Why waste your money on phone book adds, van skins, corny tv commercials, or even worse corny radio commercials, or expensive internet marketing firms?
Between Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Myspace (does that even still exist), and Linked In there are almost a Billion people using social media. True, the majority of these people still live with their parents, or in a dorm, or are not old enough to drink (is the creator of Facebook even old enough to drink, i don't know). But in a couple of years they will all have their own houses with sinks that need fixing, grass that needs cutting and roofs that need replacing. A lot will change in their lives.
What won't change is the fact that they live on Social Media sites. That means that if you want to have access to this portion of the market and their money, you need a service that will advertise your company via social media.
It's great to have a nice website, but soon that method of advertising will be old fashioned and out dated. Look at it this way. Our parents used the phone book to find a plumber, we use Google to find a plumber, and the next generation will use social media to find a plumber.
So having a nice website that is not connected to a social media outlet is like having a nice billboard for your business and putting it on a back road.
In order to get your website seen it needs to be in a high traffic area, on a major highway, connected to Social Media.
Our number one objective is to create a social media platform, a business network, that will allow you to showcase your business in the format that is popular with the millions of Facebook and Twitter users. Our network is fully connected to these social media outlets. That means that once you are connected to our network you receive instant advertising and exposure to millions of people. Best of all, ITS FREE! So sign up, log on, upload, participate. Come be a part of something unique and useful!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The ultimate prank, or the ultimate tool?
If you've been in business for yourself for longer than a minute I'm sure you've had it happen to you. That customer who you built that deck for, or drew those blueprints for, or charged up his AC, or delivered those 5 crepe myrtles to. He hasn't paid you yet and now he won't pick up the phone when you call.
He knows your cell number, your office number, and even your home number so if you call from any of these he doesn't pick up. And forget about blocking your number, do that and he certainly isn't picking up. We all know this guy. Now we have a new weapon against him.
Introducing Spoofcard (and services like it). These services allow a person to do the ultimate prank call. They also make for an excellent tool for debt collection and tracking down deadbeat customers.
These services allow you to call someone and have your phone number show up as any number that you chose. That means that if you know a person's home phone number and their cell phone number you can call their cell phone and have your number show up as their home phone number. They are sure to answer that call, don't you think?
Not only that but some of these services allow you to change your voice, record the call, and send text messages from any number that you chose.
I will leave it up to you to investigate the legality of these services and if or how they can be useful to you in your debt collection efforts. Be sure to check state, local, and federal laws to make sure you use services like this in a way that is legal. As always, one of the main objectives of our company is to protect contractors from dead beat clients. So when we come across technology like this we are quick to share it with you!
He knows your cell number, your office number, and even your home number so if you call from any of these he doesn't pick up. And forget about blocking your number, do that and he certainly isn't picking up. We all know this guy. Now we have a new weapon against him.
Introducing Spoofcard (and services like it). These services allow a person to do the ultimate prank call. They also make for an excellent tool for debt collection and tracking down deadbeat customers.
These services allow you to call someone and have your phone number show up as any number that you chose. That means that if you know a person's home phone number and their cell phone number you can call their cell phone and have your number show up as their home phone number. They are sure to answer that call, don't you think?
Not only that but some of these services allow you to change your voice, record the call, and send text messages from any number that you chose.
I will leave it up to you to investigate the legality of these services and if or how they can be useful to you in your debt collection efforts. Be sure to check state, local, and federal laws to make sure you use services like this in a way that is legal. As always, one of the main objectives of our company is to protect contractors from dead beat clients. So when we come across technology like this we are quick to share it with you!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
is BBB a bunch of BBBS?
There has recently been a lot of talk on both local and national news programs about the Better Business Bureau and its inadequacy. As I've watched these news specials I've laughed to myself because they are just touching on a topic that we've been talking about for the past year.
The fact that it makes no sense for homeowners and customers to rely on a service, be it Angie's List or the BBB, that rates contractors and businesses who are paying customers of said service. Anyone with common sense can see that this scenario creates a huge conflict of interest, a situation in which contractors and businesses can essentially BUY a better rating!
In order for a service to be ethical, honest, and useful in regards to rating businesses, it can't also be making money off of those same businesses that it is rating.
We ascribe to the philosophy that it is better for a service like this to find other sources of income, such as advertising. Also, rather than trying to rate a contractor or a business based solely on the info received from customers of said business, we prefer to create a platform by which the business can showcase itself and its work and then allow potential customer to use this info to make their decision. Why? Because the customers that write in to the BBB or services like Angie's List often have their own agenda. They could be a competing business disguising itself as a customer in order to give their competition bad pub. They could also be the business disguised as a customer giving itself a good rating in order to give itself good pub.
Rather than weed through all of this foolishness, why not use a service that allows you the contractor to promote yourself and shape your own image by posting pictures, info, articles, etc. about your business? The harder you work, the better your rating. Oh yeah, and it's free. That's the goal of Watch Dog Contractor Service. So join us. Sign up, participate, post, blog, be a part of something unique and useful.
The fact that it makes no sense for homeowners and customers to rely on a service, be it Angie's List or the BBB, that rates contractors and businesses who are paying customers of said service. Anyone with common sense can see that this scenario creates a huge conflict of interest, a situation in which contractors and businesses can essentially BUY a better rating!
In order for a service to be ethical, honest, and useful in regards to rating businesses, it can't also be making money off of those same businesses that it is rating.
We ascribe to the philosophy that it is better for a service like this to find other sources of income, such as advertising. Also, rather than trying to rate a contractor or a business based solely on the info received from customers of said business, we prefer to create a platform by which the business can showcase itself and its work and then allow potential customer to use this info to make their decision. Why? Because the customers that write in to the BBB or services like Angie's List often have their own agenda. They could be a competing business disguising itself as a customer in order to give their competition bad pub. They could also be the business disguised as a customer giving itself a good rating in order to give itself good pub.
Rather than weed through all of this foolishness, why not use a service that allows you the contractor to promote yourself and shape your own image by posting pictures, info, articles, etc. about your business? The harder you work, the better your rating. Oh yeah, and it's free. That's the goal of Watch Dog Contractor Service. So join us. Sign up, participate, post, blog, be a part of something unique and useful.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
So much done, So much to do!
It's been almost a year now since my partners and I began working seriously on the development of our website and our company. In that time what have we accomplished?
1. First we came up with a really good idea. A website that would give contractors an edge by letting them know about homeowners and other clients who had a history of not paying.
2. We developed a website and set up a database that would effectively accomplish this goal.
3. We expanded our vision to include a business network where contractors, suppliers, and vendors could communicate with each other and share ideas about everthing industry related.
4. We promoted this idea and website through tradeshows, direct advertising and marketing, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets.
5. We gained over 3000 friends and followers on social media and over 200 members on our own web based network.
6. We learned a lot about the business of networking and social media and formed several lasting and meaningful business relationships and friendships with the hardworking contractors that build this country and this world.
What do we have left to do?
Everything!
We still have to finish the development of our directory which will allow contractors to advertise to homeowners. We still have to increase our on the ground presence here in the South East. Most importantly we have to keep the contractors, vendors, and suppliers interested and excited about our network.
We have a big job ahead of us, but with your help I am sure that we can do it! Thanks for being a part of something unique and useful.
1. First we came up with a really good idea. A website that would give contractors an edge by letting them know about homeowners and other clients who had a history of not paying.
2. We developed a website and set up a database that would effectively accomplish this goal.
3. We expanded our vision to include a business network where contractors, suppliers, and vendors could communicate with each other and share ideas about everthing industry related.
4. We promoted this idea and website through tradeshows, direct advertising and marketing, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets.
5. We gained over 3000 friends and followers on social media and over 200 members on our own web based network.
6. We learned a lot about the business of networking and social media and formed several lasting and meaningful business relationships and friendships with the hardworking contractors that build this country and this world.
What do we have left to do?
Everything!
We still have to finish the development of our directory which will allow contractors to advertise to homeowners. We still have to increase our on the ground presence here in the South East. Most importantly we have to keep the contractors, vendors, and suppliers interested and excited about our network.
We have a big job ahead of us, but with your help I am sure that we can do it! Thanks for being a part of something unique and useful.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Not working is FREE!
A couple of days ago there was a question posted on the Watch Dog facebook page that asked if a contractor could have "too much" work. In these tough economic times you might think I'm crazy for saying yes, but my answer is YES!!!
But let me clarify. It's not just having too much work, its more about having the wrong kind of work. What I mean is this: When I first went into business for myself doing HVAC I had a plan. My plan was to do mainly installs. I figured that I could do one or two of these a month and after paying my helper still clear 60 thousand a year only doing service calls here and there just for extra money.
What I didn't plan on was the fact that this would be a huge pain in the butt! Even though I can do an install in a day, its usually a long day. Upfront cost to myself for the equipment is much higher. There is much more that can go wrong on an install than a service call. There is also much more that can go wrong after the install is done. The call backs don't pay because the work is under warranty and if you do an install for the wrong person (an annoying over obsessive person) they will call you back constantly just because they can even if there is nothing wrong.
After a year of running my business I realized that it made alot more sense to stick to doing service calls and preventative maintenance. I can do a service call in an average of two hours and make two hundred profit off of it. Any call back I get from a service call usually means more profit because there is something else that has gone wrong. This makes more dollars and more sense also.
If you take jobs for clients who nit pick and change their mind in the middle of the job you are in for a headache and if you don't bid the job right you'll do good to break even. Also, if you get in over your head or take a job that you aren't set up to do you could be in for a big loss.
The moral of the story is that "It's not just important to get work, it's important to get the right kind of work. Because the wrong job can windup costing you money." Not working might not sound profitable, but it doesn't cost you anything either.
But let me clarify. It's not just having too much work, its more about having the wrong kind of work. What I mean is this: When I first went into business for myself doing HVAC I had a plan. My plan was to do mainly installs. I figured that I could do one or two of these a month and after paying my helper still clear 60 thousand a year only doing service calls here and there just for extra money.
What I didn't plan on was the fact that this would be a huge pain in the butt! Even though I can do an install in a day, its usually a long day. Upfront cost to myself for the equipment is much higher. There is much more that can go wrong on an install than a service call. There is also much more that can go wrong after the install is done. The call backs don't pay because the work is under warranty and if you do an install for the wrong person (an annoying over obsessive person) they will call you back constantly just because they can even if there is nothing wrong.
After a year of running my business I realized that it made alot more sense to stick to doing service calls and preventative maintenance. I can do a service call in an average of two hours and make two hundred profit off of it. Any call back I get from a service call usually means more profit because there is something else that has gone wrong. This makes more dollars and more sense also.
If you take jobs for clients who nit pick and change their mind in the middle of the job you are in for a headache and if you don't bid the job right you'll do good to break even. Also, if you get in over your head or take a job that you aren't set up to do you could be in for a big loss.
The moral of the story is that "It's not just important to get work, it's important to get the right kind of work. Because the wrong job can windup costing you money." Not working might not sound profitable, but it doesn't cost you anything either.
Monday, September 27, 2010
No Honor Among Thieves, What About Contractors?
There is a common expression that "there is no honor among thieves". In the recent months I've begun to wonder if this applies to contractors. Here are a couple of scenarios that I have either been a part of or heard about in the past couple of months that have prompted me to write this article.
1. A contractor that I do work for called me the other day and told me that he is calling all of his subcontractors and asking them not to pass out their own business cards when working on a job for him. He said that recently some of his subs had been doing this and some of his customers were starting to bypass him and call the subcontractors directly.
2. The same contractor told me that he was recently subcontracting for another general contractor. While he was off site, his superintendent gave his business card to the customer that the work was being done for. When the general contractor that he was working for on the job found out about this he was livid. Because of this mistake on the part of the superintendent, the contractor may have lost hundred of thousands of dollars of business a year because the other contractor no longer trusts him and may not use him anymore.
