Category
Marketing & Sales
Contractor referral model… is flawed and not sustainable
by Steve Payne“The costs are too high and quality standards are not uniform,” says Alec Beraskow.
42 per cent interest on overdue Yellow Pages advertising payments?
by Steve PayneReader Kevin Smith says that billings for Yellow Pages advertising show up on Bell Canada bills, potentially triggering 42 per cent (annualized) interest rates to contractors who want to advertise their services in the Yellow Pages – and who are late paying their advertising bills.
Home Depot shows its Pride
by Steve PayneHome Depot was a major sponsor (a “bronze partner”) of Toronto’s 34th annual Pride parade held last Sunday. In fact this was “World Pride,” bringing participants from around the globe.
Strategies for competing with Fly-By-Nighters
by Steve PayneFly-By-Nighters, Trunk Slammers, Cash Guys, The Underground… whatever you call them, they are everywhere these days – trying to outbid you by 30 to 40 per cent. Here are some ways that established, above-board, legitimate contractors are competing with this hidden marketplace.
Lethbridge, Alta.'s Bezooyen Contracting is latest builder to partner up with the (Mike) Holmes Approved Homes program
by Steve PayneHolmes Approved Homes was launched in 2011 and has steadily signed up builders who want to partner up with Mike Holmes to ensure that their clients know they are getting a quality build
Yellow Pages, the book, is a dinosaur. Yellow Pages on-line gets us customers on a daily basis.
by Steve PayneIt seems the Yellow Pages might have to rebrand itself as the “Yellow Screen” – or something like that
Six myths about customer financing of home improvement projects
by Steve PayneFinancing a project stimulates opportunities for renovators, but traditional methods of doing so can slow down or kill that sale.
Salary Survey result: 51% of contractors under $250,000 billings now have websites
by Steve PayneThe more money contractors are billing, the more likely they are to have websites. Or is that the other way around?
Canada's top renovators and builders honoured at CHBA Conference in Whistler, B.C.
by Steve PayneThe award for “Whole House Renovation” (more than $500,000) went to Eurodale Developments, Toronto
Alberta contractors report most sales increases in country, Atlantic Canada places second
by Steve PayneOntario and B.C. have the least optimistic contractors – when asked about sales increases in their region – in Canada.
Grow your contractor business: Get an advisory board
by Brynna LeslieSmall businesses that added an advisory board grew an average of 67 per cent in just three years, according to a new study by the Business Development Bank of Canada. Currently, however, just six per cent of small and medium-sized…
VIDEO: Interview with PROBUILT's Mike Upshall: How to structure your renovation firm
by Robert KociMike Upshall, a veteran homebuilder and renovator, talks about how he runs his firm using a lead carpenter system that puts on-the-tools carpenters into front line roles with full budgetary responsibilities
American renovators talk about a boycott of Angie's List
by Steve PayneRenovation contractors can find it much harder to close a sale once negative reviews of their work appear online. Angie’s List, based in Indianapolis, has angered so many contractors that a boycott is now a possibility.
Can you guess the top 5 renovation projects (in terms of returned value upon resale)?
by Steve PayneA simple entry door replacement on an American home will return almost every penny it cost the homeowner, upon resale. Can you guess some of the other top 5 projects, as surveyed by Remodeling magazine?
Pin it to win it: Pinterest offers your reno firm a creative way to get new clients
by Steve PaynePinterest, the online scrapbooking site, has more than 70 million users. Lowe’s is using it extensively to promote its products. As a professional renovator, you should check it out.
Networking – not a dirty word but a great way to market your reno business
by Brynna LeslieNetworking is not about handshaking or cocktail parties, it’s anything you can do to meet new people and get word-of-mouth referrals.
Why renovators can pick up so much business from community newspapers
by Brynna LeslieYou’d be hard pressed to find another advertising medium that reaches 75 per cent of your potential clients.
Renovantage’s Mike Draper on turning leads into customers
by Steve Payne“Never email a quotation,” Draper counsels. “Always visit with the client to go over the details so that you can make adjustments to include or exclude changes the customer wants to see.