The Design Builder's Blog

Carpenters Should Read This Before They Interview For Their Next Job

If you’re a carpenter looking for a better job and career opportunity you might want to consider a lot more than just compensation before you decide which remodeling or construction business you will work for.  Sure, what you get paid is important.  However, considering how much money you will make over the course of your entire career might make far more sense than only considering how much you will get paid next week.

At the Providence RI JLC Live Show coming up in March I will be presenting a seminar titled “A Call to Action and an Opportunity for Carpenters and Business Owners” on Saturday morning March 23^rd from 7-8:30 AM.   At the seminar I will be sharing some strategies carpenters can use to help them if they would like to improve their careers and compensation.  This same information can be used by business owners if they want to attract and keep quality carpenters for their production teams.

Below is a list of some of the considerations an aspiring carpenter might want to use when searching and interviewing for a new job and career opportunity.  As part of my presentation I’ll be reviewing and discussing this list at the seminar.  My hope is that by discussing these considerations attendees can determine whether they are working at the right company already, whether they should consider looking for a new company to work for, and how to evaluate the businesses they interview with.

Topics to be discussed at the JLC LIVE Seminar

The Company You Keep: Financial Considerations

• Does the business have a financial budget for the year?
• Can and does the business run budget to actual reports to track progress?
• Does the business have a formal estimating system and method?
• Does the business share the estimate with field staff?
• Does the business do job costing on a consistent basis?
• Does the business share job costing info with field staff?

The Company You Keep: Company Structure Considerations

• Does the business have an organizational chart you can look at?
• Do they have a growth plan and organizational charts to show future staffing needs?
• Do they have and will they share written job descriptions?
• Do they use a production manager driven or lead carpenter driven production system?
• Does the business have a place of business?
• Does the business operate legally?

The Company You Keep: Opportunity for Advancement

• Does the business plan to advance employees as it grows or hire to fill future positions?
• Has the business defined career paths for employees, in writing?
• Do job descriptions include educational requirements and or expectations?
• Does the business have an adequate budget for employee education?
• Does the business have a formal and scheduled review process?
• Does the business have an objective method for establishing compensation rates?

The Company You Keep: Current Leadership

• What are the goals of the owner; Practice vs. growing business?
• Is the owner a craftsman or business person?
• Is middle management already in place?
• Is the owner or manager “present” at the job interview?
• Does the owner share financial information with employees?
• Does the owner conduct him/herself in a professional manner?

Thinking about attending this JLC LIVE seminar with Shawn?

Below is the summary slide from my presentation.   In case you’re considering joining me that morning, the slide should help give you an understanding of what I’ll be discussing at the seminar.

Other seminars Shawn will be presenting at JLC LIVE in Providence RI:

EPA RRP Certified Lead-Safe Renovator Training & Certification (Also covers MA and RI Certification)

Three Keys to Building a Profitable and Sustainable Business

Leadership Skills For The Lead Carpenter

Unhappy With Government Policies and Regulations Affecting Remodeling Business?

On February 5, 2013, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a projection that the economy will remain slow this year. Unemployment is expected to remain above 7.5% through 2014 for a sixth consecutive year, the longest stretch in the past 70 years. While the CBO forecasts that the nation’s yearly deficit will dip below the trillion dollar threshold, it is projected to rise again later in the decade. Responsible spending reductions are needed to change that trajectory. By 2023, the national debt is projected to equal an unsustainable 77% of the nation’s economy (Gross Domestic Product), and still be going up.

Recently, the House Small Business Committee launched a new resource to help small businesses help shape federal regulations and add some real world common sense to the process. This initiative, “Small Biz Reg Watch,” will highlight proposed regulations that will likely affect small firms, and inform business owners of how to make comments to the appropriate federal agency.

