PowerTips Unscripted

The latest statistics on fraud should be a wake-up call for every small business owner. According to a survey by HISCOX, a specialty insurance company, 80 percent of embezzlements occurred at small businesses and 30 percent involved a loss of more than $500,000.With more work is being done remotely, including paying vendors and processing payroll, you must have controls and processes in place to avoid this happening to you.In this episode, we welcome Vicki Suiter, who shares simple practices and processes to help you avoid accounting fraud and stealing in your business.Since starting Suiter Business Builders in 1990, Vicki has helped hundreds of contractors and designers build solid foundations for their businesses, run operations more efficiently, and achieve the kind of success they never dreamed possible.Vicki’s articles and opinions have been widely shared in print and across the web. She is also the author of book “The Profit Bleed” – How managing margin can save your contracting business.Victoria, Mark and Vicki talk more about:Why small businesses are targets in 80% of all embezzlement cases.The most common place where people “steal” money.Other ways employees and contacts embezzle funds from a company that are less obvious.Recommended controls and practices a contractor should have in place to avoid this happening to them.“10 Ways to Spot Accounting Fraud”Here is the link to the resource mentioned, “How to Spot Accounting Fraud”https://suiterbusinessbuilders.com/how-to-spot-accounting-fraud/ The post Are Your Employees Stealing From You? With Vicki Suiter – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

In a low-unemployment economy, recruiting and retaining the best talent is a continuous effort. You need a powerful competitive advantage — one that’s nearly impossible for anyone else to copy. It’s your company culture.In this episode, Steve Anderson tells Victoria and Mark why that is, and how you can develop a successful culture — or turn around a faltering one. Steve’s an author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He’s worked with tens of thousands of professionals to grow and expand their businesses. Steve has spoken at our Remodeler’s Summit and worked with our Roundtables members in the past.Your company culture is a combination of priorities and processes, and how your team acts on them, that results in how people feel about your company, inside and out. It can happen by default or by definition, but almost all successful cultures happen by design. He tells you how to look at your culture critically, and the steps to take to improve it, including:Building on natural laws Defining your prioritiesDesigning your culture intentionallyThe law of emotionWhat the 10 Commandments can teach you about changing your cultureDefining your culture in a written documentSetting expectationsReinforcing acceptable behaviorWhy the customer shouldn’t come firstUsing your culture in recruiting and hiringThe culture mistakes you may be makingAnd more …There’s a copy of Steve’s first written culture guide in his book, The Culture of Success: 10 Natural Laws for Creating a Place Where Everyone Wants to Work. He invites everyone to use that culture guide to create your own — just click the link and make your purchase. The post The Most Powerful Competitive Advantage with Steve Anderson – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

We are all so busy running our businesses that we often don’t realize that there are other potential revenue-generating investments that align with our present and future business needs.Chris Landis thinks you should consider helping businesses that lease their office space as an added revenue stream.In this episode, Victoria, Mark and Chris talk more about this innovative revenue source.Chris is a Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board of Landis Architects/Builders in Washington, DC and is a member of the AIA, with 28 years of experience in residential architecture. Landis Architects/Builders is one of the top Washington, DC renovation and remodeling firms and is co-founded by Chris and his brother, Ethan Landis.In this episode, Victoria, Mark and Chris cover:The benefits, opportunities and challenges of owning your own building.Offering space in your building to other business.What is involved in becoming a landlord.How these deals are structured financially and timelines involved.How you can pass this knowledge onto other business owners.  The post Discovering New Revenue Streams With Chris Landis – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Is your company struggling to attract top-tier employees? Joining us today on PowerTips Unscripted is Erin Longmoon, the founder of Zephyr Connect. Erin will share some valuable insights into how to hire people who align with your company’s culture. She will discuss the strategies and tactics that have played a pivotal role in Zephyr’s 98% placement rate for their Residential Remodeling clients. Erin Longmoon is the founder of Zephyr Connects. After a number of years as an Interior Designer, then turned business coach, Erin designed Zephyr Connects to solve the grueling hiring challenges of the Residential Remodeling industry. Zephyr is also an RA Preferred Member Benefit Partner. Erin, Victoria, and Mark talk more about: Why hiring for culture fit so important? Can we really hire carpenters and laborers for culture fit? Interview tips And more… The post Tips For Hiring People Who Fit Your Culture with Erin Longmoon – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

