Securing financing is getting more personal in the wake of the credit crunch. Remodelers are finding they may need to dig deeper within clients' finances and with their own lending partners. More
When it comes to providing employee health insurance in a down economy, many remodelers are asking their employees to share the cost. More
Many full-service and design/build remodelers are inclined to try lead providers ó once. More
Remodelers face tough decisions on new low-volume realities for staffing. More
Victoria Downing of Remodelers Advantage Roundtables asks remodelers whether they discuss compensation with employees during the performance review or hold it for a second meeting. More
Every industry has its own pet beliefs about what constitutes a sign of good business health. Unfortunately, not all of these commonsense diagnostics are reliable. Here are some misconceptions that I encounter most often in the remodeling industry. More
Hiring full-time designers can not only improve the client experience but give a boost to your bottom line as well. During the last decade, especially as public awareness of the design/build model has continued to grow, many remodelers have decided to make design a major part of their company's service offering. More
As varied as remodeling company owners are, they share several personality traits. Most are independent-minded and strong-willed, and they tend to keep their cards very close to their vests. But some are finding that open-book management has made their company more profitable and their employees more accountable. More
From the mildly frustrating to the emotionally crippling, potentially high-stakes scenarios play themselves out every day in the remodeling world. Some begin benignly or seem tolerable, and many remodelers would rather suffer through them instead of openly confronting them. Other scenarios are clearly huge, a threat to an important relationship or your company's future. More
What can we learn about accountability in business from The Apprentice, Donald Trump's televised search for his next executive? In Trump's version, you're on a team where you avoid taking responsibility and sometimes even undermine team performance to protect yourself. To survive, you may have to throw teammates under the bus. Most importantly, a small mistake will get you called on the carpet for public humiliation, and probably will get you fired. More