Chairman Sam Graves Discusses Small Business and the Economy

Make Your Opinion Known

Most small businesses do not have lawyers or lobbyists to help them with regulatory compliance, like some larger corporations do. Not all regulations are bad, but many can be unnecessarily burdensome, so it is important that small companies get to express their concerns before rules become final. Small businesses bear a regulatory cost that is much higher than the cost of compliance for large businesses. This initiative will help small companies make their voices heard. 

On select proposed rules that impact a large number of small businesses, the Committee will communicate about the regulatory comment period via email, social media, and even district events around America. Small businesses are also encouraged to join the hundreds of small firms that share insights with the committee at their interactive web platform, “Small Biz Open Mic.”

Note:  Most of the content of this blog post comes from the Weekly Update email newsletter published by Sam Graves, Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business.  Click here to sign up for the weekly e-mail newsletter and other e-mail alerts.

Guest Blogger: This article was contributed by Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley, Editor of the HomeInsurance.com blog. Carrie has been writing insurance news and consumer information for HomeInsurance.com since 2008. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington in 2005 with a B.A. in Professional Writing and Journalism.

Contractor Insurance Can Help Set You Apart from Competitors

Always remember this: Your customers have plenty of other options. So you need to make sure that you stand out from your competitors. That's easy enough when you've done a job previously for a customer – your work speaks for itself. But what about when the customer has never hired a contractor? How do you differentiate yourself among a group of people who say they can do the same things you can?

One way is by assuring your potential customer that you have something that other contractors might not – especially the jacks-of-all-trades and the less reputable competitors that could be undercutting your prices because of a lack of expertise or experience or both. That “something” is general liability insurance coverage.

That's what will cover any damage in case you or an employee has an accident or makes an error that causes damage to a customer's property or that of a neighbor. You're probably thinking, "I never have accidents." But remember, this coverage will cover employees as well. Are you that sure of everyone who works for you?

Offer Proof of Coverage

When you show your prospective customer your certificate of insurance, what you're really showing him is that you're taking responsibility for the project and anything that happens on the job. Ask the customer whether every contractor he's considering can make that claim. The Better Business Bureau also recommends that customers ask to see a contractor's certificate of workers compensation coverage. Again, you'll be demonstrating that you'll step up in case one of your employees is injured while working on the project. Remind the customer that otherwise, he or she could be held financially responsible if property is damaged or someone is injured while work is being done on their home.

Warn Them

Some contractors could claim that homeowners insurance will cover the customer in case something happens during a project. That claim is just not always true. And not only is it not always true, but if the homeowners has to file the claim on their own policy their premiums will likely skyrocket when the policy renews.

As a responsible contractor, you owe it to your customers to let them know that and to let them know you have the right coverage if there is a problem.

Remind them, also, that price shouldn't be their only consideration in selecting a contractor, neither should insurance. While having proper insurance and licenses should give the customer an idea of your professionalism, you also can prompt them to check references from your customers. Let them know there is a difference, and that a cheap project often can be just that – a cheap project.

Checklist of Consideration for Contractors Offering Snow Removal Services.

When winter snows and ice dams hit many contractors see offering snow and ice dam removal as an opportunity to make money.   If you’re considering snow removal as an opportunity for your business thinking ahead about how and where you offer it, as well as how you will perform the work, can help protect your business from inherent risks.  Thinking ahead about your approach can even help you drum up additional work after the snow has disappeared.

Offering snow removal services makes sense for many contractors 

After all, if work is slow during winter months, snow removal can bring in extra revenue.   Also, many projects come to a halt when the weather makes working outside impractical or makes going in and out of a building while working on interior renovations dangerous and messy.   If you price it correctly, offering snow removal and ice dam removal can help keep employees working and help contribute gross profit to cover business overhead.

How the snow removal checklist list came about

Several years ago I helped one of my remodeler coaching clients plan out how to offer and perform snow removal services.   He called me because he realized there were a lot of things he should consider before just sending his guys out with there with shovels and axes.  Below is a list of considerations from my coaching session notes created during my discussions with him.   By sharing my notes my hope is that you will find them helpful, you will price the work for profit, you and your employees will be safer while performing the work, you can use the opportunity to create new customers and you will generate future work from those that hire you.

