up an online photo gallery or a list of customer testimonials.You can try Intranets.com free for 30 days by going to the site.
-
Hate plopping down $500 or more every time you need another copy of Microsoft Office? --Joe Stoddard is a technology consultant to the construction industry, stoddard@cbczine.com.
-
What if there was a way to show your prospects a picture of their project before you bid it?
-
Cutting Edge Software's QuickOffice lets you view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel documents on your PDA -- perfect for fill-in-the-blank change orders or preliminary budgets while walking a site.