This section contains excerpts from published articles written by Lorraine Hart. They are organized into the following general topics:
Planning & Organization Insights
Remodeling to Achieve Your Goals
Restructuring your business for efficiency and profitability What comes to mind when we say remodel? A new kitchen or bathroom perhaps or maybe an extension on someone’s house? Why remodel? People remodel for a number of reasons: greater functionality...
Develop Your Business Action Plan
We sometimes wish we had crystal balls so we could predict our futures; however we all have at our disposal a tool far better than a crystal ball. That tool is the ability to establish goals and plans for ourselves and our businesses. Unfortunately many of us do not...
Stick to the Plan
As a successful remodeler you know what steps are needed to complete a project to reach your client’s goals. You know what you need to do, how you need to do it, and why, to get the result your client desires. Each project is unique and you have successfully mastered...
Business Succession Planning
There comes a time in everyone’s life and business to consider moving on. Whether the decision to move on is due to the desire to explore other opportunities, to retire or is the result of other circumstances, it is best to be prepared. Preparation for the...
Marketing Insights
But I Thought You Meant
The importance of good communication The importance of good communication“But I though you meant … .” How often have you heard this? I’m sure we can all relate to the familiar refrains of “I didn’t know that” or “You didn’t tell me that”. How...
Reaching Agreements
Listening may be the difference between agreement or disagreement How often have you asked yourself why it is so difficult to reach agreements? Whether it is getting staff to do what you want or getting clients to say yes to your sales proposals it...
Reasons
Reasons to communicate As I was thinking about the topic for this month’s article a number of thoughts seemed to be competing for my attention. This is the time of year to enjoy the holidays, to reflect on those things we have to be thankful for,...
What’s Fair?
Communication and fair play We’ve all heard the complaint or maybe even had the experience of getting ripped off. Important questions are how, when and why does this happen. In other words, what are the ingredients and warning signs of rip-off? In our...
Management Insights
Change
Changes in the economic climate We often hear that change is part of life. Similarly change is part of business and the world we live in. The question often is how we deal with change. Some of us welcome and embrace change, while others want...
Keeping up with change
When I look back to 6 – 10 years ago, most of my clients wanted help with organization and employee issues. Work was plentiful and no one wanted to hear about marketing, so our focus was on structure, organization and efficiency. As changes in the economy...
You Want to Know What?
Selling in a difficult economy In this time of economic and consumer uncertainty it is more important than ever to market and sell effectively. By effective I mean that you are doing the right things and getting results. For you, that means that you...
While You Were Asleep
Selling in a difficult economy Solutions to a slow economy –what we can do to make it better Oh, it’s so slow; I can’t do anything about it; I’m so busy, but I don’t have any money; it’s no use so I might as well hibernate. I could go on and on repeating...
Employee Insights
The Little Things
The little things that add up to quality We have all heard stories about bad business practices and we wonder how a business can last with such poor policies in place. Although we all are quick to recognize blatantly bad practices, we sometimes become blind to the...
Striving for Excellence
Quality and Excellence in contracting Since this is the month that NARI honors excellence in contracting [through their CotY award program], I thought it might be a good time to address the topic of quality and excellence from a broader point of view. When...
Sharpening your Skills
Creating quality by sharpening our skills Following is a story a friend sent me. Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason,...
Your Employees – the Frontline of Your Business
Have you ever shopped around for a new car and left the dealership thinking no way would you purchase a vehicle from that salesperson? Your potential customer’s relationship generally starts with some interaction with one of your employees. As they say “What goes...
Profitability Insights
Increased Profits through Subcontractors
Effective and efficient subcontractors will enable you to do more work and increase profits In recent surveys we keep hearing the same lament, “I can’t find qualified workers.” The other complaint I often hear is “it is so difficult to train my crew and then they...
Subcontractors – The Pros and Cons
Using subcontractors to increase profits In a recent article we examined the idea of increasing profits through subcontractors. In this article we will look at the pros and cons and some of the cautions of dealing with subcontractors. One of the obvious advantages...
Increasing Profits
Understanding your job costs, gross profit, and profit and loss statements You work so hard, you think you are doing everything right, and yet your profits just don’t seem to be where they should be. You have listened to others tell you that you are just too big, or...
Are Small Jobs Worth Your Time?
According to a recent report from NAHB, there has been an increase in smaller remodeling projects as well as in larger remodeling jobs over $25,000. It’s no surprise that many contractors prefer the larger jobs, but can your company benefit from the smaller ones too?...