Checklist of Snow Removal Services Considerations for Contractors:

• Suggested he consider the work is labor intensive, he will not be earning his typical gross profit on subs or materials, be sure to price hourly rates accordingly.
• Agreed on $300 first hour with two men, $80/hr per additional man hour.
• 4 men doing it currently.  Full employees with Workers Compensation (WC) coverage. 
• Discussed properly equipping his employees to avoid risk and health problems. Confirmed he has fall protection equipment needed to meet OSHA requirements and employees know how to use it.  Should try to do as much of the work as they can from the ground.
• Confirmed that he knows which WC classification workers will be in while doing the work and what rate he will be charged on all related payroll.
• Discussed a variety of ways to do the work to limit residual damages.
• Discussed setting realistic expectation with clients before doing the work. Agreed that only using a verbal agreement about services would not be acceptable.
• Help home owners understand nature of the work, let them know that damages will happen and that he cannot guarantee preventing leaks or any possible damages inside or outside.
• Suggested he have an agreement; created and or reviewed by legal counsel.
• Suggested he disclaim in the agreement any water damage prevention and or remediation responsibilities.
• Look at the work as a good way to meet new clients.  Because there might be more demand than he can service, be selective about who he will work for, make sure they fit within his target customer/location niche.
• Suggested he make follow up calls to verify home owners are all set and happy, ask if they should come back if it keeps snowing.
• Collect contact info including e-mail addresses so he can re-market for future work.
• If he uses any subs make sure they are properly insured and follow OSHA requirements.  Make sure subs know not to attempt to solicit or accept any work from his customers.
• Keep emergency contact info on site and or in each vehicle.
• Suggest he ask about future work, both snow related and remodeling.
• Could create a checklist of things to ask or tell customers related to the work and future work; what his company does.  Said he has already created a simple sheet listing other work they do.
• Suggested he should be prepared regarding how to differentiate his business from other businesses offering the work. Discussed one way is to offer all clients an insurance certificate that lists the home owner as an additional insured, sent direct to the client from his insurance agent before work starts.  Verify his agent is prepared and capable to do so.
• Suggested considering doing a YouTube video commercial about the service and put it on his website ASAP.
• Discourage use of Red Bull, maybe even coffee. Suggested hot chocolate and donuts.
• Suggested refrigerator magnets would be a good leave behind.  Also consider 5-5-10 door hanger package we had discussed on a previous call about jobsite marketing.
• Asked him what his top three takeaways from our discussion were:

1. Caution regarding liabilities, set expectations with clients in writing.
2. Realizes the marketing opportunity, concentrate on working for his target customer.
3. Keep an eye on the big picture to avoid liabilities and not miss an opportunity by being blinded by a just getting the work done mentality.

Simple Profit Sharing Plan For Contractors

Recently, several of the contractors I work with have asked for help developing profit sharing plans.   Because they are looking to take advantage of the benefits of profit sharing I thought others may want to consider a profit sharing plan at their  remodeling businesses as well.

Profit is the reward a business and the business owner earns for the risks taken by being in business.  Profit sharing is in effect a type of reward program for company employees.  It is based on sharing a percentage of the total profits earned by the company with the employees who helped earn it.  Profit sharing plans are used to help encourage and foster employee awareness and participation in creating, protecting and maximizing the profit earned by the business. 

Open Book Management:

Open book management is the process of sharing in detail the company’s financial statement with the entire staff on a monthly or quarterly basis. If you want your employees to contribute to protecting and earning profits you'll need to share financial information with them and help them understand how to interpret and use that information.

Why Profit Sharing and Open Book Management?        

