So you want to be a remodeler. Congratulations! Remodeling is a wonderful career choice. I have enjoyed renovating ever since I began 37 years ago. You will love being a remodeler…only if you love remodeling. If you are passionate about creating and improving shelters, making seemingly impossibly ugly areas beautiful, making homeowners lifestyles better, then this is for you.
Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that can make you a better remodeling contractor. You don’t have to fit them all, just a majority, to be a successful business owner.
1. You are disciplined and self-motivated.
2. You enjoy being creative.
3. You enjoy learning.
4. You get along well with other people.
5. You know how to organize.
6. You know how to delegate.
7. You know how to communicate effectively.
8. You know how to put a house together and take it apart.
9. You know what products are the best for the job.
10. You understand the building procedure.
11. You are willing to work long hours occasionally.
And then there are many other points that can strengthen your position in the remodeling field, such as marketing savvy, selling skills, designing, CAD know-how, carpentry, software knowledge, and accounting. We’ll go into each of these areas in future articles. But for now let’s delve into a bit of detail on the list above.
Number 1. You are disciplined and self-motivated. You are in the driver’s seat now. You aren’t allowed to fall asleep at the wheel and you can’t pass the buck. You are it. Get a firm grip on this concept and don’t ever forget it. Building is fun, but it is loaded with risks. You reduce these risks by being knowledgeable. Never ever stop learning. Create a process that makes everything easier. Stay focused on your goal. Know where you want to go with your new business and keep it in clear sight all the time. The clearer you are on your goal, the easier it will be to attain your goal.
Number 2. You enjoy being creative. The best part of remodeling is creating something new and better. Many times it is up to you to inspire the client with a great idea or design. I have gotten many jobs just because I came up with an idea that another contractor hadn’t thought of. Some creativity you may have naturally. Other creativity stems from learning about new products or seeing new designs and transposing them into a project. Still others come from reading articles or networking with your associates. With your clients input, you need to create something that fits their criteria and inspires them.
Number 3. You enjoy learning. I cannot stress enough continuing education. When you stop learning and start coasting, I promise you that your business will suffer. The next guy or gal that knows more about current products, or energy efficiency or aging-in-place, will step in and take your place. So, how do you keep up? With trade magazines, homebuilder associations and their remodeling council, and networking. In my opinion, the most concentrated and current news, procedures and products updates are at trade shows. Go to local home shows, go the international Builder’s Show and by all means, go to the national Remodeling Show.
Number 4. You get along well with other people. This one is really crucial. Because in many start-up companies, the owner or owners do it all, being people-friendly is so important. You may be answering the phone (your first and most important impression), meeting them at their homes, selling them first yourself, and then your product, and solving problems during the job with diplomacy. All that, not to mention getting along with your crews and trades. So the acid test is – If you are a loner, this may not be the right place for you.
Number 5. You know how to organize. You are now a business owner. You run the show. And believe me, it won’t run itself. You have to organize it, set up systems, plan and schedule. Your time will become your best and worst friend. Use it wisely. When you own a business you are pulled in many directions. You have to control what and when you do something. There’s a saying that you can’t be too rich or too thin. Well, you can’t be too organized either.
Number 6. You know how to delegate. Here’s a real killer. For some reason, remodelers tend to try to do everything themselves. Guess what? You can’t. Is it because we know a lot more than others? Or that we do it better? Or is it that we are a lot faster and productive? If you will start delegating from day one, you will be so far ahead of the rest. When you know everything and can do everything better than someone else, not to mention, faster, it’s hard to delegate responsibilities. If you decide to try to do it all, you will be exhausted, poorer and stressed out. Sound like something you want for yourself? Nope. So hand those tasks out. Make it clear what you expect and let your associates start to grow into their positions.
Number 7. You know how to communicate effectively. I have a sign on my desk. It reads, “If I can learn to communicate, the rest is simple”. Think about that for a few days and you will understand. How many times have you told someone exactly what to do, in exhaustive detail, and they mess it up? Even drawing pictures with written instructions, people may see things in a different way than you intended. Communication within your company, to your trade contractors and to your customers is one of the most important features your business can have. Concentrate on how you will communicate, how you will track information, and how you will distribute this information. This is a book in itself. Learn as much as you can about this. I guarantee that this alone will set your company apart.