3. One of the members of our Watch Dog Network recently contacted us and informed us that she had put in a bid to build a million dollar house for a customer. The customer told her that her bid was too high. The customer then proceeded to go on her company website and facebook page and find out which subcontractors she used. Then the customer contacted these subs and hired them directly to do the job cutting out the contractor completely. Fortunately for her, her subs were loyal enough to let her know what was going on. They even asked her if she minded if they took the job.
Here are a couple of thoughts about this:
1. Congratulations if you have subs, or are a sub, who is honorable enough to do what the above mentioned subs did. Most subs that I know would have taken the job and not said anything about it. However, as a sub it is always better to be loyal to the general contractors that use you on a regular basis. Yes you may be able to sneak in a couple of jobs here and there behind their back. And if you are loyal it may cause you to lose those jobs. But the jobs that you will lose if you ruin a good relationship with a general contractor far outweigh the couple of jobs that you could get away with stealing.
2. As a subcontractor when you go on a job for a general contractor you have to have the mindset that you are on that job working for and representing that general contractor. Some general contractors will ask for you to wear their uniform or t-shirts. Personally, when I am working on a job for a general contractor I avoid having direct contact with the customer. Even when the customer tries to have contact with me or ask me questions or make requests about the project, I direct them to the general contract. This might seem like an unnecessary extra step but it keeps the proper chain of communication and builds trust between myself and that general contractor.
3. As a general contractor it is a good idea to one, use loyal subs who are not just good at what they do but are also good people, two, don't make it public knowledge who you use as subs. Your subs are like a trade secret that gives you an edge over the competition so you should guard them like a trade secret.
1. A contractor that I do work for called me the other day and told me that he is calling all of his subcontractors and asking them not to pass out their own business cards when working on a job for him. He said that recently some of his subs had been doing this and some of his customers were starting to bypass him and call the subcontractors directly.
2. The same contractor told me that he was recently subcontracting for another general contractor. While he was off site, his superintendent gave his business card to the customer that the work was being done for. When the general contractor that he was working for on the job found out about this he was livid. Because of this mistake on the part of the superintendent, the contractor may have lost hundred of thousands of dollars of business a year because the other contractor no longer trusts him and may not use him anymore.
3. One of the members of our Watch Dog Network recently contacted us and informed us that she had put in a bid to build a million dollar house for a customer. The customer told her that her bid was too high. The customer then proceeded to go on her company website and facebook page and find out which subcontractors she used. Then the customer contacted these subs and hired them directly to do the job cutting out the contractor completely. Fortunately for her, her subs were loyal enough to let her know what was going on. They even asked her if she minded if they took the job.
Here are a couple of thoughts about this:
1. Congratulations if you have subs, or are a sub, who is honorable enough to do what the above mentioned subs did. Most subs that I know would have taken the job and not said anything about it. However, as a sub it is always better to be loyal to the general contractors that use you on a regular basis. Yes you may be able to sneak in a couple of jobs here and there behind their back. And if you are loyal it may cause you to lose those jobs. But the jobs that you will lose if you ruin a good relationship with a general contractor far outweigh the couple of jobs that you could get away with stealing.
2. As a subcontractor when you go on a job for a general contractor you have to have the mindset that you are on that job working for and representing that general contractor. Some general contractors will ask for you to wear their uniform or t-shirts. Personally, when I am working on a job for a general contractor I avoid having direct contact with the customer. Even when the customer tries to have contact with me or ask me questions or make requests about the project, I direct them to the general contract. This might seem like an unnecessary extra step but it keeps the proper chain of communication and builds trust between myself and that general contractor.
3. As a general contractor it is a good idea to one, use loyal subs who are not just good at what they do but are also good people, two, don't make it public knowledge who you use as subs. Your subs are like a trade secret that gives you an edge over the competition so you should guard them like a trade secret.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Team Part 2
A guy I know that owns a commercial construction company recently told his employees that he was changing their salary structure. He said that now that they would be making more money more would be expected of them. He also said that this would make their jobs "coveted".
Not the best choice of words, in my opinion. When you tell your employees that their jobs are coveted it implies that there is someone waiting in the wings to steal the job. While this may be the case, saying it doesn't exactly help to build employee morale.
But what does help to build morale, yes what does make your employees feel like their job is "coveted". The following list is a continuation of the things mentioned in the last TEAM article.
1. Pay! Ok, this is obvious so I wanted to get it out of the way quickly.
2. Stability. No matter how much money you are able to pay your employees it won't matter if it doesn't last. For example, in the HVAC business you might have your guys working 60 hours a week in June, July, and August. But in order for them to really value their job they have to know that they are going to be able to get at least 40 hrs a week in October and April. This means that you will have to be proactive and step up your advertising and marketing game to find work for them to do in these months. You might be able to live off of your profit from the busy season but come October all of that overtime money that they made in August is spent.
3. Appreciation. A little of this goes a long way. My favorite customers, believe it or not, are not the ones who pay me the most. While the high paying customers are necessary in order for me to stay in business, the best ones are the ones who are appreciative. The same goes for your employees. Yes, all you really OWE them is a pay check. But if you throw a thank you in there every now and then it won't kill you and it won't cost you anything either. As a matter of fact, it may motivate them to work harder which will make you money.
4. Dignity. Allow your employees to have some. No you can't write it off on your taxes but its still a good thing to give away. Give dignity and respect to your employees by allowing them to have some input, even if very limited, in business decisions. If you hire intelligent employees and you allow them to think for themselves and come up with their own unique ideas, they will exceed your expectations. However if you treat them like idiots and never allow them to think for themselves or have input then they will forget how to think for themselves and will act like idiots.
As the kids say "don't get it twisted!" Just because you own the business doesn't mean that you are the smartest one there. Usually the old guy with the leathery hands and the beard that you pay ten dollars an hour can out think and out work you any day. He just has a gambling problem and that's why he has never been financially stable enough to open his own construction business. But if you can put your ego aside and listen to what he has to say he can help your business make a lot of money. I used to work for this guy who owned a construction and land development company. He didn't know very much about construction or land development and he admitted this to all of us one day at a company meeting. However, he was a very good at finding talented smart people who did know a lot about construction and land development. As a result he spent most of the day in his office playing solitaire or on the golf course and he is a millionaire.
Your company is just like a TEAM. You are not the star player, you are the coach. Be good at recruiting talented people, treating them with dignity and respect, and getting the most out of them and you will make a lot of money!
Not the best choice of words, in my opinion. When you tell your employees that their jobs are coveted it implies that there is someone waiting in the wings to steal the job. While this may be the case, saying it doesn't exactly help to build employee morale.
But what does help to build morale, yes what does make your employees feel like their job is "coveted". The following list is a continuation of the things mentioned in the last TEAM article.
1. Pay! Ok, this is obvious so I wanted to get it out of the way quickly.
2. Stability. No matter how much money you are able to pay your employees it won't matter if it doesn't last. For example, in the HVAC business you might have your guys working 60 hours a week in June, July, and August. But in order for them to really value their job they have to know that they are going to be able to get at least 40 hrs a week in October and April. This means that you will have to be proactive and step up your advertising and marketing game to find work for them to do in these months. You might be able to live off of your profit from the busy season but come October all of that overtime money that they made in August is spent.
3. Appreciation. A little of this goes a long way. My favorite customers, believe it or not, are not the ones who pay me the most. While the high paying customers are necessary in order for me to stay in business, the best ones are the ones who are appreciative. The same goes for your employees. Yes, all you really OWE them is a pay check. But if you throw a thank you in there every now and then it won't kill you and it won't cost you anything either. As a matter of fact, it may motivate them to work harder which will make you money.
4. Dignity. Allow your employees to have some. No you can't write it off on your taxes but its still a good thing to give away. Give dignity and respect to your employees by allowing them to have some input, even if very limited, in business decisions. If you hire intelligent employees and you allow them to think for themselves and come up with their own unique ideas, they will exceed your expectations. However if you treat them like idiots and never allow them to think for themselves or have input then they will forget how to think for themselves and will act like idiots.
As the kids say "don't get it twisted!" Just because you own the business doesn't mean that you are the smartest one there. Usually the old guy with the leathery hands and the beard that you pay ten dollars an hour can out think and out work you any day. He just has a gambling problem and that's why he has never been financially stable enough to open his own construction business. But if you can put your ego aside and listen to what he has to say he can help your business make a lot of money. I used to work for this guy who owned a construction and land development company. He didn't know very much about construction or land development and he admitted this to all of us one day at a company meeting. However, he was a very good at finding talented smart people who did know a lot about construction and land development. As a result he spent most of the day in his office playing solitaire or on the golf course and he is a millionaire.
Your company is just like a TEAM. You are not the star player, you are the coach. Be good at recruiting talented people, treating them with dignity and respect, and getting the most out of them and you will make a lot of money!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Straight Cash Homie!
Back in 2005, when asked how he planned on paying a $10,000.00 fine that the NFL had dropped on him, Randy Moss responded with the above words. I wish my customers thought more like he did.
At the very moment that I sit here and write this article I have a customer that owes me and it is really irritating. It's not so much the amount as it is the principal. The guy calls me in the middle of the night to ask if I can fix his AC. I told him that I was booked up for the week but would move some things around and make a special trip out the next day. I had his AC fixed and back up and running before 5pm the next day.
Normally for a service call like this I would expect payment at time of service. However, it just so happened that the customer was too sick to come downstairs and pay me. He had left the door unlocked to the house so that I could come in and test the system without him having to come down and meet me. When I completed the job I left the invoice on the table.
I called the customer later and he asked if I took credit cards. OF COURSE I DO! I even sent him an email and a text message with instructions on how to go online and pay the invoice by credit card. Needless to say it's been over a week and I haven't heard from the guy. It was such an emergency for his AC to get fixed but it isn't much of an emergency for him to pay me.
Like I said, it's not about the money, the total invoice is less than $200. But it's about the principal. The principal is "if all of my customers act like this then it will be about the money because I won't have any."
From now on I think I might adopt the Randy Moss. My new business slogan is "Straight Cash Homie" pay me cash!
By OM Property Services
At the very moment that I sit here and write this article I have a customer that owes me and it is really irritating. It's not so much the amount as it is the principal. The guy calls me in the middle of the night to ask if I can fix his AC. I told him that I was booked up for the week but would move some things around and make a special trip out the next day. I had his AC fixed and back up and running before 5pm the next day.
Normally for a service call like this I would expect payment at time of service. However, it just so happened that the customer was too sick to come downstairs and pay me. He had left the door unlocked to the house so that I could come in and test the system without him having to come down and meet me. When I completed the job I left the invoice on the table.
I called the customer later and he asked if I took credit cards. OF COURSE I DO! I even sent him an email and a text message with instructions on how to go online and pay the invoice by credit card. Needless to say it's been over a week and I haven't heard from the guy. It was such an emergency for his AC to get fixed but it isn't much of an emergency for him to pay me.
Like I said, it's not about the money, the total invoice is less than $200. But it's about the principal. The principal is "if all of my customers act like this then it will be about the money because I won't have any."
From now on I think I might adopt the Randy Moss. My new business slogan is "Straight Cash Homie" pay me cash!
By OM Property Services
Monday, September 6, 2010
TEAM
Contracting companies are nothing but teams. The better the team, the better the company, the more money that's being made. How can you build this team spirit and your profit margin?
1. Communication: Many bosses only communicate when there is a problem, when something has been done wrong. While this is certainly neccessary, in order to build a team spirit there must be more communication when things are going right. Send out daily, weekly, and monthly status reports to your staff to let them know who is being the most productive. This healthy spirit of compettition will have your team working twice as hard to have their name at the top of the list.
2. Build a rapport with your team. Remember, the team that plays together stays together. Talk to your employees about sports, about their families, about their hobbies. This will bring you closer together and will in turn cause your team to work harder for you. People are more likely to work hard for someone they feel like they know and like than for some impersonal shadowy "Boss" figure.
3. Take Care of Yo People! This doesn't just mean bonuses or raises. We all realize that the economy is tough and construction, trades, and contracting companies have been hit harder than anyone. So even though you may not have the money to give raises or bonuses, there are other ways that you can show your employees that you are trying to take care of them. For some of your employees, allowing them to work overtime can be just like giving them a bonus because it puts extra money in their pocket. Other guys don't won't overtime at all, they are fine with their forty a week. Figure out who likes what and try to arrange the schedule so it caters to this. This is a small thing but it will go along way toward keeping your team happy.
