Chances are good that most home≠owners donít know what a lien waiver is, but remodelers would do well to tell them. Subcontractors can file a mechanicís lien on property they work on in the event of a dispute over payment, but asking subs to sign a waiver ensures that wonít happen. More
I recently attended a meeting of production managers from around the country and... More
Reviewing and revising your company's contract puts into writing what you've learned from your mistakes. More
Tracking direct costs looks easy, but labor presents some sticking points. What, for instance, is to be done with labor costs for a production manager who spends part of each day on more than one jobsite? More
When an employee from Home Check Plus was recently asked to crawl into an attic and eradicate some bats from a customer's home, it didn't seem like an odd request. That's because the St. Cloud, Minn., company is more than just your average remodeling company. President Dale Gruber has tapped into the lucrative and expanding market of maintenance contracts. More
Sales are the fuel of your company. Benchmarking your sales process can help you fine-tune your fuel efficiency. Sales process metrics are especially helpful for full-service remodeling companies because they have a unique sales process. More
Arbitration clauses in a contract can force a customer dispute into a private forum for permanent resolution, rather than using the court system to resolve it. Arbitration can avoid the risk of runaway jury awards. That also means that a large number of lawyers, who might take a case hoping to get a jackpot jury award, are often hesitant to accept an arbitration case. More
This summer, a sales rep from Medallion Home Improvement in Maryland came back with an order for doors. The problem? Due to incorrect measuring, the contract price was less than half of what the company would need to make money on the job. Sales manager Oliver Schreiber sat down with the customer to explain the situation. Unfortunately, he says, "they didn't understand, and we lost it." (The job, that is.) More
Prospects will signal strong interest in many ways. But don't take that signed contract for granted. More
So-called 'leave behinds' help you keep the contract -- or position you to get it on a second visit. More
