Laying a solid foundation for a working relationship during the first sales meeting. More
Hard to believe, but recessions and construction slowdowns still catch some remodelers by surprise. Others keep their ear to the ground. More
Over the last several years, metal roofs have grown increasingly popular with consumers. The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), a nonprofit association of metal manufacturers and contractors, estimates metal's share of the roofing market at around 8%, with a projected 1% annual growth. More
How do you pinpoint an appropriate growth target? It begins, experts say, with knowing both yourself and your company: Who are your ideal clients? What's an ideal project? Where in the region do you prefer to work? More
The phone stopped ringing in Tom Davison's Sonoma, Calif., office in early 2001. Not a year after Davison Remodeling celebrated its best earnings ever, the unwanted quiet set off a two-year slide that almost killed the company. More
Two Big50 remodelers learn a few lessons when they team up to tackle a major vacation-home renovation. More
Who's your competition? The new-home builder? The SUV dealer? The remodeling company on the other side of town? All of the above. More
The stock market slump affected sales in our target market, Silicon Valley, as residents lost the portfolio liquidity to fund home remodeling projects. Doug Dwyer, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, Waco, Texas, Big50 2000 More
Back in the early '90s, Chicago-area general contractor John Harty of John G. Harty Ltd. considered the custom home contract he'd just signed a godsend. But though the subs Harty recommends are usually the ones hired and though most materials are bought at supply yards where John G. Harty Ltd. has its accounts, Harty neither pays the subs directly nor purchases the products. More
In 1988 the New England economy started its free fall. Necessity bred invention. We took on any kind of work, including our first commercial jobs. We broke into commercial with small projects, like $20,000 office remodels for clients we already knew. More
