PowerTips Unscripted

Are you concerned that college tuition fees will deplete your savings? In today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, we have Brad Baldridge on the show to assist business owners in planning for their children’s college education without sacrificing their retirement funds. Brad discusses how owning a business can impact college finances and whether there are any benefits that business owners can leve...

Worried about a steady flow of leads? If referrals are your main source of business, a structured, reliable process for generating them is essential! Many companies claim their top leads come from referrals, yet few have a formal strategy in place. In today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Doug Howard shares a proven method for building a consistent referral system that works. Doug Howard, a sen...

Today on PowerTips Unscripted , we’re excited to welcome Bjorn Johnson to the show! As General Manager at TraVek Remodeling and Roofing, Bjorn shares insights into the company’s journey as one of Arizona’s most trusted leaders in remodeling and roofing. Tune in to hear about TraVek’s dedication to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, which has cemented its strong reputation in the...

Successful organizations rely on accurate financial information to make informed decisions. But what sets great organizations apart is having a formal month-end close process in place. This ensures that financials are completed, reviewed, corrected, and ready for leaders and managers to use confidently in decision-making. In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Doug Howard joins us to break down...

We’re big believers in the power of blogging to generate interest and business. Today we’re talking to someone in the trenches who’s also a believer, because it’s helped him in growing his business, gaining credibility, elevating customer loyalty, and  — most importantly — generating cost-effective, exclusive leads. In this episode, Mike Foti discusses his business case for blogging with Victoria...

Season 6 of PowerTips is here! Every business owner knows that the road to growth is filled with challenges—some of which can feel overwhelming. But in this episode, we’re talking to an entrepreneur who’s not only faced those obstacles but has led his business to remarkable success. Join hosts Victoria and Mark as they sit down with Greg Harth, president of Harth Builders—a nationally recognized,...

Small business owners spend a lifetime building a company and have one shot at getting their exit right. Yet waiting to pounce on this unsuspecting group is a legion of financial mercenaries, private equity predators and corporate giants set up to prey on owner’s lack of experience when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. These financial engineers use sleazy tactics like “strategic pacing,” “re-...

Toyota pioneered the LEAN manufacturing system, and we know — houses aren’t cars. But neither are people, and the LEAN concept of continuous improvement is used by hospitals too.  So even if remodeling  isn’t  brain surgery, we can learn a lot from how LEAN has been applied in healthcare. You can get some of the best help with your business by looking at how other industries use continuous improve...

The concept behind developing a customer persona is pretty simple – get to know your audience better so that you can build a more meaningful relationship with them, both as a client and a prospect. The output of that analysis is inevitable company growth and client retention. So how do firms, of all sizes, build meaningful personas to shape the way they go to market? In this episode, Aimee Pagano...

For many, determining the compensation for an employee is nothing more than doing a quick Google search, or in our members case, maybe asking their peers what they pay for a particular position.  But Tom Miller doesn’t really agree with that methodology.  Instead, his company helps businesses apply the best compensation strategies that help recruit great talent. Tom is the founder and president of...

The Cost-Plus Pricing model seems to go completely against common sense, but it’s a concept that we’re getting more questions about from our membership. One contributing factor is that consumers increasingly demand transparency when purchasing products and services — and homeowners are coming to expect it when undertaking a remodeling project. But so many remodelers don’t understand it. Can Cost P...

In this episode, we take a closer look at the sales process. We are always looking for fresh ideas and concepts that apply specifically to remodelers and those in the building community. Our guest Jan Neiges is adamant that you should be selling to design, NOT designing to sell, and she shares how you can improve your closing ratio, gain more control of the sales cycle and earn a design fee within...

One of our core principles is that remodeling companies should make a good net profit, after paying the owners an above-average salary. When the economy’s booming, you can get away with a lot and still hit those goals, sometimes by accident. But the goal is to get those healthy net profits consistently, year after year, even in a downturn. In this episode, Mike Medford Sr. talks to Victoria and Ma...

As a seasoned business professional, you’ve probably been on both sides of the equation when it comes to giving and getting help. Get advice, give consultation. Gain a mentor, bestow some wisdom. While in these essential moments, we want to help and be helped, that doesn’t always happen.  It helps to know there are differences in the types of support we can give and get — and what they are.  In th...

Guest Andy Haste is among one of Remodelers Advantages most successful members, and he attributes that success to consistency and profitability.  But, how does one achieve consistent profits in such an unpredictable, and inconsistent industry such as remodeling?  This episode shares tips, tactics, and techniques to effectively set the goals and budgets to reach, and maintain consistent profit in s...

Working with just a few Realtors can bring additional jobs to your remodeling company. It’s not about appealing to the masses, but about developing relationships with several realtors who appreciate how you work, your quality, attention to detail, and exceptional client experience.  In this episode, Kathi Fleck discusses working with Realtors with Victoria and Mark, and how to establish and mainta...

Business processes are absolutely crucial in today’s business landscape. It’s almost impossible to operate a business without them. Today on PowerTips Unscripted, we’re joined by Adi Klevit, Founder of Business Success Consulting, to explore the ROI of implementing systematic processes in your business. Adi has been helping businesses create, document, and implement processes and...

Our  Roundtables  members share their financial metrics at every meeting, in what we call the composite report. But there’s one field that’s almost always reported as zero. It’s the proactive outbound sales call metric. It’s confusing to many, not just as a field on a spreadsheet, but as an activity. Abe Degnan says this metric is valuable to all remodeling companies, and making those calls builds...

Every remodeling business owner wants to add more money to the bottom line. Reducing slippage is the lowest-hanging fruit to pick in your quest. In this episode, Tim Faller talks to Victoria and Mark about reducing slippage in your remodeling company. Slippage occurs when your estimate is lower than the real costs of the job. Reducing it takes a change in mindset throughout the organization. For 1...

Today on Power Tips Unscripted, Arlin Sorensen, the CEO of Oak Road Consulting joins the show. Understanding the art of creating value within your business is pivotal, especially in the context of planning your exit strategy. It’s all about setting clear goals for your personal wealth and translating that into a business value target that can drive your success. Arlin is here to share invalu...

We talk about the J Curve a lot around here — picture a lower-case J. When you apply change principles to your business — new people, systems, and processes — they can initially send your business on a downward trajectory before soaring with your success. If you want to grow your company, listen carefully! Our guest today breaks this process down into four stages of development: Forming: The getti...

In this episode, Paul Kowalski shares his experiences in applying LEAN in his business with Victoria and Mark. His company recently implemented the process, and he says the results have already been eye-opening. Paul owns  PK Builders  in Charlotte, NC, and is a member of our  Remodelers Advantage Roundtables  group. PK Builders has a team of eight, including Paul, with four project Managers, an e...

If everyone in your remodeling business feels like they’re invested in your company — so invested that they think and act like owners — they’ll make better decisions, solve more problems, and make it more profitable. But how do you get there? In this episode, our own Steve Wheeler talks to Victoria and Mark about how to get your employees to think and act like owners. It’s a process he started whe...

Are you looking for ways to boost your business? One powerful tool you can use is a showroom. Not only can it help you cultivate leads, but it also gives you complete control over the client experience. On today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Joe Smith highlights some of the key benefits of having a showroom. For one, it allows you to sell products at better margins while ensuring that y...

The labor shortage has been a frequent topic on this show, and this episode is going to join the ranks.  Guest Andrew Schmidt is here to talk about  AMEK’s  apprentice and internship program, and the importance of investing in future generations. Andrew and his twin brother started their business as roofing installers in 1996, and have grown into a leading design-build firm in Minneapolis and St P...