Time

Do you ever think about how much time that you actually spend working? if you could track the time you are chatting, talking on the phone, taking care of personal issues, scanning useless e-mails or surfing the web for things that have nothing to do with work, you would probably find that you do not spend as much time working as you think. I read a great article that quotes Mohandas Gandhi as saying "Action expresses priorities" which means that you will give action to the things that are priority to you.

Think about it, when you are going to build something at home you plan it, draw it, make a materials list, visualize how you want it to look and then do everything it takes to make it come to life. Many times we do not realize that everything in life is a choice and if you choose to accomplish something and get excited about it you can accomplish anything. All things in the universe start with a thought, action precedes thought and so what does that tell you, you have to get your mind right, get into whatever it is that you are doing and put all your effort into it. If you are going to be here on this earth, make the absolute most of your TIME!!    

Relationships

I now realize that when I was much younger I did not see the value of the relationships that I had with family, friends and business associates. In my late thirties now with 40 just around the corner I realize that the relationships that I have are the most important thing in my life. It used to be about how much money can I make and what can I get for myself, now it is how does it make me feel, my wife feel and what does it make me look like in the eyes of others. I have heard people say "I do not care what others think" but I truly believe that is a lie and sometimes the people saying that care more about what people think than others. I told someone one time that I looked at life like a crosswalk, when you cross and there are dozens of strangers staring at you ,because they are sitting there and have no choice, it feels like you are thinking about what they are thinking of you, "am I walking right", "do I look handsome, sexy, homeless, dirty, dumpy, athletic?????"

Life is really funny and I think you really do not start living until you can step back and be proud of the relationships you have, worry a little about what people think (enough to be polite and decent) and be grateful for what you have.

Someone once said "material things can be purchased by anyone but integrity, honesty and pride are something you must work on each and every day of your life......so true!   

2010 ??

Here we are starting off the new year, it looks as if the government is in turmoil and we are still trying to get through this downturn in the economy. Whats next? I know that I have survived this using positive thinking and instead of putting my energy into being depressed or complaining I focus on what can I do? I have a family that depends on me and so I look for the good in everything. I feel that if you want to make it through these tough times that you have to be willing to change and adjust to current situations, too many people look at life as black or white, success or failure but life is about compromise, if you cannot compromise then you might as well crawl in a corner and start praying for someone to knock on the door and pick you up in their arms and carry you away to la la land where the unicorns play..............be realistic, work harder than you ever have, think outside the box, look for new opportunities and use all your talents to find a way through these times.

Project Pricing

All the experts or so called experts tell you not to lower your price no matter what, I disagree.. your goal in business should be to better your service, lower business expenses and always remain competitive. Every year you should evaluate your goals and set a realistic profit margin, what worked yesterday may not work today. Things are changing! be ready to fine tune your numbers because guess what your competitor is.

Family and Remodeling

I have owned my remodeling business for over 11 years now and for many years I was so dedicated to my business that I could remember times and dates for business meetings and situations but would forget family things. I felt that it would all pay off someday and I would then be able to start living more comfortably and start spending time with my family. Well then life happened and my business turned with the change in the economy and now I find myself working even more hours and scared to death to survive the downturn. It is strange now that things have changed I find myself looking deeper into my life, family and relationships and realizing all the great things that I have in my life. I heard a talk radio psychiatrist say once that in the 25 years he has been helping people that not once did someone come to him and say "I wish my family or parents had more money when I was young" but " I wish my mother or father would have spent more time with me when I was young" we are all children still, we never lose hurt feelings or bad memories, take the time to look deeper into yourself and realize that no matter how hard you work on something it is always the same outcome and money does not fix a broken relationship. Take the time to be with your children, look them in the eyes when they talk, go out of your way for them and laugh once in a while. When people look back and reflect on my life I want them to smile and remember something great about me, not that the deck or basement job was finished on time or on budget. Life is more than a job, do not wait too long to see that.

Door Hanger

Have you ever left the project at the end of the day and not had an opportunity to call the client or do you think they will wonder what got accomplished today? A great idea we received from one of our past employees was a door hanger. We had a plain white door hanger created with our logo, a date line and a notes area with about 10 - 12 lines to allow us to write on. At the end of the day we filled out the door hanger with all the things we did, answered questions before they had a chance to ask them and let them know what our schedule was for the next day, we then date and sign the hanger and leave it on the door coming into the house from the garage. The response was awesome, people felt involved and relived that we kept them in the loop. The best thing is when you know they will questions something you have done, it may not look right because you are not finished, you can explain that in the notes and it allows them not to worry all night until they get a chance to talk to you the next day. The hanger also allows you to insert warnings like stay off the tile or do not use that toilet before the go to use it and are upset because it does not work and no-one let them know, remember it is the smallest details in this business that make the biggest difference.

Business Tip of the Day

My business tip of the day is organization......Let me ask you, how do you feel after you clean off your workbench or you get finished cleaning your home or the yard, good? This is how you want to feel each and every day when you are out there trying to make a living. Organization is key to peace of mind and will give you a feeling of satisfaction. Lets face it everything we do in our life revolves around feelings, so lets make our self feel good.

My suggestion...Clean your truck, organize your tools, put them back in the same place every day, I know some days are long and it is so much easier to throw the tools into the back of the truck and deal with it later but you will drive away with a great feeling knowing that when you need something it is right there.

A saying that I use with all my subcontractors and employees is "if you are behind schedule, have upset the client in some way, at least you can maintain a clean and organized job site" please remember these words, I have spent countless hours over analyzing the thoughts, feelings and reactions of my clients and have found that if they feel they have chosen the right contractor for the job, that initial worry is gone but from there on the overwhelming thought they have is the project site and the smallest details worry them the most.

Organize your computer, remove all the junk right now and get serious, create files for each project (maybe even 1 for your truck and 1 for the office) carry the proper estimating supplies, stock up on pens, paper and the things you do not have time to run out of. Organize your schedule, do not work weekends or holidays, start your day at the exact same time each day and end around the same time if possible each day. Start your day by sitting down and creating a daily list, we create a list everyday and most of the time it has 20 or 30 things that need to be done. Let me ask you, the remodelor you compete against does not make a list but has the same amount of things that need to be done and you do have a list, who is going to accomplish more? The list should be phone calls, schedule or order for things coming up (not just today) and put a map with places you need to go but have never been, put phone numbers next to items or names that require a phone call, put quantities next to items that need to be ordered or picked up, try this and I promise you that you will accomplish twice what you are now and won't forget to call or order those things that can make or break a reputation.