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According to experts, how much to spend on advertising can range from 2% to 16% of gross revenue depending on where you put your dollars — print, yard signs, Internet, TV. Knowing where to advertise means knowing which market to target, what differentiates your company from another, and what type...
How do remodelers measure their companies' financial performance? A relative few belong to peer groups that allow them to compare their numbers to those of similarly situated companies around the country. Others have more informal relationships with colleagues who trade information over a phone...
Familiarity breeds confidence, sometimes to a fault, and it was 40 years and tens of thousands of incident-free cuts, into his career that one of Tim Sweeney's most seasoned, carpenters ran his thumb through a table saw.
Flexible design comes from the understanding that homes outlast lifestyles. Family configurations change. Technology changes. “Things that suit our lifestyle today may not suit it 15 years or 150 years from now,” says Fernando Pagés Ruiz, owner of Brighton Construction in Lincoln, Neb., who...
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Experience meets inspiration in the form of John Abrams, of South Mountain Company - a $7.5 million design/build firm in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. - and winner of the inaugural Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The qualities that won him that accolade are well on display in his...
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In a business where good leads are critical, joining networking organizations is a no-brainer. But finding the right fit can be a challenge.
After years of operating under a particular company name, many remodelers find themselves at a crossroads. Perhaps the name no longer has the same ring it did a few decades ago, or the company has taken a new direction.
After completing a whole-house renovation in an affluent area of north Arlington, Va., Sagatov Associates hosted an open house to share the beauty of the project and meet other potential clients in the area.
Earlier this year, Kleber and Associates Marketing and Communications, in collaboration with StandPoint Marketing Research, conducted research on the economic power women have acquired in recent years.
Although it has been in business since 1966, Kerzner Remodeling and Construction still faces stiff competition in the active Oconomowoc, Wis., remodeling market.
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The market slowdown has made job security a real concern for many remodeling professionals. If you foresee slowdowns, I suggest these practices for shoring up morale:
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Monthly production meetings at Basnett Design-Build-Remodel had a tendency to wander and to produce too few action items. So Jim Basnett and his production team at the Littleton, Mass., company, set a day and time, and created an agenda and a required attendance list.
Besides earning a salary for full-time production responsibilities, the two project managers at Kanon Group, in Towson, Md., can earn thousands more by selling small remodeling jobs that don't require a designer, including basements, bathrooms, and some kitchens.
According to OSHA, ladders are the No. 1 cause of construction accidents. Having had my own accidents, injuring myself and marring the surfaces of homes, I have put away the ladders in favor of trailer-mounted portable “man lifts” for any work higher than a step ladder.
Mission control at Mark IV Builders is the production board, a visual representation of all current projects, their supervisors, their schedules and status, and their current to-do items.
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One of the most difficult aspects of building a business is finding the right people. So when a slow marketplace threatens the need for layoffs, most savvy businesspeople fight it tooth and nail.
Those workers' compensation and general liability insurance policies you're holding are really just estimates. Six months after they expire, an auditor will knock on your door looking to figure your actual premium amount. It's based on exposure or, for workers' comp, how many people you have on...
About 10 years ago, Jay Riordan, owner of Dream Design Builders in San Diego, realized that while developing a design, he wasted a lot of time going back and forth between a client's home and the office. On one particularly difficult project with a slew of adjustments, he says, “We finally sat down...
When Dave Myers joined J. Francis Co. in Pittsburgh, the company had no job descriptions. “Everything was loosey-goosey,” he says. But after several peer review meetings, one group member told them to get serious or get out. “We were in business 14 years before we wrote our first job description,”...
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It used to be that when Ben Morey, president of Morey Construction in Long Beach, Calif., wanted to share information with his staff, he'd do what many of us do: He'd write a memo.
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About 140 million phone numbers are listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) registry, but confusion remains for telemarketers and consumers, particularly regarding cell phones. Here are the facts:
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Homeowners sometimes complain that their remodeler didn't show up for days at a time and they didn't know why, or that they weren't aware of what they might need to do to facilitate the remodeling process. It all comes down to communication.
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Michael Carey, owner of Carey Contracting Corp. in Iron Mountain, Mich., says, “We believe we're only here to make a living so we can live life. A solid family life is first.”
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When Michael Wilkinson owned a small remodeling company, he worked, he says, probably 15 hours a day “doing all the work in the field and in the evenings going out on estimates, seeing people, writing up contracts and bids. Eight years of that.”
The latest in trucks & accessories.
A few featured items in safety equipment.
Nails, blades, and foundation products.
Manufactured with the maker's TemShield mold-protection system, ComfortGuard interior gypsum board features a mold- and water-resistant core and facers, independently tested against ASTM mold-resistance standards.
As you get ready to close the books on 2007, take the opportunity to thank your staff and clients for another successful year in business. For the crewmembers who went above and beyond, or the homeowners who made you happy to head to the jobsite each day, check out these holiday-season gift...
After homeowners choose the finishes and fixtures they want for their updated homes, it's up to remodelers to make the vision a reality. Having a set of professional fastening tools is essential. And, of course, we can't overlook the importance of saws in the construction equation. From slicing to...
As more manufacturers offer lower-priced lighting-control products, builders and remodelers have the opportunity to make system packages an option or upgrade to their designs. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 57% of home builders offered automated lighting controls in 2006, up an...
Thanks to battery technology advancements, cordless tools pack more power, and new improvements are driving them to become more compact, as well. “The actual motor performance is getting better, and we have the ability to deliver more power out of a smaller motor,” says Shane Moll, Milwaukee's vice...
Though vinyl remains the least expensive and most used siding, fiber-cement continues to make strides in the market. Known for its higher-end appearance, durability, and green qualities, fiber-cement is expected to lead siding in growth through 2008, reaching almost 14 million squares, according to...
Avocado green may be out, but homeowners are again considering appliance color options far beyond “biscuit.”
Many men are reclaiming their homes' dens, garages, and basements as “man caves” where testosterone rules. And what fixture is better suited to defining the man cave than the urinal?
Remodeling is a sign that a home isn't meeting its owners' current needs. But, that doesn't mean the design update ends when those particular needs are met.