The stronger your team, the more money you make, and isn't that the point?
1. Communication: Many bosses only communicate when there is a problem, when something has been done wrong. While this is certainly neccessary, in order to build a team spirit there must be more communication when things are going right. Send out daily, weekly, and monthly status reports to your staff to let them know who is being the most productive. This healthy spirit of compettition will have your team working twice as hard to have their name at the top of the list.
2. Build a rapport with your team. Remember, the team that plays together stays together. Talk to your employees about sports, about their families, about their hobbies. This will bring you closer together and will in turn cause your team to work harder for you. People are more likely to work hard for someone they feel like they know and like than for some impersonal shadowy "Boss" figure.
3. Take Care of Yo People! This doesn't just mean bonuses or raises. We all realize that the economy is tough and construction, trades, and contracting companies have been hit harder than anyone. So even though you may not have the money to give raises or bonuses, there are other ways that you can show your employees that you are trying to take care of them. For some of your employees, allowing them to work overtime can be just like giving them a bonus because it puts extra money in their pocket. Other guys don't won't overtime at all, they are fine with their forty a week. Figure out who likes what and try to arrange the schedule so it caters to this. This is a small thing but it will go along way toward keeping your team happy.
The stronger your team, the more money you make, and isn't that the point?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Empty Box Services Cheat Contractors and Homeowners
Imagine that it is a special day, maybe your birthday or wedding anniversary, or some other day that you expect to receive a gift. The gift is presented to you in a huge box that is beautifully wrapped. But you open the box only to find that it is filled with bubble wrap and those white popcorn things. Imagine how disappointed you would be.
This is the same feeling experienced by many homeowners and contractors alike who use services like "this person's list", or "that persons magic" These services seem to be nothing more than beautifully wrapped empty boxes.
They claim to screen contractors but they don't verify if the contractor is licensed or not. They claim to list homeowner reviews, but anyone can submit a review on a contractor, even someone whom the contractor has never done work for. So if someone doesn't like you or is a competitor they can write negative reviews about you. They claim to give the contractors advertising ability and the homeowner a way to screen contractors, but in reality anyone who pays enough money can become certified and promoted by these services.
Contractors lose, homeowners lose, and the company who sells the big empty box wins.
The reality is that no company can accurately rate a contractor and homeowners shouldn't be foolish enough to use a contractor just because he paid to have someone's seal of approval. The only way to really screen a contractor is to talk to people who he has done work for, view pictures of his past jobs, and actually talk to the contractor, being able to ask him for his license number. This is what Watch Dog Contractor Service allows you to do.
Contractors win, homeowners win, that's unique and useful!
This is the same feeling experienced by many homeowners and contractors alike who use services like "this person's list", or "that persons magic" These services seem to be nothing more than beautifully wrapped empty boxes.
They claim to screen contractors but they don't verify if the contractor is licensed or not. They claim to list homeowner reviews, but anyone can submit a review on a contractor, even someone whom the contractor has never done work for. So if someone doesn't like you or is a competitor they can write negative reviews about you. They claim to give the contractors advertising ability and the homeowner a way to screen contractors, but in reality anyone who pays enough money can become certified and promoted by these services.
Contractors lose, homeowners lose, and the company who sells the big empty box wins.
The reality is that no company can accurately rate a contractor and homeowners shouldn't be foolish enough to use a contractor just because he paid to have someone's seal of approval. The only way to really screen a contractor is to talk to people who he has done work for, view pictures of his past jobs, and actually talk to the contractor, being able to ask him for his license number. This is what Watch Dog Contractor Service allows you to do.
Contractors win, homeowners win, that's unique and useful!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
If they could just see your work!
How many times while working on a project, whether it be plumbing a house, installing a HVAC unit, or putting new shingles on a roof, how many times have you said to yourself "If the world could just see how good I am at what I do and how thorough and efficiently I do it I would have more work than I could ever do in a lifetime."
If you are any good at what you do and have any pride in your work I am positive that that thought has run across your mind. And until just recently that's all it was, just a thought. Yes, prior to the advent of the internet and specifically social media, sharing the brilliance that is your craft with the rest of the world was impossible. However, now with social media sites (like Facebook, Twitter, and Watch Dog Contractor Service) even someone who is not a computer genius can log on and create an impressive portfolio of past and present projects including video and audio. Not only can this portfolio be created but it can be linked to any social media site and instantly accessible to millions of people worldwide.
Recently, social media sites (namely Facebook) have come under fire for their websites privacy issues and the fact that once you are apart of these sites much of your personal information, intimate family photos, and private conversations are viewable by total strangers, some of which don't have the best intentions. While this is an obvious problem when it comes to your PERSONAL information, when it comes to your BUSINESS information this is a great problem to have.
The more available, the more viewable, the more accessible info about your business is, the more money you make. Point blank, period. Our websites, www.watchdogcontractorservice.com and http://watchdogcontractorservice.socialgo.com, are designed to help you do this. We started out as a company that just wanted to give contractors a way to communicate with each other, mainly for the purpose of informing each other about clients who don't pay. What we quickly discovered was that, while this was an excellent idea, people aren't so willing to share information with each other, even if it benefits everyone, until they are comfortable.
From that moment on our mission became to make the contractors and suppliers on our network comfortable with the open atmosphere of communication and collaboration that social media provides. To do this we created our Watch Dog Network. This network has been an amazing success. In only a few weeks time there were over two hundred contractors, suppliers, and vendors worldwide using this network to grow their business.
But our thinking is ever forward, progressive, unique, and most of all useful. We are currently developing and about to launch the directory portion of our site. Why? Because we realize that with Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot, Linkedin, and all of the other sites out there not to mention having to check your email accounts and maintain your own websites, we realize that you don't have time to waste updating a profile and posting comments on a site that isn't working for you.
With that in mind, our directory is the next step in our creating a site that not only works for you, but that once it reaches the same level as other major social media sites, you will consider it an essential part of your business. Imagine a site that will allow you to post all of the info, pictures, blogs, videos, and etc. that you already post on your Facebook page or your own website but then automatically assimilates this info in two formats, one that advertises your business worldwide and locally, and the other that shares your business info with other contractors, suppliers, and vendors.
Simply put, it will be amazing. If you are already a member, stick with us as we grow, you grow (plus we aren't charging you anything so what could it hurt). If you aren't a member, come join us and be a part of something unique and useful.
If you are any good at what you do and have any pride in your work I am positive that that thought has run across your mind. And until just recently that's all it was, just a thought. Yes, prior to the advent of the internet and specifically social media, sharing the brilliance that is your craft with the rest of the world was impossible. However, now with social media sites (like Facebook, Twitter, and Watch Dog Contractor Service) even someone who is not a computer genius can log on and create an impressive portfolio of past and present projects including video and audio. Not only can this portfolio be created but it can be linked to any social media site and instantly accessible to millions of people worldwide.
Recently, social media sites (namely Facebook) have come under fire for their websites privacy issues and the fact that once you are apart of these sites much of your personal information, intimate family photos, and private conversations are viewable by total strangers, some of which don't have the best intentions. While this is an obvious problem when it comes to your PERSONAL information, when it comes to your BUSINESS information this is a great problem to have.
The more available, the more viewable, the more accessible info about your business is, the more money you make. Point blank, period. Our websites, www.watchdogcontractorservice.com and http://watchdogcontractorservice.socialgo.com, are designed to help you do this. We started out as a company that just wanted to give contractors a way to communicate with each other, mainly for the purpose of informing each other about clients who don't pay. What we quickly discovered was that, while this was an excellent idea, people aren't so willing to share information with each other, even if it benefits everyone, until they are comfortable.
From that moment on our mission became to make the contractors and suppliers on our network comfortable with the open atmosphere of communication and collaboration that social media provides. To do this we created our Watch Dog Network. This network has been an amazing success. In only a few weeks time there were over two hundred contractors, suppliers, and vendors worldwide using this network to grow their business.
But our thinking is ever forward, progressive, unique, and most of all useful. We are currently developing and about to launch the directory portion of our site. Why? Because we realize that with Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot, Linkedin, and all of the other sites out there not to mention having to check your email accounts and maintain your own websites, we realize that you don't have time to waste updating a profile and posting comments on a site that isn't working for you.
With that in mind, our directory is the next step in our creating a site that not only works for you, but that once it reaches the same level as other major social media sites, you will consider it an essential part of your business. Imagine a site that will allow you to post all of the info, pictures, blogs, videos, and etc. that you already post on your Facebook page or your own website but then automatically assimilates this info in two formats, one that advertises your business worldwide and locally, and the other that shares your business info with other contractors, suppliers, and vendors.
Simply put, it will be amazing. If you are already a member, stick with us as we grow, you grow (plus we aren't charging you anything so what could it hurt). If you aren't a member, come join us and be a part of something unique and useful.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Toolbelts and Blackberrys
When I first got my first job as a tradesman, there was no such thing as contractors carrying cell phones. I worked for a large communications company that specialized in splicing and burying fiberoptic cable. We all had CB radios in our van and if we needed to communicate with each other thats how we did it.
Then, a few years later, every contractor was sporting a Nextel phone on his belt next to his tape measure and his Leatherman. It's like you weren't a real contractor or tradesman unless you had a Nextel. Forget a contractors liscense, a Nextel is what gave you your real credibility (I'm kidding). Maybe we liked Nextels because they reminded us of ourselves, Big, Tough, and Simple.
Nowadays you can still find contractors who use Nextels but they aren't nearly as popular as they once were. I was in Lowes the other day and the three guys in front of me in line all had Blackberrys clipped to there belts. Why have contractors, including myself, gravitated to these phones? Because they are, for the most part, durable, user friendly, and useful. You can download schematics and blueprints, invoice your clients, and crunch numbers so you can give an accurate quote all while making a phone call. It's great!
While many people don't view contractors as very tech savvy or cutting edge people, the opposite is actually the case. While we don't neccesarily latch on to every Xphone and Z pad that comes out, we do use technology, especially useful technology. As a matter of fact, contractors are an excellent lithmus test for technology. We won't use it unless it meets the following characteristics: It must be tough, practical, user friendly, and have accessories that are available in camaflouge or Nascar colors. I'm kidding about that last one. But seriously, tough, practical, and user friendly is what we as contractors want. And really, isn't this what all technology should be anyway?
I knew the world had changed when the other day, while putting together some pipes under a house, I pulled out my IPOD and used the I Level application that I had downloaded to check the slope on the pipes.
But it's not just about having the technology, it's about making it useful. When discussing our website, one of my business partners told me the following: "The genius is not in the idea, the genius is in the relentlessness and determination with which you pursue the idea until it is perfected." This principal is so true when it comes to technology. There is so much technology out there that is available to everyone. For us the challenge is in finding it and making it useful to you, the contractor.
We were meeting with some other owners of webbased businesses the other day and they all boasted about how much money they had spent developing their websites. Myself and my business partners all just looked at each other with a little smirk on our face. Why? Because we know that the people who use our site could careless how fancy it looks or how much money we spent developing. All they care about is how useful it is, how it can help them grow their business, and how it can make them money. The first question that people ask when they join the site isn't "How much money did you guys spend on this?" The first thing they ask us is "How can I use this site to promote my business."
There are plenty of social networking and social media sites out there, and that's great. But our site is like that CB radio, like that NEXTEL, like that Blackberry: Tough, Simple, and most of all, USEFUL. That's us, that's WatchDog! So put on your toolbelt, pick up your Blackberry, and stay connected to www.watchdogcontractorservice.com.
Jon White
Then, a few years later, every contractor was sporting a Nextel phone on his belt next to his tape measure and his Leatherman. It's like you weren't a real contractor or tradesman unless you had a Nextel. Forget a contractors liscense, a Nextel is what gave you your real credibility (I'm kidding). Maybe we liked Nextels because they reminded us of ourselves, Big, Tough, and Simple.
