As the remodeling and custom building industries struggle to find young, talented, hard-working talent to hire, business owners often miss out by not looking toward opportunities for minority hiring. Expanding the search for talent in otherwise overlooked groups of people can open up an entirely new group of prospects. Guest David Jacobs of Jobs for […]
By all accounts, business is booming. Projects are being booked way in advance, and everything is roses and sunshine. Or is it? In this episode, guest Chris Bache joins Tim and Steve to discuss the “dark period” – the period of time after the sale is completed, the project is booked, and is on the […]
Bridging the gap between new home construction and remodeling can seem pretty intense. There can be a lot of bias from each side about which is better or quite frankly, which is easier. Hearing the perspective of someone who has had experience from both sides can help both new home builders and remodelers understand the benefits […]
The transition from client to employee, does it work? Meghan Haines joins Tim and Steve in this episode to talk about the dynamic from being a client to now an employee and why it may or may not work. Having the knowledge and experience of a client in the remodeling industry is helpful in the […]
Building science has come a long way over the past several decades and with contributions from the industry’s finest experts, remodelers can learn how to deal with mold, moisture and all things ventilation. Moisture meters, vapor barriers, where does one begin? Guest Bill Lotz joins Tim and Steve to bring awareness to a subject that […]
Being a woman in a field that is dominated by men presents its challenges. So, how do they do it? Isabella Battig joins Tim and Steve in this episode and talks about what it is like being a female trade contractor and some of the experiences she has had working in construction and remodeling. Isabella […]
Raul Lopez is a Project Manager at Innovative Construction Inc. and manages all aspects of construction on multiple jobs from start to finish. Raul believes that only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. After 8 years working in the food industry as a General Manager, he […]
Solar power is becoming increasingly popular and is being seen in more and more new, and existing construction. The cost of it is coming down and the government is taking steps make it more affordable, therefore making it more appealing to property owners. Dana Weinberg, Sales and Finance Director of Sunwatt Solar, joins Tim and […]
We have addressed the remodeler/trade contractor relationship in past episode; one from a Production Manager and the other from an on-site Project Manager, but both from the remodeler’s perspective. Learning a different point of view of who you’re working with is crucial to running a smooth business and a lot of remodelers could benefit from […]
We have done a number of podcasts on work force development. We have spoken with contractors, vocational school teachers, and trade associations like NARI about the topic that is so important to the future of our industry. In this episode, we are expanding by talking to a Career Advisor who works in the guidance department […]
While the pandemic situation, we’ve been dealing with for almost a year, has led us to one obstacle after another, it has also opened up the production side of the business to a variety of tech tools we haven’t thought of using until we were forced to. 3D imaging is one of those tools that […]
On our third episode, back in March of 2018, we talked with Mike Barkhouse from Amsted Design Build about achieving “Zero Punch List” production. We heard from a few listeners about that episode, and the concept of Zero Punch List, so we wanted to revisit it and we are now evangelists in pushing to see […]
Have you ever gone through an entire job thinking that the client was delighted with your work and then discovered afterward that they liked most of it, BUT…. (you fill in the blank). So, the question remains, how do you ensure customer satisfaction or, as some call it, creating “Raving Fans?” There is no better […]
The production professionals that we work with in our Roundtables Peer Group Program for Production Managers are creatively solving problems and finding new ways to manage jobs. Whether it is motivating their teams, finding new way to drive profit or measuring dollars with a new metric, sometimes we just hear about a cool idea. During […]
We have discussed the concepts of LEAN process improvement in several past episodes. In episode 47 we had our own Director of Consulting, Doug Howard, join us to introduce the LEAN System and we have referred to the various concepts of LEAN in others. Over the past few years, Doug has worked with remodelers and […]
In shifting and changing roles within an organization, there are many paths we could take to get to the destination we desire. This is also true for implementing Project Management systems. The 3 most commonly used these days are The Lead Carpenter system, the Project Manager system, and then a hybrid of these two. What […]
There are many things that can destroy a company. Recession, pandemics, and yes, even growth; especially, if the growth occurs with no planning or control. In the past few years, our economy, and our industry, have grown significantly, and many companies have struggled to keep up. Growth is usually controlled by the amount that a […]
The Runs! Most of us think of two situations. There is an unfortunate personal issue, which is not good. And then there are “the runs” from the job site to the store or lumberyard to pick up $10 worth of stuff. Both scenarios are bad, but the latter will quickly eat away at your job […]
When we discuss the labor shortage, we are often talking about how to find or develop good talent. What we are now hearing from our Roundtables members is that they are finding people, getting them on the team, and then they fail. In many cases, these aren’t catastrophic failures, but slips in Net Profit or […]
In episode 177 Marion Faller joined us to discuss dealing with the stress that we are currently seeing in the industry, specifically in the production departments. In Tim’s Production Manager Roundtable groups, he is hearing about it and seeing the symptoms that Marion described in her conversation with us. We are facing the “perfect storm” […]
Some remodelers want to stay small… just do the work themselves, avoid the challenges that managing a team can bring and just “build things.” However, there are those that embrace the challenge of building their companies, wear all the hats, and make the transition from Carpenter to Business Owner successfully. In episode 119, we spoke […]
We have heard contractors say, “This would be a great business if it weren’t for the people!” Many remodelers get into the business to build and create… the unfortunate reality is that they can’t build things without people…yet! One big challenge owners and managers face is the annual employee review. It seems ineffective at creating […]
How the concept of “green remodeling” has evolved over time and what, if anything, does it mean today? In this episode, Tim and Steve discuss the green movement, where it has been, where it is going, and a little about being involved. To dive further in we welcome Paul Eldrenkamp – Founder and Project Manager […]
Many remodelers, builders and business owners make resolutions or commitments to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and then they get caught up in the daily grind and it never happens. Or, they take the time and energy to create them and they sit, unused, in a binder on a shelf. Another challenge for many companies […]
Remodeling companies and builders are now selling virtually, saving time and labor. Business owners and sales teams are finding new and unique ways to reach their audiences and secure contracts for projects and we’ve heard from some R/A Roundtables members that are now booking projects into 2022. Our guest today has taken it a step […]
In this episode, Tim and Steve are talking about code… yes, the building code. Who gets excited about the building code? One of the most common thoughts is that it makes it hard for a contractor to make money, however another thought is, it sets a low bar and as professionals, we should all be […]
In Episode 87, back in January, we spoke with John Murphy about the devastating fire that ripped through his cabinet shop and office and the process they were using to rebuild, literally from the ashes. And, of course, soon after we spoke, COVID hit and they were faced with yet another obstacle… however John’s company […]
Today’s topic came from a subscriber who contacted Tim asking about making the transition from a single owner-operator to building a team and assuming the role of “Boss.” Some remodelers just want to do the work themselves and stay small. They enjoy wearing all the “hats,” resigning themselves to the fact that they don’t have […]
In this episode, we take a look at what it takes to be a good boss from an employee’s perspective, but also from the supervisor side as well, as both of our guests have risen through the ranks to become leaders of their respective businesses. Our first guest, Aaron Enfinger, came up through the ranks […]
We are well into the Covid crisis of 2020 and we are starting to hear of people struggling with the stress. We also see business owners and production leaders that are working like crazy to handle the surge of business, catch up or even to just make it all work. Our guest today is someone […]
