Have you ever had a moment in your life (or in your business) where you’ve felt behind the times?

I can remember when I was a 25-year-old guy trying to sell my blue pearl Slingerland drum set (which I still assumed was hot). I remember a younger guy on the other end of the phone asked me what color it was. I said, “blue pearl.” He said, “Dude, you’ve got be kidding me, right?”

Reality slapped me in the face. The times, styles and popular…

I wish I could tell you I have this construction labor problem figured out. I wish I could say I’ve ‘been to the mountaintop’ and can now present to you the ‘quick and easy’ way to solve all your hiring and retention problems.

In plain English I’ll tell you, “I ain’t that smart.”

I can tell you it’s not hard identifying the ‘labor pains’ (OK – ladies, not those type of labor pains) in our remodeling and building world. I bet you’ll…

If only I could find more qualified field people, my bathroom remodeling business would explode.

If only these customers wouldn’t keep changing their mind like they change their underwear. With all these change orders the customer service people at our local plumbing, tile and cabinet stores are on a first-name basis with my people.

If only this bathroom wasn’t dripping with intricate tile patterns on the floor and walls, we would have been…

Here’s a crazy statistic I heard recently. For every person entering the construction trades, 4 people are leaving.

As you let that sink in, you’ll see the labor problem in your remodeling business is not only unlikely to get better, it’s likely to get worse. Sorry to be ‘Danny Downer.’ This means 3 things will be critical:

1. Keeping your best people will be HUGE.
2. Finding the best people will be ESSENTIAL.
3. Getting the most out of your field team…

OK – I don’t really mean to be ‘Danny Downer’ (and I really do consider myself to be a ‘glass-half-full’ guy), but the statistics about construction businesses failing is not good.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25% of construction companies don’t survive their first year of business. OUCH! And after five years only 36% are still operating.

Now that sucks! Basically for 2/3 of remodeling businesses started 5 years ago you can…

Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m the ultimate ‘glass half full’ guy. But no matter how you slice it, being either a supplier to (or a contracting company in) the remodeling industry during the Coronavirus is SCARY!

‘Stay at home’ and ‘shelter in place’ orders are essential tools Governors have used to flatten the spread of this nasty virus (and the Governor of my home state, Mike DeWine of Ohio has done a masterful job with this).…