Nowadays you can still find contractors who use Nextels but they aren't nearly as popular as they once were. I was in Lowes the other day and the three guys in front of me in line all had Blackberrys clipped to there belts. Why have contractors, including myself, gravitated to these phones? Because they are, for the most part, durable, user friendly, and useful. You can download schematics and blueprints, invoice your clients, and crunch numbers so you can give an accurate quote all while making a phone call. It's great!
While many people don't view contractors as very tech savvy or cutting edge people, the opposite is actually the case. While we don't neccesarily latch on to every Xphone and Z pad that comes out, we do use technology, especially useful technology. As a matter of fact, contractors are an excellent lithmus test for technology. We won't use it unless it meets the following characteristics: It must be tough, practical, user friendly, and have accessories that are available in camaflouge or Nascar colors. I'm kidding about that last one. But seriously, tough, practical, and user friendly is what we as contractors want. And really, isn't this what all technology should be anyway?
I knew the world had changed when the other day, while putting together some pipes under a house, I pulled out my IPOD and used the I Level application that I had downloaded to check the slope on the pipes.
But it's not just about having the technology, it's about making it useful. When discussing our website, one of my business partners told me the following: "The genius is not in the idea, the genius is in the relentlessness and determination with which you pursue the idea until it is perfected." This principal is so true when it comes to technology. There is so much technology out there that is available to everyone. For us the challenge is in finding it and making it useful to you, the contractor.
We were meeting with some other owners of webbased businesses the other day and they all boasted about how much money they had spent developing their websites. Myself and my business partners all just looked at each other with a little smirk on our face. Why? Because we know that the people who use our site could careless how fancy it looks or how much money we spent developing. All they care about is how useful it is, how it can help them grow their business, and how it can make them money. The first question that people ask when they join the site isn't "How much money did you guys spend on this?" The first thing they ask us is "How can I use this site to promote my business."
There are plenty of social networking and social media sites out there, and that's great. But our site is like that CB radio, like that NEXTEL, like that Blackberry: Tough, Simple, and most of all, USEFUL. That's us, that's WatchDog! So put on your toolbelt, pick up your Blackberry, and stay connected to www.watchdogcontractorservice.com.
Jon White
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Handy Man This part II
Franchised Home Improvement Companies, i.e. Handyman ‘THIS’, Handyman ‘THAT’ Part II
by Mantych Electric, Inc. on 30th May 2010 View all blogs by Mantych Electric, Inc.
PART II (Taking up where Part I left off)
“Oh Yeah!“ If you have one of our coupons we can further save you some money! ! !” Most of the Handyman Companies offer coupons in their advertising. The handyman will now, supposedly after the fact, ask if you have any ‘promotional coupons’. Surprisingly, if you do not have a coupon, he supplies you with one, enters the appropriate ‘deduction’ in the space provided on the estimate form and further reduces your costs. Boy! What a deal you are getting. This company is the greatest. More smoke and mirrors, but in truth, when the handyman is given the price over the phone the coupon discount is already figured in. Now Phase II is really complete and you are convinced more than ever this is the company which you should to do business.
Next, the handyman provides you with a list of materials that will be required for your project. He tells you he will be glad to go and procure the materials as to insure the proper materials are purchased and to expedite delivery. Remember, in most instances, materials are not part of the Handyman Company’s quote. The ploy here is to get the project started as quickly as possible. Although you have signed a contract, many states have laws to protect the public when a contract is signed at a residence. In most cases one has up to three days to cancel. Also by starting the project as quickly as possible, it is less likely their quote will be shopped or through conversation the customer discovers they may get the work completed for a lower price by a reputable locally owned company.
Now that you have assigned the project to Handyman This, Handyman That, let’s review what you are receiving for your hard earned money.
First, let’s look at what specifications and conditions you are agreeing to:
I. Services Provided By Contractor
A. The Craftsman performing the services under this contract
1. Is not authorized to perform any service beyond what is identified on the face hereof.
2. This includes additional future services without the written consent of Handyman This, Handyman That.
3. Any agreements beyond the face hereof to circumvent Handyman This, Handyman That will subject the parties to legal prosecution.
This guarantees Handyman This, Handyman That is kept in the loop. Nothing wrong with this, after all, they have spent a ton of money on advertising to get you to call them. However, if you are getting the best deal with Handyman This, Handyman That’s screened, professional, trustworthy and reputable contractors with at least ten years of experience performing the work, why is this a concern?
B. In the event customer requests a different contractor or the specific contractor becomes unavailable for any reason, customer agrees that Handyman This, Handyman That reserves the right to:
1. Cancel this contract
2. Have a new contractor re-estimate the project
3. Present a new contract to the customer
Why would the quote change if a different contractor actually does the work? After all, Handyman This, Handyman That prices by the job and not the hour. If the scope of work remains the same, and the craftsman called the office for a price, why does the project have to be re-estimated and a new contract written? (See Part I for answer to this!)
C. Customer will obtain all necessary building permits
Reputable contractors deal with permits everyday and know the ends and outs of having a permit issued. They can answer the questions which might arise during the permitting process. Depending upon the scope of work this can be a daunting process and better left in the hands of a capable professional. Again depending on the scope of work, a home owner may spend 30 minutes to a couple of days obtaining permits where as a seasoned professional will spend 30 minutes to a couple of hours completing the same task. Makes me wonder why Handyman This, Handyman That wants to place this responsibility on the customer?
D. Proposal is for completing the job as described above. It is based on our evaluation and does not include additional labor and materials which may be required should unforeseen problems arise after the work has started.
This statement is probably true no matter who estimates the project. Sometimes there are hidden ‘land mines’ (surprises) no one can foresee. This is just the nature of the beast when dealing with existing structures.
II. Terms and Conditions
A. Acceptance is conditioned by:
1. Customer’s acceptance of all Terms and Conditions contained in this contract
2. Terms and Conditions shall not be modified other than in writing.3. Signed by an officer of Handyman This, Handyman That and the customer
By having an officer signing any changes to the Terms and Conditions again insures Handyman This, Handyman That is kept in the loop. Again, there is nothing wrong with this and is probably good business. But again, if you are getting the best deal with Handyman This, Handyman That’s screened, professional, trustworthy and reputable contractors with at least ten years of experience performing the work, why is this a concern.
B. Delay in performance – Handyman This and Handyman That shall not be responsible for any delays or failures in completion of the services due to:
1. Any cause or condition out of the control of Handyman This, Handyman That
2. Fire
3. Floods
4. Inability to secure materials
5. actions of the elements
6. nor shall the Contract be cancelled because or as a result of any delays in meeting such dates or schedules. Contracts cancelled after the three day rescission period warrants no return of down payment.
Basically, once the customer has signed the Contract and the rescission period has lapsed and no matter what happens there is very little liability to Handyman This, Handyman That. Oh! What about item six above, thought no down payment was required - Huh?
C. Unforeseen Conditions – again this is pretty much standard procedure no matter who performs the service.
D. Limitation of Liability – this is pretty much a catch-all proclamation saying the most the Handyman This, Handyman That is liable for is to refund the monies paid toward the purchase price. Any materials are the sole responsibility of the owner even if the craftsman damages them.
E. Intergration – There are no understandings between the parties hereto as to the subject matter of this contract other than set forth herein.
What this means is no matter what the customer is told or promised by an officer, secretary, craftsman or whoever the only thing Handyman This, Handyman That is responsible for is what is written in the description of proposal/agreement which is signed by both parties and only covers LABOR.
F. Warranty/Guarantee – Handyman This, Handyman That makes no warranty or guarantee whatsoever with respect to the services provided, except as states in writing in this contract.
1. Handyman This, Handyman That, at it’s sole option, will repair or replace any work which fails due to Handyman This, Handyman That’s defective workmanship with-in one year from the date of receipt of such services.
2. If Handyman This, Handyman That determines that the repair or replacement is not commercially practicable, Handyman This, Handyman That shall issue a credit in favor of the customer in an amount not to exceed the purchase price of the services.
3. Handyman This, Handyman That’s guarantee does not cover the effects of normal wear, tear, deterioration, abuse or misuse.
4. Handyman This, Handyman That’s guarantee does not cover materials.
These terms and condition used where taken directly from a Proposal/Work Order of a nationally advertised Handyman Service.
Seems there is a lot of language to keep the craftsman and customer honest as well as a lot of language relieving Handyman This, Handyman That from almost all responsibility.
The customer has just signed with a company that has truly masked itself in deceit, appearing to guarantee exceptional work with a lot of hype and bells and whistles that mean very little when it comes down to having to back up what at first appears to be a caring, faithful company that acts in the best interest of the customer. The customer has agreed to a price which is at least a third higher and padded to cover hidden costs than he would have gotten from a local non-franchised contractor. Also since the agreement is for labor only the material list furnished by the craftsman is most likely structured to be lavish to cut down on actual labor.
Check back for Part 3 of Franchised Home Improvement Companies, i.e. Handyman ‘THIS’, Handyman ‘THAT’. Going to be looking at the legality of the services offered by some Handyman THIS, Handyman THAT Companies.
by Mantych Electric, Inc. on 30th May 2010 View all blogs by Mantych Electric, Inc.
PART II (Taking up where Part I left off)
“Oh Yeah!“ If you have one of our coupons we can further save you some money! ! !” Most of the Handyman Companies offer coupons in their advertising. The handyman will now, supposedly after the fact, ask if you have any ‘promotional coupons’. Surprisingly, if you do not have a coupon, he supplies you with one, enters the appropriate ‘deduction’ in the space provided on the estimate form and further reduces your costs. Boy! What a deal you are getting. This company is the greatest. More smoke and mirrors, but in truth, when the handyman is given the price over the phone the coupon discount is already figured in. Now Phase II is really complete and you are convinced more than ever this is the company which you should to do business.
Next, the handyman provides you with a list of materials that will be required for your project. He tells you he will be glad to go and procure the materials as to insure the proper materials are purchased and to expedite delivery. Remember, in most instances, materials are not part of the Handyman Company’s quote. The ploy here is to get the project started as quickly as possible. Although you have signed a contract, many states have laws to protect the public when a contract is signed at a residence. In most cases one has up to three days to cancel. Also by starting the project as quickly as possible, it is less likely their quote will be shopped or through conversation the customer discovers they may get the work completed for a lower price by a reputable locally owned company.
Now that you have assigned the project to Handyman This, Handyman That, let’s review what you are receiving for your hard earned money.
First, let’s look at what specifications and conditions you are agreeing to:
I. Services Provided By Contractor
A. The Craftsman performing the services under this contract
1. Is not authorized to perform any service beyond what is identified on the face hereof.
2. This includes additional future services without the written consent of Handyman This, Handyman That.
3. Any agreements beyond the face hereof to circumvent Handyman This, Handyman That will subject the parties to legal prosecution.
This guarantees Handyman This, Handyman That is kept in the loop. Nothing wrong with this, after all, they have spent a ton of money on advertising to get you to call them. However, if you are getting the best deal with Handyman This, Handyman That’s screened, professional, trustworthy and reputable contractors with at least ten years of experience performing the work, why is this a concern?
B. In the event customer requests a different contractor or the specific contractor becomes unavailable for any reason, customer agrees that Handyman This, Handyman That reserves the right to:
1. Cancel this contract
2. Have a new contractor re-estimate the project
3. Present a new contract to the customer
Why would the quote change if a different contractor actually does the work? After all, Handyman This, Handyman That prices by the job and not the hour. If the scope of work remains the same, and the craftsman called the office for a price, why does the project have to be re-estimated and a new contract written? (See Part I for answer to this!)
C. Customer will obtain all necessary building permits
Reputable contractors deal with permits everyday and know the ends and outs of having a permit issued. They can answer the questions which might arise during the permitting process. Depending upon the scope of work this can be a daunting process and better left in the hands of a capable professional. Again depending on the scope of work, a home owner may spend 30 minutes to a couple of days obtaining permits where as a seasoned professional will spend 30 minutes to a couple of hours completing the same task. Makes me wonder why Handyman This, Handyman That wants to place this responsibility on the customer?
