For most remodelers right now, business is slow. Many homeowners are saving their money, or if spending, are being very cautious in the purchases they make. For much of the remodeling industry, that is being translated by closing fewer sales and doing smaller projects. As many remodelers are struggling with the market downturn, and in some cases struggling for their survival, there are some who are using this period of time to refocus and recommit to what they do best. There is a friend of mine who runs a successful remodeling company in Michigan. Michigan has a very tough remodeling market right now. When I asked him how he was doing, he sent me the note below:
“About a year and a half ago our business sort of bottomed out and for the first time ever hired a business consultant. I can't logically explain it, but as soon as we entered the process, work started pouring in. We are really focusing our business on who we are, what we do best and targeting a certain market. We're customizing many “best business practices" to our company and implementing them. We developed a vision and broke it down into manageable steps, defined our core values, set up an accountability chart, got the right people in the right seats, discovered what makes us unique, meet regularly to discuss issues, are setting up and documenting all our processes, and probably a few other things that don't come to mind at the moment. It's not all that simple but that's it in a nutshell. And we have a pretty loyal customer base after being in business for over 30 years delivering a pretty consistent product and service. Right now we're hanging on for the ride!”
Look, when one door closes, a window opens up. While it might be hell getting to the window, there are opportunities in every market. If work is slow right now, take the time to “work on your business”. Define your core business, your core values, your company vision, and your company best practices. These are the things that made you successful when you started. Maybe it’s time to revisit what makes you who you are. If it worked in Michigan, it could work for you.
David Lupberger
303-442-3702
