PR April 2007

What do you look for when hiring a new employee? How do you find the ideal person? The Internet and personality profiling are two ways to find that team player. Jud: Let's start off with a couple of questions. How do you avoid bad hires? Describe, to start, with your recruiting process. Mark R.: The way we look at most things is that almost everything is a process.

As business owners, we are so busy with the day-to-day operations it's tough to find time to innovate. This is compounded because many times we lack the confidence about what and how to do so. To make things even worse, as business people, we all have a "blind spot." What I mean by this is there are things we know about business, things we know we don't know, and things we don't know that we do...

In our February issue, we explored the value of peer groups in Remodelers' Exchange. Last week, I attended the Remodelers Advantage Roundtable conference in Jekyll Island, Ga., and learned for myself just how valuable belonging to a peer group can be for a professional remodeling firm owner. Over the course of four days, my group, called the Charlie Group, discussed marketing and sales best pra...

To make the most of retiring baby boomers that are choosing to retire in their own homes, become a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist.

Today’s homeowners want more out of their kitchens and bathrooms – more space, more design and more high-end features. Leading kitchen and bath remodelers talk about what they are seeing in their markets.

This 1950s kitchen was in desperate need of an update. SawHorse was able to bring it into the 21^st century by blending modern features with traditional looks.

Universal design, handicap access, adaptive design, visibility — they're all terms I'm sure you've seen or heard at some point as a remodeler or as an industry ally. Look at those words again and think about what kind of picture they paint for you in your mind. Do you see cold commercial-style restrooms or that unsightly ramp tacked onto your local post office? Maybe you see wheelchairs, ...

This custom colonial sits in a newer development that boasts larger lot sizes and deep backyards, and the clients were able to add a heated swimming pool after their purchase. However, the home is serviced by a septic system, and the system and leak fields occupied a large portion of the backyard, making for an almost 50-yard trek between the pool and home.

The Homeowners in this Lakeville, Minn., home had several remodeling projects under their belt to boost the curb-appeal of their home, but the master bedroom and bathroom was a space they never fully connected with. They commissioned College City Remodeling, also in Lakeville, to redo the space and saw the project as the final chapter of their efforts to make the home truly their own.

What if you could save your company thousands of dollars a year, give your clients a tax deduction and help the community at the same time? That's the situation now for Newman Company of Riley, Ind., through the company's relationship with Habitat for Humanity's ReStore program. During demolition, workers set aside anything that could possibly be reused, such as light fixtures, faucets, doors a...