PR June 2005

Last month, I discussed remodeling business treasure: strong margins and quality of life. Let me ask you a question: Do you have those at the level you would like them to be? Depending on the cycle of business growth you are in, the answer is often no. It takes two sets of keys to successfully open the lock to the treasure inside.

Part 7 of a Series on Benchmarking Setting a gross profit target — finding a pricing, staffing, operating expense and profit model that is SMART — is the key to all business success. (SMART is defined as specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-sensitive.) No one can tell you what to charge for your work or what markup to use.

We recently began the process of planning our editorial coverage for 2006. As I was mapping out how we would decide what topics we should cover and thinking about the ways we could best meet the needs of remodelers, I tried to put myself in your shoes. I asked myself: "What are the things that remodelers keep telling me when we're on the phone, talking at trade shows or exchanging e-mails?" I q...

Imagine a life without your fax machine. You probably see a world absent the convenience and speed of communication to which you've become accustomed. Your business would slow down to a snail's pace as you lost the ability to send and receive bids, invoices and scope of work documents in minutes. That's not the life I'm talking about.

From Minneapolis to Memphis, Tenn.; Philadelphia to Phoenix; and Evanston, Ill. to Evansville, Ind., cities are developing expansive plans to bring more housing to downtowns and urban centers, bolstered by a growing crop of candidates for whom condo, loft or apartment living makes good sense. David A.

Warm. Inviting. Inspiring. These words are not what clients think of when envisioning concrete — but maybe they should be. "People have always thought of concrete as plain gray, but now there are so many design options available," says Bev Garnant, the executive director of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, based in Dallas.

Target Practice To get the best results from your marketing efforts, begin by setting goals for your business's future. Your marketing plan can then be targeted at helping you meet those goals by reaching the right types of customers. During this process, ask yourself these two important questions: Who is my best current customer? Who else do I want to reach? Web Site 101 If your company still ...

The owners of this home in Cornelius, N.C., had a beautiful lake view, but their rotting wooden deck, in desperate need of replacement, marred it. "They wanted their new deck to be virtually maintenance-free," says Dave Young, a sales consultant with Archadeck of Charlotte. Young, who sells, designs and manages projects, drew some deck plans and elevations for the homeowners by hand.

Located in an exclusive golf course community in Jupiter, Fla., this 4,000-square-foot home had "a plain vanilla exterior with a lack of detail," says remodeler John Dennis McDonald. "The owners wanted something dramatic." Key to the project was taking advantage of the potential vista — a lake and a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

From Minneapolis to Memphis, Tenn.; Philadelphia to Phoenix; and Evanston, Ill. to Evansville, Ind., cities are developing expansive plans to bring more housing to downtowns and urban centers, bolstered by a growing crop of candidates for whom condo, loft or apartment living makes good sense. David A.