Qualified Remodeler Magazine

MAR 2013

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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IDEAS? OPINIONS? Join the conversation HOT SPOT / DISCUSSIONS FROM FORRESIDENTIALPROS.COM AND QUALIFIED REMODELER'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES A recent news story, "PCA Forecasts Residential Growth," projects total housing starts will reach 954,000 units in 2013, reflecting further improvement on 2012's nearly 30 percent growth. Save the Date FRP.com registered user Mark Brandt commented: "I am thrilled to forward this good news. Responsible, environmentally sound residential growth, interacting with responsible economic growth, infused with innovative purposeful, stewardly infrastructure rebirth, along with continued low interest rates, is a must in order for the trades and professions to get back to work in fulfilling the American Dream. Everything is in place for us all to move forward." March 25-28 Read the full story at ForResidentialPros. com/10855478 Apply for the Top 500 list and for the Master Design Awards. ForResidentialPros.com/awards 500 DESIGN Awards Master Top Remodelers 2013 I I n my opinion you have to be both: a contractor/craftsman and a contractor/businessman. Otherwise, your business will not survive in the long run. I educate my customers so they understand why my work is more expensive than the work of my competitors. I explain every step I'll do, why I'll do it and what's the benefit of it. The same applies to the material I use. At the end, my customers have at least an idea that going with a lower March 2013 QR ForResidentialPros.com Linked bid might not be the best choice, and they will better understand what, "You get what you pay for" means. –Bertram Tasch, Vancouver, Canada, area T he times have changed dramatically to the point that carpenters working out of a pickup truck are running multi-million dollar businesses. Most of us have learned by need and mistakes, experimentation and pure luck. Even small jobs in small homes add up to a lot of cash and personnel issues that require an education in business to handle properly. The Internet and phone advances allow us to get answers, discover systems and find resources to improve our bottom lines. That discussions like this are going on encourages me that a new generation of sophisticated and savvy craftsmen is on the way. –Kip de Moll, Burlington, Vt., area Read more comments or share your own response by joining our LinkedIn group, 90 ForResidentialPros. com/springtraining 2013 LinkedIn group member Mark Paskell started a discussion asking if members consider themselves to be a contractor/ craftsman or a contractor/businessman. Here's what some of our group members had to say: consider myself both. I am a trim carpenter by trade who does a fair amount of custom work that requires craftsman-type skills but also run all the operations of my business, which requires business-minded skills. I am also college educated with a degree in business. I agree that someone with only craftsman skills is not going to fare as well as a contractor with business skills. […] In this current market, having the whole package does make a difference. –Todd Simanski, Des Moines, Iowa, area Spring Training is back, and will feature four days of free webinars about marketing, exterior design, kitchen/bath design and sustainability. magazine.

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