Getting the pulse from Home Renovation Contractors in 2012

We wanted to compare the market between 2011 and 2012, so recently we went out in the Toronto area, dropping by unannounced at job sites in residential areas, armed with our quick survey form. While we’ve not fully concluded this survey, it’s apparent that either our questions are loaded to incite a riot or there are more unhappy contractors out there in 2012, tired of the system and in what’s going on.

We were welcomed, maybe because someone finally arrived to ask some questions and hear their stories and release some pent up frustrations. The four basic questions we asked, concentrated on selling new jobs or closing the quotes. These questions were:  “Are homeowners driving down the pricing? Do you feel the underground economy is affecting your business? “Are you seeing more unqualified contractors out there?” “When pricing jobs, are you seeing more price undercutting?”

The percentage of “Yes’s” received to these 4 questions ranged from between 80% to 100%. Could this be breaking news or is this really the pulse on what’s happening right now in 2012 and everyone’s feeling it?

The question is: does anyone have any answers? If you have some ideas you’d like to share, maybe a thought or you’d simply like to vent, I’d like to hear from you. You can respond here with your reply or reach me by email at: alec@carahs.org

Alec Caldwell (Founder)

Education – Training – Benefits

CARAHS is a Non – Profit Organization who educates, informs and offers benefits to those self employed in the home renovation and home services industry.

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