D. Proposal is for completing the job as described above. It is based on our evaluation and does not include additional labor and materials which may be required should unforeseen problems arise after the work has started.
This statement is probably true no matter who estimates the project. Sometimes there are hidden ‘land mines’ (surprises) no one can foresee. This is just the nature of the beast when dealing with existing structures.
II. Terms and Conditions
A. Acceptance is conditioned by:
1. Customer’s acceptance of all Terms and Conditions contained in this contract
2. Terms and Conditions shall not be modified other than in writing.3. Signed by an officer of Handyman This, Handyman That and the customer
By having an officer signing any changes to the Terms and Conditions again insures Handyman This, Handyman That is kept in the loop. Again, there is nothing wrong with this and is probably good business. But again, if you are getting the best deal with Handyman This, Handyman That’s screened, professional, trustworthy and reputable contractors with at least ten years of experience performing the work, why is this a concern.
B. Delay in performance – Handyman This and Handyman That shall not be responsible for any delays or failures in completion of the services due to:
1. Any cause or condition out of the control of Handyman This, Handyman That
2. Fire
3. Floods
4. Inability to secure materials
5. actions of the elements
6. nor shall the Contract be cancelled because or as a result of any delays in meeting such dates or schedules. Contracts cancelled after the three day rescission period warrants no return of down payment.
Basically, once the customer has signed the Contract and the rescission period has lapsed and no matter what happens there is very little liability to Handyman This, Handyman That. Oh! What about item six above, thought no down payment was required - Huh?
C. Unforeseen Conditions – again this is pretty much standard procedure no matter who performs the service.
D. Limitation of Liability – this is pretty much a catch-all proclamation saying the most the Handyman This, Handyman That is liable for is to refund the monies paid toward the purchase price. Any materials are the sole responsibility of the owner even if the craftsman damages them.
E. Intergration – There are no understandings between the parties hereto as to the subject matter of this contract other than set forth herein.
What this means is no matter what the customer is told or promised by an officer, secretary, craftsman or whoever the only thing Handyman This, Handyman That is responsible for is what is written in the description of proposal/agreement which is signed by both parties and only covers LABOR.
F. Warranty/Guarantee – Handyman This, Handyman That makes no warranty or guarantee whatsoever with respect to the services provided, except as states in writing in this contract.
1. Handyman This, Handyman That, at it’s sole option, will repair or replace any work which fails due to Handyman This, Handyman That’s defective workmanship with-in one year from the date of receipt of such services.
2. If Handyman This, Handyman That determines that the repair or replacement is not commercially practicable, Handyman This, Handyman That shall issue a credit in favor of the customer in an amount not to exceed the purchase price of the services.
3. Handyman This, Handyman That’s guarantee does not cover the effects of normal wear, tear, deterioration, abuse or misuse.
4. Handyman This, Handyman That’s guarantee does not cover materials.
These terms and condition used where taken directly from a Proposal/Work Order of a nationally advertised Handyman Service.
Seems there is a lot of language to keep the craftsman and customer honest as well as a lot of language relieving Handyman This, Handyman That from almost all responsibility.
The customer has just signed with a company that has truly masked itself in deceit, appearing to guarantee exceptional work with a lot of hype and bells and whistles that mean very little when it comes down to having to back up what at first appears to be a caring, faithful company that acts in the best interest of the customer. The customer has agreed to a price which is at least a third higher and padded to cover hidden costs than he would have gotten from a local non-franchised contractor. Also since the agreement is for labor only the material list furnished by the craftsman is most likely structured to be lavish to cut down on actual labor.
Check back for Part 3 of Franchised Home Improvement Companies, i.e. Handyman ‘THIS’, Handyman ‘THAT’. Going to be looking at the legality of the services offered by some Handyman THIS, Handyman THAT Companies.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Handy Man this, Handy Man that
by Mantych Electric Inc.
You have a home repair project you need done. You feel it is too small to get a building contractor involved so you go online or look in the yellow pages under Home Improvements. You see a familiar name recognizable from a television ad or mail out you received. They must be a good, reputable and successful company; after all they advertise on TV and/or use direct mail advertising. Their handymen go through a rigorous screening process; are professionals at their trade with at least ten years of experience; fully insured and bonded and their work is fully guaranteed. They do not charge by the hour, they bill by the job so there will be no surprises. Sounds like a great deal, so you call and set an appointment.
About five minutes before the appointed time, a truck pulls up to your house and the person inside seems as if he is reading and straightening papers. One minute before the appointed time he gets out and heads towards your house. Exactly at the appointed time, your door bell rings or there is a knock at the door. You answer the door to invite the ‘handyman’ in. He asks you to wait just a second while he slips his booties on so he would not soil the floors. You then show him what you need done; he makes a few notes, thinks for a minute, fills out a proposal/work order, then asks if he can use your phone to call the office for pricing. He calls the office, asks to speak to a certain person, and gives a description of the work to be done. Then he answers a series of yes or no questions, writes down a price (usually a high, not to exceed, and low, no less than, price). Wraps with a little small talk then hangs up. He then explains the pricing to you, tells you he prepared to start work immediately, you just need to sign on the dotted line. Everything went like clockwork and so efficient. You are impressed so you sign authorizing the work. Mission accomplished – for the ‘Handyman’! Nothing wrong has been done; in fact, you have just been entertained by a well orchestrated and choreographed sales strategy.
Let’s revisit from the beginning.
The ‘Handyman THIS’ or ‘Handyman THAT’ company you contacted is a franchisee of a parent company. A franchise is defined as: the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory also a business granted such a right or license.” They were familiar to you because of massive advertising through all types of media by this parent company. The content of the advertisement is generic enabling it to be used throughout the country. All terms and/or services may not be available in all areas. (Read the small print.) They increase your confidence in their abilities by advertising their handymen go through a rigorous screening process; are professionals and have at least ten years of experience in their trade; fully insured and bonded and their work is fully guaranteed. This is capped off by advertising they do not charge by the hour, they bill by the job so there will be no surprises. Phase I of the sales presentation is successful – They got you to call! But let’s look a little deeper at these professionals. Many franchise companies when advertising for franchisees state - Previous construction experience isn’t required to own an in-demand home repair business. So who performs the actual work? Professionals that have at least ten years of experience in their trade and their work is fully guaranteed. Just because a person has ten plus years of experience in his trade does not mean he is a professional or proficient. The rigorous screening process usually consist the franchisee receiving $50.00 from a prospected subcontractor to pay for the cost of a criminal background check. If their criminal check returns no problems, then they can be covered under the franchisee’s insurance and bond ability. Very little if any probing is done into the person’s actual work experience although the customer is lead to believe differently. Then who supervises the work of these subcontractors if the franchisee does not possess previous construction experience. Good question, huh! Then, who guarantees and verifies the subcontractor’s work is performed correctly if the franchisee has no construction experience? It is another good question for which I have no answer. But you have already signed on the dotted line based on a smoke and mirror presentation.
Five minutes before the appointed time the handyman pulls up in front of your residence. He gets his paper work together as if preparing for your appointment with him. What you don’t know is this handyman has been sitting down the street out of sight or around the corner for fifteen or twenty minutes to insure he will be on time for the appointment. (This will come up again in a moment.) Slipping on the booties is really a good idea but its real purpose is to give the impression your property is going to receive kit glove treatment. A description of work is determined and then comes the phone call. The handyman will ask to use your phone, ever wonder why he did not use the cell phone incased on his belt? The ploy here is to get you to listen in on his phone call. Now comes the ‘magical’ part of the sales strategy. He calls the office, gives a description of work to be done. When he is through he starts answering questions either yes or no. In reality, when he surveyed the work to be done, he formulated how long it would take him to do the work including the time sitting down the road waiting for the appointed time, the time it took to complete the ‘free’ estimate, time it will require to pick up materials (if necessary), time it will take to clean up. Let’s say he figured it would take 2 days or 16 hours to complete the task, when he finishes the description of work to the office he is asked, will it take 1 day. He answers, no. He is then asked, more? His answer, yes. Two days? He answers, yes. Will it take two men? No. More? No. (You better believe the handyman more than covers the amount of time it will take him to complete the project) Now the office keys in 16 man hours, the description of work has nothing to do with pricing, into the computer and comes up with the cost of labor. Sixteen man hours usually translates to about $1120.00 which is split between the franchisee and the subcontractor. It appears to the customer the cost is based on the description given to the office over the phone when in reality it is based on the hours needed to complete the task. Average hourly cost $70.00. Usually the materials are paid for by the homeowner and not included in the money paid to the franchisee. Phase II is now complete – you have signed on the dotted line.
Check back for Part 2 of Franchised Home Improvement Companies, i.e. Handyman ‘THIS’
You have a home repair project you need done. You feel it is too small to get a building contractor involved so you go online or look in the yellow pages under Home Improvements. You see a familiar name recognizable from a television ad or mail out you received. They must be a good, reputable and successful company; after all they advertise on TV and/or use direct mail advertising. Their handymen go through a rigorous screening process; are professionals at their trade with at least ten years of experience; fully insured and bonded and their work is fully guaranteed. They do not charge by the hour, they bill by the job so there will be no surprises. Sounds like a great deal, so you call and set an appointment.
About five minutes before the appointed time, a truck pulls up to your house and the person inside seems as if he is reading and straightening papers. One minute before the appointed time he gets out and heads towards your house. Exactly at the appointed time, your door bell rings or there is a knock at the door. You answer the door to invite the ‘handyman’ in. He asks you to wait just a second while he slips his booties on so he would not soil the floors. You then show him what you need done; he makes a few notes, thinks for a minute, fills out a proposal/work order, then asks if he can use your phone to call the office for pricing. He calls the office, asks to speak to a certain person, and gives a description of the work to be done. Then he answers a series of yes or no questions, writes down a price (usually a high, not to exceed, and low, no less than, price). Wraps with a little small talk then hangs up. He then explains the pricing to you, tells you he prepared to start work immediately, you just need to sign on the dotted line. Everything went like clockwork and so efficient. You are impressed so you sign authorizing the work. Mission accomplished – for the ‘Handyman’! Nothing wrong has been done; in fact, you have just been entertained by a well orchestrated and choreographed sales strategy.
Let’s revisit from the beginning.
The ‘Handyman THIS’ or ‘Handyman THAT’ company you contacted is a franchisee of a parent company. A franchise is defined as: the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory also a business granted such a right or license.” They were familiar to you because of massive advertising through all types of media by this parent company. The content of the advertisement is generic enabling it to be used throughout the country. All terms and/or services may not be available in all areas. (Read the small print.) They increase your confidence in their abilities by advertising their handymen go through a rigorous screening process; are professionals and have at least ten years of experience in their trade; fully insured and bonded and their work is fully guaranteed. This is capped off by advertising they do not charge by the hour, they bill by the job so there will be no surprises. Phase I of the sales presentation is successful – They got you to call! But let’s look a little deeper at these professionals. Many franchise companies when advertising for franchisees state - Previous construction experience isn’t required to own an in-demand home repair business. So who performs the actual work? Professionals that have at least ten years of experience in their trade and their work is fully guaranteed. Just because a person has ten plus years of experience in his trade does not mean he is a professional or proficient. The rigorous screening process usually consist the franchisee receiving $50.00 from a prospected subcontractor to pay for the cost of a criminal background check. If their criminal check returns no problems, then they can be covered under the franchisee’s insurance and bond ability. Very little if any probing is done into the person’s actual work experience although the customer is lead to believe differently. Then who supervises the work of these subcontractors if the franchisee does not possess previous construction experience. Good question, huh! Then, who guarantees and verifies the subcontractor’s work is performed correctly if the franchisee has no construction experience? It is another good question for which I have no answer. But you have already signed on the dotted line based on a smoke and mirror presentation.