• Both can increase collaboration between office and production staff to help improve efficiency and productivity.
• Everyone has a stake in working together to eliminate waste and duplication of effort.
• Because the responsibility as well as the benefits of profit are shared, team members take ownership in the company’s profitability and health.
• Open books and sharing of profit can create a trusting and supportive environment for all involved.

Creating a Profit Sharing Plan for Your Construction Business

Creating a profit sharing plan can be very involved process.   Lots of details, way more than can be included in a short blog post, need to be considered before offering the plan to employees.  If not well thought out before it is introduce, mid stream changes to the plan may cause employees to lose their confidence in the plan and the business.  

Sample Plan

Below is an illustration of how a simple profit sharing plan might work.   This plan is based sharing 10% of a company’s planned net profits with all employees.   With this plan pay-out to employees for profits earned each quarter would be 50% of the profit sharing earned with the balance paid after year end final accounting has been completed.  Also, in the example below if quarterly profit goals are not reached, employees will not receive profit sharing funds during that quarter, but may still get the money earned for that quarter at the end of the year if the overall performance for the year proves successful.

Annual profit goal: $100,000

Quarterly profit goal : $25,000

Based on the example above, assuming you have a total of 10 employees on staff:

• First Quarter – no profit sharing would be paid
• Second Quarter –each employee would be paid $150 in profit sharing (50% of $300)
• Third Quarter – no profit sharing would be paid
• Fourth Quarter – each employee would be paid $200 in profit sharing (50% of $400)
• If Annual Goal is achieved – each employee would be paid an additional $650 in profit sharing

Total bonus paid to each employee for this example ………. $1,000 ($10, 000 ÷ 10 employees)

Help Understanding and Complying With Home Improvement Contractor Laws

Many remodeling contractors may be operating their businesses illegally without even knowing it.  In addition to construction supervisor licensing, most states now have some type of licensing or registration requirements for contractors who offer and or perform home improvement work.  Home improvement contractor licensing and regulations govern how contractors conduct business, not how they build or renovate at the job site.  Fines and penalties for lack of compliance can be substantial, including losing your right to conduct business.  The specific details of home improvement contractor laws and regulations are different from state to state, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re aware of and understand requirements where you work. 

What states have Home Improvement Contractor Licensing requirements?

Click here for an interactive map where you can find out.  You or your remodeling customers can also use the map to check to see if a specific contractor is licensed.

Currently there are about 26,000 Registered Home Improvement Contractors in Massachusetts.

Recently the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation ("OCABR") released a series of five short videos to help Massachusetts home improvement contractors become aware of and learn how to comply with the Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor Registration law.  The videos are well done and are targeted to help Massachusetts contractors, but a lot of the information shared in the videos could also be very helpful for contractors doing businesses in other states as well.  Each video covers a topic that is regulated in some way or another by any state's home improvement regulations.

At about 17 minutes of total time, it’s worth your time to watch all five videos even if your business is not in Massachusetts.  

The first 45 seconds of each video is an introduction and is just about the same, so after watching the first video in full you can probably skip ahead in the other four.

Basic Rules for Home Improvement Contractors:

Video #1:  Registration

Video #2: Contract Content & Payment Terms

Video #3: Advertising & Estimating

Video #4: Performance of the Contract

Video #5: Arbitration & Enforcement

In addition to being an industry representative in the videos, I was also pleased to be able to offer input on the script.  Before, during and after the filming I worked closely with Steven J. Zuilkowski, Hearing Officer for the Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation.  During the filming I also worked with Jacqueline F. Chandler, HIC Program Coordinator.  Both demonstrated they were genuinely interested in helping contractors comply with the regulations and were seeking input to help ensure the videos served the intended purpose.  Recently Steve shared with me that the OCABR now also has a blog were he has written several posts for contractors regarding help interpreting the HIC regulations, check it out here.

I want to thank Barbara Anthony, Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and the OCABR for doing these videos to help contractors.  It was an honor for me to be asked to participate in the project and I had some fun too!