While Cost Plus Remodeling isn’t for everyone, it can be an enjoyable and profitable way of doing business.  If it is done well, it can be very rewarding and reduce the uncertainty of a market.Guest David Crane joins this episode to share why cost plus remodeling has proven to be successful for his business and his clients, and why remodelers should adapt this form of a remodeling contract.David is the CEO and President of Crane Builders in Nashville, Tennessee and has spent the past 34 years meeting clients’ needs with the highest standards in the remodeling and construction industry.  He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Construction and after spending 10 years in his hometown of New Orleans remodeling homes, he moved his business to Nashville where the company has been delighting clients since.  Victoria, Mark and David talk more about:Some of the keys to successfully doing Cost Plus RemodelingThe differences in Cost Plus Remodeling vs. Fixed Price RemodelingHow to make a profit when you have to show the client your markupWhat to do with your labor and Project Manager costs on a Cost Plus ProjectAnd more… Join The Waitlist For The 2025 Remodelers Summit You’re Either On the List—Or You’re Out.This isn’t just a waitlist. It’s your only shot at scoring 60% off your ticket to the most impactful, business-shifting event in the remodeling industry: The Remodelers Summit.We’re talking about a one-day window to unlock unprecedented access to the event that industry leaders never miss. No second chances. No extensions. No exceptions. One Day One Link One ChanceOnce it’s gone—it’s gone.Getting on the list is 100% free.Missing this opportunity? That could cost you thousands in missed insights, missed connections, and missed growth.Join the insiders who move fast, think big, and always stay ahead.Are you in? Or are you out? Get On The List The post Making Money in Cost Plus Remodeling with David Crane – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

“The high cost of replacing employees means it’s important to find ways to retain the best performers, and studies show that transparency from the top can be a solution, boosting employee engagement and motivation.One way to achieve that transparency is to show employees the company’s numbers and teach them the business. Why not get them in the same game as the owner?The strategy is to create a business of business people. Then and only then will they begin to make a connection to the numbers that measure their performance and talk intelligently about improving the business.”– Steve Baker Steve Baker joins Victoria and Mark to talk more about the benefits and advantages of open book management, as well as some of the challenges that business owners face.Steve is Vice President of The Great Game of Business, Inc. and co-authored Get in the Game as well as the update of the number one bestseller, The Great Game of Business—20th Anniversary Edition.Known for his engaging and irreverent style, Steve is a top-rated, sought-after speaker and coach on open-book management, strategy and execution, leadership, and employee engagement.Victoria, Mark and Steve talk more about:The best reasons that a business owner should teach their people businessCommon perceptions that employees have of ownership when there isn’t open-book transparencyHow employees can benefit from an open-book policyHow you can get startedAnd more…Resources mentioned in this Episode:The Great Game of BusinessDownload the Get in the Game AudiobookR/A Lumber Yard Run Calculator  The post Creating Rapid Financial Results and Lasting Cultural Change with Steve Baker – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Online reviews can be the “Lifeblood” of any remodeling company’s business and marketing strategy and in Episode 9, Victoria and Mark speak with Bryan Sebring a very successful remodeler who has mastered the art of collecting online reviews from his satisfied clients.Bryan is the Owner of Sebring Design Build in Naperville, IL and has quickly become a valuable resource and thought-leader for R/A and our Roundtables members.According to Bryan he is a self-taught marketer who jumped in with both feet following a website re-design project that went sideways.Bryan’s 7 Step process for driving positive reviews is more than just a marketing strategy. As Bryan describes, his firm’s process of asking for reviews and earning them with hard work, great design and a client-first attitude has become more of a company culture.As Bryan, Victoria and Mark discuss the 7-step process, we learn more about:Strategies around specific websites such as Houzz, Angie’s List and Yelp.Infusing the review process into your sales/lead intake processDealing with bad reviewsHow to encourage and educate your clients to read and provide reviewsSetting expectations with clients at project kickoffHow to work with client on project completion and walk-throughFree ResourceAs Bryan describes his sales and lead intake process, he mentions that he provides his clients and prospects with information to educate them about online reviews: what to look for, good signs, red flags, etc.  Here’s the blog post he share’s with them, which also includes his free Remodeling 101 ebook. The post Seven Steps to Earning Positive Online Reviews with Bryan Sebring – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

