In this episode, Paul Kowalski shares his experiences in applying LEAN in his business with Victoria and Mark. His company recently implemented the process, and he says the results have already been eye-opening.

Paul owns PK Builders in Charlotte, NC, and is a member of our Remodelers Advantage Roundtables group. PK Builders has a team of eight, including Paul, with four project Managers, an estimator, and a draftsman.

When PK Builders was experiencing growing pains in 2018 — bottlenecks in the design-build process, some cash-flow issues, higher overhead — Paul called in Doug Howard for help. Paul says it was intimidating at first, but soon becomes second nature to look for ways to speed up processes. It started with 16 feet of paper festooned with sticky notes detailing steps in the design process. Hear how they implemented LEAN, including:

• Explaining it to your staff
• Sharing in chunks
• Finding the hiccups
• Why the people closest to the work have the best feedback
• Getting over the intimidation factor
• Timelines and swim lanes
• Not including time for revisions
• Building in collaboration upfront
• Unintended consequences
• And more …

The post How LEAN Principles Have Improved My Business with Paul Kowalski – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

If everyone in your remodeling business feels like they’re invested in your company — so invested that they think and act like owners — they’ll make better decisions, solve more problems, and make it more profitable.

But how do you get there?

In this episode, our own Steve Wheeler talks to Victoria and Mark about how to get your employees to think and act like owners. It’s a process he started when he had his own remodeling business for 12 years, and then he dove deeper into the subject through his work with R/A.

As Executive Director of Roundtables for Remodelers Advantage, Steve is responsible for helping business owners find the program or product that will help them reach their financial and personal goals. 

Getting employees to think and act like owners is one of the biggest challenges for our Roundtables members, and for every remodeler we talk to. Steve developed his approach by trying to get his team to care about his company as much as he did, based on the cycle of accountability and the TOADS steps developed by Linda Galindo in The Accountability Experience. There are actions that can cause real change. He talks about the keys to the process, how to get there, and the benefits, including:

• The power of delegation
• Reducing owner stress
• Transforming through transparency
• Getting beyond the to-do list to higher thinking
• Talking about the big picture
• Enabling decision-making power
• Thinking of employees as renters or owners
• Allowing employees to fail
• And more …

The post How to Get Employees to Think and Act Like Owners with Steve Wheeler – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Are you looking for ways to boost your business? One powerful tool you can use is a showroom. Not only can it help you cultivate leads, but it also gives you complete control over the client experience. On today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Joe Smith highlights some of the key benefits of having a showroom. For one, it allows you to sell products at better margins while ensuring that your clients don’t wander off to other showrooms and vendors.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, and you will be held accountable for everything that happens. However, hosting meet and greets at your showroom can help you manage your time better and set the tone for how you operate and manage your processes.

Joe Smith is a partner at Owings Brothers Contracting, located in Sykesville, Maryland. For the past 21 years, he has worked alongside his three brothers across multiple entities. Owings Brothers Contracting comprises an interior design company, two contracting divisions, and a plumbing and electrical division. Joe has served as the president of the MBIA Remodeling and Custom Homes Council three times in the past. He is also a proud father of girls and a grandfather.

Joe, Victoria, and Mark talk more about:

• Why add a showroom to your operation?
• What type of showroom events work best?
• And more…

The post How a Showroom Can Help You Close Deals and Control Your Process with Joe Smith – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E9 appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Employees thrive on feedback.

Then why is it that so few leaders proactively provide it? 

The answers, along with simple steps on how to provide timely, respectful, actionable feedback to your employees, are provided in this episode by guest, Tina Clements.

Tina, Vice President of The Retail Performance Company, is a leader, speaker, author, coach, entrepreneur.com contributor & facilitator, leading luxury industries for over 25 years. Her clients confirm, she is a communications expert & her book, The ART of Facilitation and keynote address ‘Yes, You Do Have a Choice’ are testimonials to her talent.

Victoria, Mark and Tina talk more about:

• Why leaders may not give feedback
• The steps to give real, timely, respectful feedback even when it’s difficult
• What to do when an employee may object feedback
• The secrets to giving feedback
• And more…

The post How to Give Performance Feedback and Why it’s Critical for Success with Tina Clements – [Best of PowerTips Unscipted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

The labor shortage has been a frequent topic on this show, and this episode is going to join the ranks.  Guest Andrew Schmidt is here to talk about AMEK’s apprentice and internship program, and the importance of investing in future generations.

Andrew and his twin brother started their business as roofing installers in 1996, and have grown into a leading design-build firm in Minneapolis and St Paul. They have vacillated over the years, from employing and training carpenters to using all subcontractors. Currently, AMEK operates a hybrid model of carpenters and subcontractors when the job dictates it.

Victoria, Mark and Andrew talk more about:

• Hiring the right people
• The training and development process
• Creating an engaged culture
• And more…

The post Why It’s Critical to Invest in The Next Generation with Andrew Schmidt – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted features Peg Buehrle as a guest. During the show, she discusses the significance of team development for business growth. The growth of a business depends on the growth of its key leaders and their respective teams. Therefore, it is crucial to have a development plan for each team member. Peg will shed light on how to ensure that this remains a top priority.

