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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Who started your company? I started the company. What is your focus as a remodeler — more growth or steady revenue at greater profitability? Because our overhead is set up to do high numbers, we are focused on more growth in both sales and volume. Recently, I've established higher sales goals for 2016 that we are focused on hitting to cover those expenses. Where do you go to look for solutions and ideas for your business? I've established several sources for solutions and ideas that can help improve my business. One of the first places I might turn to is my own internal staff. Often when a challenge comes up, we will openly discuss the issue and listen to the various staff members' input and perspective. Another valuable resource is a networking What is the best advice you've re- ceived in your career? e best advice I received was actually being shown a new approach to the design-build concept. A col- league of mine opened my eyes to the idea that it wasn't necessary to drive around to every potential lead and give out "free estimates." is new approach gave me a whole new per- spective on how I met with clients and allowed me to give value to my time and services. It also set me apart from everyone else. What have you done to grow your business during the current economy? We actively look for new ways to reach out to our markets and increase business. One of these includes teaching seminars to the gen- eral public that allow us to get in front of potential clients and stand out. We have also invested in updating our website and hiring an SEO company to handle optimization of the site. Another important aspect of our growth was increasing our marketing bud- get to include "featured" opportunities on Houzz, Angie's List and advertorials with local newspapers. Anything else you'd like to mention about career accomplishments? I'm proud to be able to finally offer my clients a brick and mortar location that services them from start to finish. I'm also proud to be able to give back to my community by volunteering in several nonprofit organizations including Builders Association, JFS, JVS and Help for Our Disabled Troops. | group I belong to, which is made up of fel- low remodelers of various sizes and walks of life. is is a great resource for sharing ideas and swapping experiences. Another means of inspiration is my local HBA Chapter. e HBA will often hold seminars, get-togethers and chapter meetings, where topics of interest come up and are discussed. If you could have a 30-minute con- versation with any business leader in the country, who would it be? I would love the opportunity to discuss business ideas with Dan Gilbert. His innovative ideas and out- of-the box thinking have helped grow his business interests in many ways. And some of those interests include the revitalization of the city of Detroit. His work has caused many to take a second look at investing in Detroit and making improvements. Are you hiring this year and how are you going about finding the right people for your company? Although we are not hiring at this very moment, it is important to keep qualified candidates in the pipeline. Some of the ways we do this is by sourcing candidates through networking, referrals, the HBA and sites such as Indeed.com. is allows us to be proactive as opposed to hiring out of a panic effect. What is your No. 1 source of leads right now and why is it working? I have found a high percentage of our best leads is being sourced from Houzz. e website gives us the ability to put forth our best work in conjunction with reviews and a targeted au- dience. e payoff has been very positive. Communication Improves Business July's Remodeler of the Month converses openly with his staff and local networking groups By Laurie Banyay RON JEDWAB, CAPS Lincorp/Borchert, Washington, Mich., lincorpconstruction.com TITLE: President YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 7 direct employees Read the complete interview at QualifiedRemodeler.com/20782833 Jedwab walks his customers through each step of a remodeling project, including material selection. PROFITS: NAHB Remodeler of the Month 18 July 2016 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com