Tom Glass parlayed his passion for historic buildings into a specialty remodeling company.
Tom Kelly is no novice when it comes to buying other businesses. Two decades ago, the Portland, Ore.–based Neil Kelly Co. acquired a kitchen and bath dealership in nearby Beaverton.
Troubled employees merit help, but not at the risk of the company overall.
Art-world connections help transform a nondescript ranch into an object of beauty.
Ten years ago, when S+H Construction, of Cambridge, Mass., renovated the exterior of this house, the homeowners’ choice of peach paint stood out in a sea of conservative grays and browns in the Harvard Square neighborhood.
Warner McConaughey’s drive and strong design/build program serve Atlanta’s upper-end remodeling market well.
Remodelers discover that casting off their sales manager hat can be a way to grow their business.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so when it comes to marketing your work, take the time and money to hire a professional photographer to create a picture that really helps potential clients understand your company’s strengths.
Historic charm meets modern architecture in the remodel of a Phoenix bungalow.
Tim Cross went into business for himself right out of high school. This was back in 1989, when a recession was wiping out construction firms like a plague in Rumson, N.J., and nationwide. Not an ideal time for a beginner to start his own company, but Cross made it happen.
Sheila Ward, a designer at Harrell Remodeling, in Mountain View, Calif., had as clients a couple doing a whole-house remodel.
Five years ago, an audience of luxury kitchen and bath designers nearly revolted when the keynote speaker at an industry event drew cautious aim. In a speech that touched on matters ranging from the poverty outside their windows to the environmental side effects of the construction boom to the...
The owners of this 1892 Victorian row house in San Francisco wanted to remodel their home to provide a connection to the outdoors while melding modern amenities with historic details and plenty of personality.
Rick Hjelm of Phase II General Contractors likes to keep a tight focus on his projects — both in geography and in targeting clients. Unlike most remodelers, he does not advertise or have a Web site because he believes that homeowners who work at finding Phase II through a friend or neighbor are...
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“Would you like a cup of coffee?” The way you answer that question might land you a new client — or lose you one.
It wasn't the size of the 1950s ranch house that proved to be the problem for the new owners. The couple bought the property in the older Milwaukee suburb of Elm Grove, Wis., for its prime location and large lot, wanting the space for their two young children. But the home's dated, dark, cramped...
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When an employee from Home Check Plus was recently asked to crawl into an attic and eradicate some bats from a customer's home, it didn't seem like an odd request. That's because the St. Cloud, Minn., company is more than just your average remodeling company. President Dale Gruber has tapped into...
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From the beginning to the end of any remodel, variables abound and chance may play a part beyond anyone's expectations. When a company succeeds, it does so, in a sense, by reducing that variability, by exerting as much control as possible over the job's every detail.
Perched on a high hill in Greenwich, Conn., this beautiful property finally has a house worthy of its location.The original house was large but lacked presence. Though the architect's first thought at seeing the 1958 house was that it should be torn down, the owner liked the U-shaped floor plan...
Years ago there was a great TV commercial where a bunch of old men are sitting around a dusty table. One stands up, pounds his fist, and announces, “This is the way we have been doing it for years, and we are not about to change,” just as the head of a seated compatriot hits the table — the man...
I recently attended a meeting of production managers from around the country and was reminded of the importance of this position. Focusing on supporting your production manager is one of the strongest moves you can make during these challenging times.
One of your most important roles as owner is managing your employees and providing the support they need to succeed at their jobs. This isn’t a touchy feely New Age concept. You don’t need surveys or evaluations to tell you that happy employees perform better.
In the last couple of decades we’ve become more sensitive to the challenges posed by steps to those who are mobility impaired, but there are still many situations in which a change of level is desirable to create a particular spatial effect.
Educating — or reeducating — clients about finding the best fit
The key to all good relationships
Most people conceive of an outdoor room as a porch, screened or not, attached to the house. If just one side is open to the elements, it hardly feels like outdoors at all. Three open sides and we really start to feel the connection with our surroundings. We are projected out into the landscape, but...
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How do you develop company culture? Is it a vague, indefinable concept? Or do you work on it like other facets of your business?
When speaking about visual weight, we need to talk about color, but not in the conventional way. Color preferences vary enormously from person to person and are beyond the scope of our experience of space, and it's this characteristic that we'll discuss here.
