Change orders are tough. It’s hard to get everyone on board, and challenging to get paid the amount you really need to for the business. It would be nice if there weren’t any, but the nature of remodeling means they’re a necessity on most projects. But you could be losing money in a way you’re
Finding, hiring, and training great employees is critical to your success. But it’s hard, and getting harder. I hear it all the time when I’m working with remodeling companies. I’m supposed to have some of the answers to those problems. But it’s been a while since I’ve hired and trained anyone myself, so I wanted some real-world data from a
Slippage! Wow, when you look at it from a production viewpoint it comes from everywhere! It’s a battle that all remodelers face on a daily basis; win the battle and see higher profits… lose the battle a few times and it can affect team morale, customer satisfaction and ultimately, the bottom line. Sometimes it is
In my experience working with remodeling companies in the US and Canada, I find that, in many cases, all information learned in the process of completing a project is lost as soon as the job is finished. The end-of-project debrief meeting, or as some call it, the “post-mortem,” can be a very effective tool for
Is this the scenario for your production meetings? People file into the room in about the same order each week. They sit in the same chairs or lean against the wall in the same place. They sit quietly while you “discuss” information that you think they will appreciate. Then you discuss each job and what
The phrase at the end of most job descriptions, “and all other duties as required” is one of the most dangerous expressions a remodeling company can include when looking for your next team member. While it is intended to capture any additional items that are not included in the overall description, it often has very
Loss of revenue is a critical issue for any business, but in my experience, the biggest problem with slippage is the effect it has on morale within the company. Of course, it hits the owner of a remodeling business hard because it is money out of his/her pocket, but it effects the entire team because
A few days ago, a client called with a problem. He’s trying to balance how much he can sell (wanting to sell as much as possible) with the amount his production team can produce. His primary question was, “When do I tell the prospect about my six-month backlog and still gain them as a client?”
Remodelers are always struggling with the cost of an employee leaving the job site to pick up materials. Simple calculations often reveal that this consistent behavior costs companies about 2-4% of their annual sales volume. Preaching doesn’t change it; threats don’t change it. So what does? Daily planning does! Three simple steps will dramatically reduce