Number 8. You know how to put a house together and take it apart. I have seen people come into this business with many years of carpentry under their belt, that know everything there is to know about a house. On the other side of the spectrum, I have seen people with no experience in homebuilding that are very knowledgeable business people. Both can succeed. The carpenter will do everything he can himself. The business person will be forced to delegate. Which one do you think will advance quicker? I fit the former category, so I am all too familiar with being able to do a lot of things. If you know how to do a lot, guess what, everyone is happy as punch to let you do it. That should give you pause. The point is you don’t need to know everything about what makes up a house or building. But you do need people around you that do. And the more you know the more effective salesperson, designer and remodeler you will be.
Number 9. You know what products are the best for the job. This goes back to education. Learn what is new, what works, what lasts and what doesn’t. Make “No Callbacks” part of you company mantra. You will accomplish this by good planning, good implementation and good products. Keep track of products that work and those that don’t. Work the floors of trade shows. Ask lots of questions. Get to know new and better techniques that may involve new products. Make a clear decision whether you should use a product or avoid it. Never buy trouble. You’ll get enough of that for free.
Number 10. You understand the building procedure. You might call a procedure the sequence of events. You get a real chance to shine here. If you know how to schedule a job, you will make more money on a job and your customer, besides being impressed, will be happy you are running the best job in town. I’ll talk more about this in future articles, because it can really help you and all your trades have a better life. Avoid dead ends, duplication of tasks, AWOL products, etc. Do everything in the right order. It’s effective and to me it is great fun. The first day on one of my jobs, you would see a complete transformation (the de-construction part). Start your jobs full blast. But be sure that everything is in the pipeline. One thing that customers hate more than anything is a day when nothing happens. And, from your perspective, you just lost money on that job on that day. So keep everyone happy, working and keep your money in the bank. Scheduling. Don’t leave home without it.
Number 11. You are willing to work long hours occasionally. Any business owner will tell you that you have to have endurance to succeed. Especially when you are starting you will need to work long hours. Very soon you will realize that a 10 hour day is a piece of cake, because most days are at least 12 hours long. You not only have to sell, produce and manage an office, but you also have a bunch of stuff to learn. It may seem overwhelming, but it will all get done. One step at a time. Just remember to keep stepping. As you get more and more experience under your belt, you’ll start to see that “it” always gets done, and you won’t worry so much.
Read these points over again and think about each point. Make up your mind to be an exceptional remodeling company. There are plenty of mediocre renovators out there. Don’t be one of them. Make each day count and build your business and your peace of mind. As I always say, “Enjoy, Think, Implement”. Find something that you enjoy and are passionate about. Think about it and learn as much as you can. Then just do it. Implement what you have learned. This is the hardest part for anyone. We all dream, we all learn, but when it comes to doing it, sometime the dream fades away. Stay focused on your dream and you will make it happen.
Best of luck to all of you.
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www.RemodelerBiz.com is published by Randall S Soules, a 37 year construction veteran. The intent of this web site is to help builders, remodelers and those in the trades, create a rewarding career and lifestyle. At Remodeler Biz you’ll find helpful articles on niches, marketing, graphic standards and the design-then-build field.
About the author: Randall S Soules has been in construction for thirty-seven years and has owned his own remodeling business for thirty-one years. He got his start as a carpenter and is still trying to learn to delegate. His company, started in 1985, is Ardis-Soules, Inc., a high-end design then build renovation firm. He is an accomplished craftsman, designer, CAD operator and internet marketer. His latest venture is Remodeler Biz, a web site devoted to helping remodelers learn their trade. You can visit his design- then-build web site at www.DesignThenBuild.com. Keep up with the latest remodeling news and learn more about your remodeling business at www.RemodelerBiz.com. And for selected tools for business and the trades, buy them conveniently at www.Tools-that-Work.com.
