The labor shortage for builders is well documented, with some research suggesting as much as 80% of construction companies reporting not being able to find enough skilled workers. While statistics like that tend to grab the headlines, the more important part of the story for contractors is how significant that makes employee retention and development […]

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In the third and final part of our choosing the right social media platform for contractors series, we step into the world of home services contractors. We previously covered social media for B2B and replacement contractors, so if those descriptions better apply to you, you might find those posts helpful. As a home services contractor, […]

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MANAGE YOUR TIME. Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? You decide what’s important, and then you do it. If only it were that easy. The reality is that managing your time is hard work. First you have to figure out what’s worth spending your time on, then you have to master the discipline that enables […]

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Google search for remodelers is always changing, and the changes aren’t always pleasant. If you’ve had a website any time over the past 10 years and you’ve been concerned with your overall search engine visibility, you know one thing is true– Google changes everything at the drop of a hat. As a remodeler, you might […]

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Resolutions are essentially goals, or promises to yourself. They’re a wish list with a time frame. The Long Island newspaper Newsday says the ten most common resolutions are to: 1. Lose weight/Exercise more 2. Quit smoking 3. Eat healthy 4. Learn something new 5. Spend less, save more 6. Drink less alcohol 7. Travel 8. […]

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If you’ve been reading this blog, you might remember an article I wrote for CCN in December called “3 New Harsh Realities of Google Search for Remodelers.” In that post, I talked about a few different shake-ups in the search engine results pages (SERPs): Google’s local listing “7-pack” turning into a “3-pack” The increasing importance […]

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Ever have an installation go well but the relationship gets ruined because of a miscommunication with the homeowner? Or have something go wrong on a job because sales made a verbal promise that was never communicated to the installation crew? Most customer complaints arise during the dead time, from the time of the sale to […]

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Soft Skills

It’s a mistake to think that the only thing production people can or should do is install. Everybody at a contracting company has a job to do. The owner or general manager (often the same person) runs the business. The salesperson’s job is to get the truck in the driveway. Admin does so many things […]

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Talent Scouting

If you were at the Fall Conference in Philadelphia in September, or at the Technology for Contractors conference in Park Slope, UT, last June, you probably heard presentations by Michael Matalone. Michael Matalone, who had a feature article in last month’s Toolbox about finding and keeping talent, is an expert on exactly that subject: talent. […]

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Adam Carolla is best-known as the co-host of Loveline, the co-host of The Man Show, and the host of his record-breaking podcast, The Adam Carolla Show-– but he’s a seasoned builder, too. Before he entered show business, Adam worked in the construction industry for a decade. Adam is a skilled carpenter, and along with his […]

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