“Goal setting and Goal Getting”

Getting to the “get”…..

It appears at times, as a society, we sure are getting pretty good at “Goal Setting.” The number of folks jamming themselves into the gyms in the New Year and the number of invasive on-line advertisements for quick weight loss gimmicks, powders and contraptions is almost overwhelming. Clearly the resultant boom in items placed on Kijiji in the next few months will be a solemn testament to that fact.

The same can be said of renovation or remodelling dreams. Be it a major addition or a small powder room. often we can quickly fall short of our “goals” by not focussing on what we really hope to “get” at the end of a renovation project.

Consumers are bombarded by advice about “getting things in writing” and weeding out all the “crooked” renovators out there – but few people comment about, what excellent renovators already know. It is the process of building a quote that is the most significant quality of an excellent renovator. In fact, it is the hallmark of all the great ones.

In the renovation industry,  calls that come in asking for the cost of a “basic kitchen” or a “basic deck” or a “basic anything,” are common. People are often surprised when I ask them what their “goals” are for the project they have in mind,  and what they hope to “get” out of the process of working with us.  Those two questions often lay the ground work…admittedly, for VERY short conversations, but they also have been the germination of almost every major project we have ever built since 1986.

While certainly the number of approaches to planning and design process  for renovation are vast and I wouldn’t begin to suggest that our process is, by any means, the best. I do however think that it is vital for consumers to understand, project satisfaction, can be easily predicted in the process of “goal setting” and forecasting “goal getting” with your contractor.  It is the process of partnering with someone that can bring your project goals to fruition that will hold value and pay dividends in the love of your project and your process by the end.

An excellent example is people who have a goal of “getting” a composite deck. With the advances in technology and the ever lengthening warranties on the better quality composite decking, it is becoming increasingly clear that building with composite as a decking material results in a longer lasting, more durable product. However, with the difference in cost between wood and composite – there is often a lot of soul searching that needs to occur with our clients when it comes to budget. This is where a good goal setting is indispensable. While composite is the “Cadillac” of decking materials, it is important to remember what the ultimate goal of having the outdoor living space is. Once you have decided that, you can move to design process followed by budget considerations and ultimately a choice of where your funds are best allocated. We certainly have experienced a great number of clients that absolutely love their wooden decks and certainly  just as many who love their composite decks. Each comfortable in the decision they made in setting a goal and then going and getting one that was right for them.

 

 

 

Coffee beans and TOAST!

Settlement Co. in Waterloo Ontario is an ultra cool new coffee shop/bistro/ bakery that has opened up in our thriving downtown core. Now as a cyclist, coffee is basically a kind of fuel of necessity, as a contractor – a fuel of necessity…as a business owner – a fuel of…well, I am sure you get the point by now!

As most people realize, in our ever increasing society of convenience, if it hasn’t got a “drive-through” there is a large component of society that is not interested…..

Well, GOOD! There will be more room at this place for me and my bike!

The cappuccino was awesome! Nobody asked my name, misspelled it and then screamed that days rendition out loud in the bustle of a busy establishment, but rather tracked us down and brought our drinks to us. We got a chance to chat with one of the team members who took the time to chat with us about the ROASTER they have on site, the historical significance of the location and the various and sundry cool little technological features of the place. ( You can download an app that charges your phone while you hide from people circling the block looking for the drive-thru!)

The love of coffee aside, as a business owner, I love to hear about other businesses. Call it weird, but I almost take as much joy in seeing the thrill, the joy, the pure rush – of OTHER business owners , in their varied endeavours to bring THEIR dreams to life.  There is a common element to people who dream about, then plan, then lay awake at night, developing a business from scratch. Even as an entrepreneur myself, I find it hard to put my finger on exactly, but there is certainly something.

