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Considering hiring a marketing person? Don't waste your time advertising. “The days of business owners sorting through 200 resumes, not knowing what they're looking for, are over,” marketing consultant Adrienne Zoble says.
You're uncomfortable asking customers for what a project should cost. When the client says, “Boy, that's a lot of money,” you go back and cut your price. You settle for less than you could have made, and the client gets a smaller piece of their dream.
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How expensive? How messy? How disruptive? Such are the questions that rattle the minds of remodeling prospects. HartmanBaldwin, a high-end design/build company in Claremont, Calif., answers them all with its “Home Remodeling In-Progress Workshops,” free, 90-minute programs held monthly in homes...
A remodeled kitchen, a local chef, and several bottles of wine, that's Anne and Matt Goodwin's latest recipe for goodwill and good marketing.
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Think about a time that you were delegated to poorly. In some cases, a project was given to you without the information you needed to successfully complete the task. In others, the project was one that no one wanted, and “delegating” was simply the term used to dump it on someone else. At other...
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Many contractor documents contain language indicating that the job being presented to the consumer — and its pricing — is only an “estimate” or a “proposal.” These agreements usually go on to state that if the consumer signs the agreement, it is up to the contractor to “accept” the proposal...
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To prepare a realistic bid so that clients are not surprised by additional costs after the project begins, Bill Keilty invites his subcontractors to a diagnostic conference or a “bid party.” “It has cut down 80% to 90% of unforeseen change orders,” says the owner of Keilty Construction in Boise...
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A church isn't necessarily the first place you'd think to hold a trade show, but Steve Klitsch had faith that his idea would work. He was right. In April 2005 he established the Maintenance and Repair Conference (MARC) to bring pastors and trustees of the 74-member West District of the...
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When Mark Scott of Mark IV builders, Bethesda, Md., wanted to improve his nearly $5 million design/build remodeling business, he decided to take a road trip.
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A design center in Dayton, Ohio, welcomes both remodeling and new construction clients to choose products in a single showroom location.
The excerpt at left is from Design Ideas for Bathrooms by Susan Boyle Hillstrom, published by Creative Homeowner.
Design Ideas for Bathrooms presents ideas and solutions for creating an up-to-date bathroom. It includes coverage of the latest master baths, family baths, powder rooms, accessible designs, fixtures, and spa amenities. It will help homeowners make design decisions and product choices based on...
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Lighting is also a critical part of pantry design.
When remodeler Dave Tyson thinks of pantries, he thinks of three things, storage, storage, and storage. Most clients of David Tyson & Associates, Charlotte, N.C., think of a pantry as a closet near the kitchen. However, today's cabinet manufacturers offer accessories to maximize storage within a...