Guest Blogger: Jim Lex is the owner of Better Homes and Remodeling, a Design/Build firm serving the greater Atlanta area. His passion is to make homes better by designing and building spaces that serve better!  As a full service remodeler, he also offers home maintenance and handyman services. On the national level, Jim supports the construction industry by teaching classes on lead, mold and radon.  I ran into Jim on LinkedIn.  He participated in a discussion I had started about great business books for remodelers.  I liked some of the comments he added to discussion regarding his approach to reading and asked him to do a guest blog.

Reading ROI For Contractors: How To Maximize Results When Reading Business Books

Reading for a Positive Change

Reading can be a powerful tool to help grow your remodeling business. However, reading is of little benefit when it is done casually. Casual reading works fine for the news, novels, and entertainment.  But with business, casual reading isn’t enough because it brings only casual results. As contractors, we need great results with measurable change.  If you haven’t been getting that from your reading, then perhaps it’s time for a reading pathway.

Reading for a Positive Change is a reading pathway involving several key steps that culminate in both personal and business growth.

Read wisely and widely

A wise king once said, “You can get anything by either wisdom or money, but being wise has many advantages.” So be sure to read wisely and widely to get all the advantages.

• Read wisely – Identify industry movers and shakers, ask for their referrals and check online book reviews. Starting with the right book ensures you are getting the best answers and insights.  It will save you time and money.
• Read widely – Remodelers tend to be strong on technical skills and product knowledge.  But your positive change might be elsewhere like your presentation, office, or running your business. Read widely to improve your skills in other vital areas such as selling, design, marketing, managing, communicating, finances, technical/computer, building processes, and so on. Your width and depth in reading supports you like the width and depth of a foundation supports a home.

Great reads don’t always cost a lot.  With Amazon used books, I recently obtained several excellent business classics ($20 and up new) for as low as $1 each.

Read actively

To get the most from any read, begin with a posture that is open minded, disciplined and focused. Avoid early judgments of new ideas as you may miss the very thing you need most. Be sure to notate and contemplate:

• Notate – Use 1, 2 or 3 stars for anything you MUST remember or implement.  Highlight key concepts and paragraphs. Underline key industry words, phrases and clauses.
• Contemplate – Review your learning notations.  Think about how and when you should be using your underlines.  Review your highlights and stars.  I often use times away from a book, such as driving, to process how challenges can be solved.  Questions I might ask myself include, how could I have closed that missed sale? What more could I be doing to obtain customer loyalty? How can I better manage customers expectations? After asking yourself insightful questions, talk it over with someone. It’s extremely beneficial to hear yourself processing it.  

Implement for a positive change

At the end of the day, if you don’t learn something new, understand it in your own words, and then implement it for a positive change, nothing happened! So don’t wait. Do something now while it is fresh in your mind.

• Begin using the underlined words immediately.  It will increase your communication and professionalism.    
• Create a one-page summary of takeaways as bullet points. It will help “nail down” what you learned.  At the bottom, write page #’s with “future” points to revisit.
• Write implementation goals with start and finish dates. Work it and track your progress.  The success of your implementation is your return on investment.  And who doesn’t love a good ROI.

If your reading hasn’t been bringing great results with measurable change, then perhaps it’s time for a reading change.  A reading pathway can make a big difference and bring immediate results in your remodeling business!

** Quotes are proverbs from the wisdom literature.

Green Building and Green Products: Understanding and Selling the Many Shades of Green

Contractors and building materials dealers (LBM dealers) have found it challenging figuring out how to tap into the green building opportunity.  Some say the problem is caused by “green washing”.  Without a single and accepted definition of what green building is and what products are or are not green, it’s no wonder they are challenged.  Whether you’re an LBM Dealer, a product distributer, a professional designer or a contractor, it might not really make much difference what you consider to be green.  Before you get all upset at that statement and or with me, please hear me out.

Here’s my rationale

I’m not saying you can’t have your own definition.  What I am saying is if you want to sell green, you better make sure you know how your target customer defines and decides what is green if you want to sell green to them. 