Five minutes before the appointed time the handyman pulls up in front of your residence. He gets his paper work together as if preparing for your appointment with him. What you don’t know is this handyman has been sitting down the street out of sight or around the corner for fifteen or twenty minutes to insure he will be on time for the appointment. (This will come up again in a moment.) Slipping on the booties is really a good idea but its real purpose is to give the impression your property is going to receive kit glove treatment. A description of work is determined and then comes the phone call. The handyman will ask to use your phone, ever wonder why he did not use the cell phone incased on his belt? The ploy here is to get you to listen in on his phone call. Now comes the ‘magical’ part of the sales strategy. He calls the office, gives a description of work to be done. When he is through he starts answering questions either yes or no. In reality, when he surveyed the work to be done, he formulated how long it would take him to do the work including the time sitting down the road waiting for the appointed time, the time it took to complete the ‘free’ estimate, time it will require to pick up materials (if necessary), time it will take to clean up. Let’s say he figured it would take 2 days or 16 hours to complete the task, when he finishes the description of work to the office he is asked, will it take 1 day. He answers, no. He is then asked, more? His answer, yes. Two days? He answers, yes. Will it take two men? No. More? No. (You better believe the handyman more than covers the amount of time it will take him to complete the project) Now the office keys in 16 man hours, the description of work has nothing to do with pricing, into the computer and comes up with the cost of labor. Sixteen man hours usually translates to about $1120.00 which is split between the franchisee and the subcontractor. It appears to the customer the cost is based on the description given to the office over the phone when in reality it is based on the hours needed to complete the task. Average hourly cost $70.00. Usually the materials are paid for by the homeowner and not included in the money paid to the franchisee. Phase II is now complete – you have signed on the dotted line.
Check back for Part 2 of Franchised Home Improvement Companies, i.e. Handyman ‘THIS’
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
New Green Home Trends In 2010
New Green Home Trends In 2010
Although the building industry had a dark year in 2009, Green building seemed to somehow stick out and shine. According to the Multiple Listing Service date, certified sustainable green new homes actually rose the past year in the northern west coast areas like Portland and Seattle. This trend is believed to spread over the U.S. and green building is expected to grow within new home sales. Already new home sales are on a rise from a year ago with March of 2010 seeing the biggest jump in new home sales in 47 years. So what trends can we expect to see in 2010 in green new homes?
1. Energy Monitoring Home Dashboards. The increasing demand for energy efficient homes, the development of a custom web-based display panel within the home, will show real-time home energy use. This sophisticated produced can break down the real time energy use of homeowners appliance, which will help a homeowner change the way they use their electricity. For example the way an electric car miles per gallon indicator encourages the owner to adapt their driving habits, green new homes that offer these Dashboards may encourage homeowners to reach lower energy use. Dashboards will also increase the probability that homeowners of green homes will reach the Energy Performance Score.
2. Energy Efficient Green Home Labeling. Like the miles per gallon label you would find when searching for a new car, energy rating systems for new homes has become popular among legislators. This energy rating system will make it easier for homebuyers to see the energy efficiency of one green home compared to another. Each homes score will be available on the MLS.
3. Lenders and Green Homes Make for a Better Bottom Line. Lenders have come to the conclusion that green new homes are better for their bottom line. By seeing a trend of green home owners being more responsible and less probable to default on a loan, due to the fact that most green home owners are more accountable and likely to place higher value on home maintenance. Green home owners are also less likely to default due to the decrease in energy coast. Lenders are now working to get reduced-rate loans, insurance packages for green new home owners.
4. Less Is More. Back when the housing market was booming, a larger homes lead to greater equity. However since that “bubble burst” this is no longer the case. With energy prices expected to rise over time, and the Federal Reserve likely to raise interest rates during 2010, homebuyers are likely to feel more at ease with smaller new green homes.
5. Water Conservation. Did you know that residential water usage accumulates for more than half of the publicly supplied water? The EPA decided in December 2009 to implement WaterSense. WaterSense specifies that new homes will need to reduce water use by 20 percent than conventional new home. Mandatory energy labeling in Europe already documents the water efficiency.
6. Net Zero Homes. A net zero home is a green home that generates more energy than it uses over a year. This is done by building a fairly small new green home that is extremely energy efficient and uses onsite renewable energy like wind, solar or geo-exchange systems.
Watch Dog Contractor Service Goes Green
Go Green! This seems to be the latest catch phrase on everyone's lips, you know, the trendy thing to do. From the automobile industry to the construction industry, green initiatives are impacting every aspect of our life. But what is green building and is it really affordable?
What is Green Building
Simply put, the answer is yes. While many people think that green building costs more than traditional building, this is not necessarily the case. There are many simple and affordable materials that can be used in the building process to make the building "green". For example, something as simple as a programmable thermostat and an HVAC system with a high seasonal energy efficiency rating can be used instead of a traditional thermostat and system. Or, less lighting can be used to reduce the amount of heat in the building so that a smaller chiller can cool the same amount of space. These are just a few examples of "green" building techniques that will add little or no additional cost to the building.
True, more advanced "green" systems and materials may be expensive, however the cost effectiveness of these must be judged on an individual basis.
In addition, once the building is completed, maintenance and operational costs for green buildings will be dramatically less than those of a traditional building. Plus, because green buildings are designed to be durable, flexible, and healthy they are often more easy to finance.
What's the bottom line for you and your business? Whether you are a general contractor, carpenter, electrician, plumber, or HVAC guy, take some time to educate yourself about green building because it is here to stay. Learn ways that you can incorporate "green" design and techniques into your repairs and new installs. If you can do this without raising your prices it will be a great selling point for your business and give you a leg up on the competition. So Go Green, it might earn you some green.
For more detailed info about the affordability of green building, check out this link http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/greenbuilding/cost.cfm
What is Green Building
- Green Building also goes by the name of sustainable building.
- It is a broad term but basically refers to building in a way that is environmentally responsible and energy efficient.
- Green Building aims to construct buildings that are environment friendly and people friendly.
- Green Building aims to impact all phases of construction and the entire existence of the building from design, to build, to clean up, to building operation and maintenance.
- The use of recycled building materials to construct new buildings or the use of all natural materials to construct buildings can be aspects of Green Building but are not all that is involved
- The building is designed so that it will have as little negative impact as possible on the environment.
- High efficiency windows and doors and insulation in the ceilings, walls, and floors increase the efficiency of the barrier between the conditioned space of the building and outside
- Windows are placed in such a way that natural light is utilized both for light and heating and cooling purposes.
- Solar, wind, hydro, or bio power is generated by the building itself (somewhere on site) to reduce the amount of outside energy needed by the building.
- Water is purified and reused on site and water that has not been fully purified is reused for irrigation, or heating and cooling purposes.
- Materials used in the building processes are taken from sources that are easily renewed (such as recycled materials or building blocks made out of dirt).
Simply put, the answer is yes. While many people think that green building costs more than traditional building, this is not necessarily the case. There are many simple and affordable materials that can be used in the building process to make the building "green". For example, something as simple as a programmable thermostat and an HVAC system with a high seasonal energy efficiency rating can be used instead of a traditional thermostat and system. Or, less lighting can be used to reduce the amount of heat in the building so that a smaller chiller can cool the same amount of space. These are just a few examples of "green" building techniques that will add little or no additional cost to the building.
True, more advanced "green" systems and materials may be expensive, however the cost effectiveness of these must be judged on an individual basis.
In addition, once the building is completed, maintenance and operational costs for green buildings will be dramatically less than those of a traditional building. Plus, because green buildings are designed to be durable, flexible, and healthy they are often more easy to finance.
What's the bottom line for you and your business? Whether you are a general contractor, carpenter, electrician, plumber, or HVAC guy, take some time to educate yourself about green building because it is here to stay. Learn ways that you can incorporate "green" design and techniques into your repairs and new installs. If you can do this without raising your prices it will be a great selling point for your business and give you a leg up on the competition. So Go Green, it might earn you some green.
For more detailed info about the affordability of green building, check out this link http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/greenbuilding/cost.cfm
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Successful Business is More Than a Good Idea
Good ideas are like babies, someone has one every minute. Yet successful businesses are much more rare. Therefore, there must be more to a successful business than a good idea. I don't mean to over simplify what is a very complicated process, but having a successful business boils down to having three important things:
1. A good idea
2. Capital (money to make that good idea a reality)
3. A good team (good employees, good partners, or both)
1. A good idea. Notice I said a GOOD idea, not an original idea. Henry Ford is famous for building automobiles and Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone but neither of them was the first to have the idea. They were just the first ones to present it in a workable form to the masses. The same is true with any business. If you own an HVAC company surely you aren't the first person in your area to do so. However, you can think of ways to make your HVAC company the best in the area. How you stand out as a company is going to have a lot to do with how long you stay around as a company. So you need to have some good ideas as to how to make your business unique.
2. Capital. You get out of something what you put in. If you put a dollar in the soda machine you get out a soda. If you put a nickel in you get nothing. The same is true with your business. Vehicles, uniforms, lawyers, accountants, computers, cell phones, business trips, tools, etc. These are all expenses that you will incur with your business. If you skimp on these or try to go cheap it will bite you in the butt later. If you can't afford to be in business for yourself then you best save up your money and try again later.
3. People. You need a talented staff who works well together as a team. You might have a guy working for you that can wire up a whole house in thirty minutes. But if he doesn't get along with the rest of your employees then he will end up hurting your business. Or you might have business partners who come up with some of the best ideas. But if they don't have the same goals and visions for the company as you do then it will end up hurting your business.
Whether your business is plumbing, carpentry, electrical, general contracting, painting, and so on, to be successful you need a good idea, money to make it happen, and a good team
1. A good idea
2. Capital (money to make that good idea a reality)
3. A good team (good employees, good partners, or both)
1. A good idea. Notice I said a GOOD idea, not an original idea. Henry Ford is famous for building automobiles and Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone but neither of them was the first to have the idea. They were just the first ones to present it in a workable form to the masses. The same is true with any business. If you own an HVAC company surely you aren't the first person in your area to do so. However, you can think of ways to make your HVAC company the best in the area. How you stand out as a company is going to have a lot to do with how long you stay around as a company. So you need to have some good ideas as to how to make your business unique.
2. Capital. You get out of something what you put in. If you put a dollar in the soda machine you get out a soda. If you put a nickel in you get nothing. The same is true with your business. Vehicles, uniforms, lawyers, accountants, computers, cell phones, business trips, tools, etc. These are all expenses that you will incur with your business. If you skimp on these or try to go cheap it will bite you in the butt later. If you can't afford to be in business for yourself then you best save up your money and try again later.
3. People. You need a talented staff who works well together as a team. You might have a guy working for you that can wire up a whole house in thirty minutes. But if he doesn't get along with the rest of your employees then he will end up hurting your business. Or you might have business partners who come up with some of the best ideas. But if they don't have the same goals and visions for the company as you do then it will end up hurting your business.
Whether your business is plumbing, carpentry, electrical, general contracting, painting, and so on, to be successful you need a good idea, money to make it happen, and a good team
Thursday, April 22, 2010
How to Compete with Low Ballers
If you sell yourself short, the world won't raise your price. But when everyone around you is selling them self short, how do you keep their behavior from lowering your price? This article addresses practical ways that you can compete with lowballers without lowering your price.
First of all, you know the value of your work. As an experienced contractor you know how cheap you can possibly do a quality job for while still making a decent profit. That means that if someone is lowballing one of two things is the case:
1. They aren't making a profit
2. They are cutting corners to do the job under cost and still make a profit
If number one is true then just sit tight, they won't be able to keep it up long because they will go broke.
If number two is true then just sit tight, people will soon begin to have problems with the work that they did when it starts to fall apart.
Either way they won't be able to keep it up for long. What can you do in the mean time? Here are two suggestions:
1. If you lose a job to a lowballer, keep in touch with the client anyway. Let them know that when they have problems because of the lowballers poor workmanship that they can always call you to come and do the job right (you might want to come up with a less blunt way of saying this).
2. Give your marketing a boost. There are still customers out there who are smart enough to know that if the price sounds to good to be true then it probably is. Come up with new ways to market and advertise your business so that you can find these customers. Social media is a great way to market and advertise plus it is usually free or very cheap.
