Table of Contents May 2005

FEATURES

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  Engineering the client experience

  Self-described remodeling neophytes Susan Parker and Ed Hynes “lived to rue the day” they almost hired another contractor instead of Greg Antonioli. The Boston-area couple, a college professor and a library director, had a substantial project in mind when they interviewed a remodeler we'll call...

   

• Six Little Ways to Lose a Sale

   

• Presentation wins the sale

  On the one hand it seems that sales call etiquette is merely common sense. On the other, it seems that sales calls can be pretty easy to mess up.

   

Before and After

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  Remodel combines two houses into office space

  Desireé MacSorley purchased two adjacent 1930s houses in an up-and-coming commercial neighborhood as an investment.

   

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

• How Big50 remodelers are chosen

  This is the twentieth year REMODELING has devoted its May issue to honoring the incoming class of the Big50.

   

News + Notes

• Red Wing honors craftsmen

  A contest run by the Red Wing Shoe Co. will honor one of this country's most overlooked assets: craftsmen.

   
• 

  Rules limit VOCs

  Starting this past January, contractors on the Eastern seaboard had to adjust to new products, or new versions of old products, thanks to regulations that reduced the allowable limits of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

   

• Gasoline price increases affect remodelers

  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price for a gallon of gasoline this month will be $2.35. That's an increase of 37 cents from over a year ago, and up 6 cents from mid-April. And as pump prices have been gradually climbing over the past few months, remodelers...

   

COMMENTARY

GUEST COLUMNIST

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  Power tools proportioned for women

  As a woman in our industry, I share with many of my male colleagues the pleasure of a job well done using power tools.

   

LINDA CASE

• Using the budget to hit your profit goal

  We're now five months into the year and if you don't have a Plan for Profit (less glamorously known as a budget), let's get it done. If you do have a budget, you may be able to take it to the next level and find it even more useful. A budget is not just a piece of paper to develop, check off that...

   

MARK RICHARDSON

• People are your greatest assets

  How much time and energy are you spending to help your employees do a better job? How much inconvenience are you willing to tolerate for the sake of employee betterment? The most likely answer is: "Not enough."

   

WALT STOEPPELWERTH

• Financing has benefits

  Home improvement financing in the remodeling market is starting to gain momentum, but it's still a small part of the overall picture. Some of the most recent numbers I've seen show that two-thirds of full-scale remodeling projects are paid for in cash or with credit cards, while less than 30% are...

   

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

• Using newsletters to reach prospects

  Newsletters are a friendly and cost-effective way to keep your company in the forefront of clients' and prospects' minds. What's not so easy is finding the time or expertise to write, design, print, and mail a newsletter. Here's a snapshot of three companies that can do the job for you — in part or...

   

• Tips for effective communication

  Effective communication is your single best means of getting referrals and repeat business. These five common courtesies are easy and will gain you priceless good will:

   

• Postcards keep firm in mind

  Home Equity Builders (HEB) maintains a constant and upbeat presence in the minds of homeowners in affluent Great Falls and McLean, Va. Thanks to the postcards in their mailboxes, residents know HEB is local, wins awards, and does high-end remodeling as well as handyman work.

   

BOTTOM LINE

• Buying group lowers supply costs

  The MaxEquity buying group negotiates with manufacturers and retailers to provide rebates to remodelers based on their purchases. President Bob Sayre is a remodeler who decided to do something about the difficulty contractors have in competing with big box chains.

   

• Protecting clients with discontinued-operation insurance

  When Candi and Troy Hilton closed their remodeling company to move to another state, they wanted to make sure clients from their eight years in business were protected. Candi talked to their insurance agent and found out about discontinued-operation insurance.

   

BY DESIGN

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  Modifying to adhere to zoning law

  Michael Cavanaugh's client wanted access to the garage from her house via a covered walkway. This seems simple on the surface, except zoning requirements stipulate the garage is a non-conforming structure that can't be enlarged, altered, or have anything attached to it.

   

• Three aspects to design fee

  When you first begin charging for design, the fee is often seen as more of a client's commitment than a profit maker. “When you look at your efficiency in doing the design and moving the client through effectively,” says Mark Richard-son of Case Design Build, Bethesda, Md., “that's an indicator...

   

FIELD NOTES

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  Lead carpenter needs time to plan job

  After the transfer of information from sales to production, the lead carpenter should spend time setting up the job, both in his mind and on paper.

   
• 

  Pipe staging does the job

  We were faced with the challenge of accessing 30-foot walls for an exterior restoration of a seacoast village home built in the late 1800s. The daredevil method would have been to to use pump jacks on the first two floors and stand in the wood gutters to access the mansard roof.