One of the most requested items in today's kitchens is an island. However, island dreams can become nightmares if the island's placement or size is inappropriate for the space. In an effort to satisfy their client's requests, many designers and remodelers ignore the fundamental clearances and...
Have you heard of the phrase “business to consumer” to describe our business type? That phrase does not fully capture what we do. We do not hand our clients a product, receive payment, and then walk out the door. In every step of our process, from design through construction, we are working in our...
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High-end customers have the luxury of spending their money exactly as they like. Their wealth affords them the freedom to create a lifestyle to suit their needs. However, this freedom can result in wastefulness that many regard as excessive.
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What do we mean by the landscape of home? It's not only the gardens, but also the views and vistas, and the walkways and thresholds that let you feel at home on your land. Of course, your house is part of this landscape, too. How do you decide when to use these elements? You begin by realizing that...
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We recently tackled the largest project in our firm's history, the renovation of an 11,000-square-foot house. The challenge: to condense a project with a 6-month design process and a 14-month construction process into 9 months.
An architect's job is a cross between a counselor and a tailor. To put us in the right frame of mind — to design for clients instead of ourselves — we need to get inside our clients' heads. We have to understand not only who they are, but how they live in their home and why things work or don't...
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Every week, the ABC TV show 'Extreme Home Makeover' entertains viewers with a remodel for a needy family completed in seven days. I'm sure many of your clients question why their projects can't be done in that short span.
Bel Air Construction is using a novel approach in its quest to fill three sales positions. Hoping to attract more qualified, serious applicants, the Jarrettsville, Md., design/build firm created a want ad video for its Web site.
Philip Guarino was intrigued by an idea he read about in an Italian publication: High-end Italian retailers are showcasing work by local artists to entice customers to come into their stores.
Five-year-old Heritage Construction Services, in Houston, has all the work it wants, but founder and president Jeff Hunt wouldn’t change his sales approach even if that weren’t the case. It’s not because Hunt tries to close as many sales as possible.
Designers and homeowners have a range of green cabinet options to choose from.
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If you build it, will they come?
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What began as a way to improve communication between employees at Mitchell Construction evolved into sales training to improve communication with clients.
Evaluate existing kitchens by observing how your clients use the space.
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When a friend selling spots on a local television advertising program approached them about purchasing a video ad, Dan and Debbie Mackey of Daniel Mackey Construction, in San Jose, Calif., signed up.
When Steve Gray Renovations opened its doors in Indianapolis, one of the company's main goals was to create a lasting relationship with past and current customers.
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A claw-foot bathtub sits on an expanse of green lawn. In the tub, up to her neck in bubbles, reclines an attractive blond woman. It's a striking image, but will it sell a remodeling project? Craig Postlewait, president of Philadelphia's Building Solutions Construction Group says it will.
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Before Neale and Susan Hergenrather opened the doors to H2, their Springfield, Va., company, in January, the married co-owners knew that they wanted to offer customers at least one high-end cabinet line. Specializing in kitchens and bathrooms, the Hergenrathers perused trade magazines looking for...
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In her In her Not So Big House book series and Home by Design, architect Sarah Susanka led the movement to creating better-quality — not larger — houses.
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The Georgia Institute of Technology has a research facility to evaluate people's experiences using technology to enhance quality of life and maintain independence as they age. The Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI), based at Georgia Tech's campus in Atlanta, is an interdisciplinary group that...
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Every Saturday morning around 7 a.m. remodelers Pat, Sandra, and Ben Thompson get in their cars and head not to a jobsite or their office, but to News-radio WOOD 1300, where the trio has hosted “The Home Improvement Show with the Thompsons” for the last four years.
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In the competitive construction arena, keeping good employees can be difficult. If you're looking for new ideas and strategies to help you retain staff, consider the Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program (ERSCP). The program is offered by The Herman Group, a Greensboro, N.C.-based...
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What should you know about a person before you hire them? For many remodelers, the answer includes much more than just details about their skills and experience.
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The media kit for Borrelli Design and Cabinetry is itself an example of high design. The cover is cut along a gently curving line, and the kit opens to reveal business cards and press releases, as well as a disc loaded with images. The piece is just one element of a comprehensive rebranding effort...