Sounds easy right?  Not really. 

Unfortunately, if you ask 10 people what green is, you’ll get at least 10 different answers!  So, how should contractors and LBM dealers (and even their staff) respond to homeowners who ask for green products when these same customers might not even know what they’re looking for?  Solution; You need to know the questions to ask before you risk providing any answers! 

“What is green and what is not is up to the person with the money!”

On February 8, 2013 I’ll be presenting a seminar at the NRLA LBM EXPO in Boston titled “Understanding and Selling the Many Shades of Green”.  One of my goals at this seminar is to help LBM dealers take advantage of the green building and renovation market that is expected to grow significantly as the economy improves.  Another goal is to help them so they can help their contractor customers sell and use more green products. 

In addition to discussing how different consumers define green and why, I plan to help them decided which products to sell and how to sell them.  To do so I will be offering and discussing the list of criteria below.  Contractors trying to decide what to sell should also find the list very helpful.  The key to success will be matching some or all of the criteria below to the green motivations of the home owner with the money.

Seven Criteria for Choosing Green Products to Sell

#1: Is the material effective in your conditions/climate?

Heat, cold, moisture, insects…

#2: Is the material healthy and safe?

For workers, consumers and the planet

#3: Is the material durable and easily maintained?

Saves time, money, replacement, and disposal costs

#4: Is the material available in your area and can contractors work with it?

Saves time and money

#5: Is the material used efficiently?

Locally sourced, transportation considerations, processing considerations

Efficient use of resources, recycled and/or recyclable

#6: Is the material cost effective?

Now and in the future: maintenance, replacement, comfort, health effects/costs

#7: Is the material aesthetically satisfying to the consumer?

That’s important too!

Pop Quiz: How well do you remember your RRP Training?  Are You At Risk For Fines?

One of the requirements of the RRP rule is that certified renovators, those who took the required training and passed the test to become certified to perform and supervise RRP work, must take required RRP refresher training to renew their certification every five years.   Many contractors feel the refresher training requirement is ridiculous and or unnecessary.   What about you?

Here’s a pop quiz of RRP related questions you can take to see if you would need refresher training; after the five years, but maybe even right now!   Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answer key (no cheating!).

RRP Pop Quiz

1.  Under the RRP Rule, which type of sanding activity can be used when lead-based paint could be present on the surface to be sanded?  

A.    Wet sanding by hand

B.    Dry sanding by hand

C.    Power sanding with a palm sander

D.   Both A and B

2.  Which of the following is the best way offered below to control lead dust?                                                                                

A.    Using HEPA-vacuum to clean up debris

B.    Spraying your work area with water

C.    Sweeping dry debris with a fine bristle broom

D.    Spraying your work area with water and using a HEPA vacuum to clean up debris

3.  OSHA requires the use of respiratory protection for workers if the actual airborne level of lead that will be created is not known.        

A.    True

B.    False

4.  Lead exposure presents the greatest risk to:                                                                                                                                               

A.    Grown adults

B.    Workers who disturb lead painted surfaces

C.    Minorities

D.    Women once over 50 years old

E.    Both children and pregnant women

5.  Which answer below is not true?

A.   The RRP Rule does not apply if only 4 ft/sq of lead paint coated surfaces will be disturbed in a single interior room.

B.   The RRP Rule does not apply if only 10 ft/sq of lead paint coated surfaces will be disturbed on a building’s exterior.

C.   If a home was built before 1978, but the deck I am replacing the decking on was built in 1985, the RRP rule does not apply.

D.   If I am doing an emergency repair, the RRP work practices do not apply, but I must still use the required cleaning practices and cleaning verification process.