The difference between talking about an idea and making it come true, with your name on it, is a profound one indeed. The very nature of the risk, the challenge and the daunting possibility of “failure” is one that keeps the “self-help” and “inspirational” shelves loaded with literature. Paradoxically enough, to the true entrepreneur, I am convinced more and more, that the thought of “failure,”  in anything but the conventional sense, is possibly the last thing on these individuals minds. The proverbial notion of “what if we fail?”, relegated to obscure background noise compared to the glaring, “what if we succeed?”  And that, my friends, seems to make all the difference!

 

Play this one all the way to the end please…

From a finely tuned orchestra to a well rehearsed garage band, nothing sounds as sweet as a well played song. In business, life and sports, it happens all too infrequently, so when it does, it is certainly worthy of taking note.

This weekend parents, coaches, players and fans alike were treated to a wonderful performance by the Varsity Girls Field Hockey team from Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener, Ontario. On a regulation patch of “turf” specifically designed for their performance, the ladies of the Phoenix clan played out a concerto worthy of a gold medal.

First a little background. Field hockey, as I have come to witness and generally understand, bears little resemblance to our beloved Canadian Ice Hockey and more to do with maybe basketball in its flow and its administration. Although it is fast paced and has its own brand of brutality, it is played with more of a European flair in it’s work ethic than Ice Hockey. (Think…Rugby vs Football…terribly sorry old chap, my cleat seems to have displaced your ear…type of thing) Sorry Claire, I know it has been four years of watching and that is the best I’ve got for you….

At any rate. This sport, as with most competitive Ontario High School Sports, culminates after a series of regional elimination competitions in one major final competition, known as OFSAA. OFSAA stands for the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association. It likely is not a stretch to say that many, if not MOST of the 917 Secondary Schools at one time or another have clawed their way in some shape or form into this forum of competition for one sport or another. The odds of managing a team of skilled athletes through a season of growth, competition, injury and challenges from other teams in the bid to make it through to OFSAA are relatively low. Certainly, few, in the entire history of Ontario, have done it 5 years in a row.

There is a team, however, in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Resurrection Catholic Secondary School – that has done just that. Under the tutelage of seasoned coaches, Gord Buttinger, Kevin Eby and Yvonne Taylor, this team, in its various and ever changing roster has persevered in one form or another and “gelled” into a Championship competing – and gold winning, team, four out of the last five times they have headed onto the field to do battle. What’s even more interesting is that, several times, the final championship game, has been a nail biting “head to head” with a team, not from the far reaches of the province, but from another high school just down the street – in the same town! In fact, Since 2006, ALL of the Championship winners have been from the KW region. It begs the question, what is in the water in KW?

Certainly hard work, steadied work ethic and consistent and patient coaching is likely at the root of any successful team. A tradition of winning likely doesn’t hurt. But when you are able to form a team, any team, that begins a tradition of excellence, a habit of winning, the momentum of success, the machine of progress begins to hum and then sing until a chorus of strength resounds among the players.

I could use words like inspiring and magical but I don’t want to mislead anyone. With a few exceptions, one of the most impressive things about this team – was how “normal” the collective roster was in terms of pedigree. Of course there was one or two dedicated club players that had key roles in leadership and brought much valued talent and insight into this complex game, but, as with all the other talented teams, the mainstay of the team makeup was simply, hard working, dig down deep type players – some as new to the game as one or two seasons! How much as a TEAM they worked, how much as a TEAM they encouraged one another and how much as a TEAM they won and lost the small skirmishes that either lead to a game win or loss was the key to their success. The guidance and coaching that led them there unquestionable, their resolve impressive to say the least.

As it has been with this team. An example exists for us all. In life, as in sport as in business, when a group of like minded individuals set their sights on a desired end result, even if others are doubtful, even if others have faith that wanes, the end result can shift. The end result becomes, “not IF we win,” but “WHEN we win.” And when that team is assembled, it will be a song you will want to play to the end.

Good Looks and Card Tricks

As some of you are no doubt aware, I am a teacher as well as a small business owner and a carpenter. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity in part of my day to guide people through amazing “projects and renovations” that will change their lives for the better. I get to work with them to balance budgets of time, wishes and goals to achieve a better end than we started with. I also get to meet people about building kitchens and libraries and amazing outdoor structures as well.

