I use a day timer, and at the top of each page of the daily calendar, there is a quote for the day. I read one today that left an impression on me. The quote is from Mahatma Gandhi: “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Every time I read it, it makes me pause and reflect for just a second. “Why am I pushing so hard?” What is the rush?” Everywhere around me, nobody has enough time. Too many things to do, and too little time. We are all running at high speed, like we’re in a race to get somewhere. The problem with this is that there is no finish line. What are we trying to win here, anyway?

I’m a big fan of Michael Gerber, author of the book “The E-Myth.” He summarizes the small business owners’ dilemma well: when any successful small business grows, and an owner finds themselves doing more and more things just to keep up, they inevitably find themselves at the point where they don’t own a business, their business owns them. Most remodelers would readily agree with this statement. As any successful company grows, an owner must be able to delegate day to day activities effectively to the responsible people they have hired. Company wide “systems” need to be created to provide consistent results (processes and outcomes).

The remodeling business is a relationship-driven business model. As homeowners invite us into their homes, we don’t just deliver a successful project, we also engage with every member of the family. Very personal and close interactions can take place on longer projects. We have the ability to create special relationships with the homeowners we work with. No other tradesperson or supplier has this type of “up close and personal” experience with their customers. This personal dynamic separates what a general contractor does from most other professional service providers, with the exception of the family physician. They too, get to know their clients in a very personal way.

Even in a slow market, small business owners are faced with the challenge of having too much to do and not enough time to do it all. The Harvard Business School refers to this phenomenon as “resource poverty”. Simply speaking, the small business owner wears dozens of hats and as a result, has limited time and resources.

I was in a construction office last week the day after the office manager had come back to work after being out sick for 2 days. A number of employees at the office welcomed her back in the following way: “Thank God your back! Do you know how much we missed you? You cannot get sick again, do you understand? We need you!” Needless to say, the office manager had been missed.

If your sales leads are decreasing, it’s more important than ever to develop an effective marketing pipeline. A good marketing pipeline allows you to generate sales in an effective, consistent fashion. When working with potential clients, there is one thing we don’t control. We don’t control when potential customers make the decision to purchase our products or services. Because we can’t control when our prospects buy, it is imperative that we follow-up with potential customers in a predictable and consistent way. We need to stay in their awareness on an ongoing basis so that when they are ready to move forward with their project, our name is there so that they remember to give us a call.

Competitive bidding is not good for business. Besides the time spent doing an estimate for a job you may not get, there is an additional element that most homeowners are not aware of. The following quote helps explain this:

Creating Expectations

Homeowners all have expectations when their job begins. The problems in remodeling begin when we don’t meet those expectations. We all get into trouble when we don’t meet these expectations. That said, here is a simple fact for every professional remodeler: we are in the business of managing homeowner expectations. Understanding this very simple fact is the basis for being successful in your remodeling business.

Are You an Overworked Business Owner?

Running a successful remodeling company is an ongoing challenge. It starts when you walk into your office on Monday morning. You receive a call from one of your carpenters at 7 am letting you know he won’t be showing up to work that day. Soon after that, the client starts calling! So you pull a carpenter off of another project and send him to the jobsite where you need help. You then discover that the lead carpenter didn’t order the materials due on the jobsite that day! Now, you’re in your office, scrambling to put out a fresh set of fires. Is this just another day at the office???