Under cabinets, on toe kicks or tray ceilings, directed at artwork, or tucked in the garden, low-voltage lights such as MR-16s can make plain spaces pop.
When information technology specialist and homeowner Bruce Johnson and his wife remodeled their kitchen a few years ago, the couple’s busy weekday work schedules and family-centric weekends made it difficult for them to meet with the designer.
Many remodelers rely on a single project manager for each job, concentrating the decision-making power and supervisory duties with that one individual. But what about when a project is so large or multifaceted that there just aren’t enough hours in the day for one person to accomplish the task?
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), although the combined total of vacation- and investment-home sales declined with the overall market in 2007, it still accounted for 33% of all home sales, which is close to historical norms.
Video tours showcase your work.
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Addressing selections early has helped Washtenaw Woodwrights keep projects on schedule.
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Business metrics provide objective data for making decisions that help you achieve your business goals.
Hard to believe, but recessions and construction slowdowns still catch some remodelers by surprise. Others keep their ear to the ground.
Most companies guarantee their work, but Jonathan McGrath Construction takes it a step further. For the past five years, the Orlando remodeler has enlisted the services of Bonded Builders, an insurance and underwriting company that backs up a contractor's warranty.
A full-service remodeling firm with annual sales of $3 million likely has a sales and office staff of six, including the production manager. Six people working 40 hours per week for 49 weeks per year (allowing 3 weeks for vacation/holidays) is a total of 11,760 hours.
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Two years ago, a consulting program peer mentioned to Mike Powell how advantageous it would be for him to retain a business coach to help grow his company.
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Just as you rely on your car's gas gauge to alert you to the need to refuel before your tank is empty, the value of business metrics is their ability to expose potential problems before they become crises.
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A few years ago, employees at Meadowview Construction, in Georgetown, Mass., told owner David West that it would be helpful to have standard forms available to take home.
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Built in 1922, the Orlando, Fla., home was located a few blocks from the city's historic section. The homeowners wanted to add modern conveniences and decor, yet retain the home's original look and feel. They tapped Victor Farina, president of Farina and Sons, in Orlando, to find a way to mesh...
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Years in the planning, the nearly 6,000-square-foot, copper-clad, one-of-a-kind modern home had months to go before completion when architect and general contractor Travis Price learned that the clients planned to host their daughter's wedding reception there.
Staff retreats are popular among companies of all sizes and across many different industries. Bringing managers and key employees together in a non-work setting for one or more days not only stokes teamwork and company loyalty but also allows leaders to share important facts, information, and...
The first big development step for many remodeling company owners is a transition from tradesperson to businessperson. They begin, as author Michael Gerber says, to work on their business not simply in it.
Chances are good that most homeowners don’t know what a lien waiver is, but remodelers would do well to tell them. Subcontractors can file a mechanic’s lien on property they work on in the event of a dispute over payment, but asking subs to sign a waiver ensures that won’t happen.
In most cities and districts, the permitting process can be time-consuming, with contractors or their employees spending hours in municipal buildings awaiting confirmation. Hiring an expediter can be a cost-effective way to process a permit and free up staff for more skilled work.
With the help of consulting firms to highlight the company’s strengths, this Dallas remodeler experiences rapid growth.
Retirement plans can benefit from some routine checks and maintenance.
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A QuickBooks add-on subscription service helps small- and medium-size companies facilitate bill collection by contacting customers in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Picking up the pieces — literally and figuratively — after another remodeler has left a project or been fired is one of the toughest jobs out there.
Errors and omissions insurance protects companies from claims if a client holds it responsible for errors or the failure of the work to perform as promised in the contract. Independent insurance consultant Scott Simmonds compares it to malpractice insurance for physicians.
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Are you looking for a better billing method? Billing against a schedule of values (SOV) is standard procedure for large, commercial contractors, but is often misunderstood and infrequently used by residential remodelers. Many small businesses fail, often from a lack of cash flow. Implementing an...
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Architect Alan Freysinger was far from pleased when a design review board in Whitefish Bay, Wis., raved about his plans for an extensive home remodel in the wealthy Milwaukee suburb. That's because the homeowner — Freysinger's ex-client — was passing off Freysinger's work as his own.