Make the most of websites like Craigslist, Facebook, and www.watchdogcontractorservice.com. Also, there is a new web based advertising tool for contractors called Home Owner's Playbook. It's like a phone book listing, business card, and website all in one and it is only $89.99 per year when you use promo code watchdog1. Check out the Home Owner's Playbook link on this page for more info.
First of all, you know the value of your work. As an experienced contractor you know how cheap you can possibly do a quality job for while still making a decent profit. That means that if someone is lowballing one of two things is the case:
1. They aren't making a profit
2. They are cutting corners to do the job under cost and still make a profit
If number one is true then just sit tight, they won't be able to keep it up long because they will go broke.
If number two is true then just sit tight, people will soon begin to have problems with the work that they did when it starts to fall apart.
Either way they won't be able to keep it up for long. What can you do in the mean time? Here are two suggestions:
1. If you lose a job to a lowballer, keep in touch with the client anyway. Let them know that when they have problems because of the lowballers poor workmanship that they can always call you to come and do the job right (you might want to come up with a less blunt way of saying this).
2. Give your marketing a boost. There are still customers out there who are smart enough to know that if the price sounds to good to be true then it probably is. Come up with new ways to market and advertise your business so that you can find these customers. Social media is a great way to market and advertise plus it is usually free or very cheap.
Make the most of websites like Craigslist, Facebook, and www.watchdogcontractorservice.com. Also, there is a new web based advertising tool for contractors called Home Owner's Playbook. It's like a phone book listing, business card, and website all in one and it is only $89.99 per year when you use promo code watchdog1. Check out the Home Owner's Playbook link on this page for more info.
Monday, April 19, 2010
When to Say No to a Job
I heard a commercial the other day that said that the best words a contractor could hear are "I like your quote," and "you've got the job". For the most part, this is true. However, have you ever been in a situation when you dreaded hearing those words from the customer.
Maybe the job is very unpleasant, maybe it is bigger than what you want to tackle.
Recently, I had a customer who was having a buildup of water in her crawlspace whenever it rained. She had already discussed the issue with another contractor but she didn't like his diagnosis so she called me, this was the first red flag. After looking at the situation I suggested that rather than waste time and money trying to find out where the water was coming from that she install a sump pump in the crawl space to remove the water.
She didn't like this idea. She wanted me to completely redesign and rebuild the irrigation system in her backyard. I knew that this wouldn't solve the problem but I did the job anyway. Her backyard is bone dry now but she still has water in her crawlspace. A month goes by and she calls me again to come out and look at the situation. Again I suggest to her that she should install a sump pump in the crawlspace. Again she refused. Now she wants me to design a drain system under the house. I spent all day today trying to figure out how to do a job the wrong way!
Once I'm done designing and installing the drain system under the crawlspace, she'll still have some water there. Why, because she needs a sump pump installed. After she's paid me a couple of thousands of dollars and I've redone everything that can be redone in a crawlspace, maybe she will admit that she needs a sump pump. But maybe, just maybe, I should have just said NO to the job! Sometimes the headache isn't worth the money.
Maybe the job is very unpleasant, maybe it is bigger than what you want to tackle.
Recently, I had a customer who was having a buildup of water in her crawlspace whenever it rained. She had already discussed the issue with another contractor but she didn't like his diagnosis so she called me, this was the first red flag. After looking at the situation I suggested that rather than waste time and money trying to find out where the water was coming from that she install a sump pump in the crawl space to remove the water.
She didn't like this idea. She wanted me to completely redesign and rebuild the irrigation system in her backyard. I knew that this wouldn't solve the problem but I did the job anyway. Her backyard is bone dry now but she still has water in her crawlspace. A month goes by and she calls me again to come out and look at the situation. Again I suggest to her that she should install a sump pump in the crawlspace. Again she refused. Now she wants me to design a drain system under the house. I spent all day today trying to figure out how to do a job the wrong way!
Once I'm done designing and installing the drain system under the crawlspace, she'll still have some water there. Why, because she needs a sump pump installed. After she's paid me a couple of thousands of dollars and I've redone everything that can be redone in a crawlspace, maybe she will admit that she needs a sump pump. But maybe, just maybe, I should have just said NO to the job! Sometimes the headache isn't worth the money.
Friday, April 16, 2010
I Want to be a Plumber When I Grow Up!
If you ask the average 5 year old what they want to be when they grow up, you will probably never get "Plumber" as an answer. As I was working on this article I thought back to my childhood. The first thing that I ever wanted to be was a marine biologist. Then I wanted to be an accountant, then an architect, then an electrician. I guess the older I got the more realistic my career goals became.
The other day I was reading an article online (I can't remember where) that said that many of the people who found themselves booted out of corporate America due to the recent bad economy, were learning trades, like plumbing. I couldn't help but laugh at this. Why? Because it seems that corporate America, for all of their brains, has taken years to figure out something that us contractors already knew: Being a plumber, or an electrician, or an HVAC tech IS a good job!
This fact is something that they don't teach you in grade school. But the fact of the matter is, while a doctor makes good money, so does the guy that unclogs his toilet. A kid can take some community college courses and be working for a plumbing company by the age of 19 making 20-25 dollars per hour if he is ambitious and good at what he does. That means that by the time the doctor finishes med school, the kid who became a plumber will have made about $500,000.00 and will have only spent about $1000.00 on school where as the kid who became a doctor will owe hundreds of thousands in student loans and won't have made a dime.
I'm not saying that being a plumber is better than being a doctor. However, here are a couple of reasons why it is good to be a plumber, especially in today's economy:
1. With many of the oldschool plumbers retiring and not many young people pursuing the career, you will have no trouble finding a job in this field.
2. You don't need that much schooling to get started. You can work as an apprentice with no experience and learn on the job while you get paid or you can take a 1 year course at a community college and be ready to go to work. Of course it will take some time for you to learn to be a master plumber but you will get paid while you learn.
3. Speaking of getting paid, in most places with only 1 year of schooling you can start between $13 and $20. Once you get a year or two experience under your belt you are looking at $20-$25 per hour. Do a little extra studying and get your plumbing contractors license and you can write your own checks.
4. No matter how bad the economy gets people will still need to flush, and you can't outsource unstopping toilets!
I didn't become a marine biologist or an architect but I did install an expansion tank on a guys hot water heater yesterday. It took all of 30 mins and I made $100 even after I gave him a 50% discount for being a repeat customer. That's enough to make a doctor jealous.
The other day I was reading an article online (I can't remember where) that said that many of the people who found themselves booted out of corporate America due to the recent bad economy, were learning trades, like plumbing. I couldn't help but laugh at this. Why? Because it seems that corporate America, for all of their brains, has taken years to figure out something that us contractors already knew: Being a plumber, or an electrician, or an HVAC tech IS a good job!
This fact is something that they don't teach you in grade school. But the fact of the matter is, while a doctor makes good money, so does the guy that unclogs his toilet. A kid can take some community college courses and be working for a plumbing company by the age of 19 making 20-25 dollars per hour if he is ambitious and good at what he does. That means that by the time the doctor finishes med school, the kid who became a plumber will have made about $500,000.00 and will have only spent about $1000.00 on school where as the kid who became a doctor will owe hundreds of thousands in student loans and won't have made a dime.
I'm not saying that being a plumber is better than being a doctor. However, here are a couple of reasons why it is good to be a plumber, especially in today's economy:
1. With many of the oldschool plumbers retiring and not many young people pursuing the career, you will have no trouble finding a job in this field.
2. You don't need that much schooling to get started. You can work as an apprentice with no experience and learn on the job while you get paid or you can take a 1 year course at a community college and be ready to go to work. Of course it will take some time for you to learn to be a master plumber but you will get paid while you learn.
3. Speaking of getting paid, in most places with only 1 year of schooling you can start between $13 and $20. Once you get a year or two experience under your belt you are looking at $20-$25 per hour. Do a little extra studying and get your plumbing contractors license and you can write your own checks.
4. No matter how bad the economy gets people will still need to flush, and you can't outsource unstopping toilets!
I didn't become a marine biologist or an architect but I did install an expansion tank on a guys hot water heater yesterday. It took all of 30 mins and I made $100 even after I gave him a 50% discount for being a repeat customer. That's enough to make a doctor jealous.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Time is NOT Money
I hate to break it to you, but we have been lied to all of these years when we have been told that time IS money. Time is NOT money, in fact it is a million times more valuable than money. Note some differences: 1. You know exactly how much money you have or atleast approximately whereas you have no idea how much time you have left on this earth. 2. If you spend money or lose money you can always earn it back, but once time is gone, it's gone forever. As a matter of fact, take a look at that clock in the bottom right corner of your computer screen. Every time that clock ticks that is another minute of your life gone that you cannot get back. What a sobering thought.
What does this have to do with contractors and the building industry? With the recent downturn in the economy the construction industry took a big hit. Everyone from the small one man remodeling company to the large commercial electrical company took a big hit. Everyone lost money. Fortunately, the downturn in the economy did not cost us anything in the way of time. In fact, with the slow down of construction and remodeling if anything we have more time.
The key is to figure out ways to make that extra time transfer into money. Here are some ideas of ways to take the extra time that you may have because of lack of business and turn it into money:
1. Educate Yourself. Education is more available and affordable than ever. Plus the government is giving all kind of tax credits for adults who go back to college or take up some continuing education. Take some classes that will expand your knowledge of your current trade. Take some classes that will help you learn a new trade. Do an apprenticeship with someone in that new trade and work toward getting your liscense in that trade also. For example, if you are a carpenter, learn to be a plumber as well. If you are an HVAC guy, learn electrical, and etc. By doing this you will be able to make yourself more marketable and you will expand the services that you can offer and the money that you can make.
Take some online classes. Use that time that you would normally spend playing video games or watching TV to Educate Yourself!
2. Start a side business. There are all kinds of side businesses that you can start to make some extra cash. As a contractor, you probably already have pretty good business sense and a truck or a van. Apply this sense and your resources to another small business. That same truck that you use to carry your HVAC tools can be used to haul away someones junk. That pressure washer that you use to clean houses can be used to clean cars. That van that you use to carry your paint supplies can be used to move furniture.
Start an online business. Buy stuff at local auction and sell it on ebay. Think outside of the box!
3. Get caught up. There are so many other areas of your business that often get neglected when you are busy working. For example, your truck or van repairs, maintenance on your tools and equipment office and storage space, your books and financial records, etc. While you have some extra time on your hands care for these things yourself instead of neglecting them or hiring someone else to do it. This will prevent costly breakdowns or high overhead when business picks back up.
Most importantly DON'T LOW BALL, DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT! If you sell yourself short the world will not raise your price. It may seem like drastically cutting your prices is a good solution to the problem of not having work. However, your time is still worth the same amount that it has always been. Don't let the economy dictate to you how much your time is worth. If you LOW BALL you will find that you will have to cut corners to get jobs done and this will lead to poor quality work, a lot of call backs, and ultimately a bad rep for your company. It might save you in the short term but it will kill you in the long term.
What does this have to do with contractors and the building industry? With the recent downturn in the economy the construction industry took a big hit. Everyone from the small one man remodeling company to the large commercial electrical company took a big hit. Everyone lost money. Fortunately, the downturn in the economy did not cost us anything in the way of time. In fact, with the slow down of construction and remodeling if anything we have more time.
The key is to figure out ways to make that extra time transfer into money. Here are some ideas of ways to take the extra time that you may have because of lack of business and turn it into money:
1. Educate Yourself. Education is more available and affordable than ever. Plus the government is giving all kind of tax credits for adults who go back to college or take up some continuing education. Take some classes that will expand your knowledge of your current trade. Take some classes that will help you learn a new trade. Do an apprenticeship with someone in that new trade and work toward getting your liscense in that trade also. For example, if you are a carpenter, learn to be a plumber as well. If you are an HVAC guy, learn electrical, and etc. By doing this you will be able to make yourself more marketable and you will expand the services that you can offer and the money that you can make.
Take some online classes. Use that time that you would normally spend playing video games or watching TV to Educate Yourself!
