In the world of NASCAR, there are several times when full-speed racing is interrupted due an accident or poor track conditions. While racing under the yellow caution flag, cars must adhere to new rules: slower speeds, no passing, and so on. The time allows drivers to change tires, re-fuel, and make adjustments to their car. Doug Howard of Remodelers Advantage draws the comparison between the caution flag in racing and the current business climate for remodelers.
Right now, many remodeling companies are operating under caution, and some, unfortunately, have taken themselves out of the race. Some owners have been able to actively work on their businesses, while others have been limited to taking a break and being left with lots of time to think.
For all, the restart will be critical. It will be different in every state and even in common locations; competing businesses will have different situations, varying strengths and weaknesses and be positioned differently for success.
Now is the time for you, as a remodeling business owner, to assess your own situation; how is the delay in “the race” unfolding and how well-positioned are you and your team to go from yellow to green, once the flag is waved.
Your remodeling company should be looking at:
- Marketing messages, tactics and strategies
- Sales pipeline, processes and closing ratios
- Job scheduling, sales-to-production handoffs and jobsite organization
- Do you have the right people and are they in the right positions?
- Processes, procedures and standards designed to bring work in on-time an on-budget.