Six ways you can get RRP Refresher information right away

1. You can find RRP refresher information at the Refresher Information Tag of RRPedia, your Interactive Resource for EPA RRP Information
2. Watch a series of short videos about the RRP Rule to get an overview of business and work practice considerations
3. Watch a recorded webinar about OSHA Related Compliance when doing RRP Work
4. Read an RRP Summary written for Remodelers, or download it to your computer at the same page
5. Download EPA RRP Tools and Supplies Shopping List for Remodelers
6. You can attend a workshop about the differences between the MA RRP Rule and the EPA RRP Rule

Not certified Yet? 

I will be conducting the RRP Certified Renovator class at the JLC LIVE in Providence RI on March 20, 2013.   This class is recognized for MA, RI and EPA administered programs.

Answers to RRP Pop Quiz as follows:

#1 = D

#2 = D

#3 = A

#4 = E

#5 = C

How To Have A Rockin 2013!

A new economy and a new marketplace are both here now, and they are what they are; for now.   Old ways of doing business or just waiting for something good to happen for you in the New Year are strategies that are probably not going to help grow your business and or your profitability.  Here’s my list of three things remodeling business owners can do to make sure 2013 will be the year they set their businesses on a new path towards success in a constantly evolving marketplace.  Don’t miss the video treat at the end!

#1: Choose your niches: You can’t serve everyone or anyone

When you serve anyone and are willing to build anything your business misses an opportunity to really stand out.  Lots of businesses already follow that model.   If you follow it too you will be just another one in the crowd.  Instead, by choosing specifically who you will work for and what work type or types you will concentrate on, you can then create and build a brand that attracts your targeted niche.  Make sure the niche market you choose to serve can support the required margins your business needs to do so and make sure to consider the skills required to sell to that niche.  Remember, the economy will be soft for at least several more years, so choose niches and work types that will be in demand in your market.   As Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sings: ““You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need”

#2: Identify how you’re unique

Don’t be different in the same ways other remodelers are different.  Sounds stupid but why copy another business and call that being different.  Besides, when you’re just like all the other companies the only differentiator in the eyes of the consumer might be price.   Instead, be unique.  Find ways to really stand out from the crowd in the way you do things and or the things you do.   For example maybe you only hire female field staff to build your projects.  Maybe you and your employees always wear company uniforms and name badges with your picture on it whenever you and or they show up for a sales call, service call or the first day at a new project.  Or, maybe you will only install American made products (assume that is really possible these days!).   As Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead once said: “You do not merely want to be the best of the best, you want to be considered the only one who does what you do”

#3: Build the right team 

You can’t do it all on your own and still have a life.  As the legendary Canadian Rock Band Bachman-Turner Overdrive sang: “I've been taking care of business, it's all mine. Taking care of business and working overtime”.   If running your business requires too much time away from the things you actually work to have or enjoy, you need to change how you do business.

Building the right team requires some engineering.   First, identify the organizational chart of job positions and the number of employees needed; today and at other predetermined milestones as your business grows and evolves.  Then, find employees who complement your and current employees’ strengths and weaknesses.   When filling job positions consider whether the assigned employees should be global or linear thinkers.   If you want employees who think like owners, hire the right ones and then give them the same experiences an owner has so they can actually think like an owner thinks.  If you want to use a lead carpenter system then hire true lead carpenters, but first make sure your other business systems are already in place and designed to support a true lead carpenter system.

I hope you enjoyed the “rockin” theme of this blog post.  

What inspired this approach you might ask.  I recently went on the Rock Legends Cruise II and had a blast.  Here’s a video I shot on the cruise of the Lynyrd Skynyrd tune “Give Me Three Steps” performed by the Artimus Pyle Band.   Artimus is one of two drummers who played for Lynyrd Skynyrd.   What’s special about this recording is that Bob Burns, the other drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, is on stage and both Bob and Artimus are playing drums at the same time!  I’m not sure that has ever happened before.  I hope you enjoy this recording as much as I enjoyed it live!  Artimus really pulled together the “right team” for this tune!

Artimus Pyle Band with Bob Burns and Artimus playing drums at the same time!