2. Start a side business. There are all kinds of side businesses that you can start to make some extra cash. As a contractor, you probably already have pretty good business sense and a truck or a van. Apply this sense and your resources to another small business. That same truck that you use to carry your HVAC tools can be used to haul away someones junk. That pressure washer that you use to clean houses can be used to clean cars. That van that you use to carry your paint supplies can be used to move furniture.
Start an online business. Buy stuff at local auction and sell it on ebay. Think outside of the box!
3. Get caught up. There are so many other areas of your business that often get neglected when you are busy working. For example, your truck or van repairs, maintenance on your tools and equipment office and storage space, your books and financial records, etc. While you have some extra time on your hands care for these things yourself instead of neglecting them or hiring someone else to do it. This will prevent costly breakdowns or high overhead when business picks back up.
Most importantly DON'T LOW BALL, DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT! If you sell yourself short the world will not raise your price. It may seem like drastically cutting your prices is a good solution to the problem of not having work. However, your time is still worth the same amount that it has always been. Don't let the economy dictate to you how much your time is worth. If you LOW BALL you will find that you will have to cut corners to get jobs done and this will lead to poor quality work, a lot of call backs, and ultimately a bad rep for your company. It might save you in the short term but it will kill you in the long term.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Do you believe in MAGIC?
The interesting thing about MAGIC is that everyone believes it is magic except for the magician. He knows that it is just illusion. The same could be said for those so called "lead generating" services out there that claim that they can do MAGIC for contractors (we won't mention their names but you know who they are).
The essential problem with these services boils down to sheer logic "If the SERVICE is big enough to get 100,000's of leads every day, then they are too big to check and verify these leads." Translation "you pay for false leads and they make money off of false leads". But really, when we think about it, those of us contractors who have fallen for this, who have believed the illusion, partly have ourselves to blame.
Why? Because our fathers all told us "if it sounds to good to be true then it probably is". The whole concept of just signing up for a service and having someone else do all of the work for you is never a good or workable idea. Half of being a contractor is doing the hands on building and fixing. The other half is the business half, including the marketing.
As contractors we take pride in our work and we take responsibility for it. It is time we take responsibility for our marketing and generate our own leads instead of thinking that is will happen by MAGIC!
That doesn't mean that we have to go from door to door passing out fliers (I've done that and gotten business that way) but there are plenty of free and inexpensive ways to use the internet and technology to market your business and GENERATE YOUR OWN LEADS. What an interesting concept.
Continue to use resources like our FREE website to educate yourself and sharpen you marketing skills and leave the MAGIC for the magicians.
The essential problem with these services boils down to sheer logic "If the SERVICE is big enough to get 100,000's of leads every day, then they are too big to check and verify these leads." Translation "you pay for false leads and they make money off of false leads". But really, when we think about it, those of us contractors who have fallen for this, who have believed the illusion, partly have ourselves to blame.
Why? Because our fathers all told us "if it sounds to good to be true then it probably is". The whole concept of just signing up for a service and having someone else do all of the work for you is never a good or workable idea. Half of being a contractor is doing the hands on building and fixing. The other half is the business half, including the marketing.
As contractors we take pride in our work and we take responsibility for it. It is time we take responsibility for our marketing and generate our own leads instead of thinking that is will happen by MAGIC!
That doesn't mean that we have to go from door to door passing out fliers (I've done that and gotten business that way) but there are plenty of free and inexpensive ways to use the internet and technology to market your business and GENERATE YOUR OWN LEADS. What an interesting concept.
Continue to use resources like our FREE website to educate yourself and sharpen you marketing skills and leave the MAGIC for the magicians.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
7th Annual Contractors Networking Reception and Expo
The Networking Reception was great. We got to meet a lot of good people who in turn had good companies. There was plenty of food and refreshments. Patricia Jones was awesome, before we even saw her face to face, all the way to the time the show was over she made sure everything was ok. The HUB is truly a great group of folks along with the N.C. M/WBE Coordinators.
We talked with companies and contractors big and small. Gail with Barnhill came by the table,Russell Parker with Clean Touch pressure washing out of Greenville talked with us. I got to talk with Jonathan Graham the President of Horus Construction Managers, they have offices in N.C. and FL. even in my home town of Tampa. Darmel owner of Lee electrical Enterprises chatted with us for a while and enjoyed our table. Many many more came by and stayed a while and talked. Hopefully we will be able to keep in touch and help each other along the way.
Tina LaBoo you did a great job with the WatchDog table much thanks. Dan the Man came thru with the computer stuff as always, the best tech man in the business thanks a lot. Don the youngest guy in the building got his feet wet a little, thanks job well done.
Check out our pictures, you may be up there and we will be back next year.
We talked with companies and contractors big and small. Gail with Barnhill came by the table,Russell Parker with Clean Touch pressure washing out of Greenville talked with us. I got to talk with Jonathan Graham the President of Horus Construction Managers, they have offices in N.C. and FL. even in my home town of Tampa. Darmel owner of Lee electrical Enterprises chatted with us for a while and enjoyed our table. Many many more came by and stayed a while and talked. Hopefully we will be able to keep in touch and help each other along the way.
Tina LaBoo you did a great job with the WatchDog table much thanks. Dan the Man came thru with the computer stuff as always, the best tech man in the business thanks a lot. Don the youngest guy in the building got his feet wet a little, thanks job well done.
Check out our pictures, you may be up there and we will be back next year.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
So Sue Me!
When you start a website that is based on complaints the first thing that you hear from people is “That’s a great idea but you’re going to get sued.” or, “That’s a great idea but what are the legal ramifications?” and comments like this. In a society where everyone sues everyone for everything, everyone thinks they can get sued for anything. Everyone also feels like the only way to know anything is by hiring a lawyer. For a small business, a lawyer can be a more immediate and daunting expense than the law suit that you higher him to protect you against. Though this is an option, it is not the only option. If your business has any success eventually you will probably wind up using the service of a lawyer. But there are many things, such as forming an LLC and drawing up a partnership agreement, that you can do on your own. There is also a lot of information out there that you can find out for FREE.
For example, when it comes to the question of whether or not you can get sued for publishing someone else complaint on your website, there is a little thing called the Communications Decency Act. To summarize what the act states it basically says that if you provide an interactive web service (such as a forum, blog, or website where you publish info that people report to you) you cannot be held responsible for the portion of the web content that comes from other people. That explains how web base consumer reporting agencies and blogs are able to operate.
What does this mean for us? It means we can’t be sued for the service that we provide. With the advent of the web, publishing as we know it was completely changed. Now, anyone with a computer and half a brain can get a blog through a website like Blogspot and all of a sudden they are a one man newspaper. Fortunately, however, thanks to the Communications Decency Act, they are not held to the same level of accountability as a newspaper when it comes to reporting info that is submitted to them.
Does this mean that you can say what ever you want about whoever you want with total immunity? No! The Communications Decency Act doesn’t protect you from stuff that YOU say on your website, only from things OTHER people say on your website or submit to your website or blog.
So bloggers, blog on. Lawyers, sit tight, we still need you for lots of things, just not to answer this particular question. By the way, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, just my interpretation and opinion. To read some info on this for yourself check out this link http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/immunity-online-publishers-under-communications-decency-act . (I had to include that last sentence so that I could not be suedJ.)
For example, when it comes to the question of whether or not you can get sued for publishing someone else complaint on your website, there is a little thing called the Communications Decency Act. To summarize what the act states it basically says that if you provide an interactive web service (such as a forum, blog, or website where you publish info that people report to you) you cannot be held responsible for the portion of the web content that comes from other people. That explains how web base consumer reporting agencies and blogs are able to operate.
What does this mean for us? It means we can’t be sued for the service that we provide. With the advent of the web, publishing as we know it was completely changed. Now, anyone with a computer and half a brain can get a blog through a website like Blogspot and all of a sudden they are a one man newspaper. Fortunately, however, thanks to the Communications Decency Act, they are not held to the same level of accountability as a newspaper when it comes to reporting info that is submitted to them.
Does this mean that you can say what ever you want about whoever you want with total immunity? No! The Communications Decency Act doesn’t protect you from stuff that YOU say on your website, only from things OTHER people say on your website or submit to your website or blog.
So bloggers, blog on. Lawyers, sit tight, we still need you for lots of things, just not to answer this particular question. By the way, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, just my interpretation and opinion. To read some info on this for yourself check out this link http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/immunity-online-publishers-under-communications-decency-act . (I had to include that last sentence so that I could not be suedJ.)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Misconception
What is a misconception about your job that you would like to clear up with the public?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Who Cares?
We’ve all said it, we’ve all felt it, but how much money could these two words and the attitude behind them be costing your business? For the past couple of weeks, one of my business partners has been trying to reserve a block of rooms at a hotel for an event that we have coming up. The gentleman at the hotel that was handling the room arrangements would not take his calls or call him back. For weeks he tried to get in touch with this guy. It wasn’t until he the receptionist found out that the rooms were for Watch Dog Contractor Service, a company that is in the business of reporting complaints, that my partner got a call back from the hotel. Perhaps they were afraid that we would post a complaint about them on our website. Well of course we won’t do that because that’s not the type of complaints that we post on our website. But we are going to call them out in this article. I’m going to hold off on mentioning the name of the hotel because the event hasn’t been held yet and I don’t want them to try and get their revenge on us by putting itching powder in our sheets.
Obviously the man at the hotel didn’t care enough to return our phone calls. But what makes employees so apathetic? Are people really being paid so little nowadays that they can’t be bothered to do their job? How much money does behavior like this cost employers on a daily basis? I haven’t done any research on this but I would be willing to say LOTS! Employers go through so much trouble to keep their employees from stealing from them, only to watch their money walk right out the door when employees have a “who cares?” attitude.
Another example of this occurred when we tried to order pens for our company. We ordered the pens from a company called National Pen Company, who someone else referred to us. We requested that all of the pens be a specific color and design and we paid for our order. A week later, when no pens had arrived, we called to check on their status. When we asked to speak to Chase Hatchett, who was handling our account, you would think that we had asked to speak to Santa Claus. As a matter of fact it probably would have been easier to speak to Santa Claus than to this guy. We never did get to talk to Chase, all we got was an email explaining that the color pen we wanted was out of stock and our choices were either lose our money, wait months for the pen to become in stock, or get a different color pen. Needless to say we weren’t thrilled about these options. But even more annoying than the options was the way they were delivered to us, in an email. Here we are, a company, a new company but a company none the less, who orders hundreds of t-shirts, pens, and other marketing material, who could give this company thousands of dollars of business, and he couldn’t be bothered to give us a phone call. Just an email. Thanks a lot Chase. Next time we place an order with your company we will leave you with our cell phone number and you can just send us a text message to let us know that you can’t fill the order. Or better yet you can just Tweet it and we can read it on your Twitter page. Ok, now I’m being ridiculous.
I wish that instead of reading this you could hear it read in the voice of Andy Rooney from 60 minutes. That’s the tone that I have in my head as I am writing this.
What’s the solution to this behavior, this apathy that drives profit down and drives customers crazy? One option is to have robots replace humans in all customer service jobs. I don’t know how you feel about that but don’t worry, I have some other suggestions. Profit sharing and commission based programs seem to provide a powerful incentive for employees to do their best. A friend of mine recently shared with me his experience as an employee of two different companies which supports this suggestion. He said that when he worked for a concrete company on days when it would rain he and the other guys couldn’t do much work and didn’t really make any attempt to do any work because they were paid hourly so it didn’t matter to them that the company as a whole was losing money when they weren’t working. However, when he worked as a delivery driver for an electrical supply company he was always concerned about how much work was getting done. Why? Because they had profit sharing. So when the company was losing money, he was losing money.
We got our pens and we got our hotel rooms but we won’t be doing business with those two companies anymore and we will continue to talk bad about them whenever we get the chance. Not because there was a problem with the rooms, not because the color pen we wanted was not in stock, but because when we called about these issues someone, in an office somewhere, under their breath or out loud or even in their head said “Who Cares?!”
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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