   

Tech at Work

• Compu-Tool an integrated front-end system

  I recently took an in-depth look at Compu-Tool, one of the most focused “front-end” systems — not surprising, because it was developed largely for Alure (www.alure.com), one of the largest remodelers in the United States.

   

• Moving data to a new computer

  The idea of losing data has probably kept some people from contemplating a new computer. Fear not; it isn't that difficult to transfer files.

   

Ways + Means

• Holding employees accountable

  A common desire among company owners is to “hold their employees accountable.” Typically this means making sure that each person is doing their job well and taking responsibility when the results are not met.

   

• Watch the wording of contracts

  One of my clients framed his company's first contract: “We will wire your house for $125.00.” In today's legal environment, that note would subject him to criminal penalties. Most lawmakers have concluded that homeowners need protection from contractors. Check to see if these commonly “prohibited...

   

• Take Note

  Something as simple as a low-tech note can often save a lot of trouble.

   

• Debriefing after the job is over

  It didn't make sense to Craig Durosko of Sun Design Remodeling Specialists in Northern Virginia to do an “autopsy only on a job on which something went wrong.” His company does a “job debrief” on every job, 30 days after it's been paid in full.

   
• 

  Deciding how to make decisions

  Suppose your client at the last minute asks your painter to use different paint. Does the painter have to call the office, or have you empowered him or her to make that decision?

   

BIG50

Big50 Introduction

• Big50 Class of 2005

  Every year we search the country for remodelers who distinguish themselves by outperforming their best competitors. We look for firms with top-notch business acumen, outstanding customer service, a financially strong foundation, and exciting systems. We are proud to introduce you to the Big50 Class...

   

KITCHEN AND BATH

SPEC BOOK

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  New sink products

  The Lancelot stainless steel sink is now offered in a double equal D shape. The satin-finish bowls are 10 inches deep to accommodate large pots and pans, and the sink is offered in both undermount and drop-in styles.

   

Management

• 

  Environmentally friendly flooring

  Hank Kasindorf, president of Eco Finishes, a distributor of green flooring in Virginia, shares his expertise on the two most popular green flooring materials in his area: bamboo and cork.

   
• 

  Rustic vanity design

  Designer Julie Palmacci of Macci Design came up with the idea for this rustic bath vanity for a client, and remodeler Scott McCollum of McCollum & Associates in Dallas executed the design.

   

• Showroom boosts sales expansion

  A few years ago, Robbinsville, N.J.-based Jon Vogel was selling about $1.5 million in projects and working 75 hours a week. He wanted to expand New Outlooks Construction but knew he couldn't do it with just himself as the only salesperson. From talking to other remodelers, he knew a full-time...

   

REPLACEMENT

DECKS

• Deck inspection leaves no room for failure

  Each summer party season brings a fresh crop of news about deck failures, some of which have ended in severe injury or even death. “These reports send a chill down my spine,” says deck builder Dennis McCurdy, of Littleton, Colo. “What if that had been one of my jobs?”

   

SIDING

• The myth of three bids

  Why do people feel they have to get three bids, and should I attempt to talk the customer out of that?

   

• Door replacements

  Wallace claims that what matters more than product pricing, however, is having good labor to install a house full of doors. Wallace typically buys blanks, and his crew cuts the hinge mortises and bores for the passage set on site with a Porter-Cable hinge template and lock mortiser. For this work...

   

PRODUCTS

IN FOCUS

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  New high-tech tools

  CenterVision technology finds the stud in just one pass with the ProScanner OneStep. The floating scanner head features a bright backlit LCD display and locks into fully articulating arms that connect to the handle.

   
• 

  New insulation products

   
• 

  New garage door and opener products

  Garage door manufacturers are coming up with new ways to create authentic wood looks with more reliable materials. Amarr has abandoned overlays with its Classica Collection, opting instead to press patterns directly into the steel.

   

TRENDS

• Shopping eBay for remodeling supplies

  Long the hot spot for discontinued Hummel figurines and lost childhood toys, eBay, the online auction site, is now positioning itself as a source for remodelers to find everything from vintage wood flooring to Viking ranges.

   
• 

  Copper roofs gain popularity

  Copper is in vogue again, appearing in everything from back-splashes and countertops to air vents and downspouts. Its unique properties, such as the patina it takes on as it ages, make it a striking architectural choice, and nowhere is that more remarkable than in roofing.

   

• Forms provide safe haven

  What if you could build a safe room or other addition that snaps together like Legos and has built-in soundproofing and insulation?

   

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

• Statistical averages of top performing firms

  Big50 companies complete a questionnaire that includes basic data about their financial performance and company structure. We've compiled the data and computed the averages, then selected the most interesting results to present here. Compare your numbers to see how you stack up against some of the...