Peg is a co-managing partner of ActionCOACH Columbus, the co-author of The Honest Truth about Leadership, and an internationally recognized speaker. She has 17 years of coaching experience and has helped hundreds of businesses grow. Peg is also a Remodelers Advantage consultant and specializes in team development. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, click here: https://remodelersadvantage.com/coaching/

Peg, Victoria, and Mark talk more about:

• Common omissions that business owners have about their teams
• What gets in the way of business owners of actually doing a development plan
• How do you create the discipline to make sure you execute your people plan?
• And more…

The post Cultivating Growth: Integrating Employee Development into Your Business Strategy with Peg Buehrle – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E8 appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

There is one challenge most remodelers have been facing, and that is the labor shortage. 

So, what are you doing to find and attract the best talent? Marketing isn’t only used as a tactic for finding sales leads but also for attracting the best talent, and guest Danielle Russell is here to share how you can use digital marketing to find that talent.

Danielle is the President of Builder Funnel, a digital marketing agency that has been serving remodelers like you for over a decade. She’s here to share some of her top tips that worked for Builder Funnel as it grew alongside its clients and the industry over the past year and a half.

Victoria, Mark, and Danielle talk more about:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Building a culture and reputation
• The “always hiring” mentality
• And more…

The post Digital Marketing Tactics for Hiring with Danielle Russell – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Do you know you can increase the effectiveness of your digital marketing with handwritten notes?  Jesse Stein joins the show to take us on a deep dive into the world of digital marketing. He discusses how using handwritten notes can help remodelers grow their business, and provides us help with improving our digital marketing.

Jesse has an impressive background as a serial entrepreneur. He’s founded, grown, and sold multiple ventures throughout his career, including SportsMemorabilia.com, a skincare brand, and DietSpotlight.com. Jesse also holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA from UC Santa Barbra. He is currently the CEO and Founder of Audience.co.

Victoria, Mark, and Jesse talk more about:

• Robotic handwritten notes
• Digital marketing strategies for remodelers
• And more… 

The post Digital Marketing Hacks to Grow Your Business with Jesse Stein – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

An aging skilled workforce is retiring, and there’s a shortage of younger people taking their place. It’s a hot topic among remodeling companies, who are still searching for the right answers to solving their labor shortage.

In  this episode, Mischa Fisher, Victoria, and Mark discuss what you can do to bridge the skills gap, and how to change deep-seated perceptions around joining the home-services industry. 

Mischa Fisher is the chief economist at ANGI Homeservices, representing the HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List brands. Prior to this role, Mischa was chief economist for Illinois, where he served as the economic policy advisor to the governor; he is also a former legislative director for the United States Congress in Washington, DC, and is currently an instructor in applied quantitative analysis at Northwestern University. 

Mischa says the labor shortage starts with s a simple fact of demographics, where an aging workforce is getting ready to retire, and the Millennials and younger Generation Z aren’t in the pipeline to replace them. Compounding that, there’s already a shortage of skilled labor. An internal HomeAdvisor poll showed 65 percent of their members could not fill a position, says Mischa, and it’s getting worse. Mischa shares his insights into what’s causing the labor shortage, and how we can all go about fixing it, plus bonus advice from his dad, including:

• Why talking about it is a great start
• Raising awareness inside and outside the industry
• Best practices to fill your open positions
• How to appeal to Millennials and Gen Z with a rewarding workplace
• The importance of building a real team
• Recognizing generational differences and how to work with them
• How to create a clear pathway to learning
• Recruiting older, experienced people
• Using the student loan crisis to your advantage in recruiting
• Appealing to the entrepreneurial spirit
• Working with industry, government, and educational leaders
• Educating parents about the advantages of learning a skilled trade
• And more …

The post Bridging the Skills Gap from an Economist’s Perspective with Mischa Fisher – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Virtual reality creates immersive environments in real time. For remodelers, that means your clients could preview and even “walk-through” their projects to see if they like what they’re seeing. 

Guest Chris Katkish says VR can help remodelers streamline their sales and design process, trim the length of the sales cycle, and boost production efficiency by reducing change orders. All of which leads to more sales and more profit.

In this episode, Chris talks to Victoria and Mark about using VR technology to help clients confidently make decisions more quickly in the sales and design process.

Chris is the general manager of InSite Builders and Remodeling in Bethesda, MD. The three owners of InSite have partnered in a company called Limitless Virtual Reality, which enables CAD designs to be viewed in VR.

InSite uses VR as a visualization tool to get concepts across to homeowners. Even if you’re using 3D modeling, they’re still viewed in 2D, and seeing it on screen isn’t the same. VR immersion allows clients to experience the space and see what they’re buying before its built. Chris talks about the ways remodelers can use VR in their businesses, including:

• When to bring VR into the sales process
• Building in the charge for the VR design
• How your 3D model becomes a VR environment
• The equipment you’d need — and how much it may cost
• Real-world examples of how VR speeds up client decisions
• How to use it with Project Managers and Trade Partners
• And more…

Victoria and Mark also spitball ways to use VR in your marketing. The pace of technology is fast — and VR is the newest tool on the scene. If you’ve got ideas or opinions on how VR may affect the remodeling business or your business, let us know in the comments below.

The post Using Virtual Reality to Grow Sales and Profits with Chris Katkish – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Having a business partner can be an enormous advantage if you approach it correctly. Most people underestimate the commitment and work that goes into a partnership. Ensuring that you’re on the same page and share the same vision goes far beyond having a plan on paper. In this episode, Matt Carlson shares his story with...

The post Partnership — Creating a Unified Vision for Your Company’s Future with Matt Carlson – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.