PowerTips Unscripted

You shouldn’t have to slog through a dry, term-laden textbook  to successfully market your business. So in this episode, Co-Host turned guest, Mark Harari takes a deeper dive into his book, “Lobster on a Cheese Plate,” a practical handbook that shows how to effectively market your business. Or, as the book’s subtitle states, “how to stand out, attract the best clients, and win every sale that comes your way.” Mark is an accomplished speaker and writer, as well as the Vice President of Remodelers Advantage, President of R/A Marketing Inc., author, and co-host of this podcast.  He provides strategic direction for Remodelers Advantage’s internal and external marketing and communications programs, in addition to being responsible for the company’s brand identity, and ensuring marketing alignment across all channels. Victoria and Mark talk more about: The “six stones” How narrowing your focus can broaden your appeal Marketing plans VS. marketing budgets And more… Links from this episode:Lobster on a Cheese Plate on AmazonLobster on a Cheese Plate Audiobook on Amazon’s Audible The post How to Compete Against BIG Competitors and Win with Mark Harari – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Learning the best way to work with purchasing managers can help create great outcomes for both sides of the remodeling business.  With over a decade of experience in operations and purchasing for a national homebuilder, Bradley Hartmann has researched and found the importance of having purchasing sales teams devote their time exclusively focused on the specific needs and opportunities for remodelers.  Bradley, founder and CEO of The Behind Your Back Sales Co., goes in depth about what suppliers really say behind your back on this episode of PowerTips Unscripted. Mark, Victoria and Bradley talk more about: Why it may feel like Remodelers are second-class citizens in the eyes of lumber and building material dealers What suppliers are saying behind remodelers backs The sales fundamentals missing from most remodelers How Remodelers can best position themselves to get the best pricing and service from dealers Questions Remodelers should ask to determine if they are the best fit for a specific supplier The post What Dealers Say Behind Your Back with Bradley Hartmann – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

The Great Recession gobbled up a whole slew of remodeling companies, but more of them fail during an economic expansion than during a contraction. Growth is great, but it’s risky, and knowing how not to grow will put you ahead of the game. In this hot market, there are so many opportunities, you can get ahead of yourself too quickly for the health of your company. And that’s where remodeling company owners get into trouble by growing the wrong way. There are potential downsides, and to avoid them, you have to keep you basic best practices — and customer satisfaction and net profits lie at the center, says Judith Miller. In this episode, Judith joins Victoria and Mark to talk about the ways to grow your company the right way. Judith recently retired but before that she been a facilitator for Remodelers Advantage Roundtables for more than 15 years. She’s a QuickBooks expert, the author of The Remodeler’s Ultimate Guide to QuickBooks, and has been a columnist for Remodeling magazine for more than 10 years. Judith isn’t just a financial guru, she’s a high-level strategist who understands that numbers prove your strategy.  When trying to grow, the biggest stumbling block is a lack of control, preparation, and not focusing on the best practices. Judith tells you what those best practices are, and how to grow the right way, while explaining the details, including: The critical need for leadership Why your financials have to be in order The Top 5 things you need to do to build a strong, profitable company The predictable stages of growth — and which is best to grow in How large you can get Why hiring a sales force is the riskiest transition How to build a company you can sell Why growing over 20% may be crazy And more… The post How NOT to Grow Your Remodeling Business with Judith Miller – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Reviewing employees in the remodeling world is, at best, a struggle. It is often an employee’s opportunity to ask for a raise and an employer’s opportunity for frustration. Tim Faller joins Mark and Victoria to talk about the necessary fundamental shift in the employee review process. Tim makes the transition from podcast host to guest to talk about his efforts towards reworking the employee review process in this episode. Tim is a senior consultant here at Remodelers Advantage and known throughout the industry as the “Guru of Production.” Tim is a well-known author and works with remodelers and production teams across the US and Canada. In addition to being the lead facilitator for the R/A Production Manager Roundtables Groups, he is also the Co-host of the popular podcast, The Tim Faller Show. Victoria, Mark and Tim talk more about: The challenges of the “old system” The inspiration behind the reworking of the employee review process The parts that need reworking Objectives and goals of the rework Implementing the rework And more… The post Employee Reviews: It’s Time for a Change with Tim Faller – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

As a society, we spend nearly four hours daily on our smartphones, a 59% increase compared to just two years ago. The total amount of time each person spends in front of all media per day is 12 hours and 21 minutes, up 11% over two years, and the amount of time we spend socializing each day has dropped 18% compared to 2003.  So, if we extrapolate these trends, where will humanity be in just ten short years? Guest Rob Krecak is on a mission to positively impact the lives of one billion people with his company, Humans First, which aims to show people how technology impacts their mental health, relationships, and productivity at work. Victoria, Mark, and Rob talk more about: How technology impacts us in ways we are unaware of Technology’s role in our relationships Being more mindful of technology usage And more… The post How Technology is Impacting Your Mental Health, Relationships & Productivity at Work with Rob Krecak – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] 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 on PowerTips Unscripted, Thomas Croessman joins the show to discuss the need for small business owners to plan for their company’s transition in their estate plan.  While your business might be humming along now, how will it perform if you’re not around? Unfortunately, most small businesses only survive the first generation because of estate planning and communication failures. Thomas explains Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Trusts, when those documents become effective. He also gives some practical tips to help the transition go smoothly. Thomas Croessmann is the Managing Partner of Croessmann & Westberg, P.C., a construction law firm in the DC area. The firm is a full-service law firm for construction contractors. Thomas, Victoria, and Mark talk more about: What is an Estate Plan? What is Power of Attorney, and when is it used? And more… The post Estate Planning 101 with Thomas Croessman – [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E15 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 – [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E14 appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Are you worried about your business being the next victim of a cyberattack? Today on PowerTips Unscripted, Charles Hammett joins the show to give some advice on how to protect your business from cyberattacks. Charles breaks down some of the types of cyberattacks and how remodelers could be affected. He also talks about some of the benefits of having cybersecurity and the protection it brings to your business. For over 25 years, Charles Hammett has managed IT and cyber security initiatives for several businesses throughout the US. He has worked closely at the federal level, building secure data centers and at the public level protecting businesses of all types. Victoria, Mark, and Charles talk more about: Are small businesses at risk?   How does this impact the remodeling industry? How can you protect your business from cyberattacks? And more…  The post How Cybercrime WILL Impact Your Remodeling Business with Charles Hammett – [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E13 appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Iris Harrell discusses the importance of having women in key positions within remodeling companies. They make up half of the US workforce, so there is a sizeable recruitment pool, and they also relate on a deeper level with female customers, who often drive decision-making. Women are multi-taskers, organizers, collaborators, and task-oriented, making them assets to any organization.  Iris founded Harrell Design Build, a large, female-led, employee-owned, full-line remodeling company.  Harrell has consistently committed to high-quality design and craftsmanship and conscientious customer care since their inception in 1985. They also employ only people who share these ideals, including their reliable, rigorously selected subcontractors, and they are very proud of their commitment to women and diversity in the workplace. Iris, Victoria, and Mark discuss: Women in key positions in your company are a competitive advantage Overcoming internal (and inherent) biases And more… The post How To Double The Number Of Top Leaders In Your Remodeling Company: Hire And Train More Women, Featuring Iris Harrell – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.