Contractor | Foster Lumber- Vallejo, CA

Progress Report for Clients

01 Feb

Trust—between you and the client and between the client and the subs—is the most important thing in remodeling, says Marty Kersey, remodeling manager for...

Boundaries and Defined Responsibilities Can Reduce Bumps in Your Business

01 Jan

Whether or not you and your spouse work together, the clearer you are about what each of you is responsible for, the better your relationship will be. In my...

Attract Better Hires by Employing These Three Tips for Writing Want Ads

15 Nov

With a shrinking workforce and generational transition, being able to write an effective want ad has never been more important. Here are three recommendations...

Ensure Your Contractor is Following Safety Regulations

01 Oct

One of the first things you should do when seeking a contractor for hire, is to ensure that they are properly insured and certified. Why these so important?...

Selling and Installing the Difficult Roof

15 Sep

The job was a three-story Victorian with “a very large turret, and a mansard,” recalls Kevin Phillips, co-owner of Full Service Roofing & Remodeling in Quincy,...

The Five Secrets to Success in a Service Business

01 Sep

As a business owner and a customer/client of other businesses, I am always paying attention to what makes me feel well-served. Sometimes I feel that way...

How to Convince a Customer that You're the Builder They Need

01 Aug

Home builders today are lucky—they have more tools available than ever before to help convince prospective customers that they’re the right choice. Builders...

Sales Mistakes

01 Jul

I am a fan of baseball, especially the science of the game. Winning in baseball is more about not making mistakes than beating the opponent. If you give up...

Always Deliver Value

01 Mar

Your custom building clients come from all walks of life. But they have one thing in common: They are successful, and they have money. And more often than not,...

Help Hiring Help

01 Feb

Somewhere in the Sierra Nevada, along the celestial blue shores of California’s Lake Tahoe, Dave Baker, general superintendent for Reno, Nev.-based Dianda...

Handle These Five Headaches Before the Remodel

15 Jan

Once your clients hand you a remodeling job, it’s entirely up to you to turn their visions into a reality. Of course, even with the skills and resources you...

Before Crafting Your 2018 Budget, Ask Yourself These Questions

01 Dec

With the next year coming in just a couple of months, you all are working on your budget for 2018, right? If not, you should be. How can you get where you want...

Watch the Skies

01 Oct

Just about everyone in home improvement hates to climb a ladder when they’re on a sales call. Enter drones. They’re not just toys anymore. Instead, drones are...

Must-Haves for a Comprehensive Contract

01 Aug

Unless you have someone on staff who can do a Vulcan mind-meld with your customer, odds are you and your potential client will clash about something you...

Protect Your Jobsite Crews From the Summer Heat

01 Jun

On a jobsite in Kingsville, Texas, in August 2013, a worker was mixing gypsum concrete in preparation for gypcrete installation on an apartment building. It’s...

Believe it or Not, Climate Change is Impacting Contractors

15 May

From Superstorm Sandy to snowpocalypse, climate change-fueled severe weather has become a commonplace occurrence for contractors who often find themselves on...

How to Write a Small-Job Proposal

15 Apr

Some things to keep in mind when preparing a small job “proposal.” Keep It Simple While Being CompleteI agree that you don’t want to overwhelm the client with...

Why "Good" Isn't Good Enough to Meet Client Expectations