To many remodelers, a project works like a relay race, depending on good handoffs of the baton. The sales-to production-handoff is critical, and if you drop the baton, the race is over.But there are ways to make it less of a hard handoff and more of a continuum, says Bruce Case. Bruce joins Victoria and Mark to explain how to break down the barriers and bring Sales and Production together as a team.Bruce Case is the president and CEO of Case Design/Remodeling Inc., one the largest full-service remodeling firms in the nation with more than $60 million is annual revenue. Focused on the Washington, DC, metro market, the company provides a unique mix of design/build and home improvement services. Over the past 15 years, the company has extended its reach across the US through a network of licensees and franshises working under the Case Handyman & Remodeling Services banner. All these initiatives is focus on inspiring team members and clients.Involving Production from the beginning of a job makes the projects more seamless and collaborative, creating a process that empowers employees and keeps them all focused on the bottom line. Bruce tells you how Case handles this team approach, including:The need for accurate estimatingWhy Project Managers get to sign off on a contract before the client doesStructuring compensation for Sales and Production based on gross profitWho goes to what meetings and whyWhat to do when you need a tie-breakerAnd a whole lot more… The post The Sales-to-Production Handoff with Bruce Case – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

It’s not about the money, rather the feelings the money can bring. In this episode, Jay Wheeler dives into the psychology of financial management and investing in order to provide listeners with the potential reasons behind the way they may manage money.  Whether it’s business or personal finances, Jay describes how to better manage your behavior surrounding spending. Jay is the President of Wheeler Financial and while he provides traditional financial planning and investment advice, he believes the best value that he provides his clients is helping manage their behavior when it comes to money.  He also believes that there is a lot that goes into the decisions we make around our finances and that many of those decisions are based on emotions. Victoria, Mark and Jay talk more about: How behavioral finance differs from traditional financial management Using behavior and emotions as a guide for choosing investments How behavioral finance applies to investing And more… The post Behavioral Finance: The Psychology of Financial Management with Jay Wheeler – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.

Marketing is getting more complicated, and search engine optimization can seem like voodoo or black magic. The SEO landscape is always changing, as Google adjusts its algorithms every day. The goal remains the same, though — growing your organic traffic online to rank higher in the search listings, so you get found by the people who will become your clients. Spencer Powell joins Victoria and Mark to explain how to maximize your SEO, and share the recipe for a successful SEO strategy.  Spencer is the founder and president of Builder Funnel, a digital marketing agency that helps remodelers improve their marketing and sales systems. They help you generate more leads and sales by putting the right technology in place to measure what’s working and what’s not so you can improve over time. SEO matches up with the way people shop and buy. Users ask questions and do research, and you want your site to be there with the answers. But a successful SEO program is more than just choosing keywords and topics. You have to know what else comes into play. Learn more about: Good content vs. junk content Understanding what questions to answer How to drive traffic using social channels and email The keys to A/B testing, and how to do it Calls to Action and where to put them The importance of fresh content And more… Including this link to the 200 SEO ranking factors Spencer talked about. If you’ve got questions for Spencer, shoot him an email at spowell@builderfunnel.com. There are more resources for you at Builder Funnel’s website. The post The Evolution of SEO with Spencer Powell – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted] appeared first on PowerTips Unscripted.