In the example of the first set of “clients,” it is a sticky time of year. While our construction clients are never surprised by the “bill” that comes at the end of a project, due to diligent planning, my student “clients” are sometimes less than thrilled with the “final invoice” as it were that reflects their achievement. Yes, it is “Report Card Time.”

I am searching to find a gentle way to put it, but, can’t. I hate report cards. Possibly the worst reflection of a students actual progress and, more importantly, desire to learn, report cards have been the bane of my professional workings since pretty much, day one. (Not to mention when I was on the receiving end of them.) Unfortunately, “marks” or some sort of reflection and feedback for a students “efforts” must be displayed in some way, I get that. Like a store without price tags, at some point, humans need to know the bottom line, the eventual bill, the final cut. Anyone who has ever had children that are applying to College or University programs will know this all too well. The euphemisms and niceties of “gold stars” or “thumbs up” of some of the elementary school years and any intrinsic “life long learning” is quickly replaced by, what I can only describe as a sort of minute-to-minute obsession with “grades.” This obsession is, of course a salient one. As I remind my students often, we have to do the studying, do the work, sweat the small stuff unless we are planning to get by on our “good looks and card tricks…” Valid and comprehensive feedback through evaluation is likely a necessity that will forever endure in some capacity in any education system.

Interestingly enough, similar situations exist in contracting on a daily basis. Clients need to be able to provide useful and honest feedback regarding renovators performance and supervisors, in the same way, need to effectively manage the expectations and wishes of clients and balance them against a budget and sometimes reality.

It is the feedback component and the communication component of any project that remains key. Like any student that flourishes under valid, well placed praise, it is important to remember that contractors and, people in general, respond exactly the same way. The more we communicate with, and actively involve or clients in our projects through social media or web based calendars and schedules, and of course, in person, the more I am convinced. Valid and timely feedback that allows all parties involved to adjust their courses of action as projects progress is the key to successful outcomes. It is this collaborative process that, just like when you were back in school, actually leads to understanding, learning and accomplishment. Although in school we had to wait for that one point of feedback, it is important to remember, in contracting the case couldn’t be further from the truth. Don’t wait for the “final report” choose a contractor that provides you with a clear plan of communication from the start.

The Needle and the Damage Done…

I had the most incredible experience the other day.

My kid has always had an interest in “Classic Rock” and, what I would otherwise categorize as, exceptional musical taste. Anyways, for some reason or other, quite possibly to avoid studying for exams, he asked if he could accompany my wife to meet me for coffee at a local purveyor of “The Bean” called Death Valley’s Little Brother in Waterloo, ON. After we had swilled some of the finest java the county has to offer, he was, under strict instructions from his mother, my enduringly patient wife, to go straight home with me. Of course, “straight” and “home” being left as somewhat ambiguous terms open to some interpretation by the two of us, it is no surprise we led each other astray.

On this occasion, he and I, left unsupervised, ended up in yet another fine establishment known as the “Orange Monkey” flipping through old albums. A cool turntable that Graham had had his eye on found its way to our home, as did a Jimi Hendrix album. Immediately when we got home, I dug out my old Yamaha Amp and a set of old bookshelf speakers we had laying around. A few twists of a wire here and a couple adjustments to a sticky old volume knob and we were in business!

Ten, fifteen, twenty years? How every many it has been, it has been TOO long. The sound, the crackle, the hiss! I had forgotten the organic, kinesthetic feel of music played on a turntable. I actually almost teared up when my 17 year old son asked me ” show me how you know where the next song starts…” We listened to different albums from my collection all evening! What a gift sent to me from the old “Gods of Vinyl”.

It got me to thinking about all the things that have changed since we listened to LP’s on a regular basis. The social aspects surrounding the ceremonial unwrapping of the new vinyl, the exploration of the cool album cover and, the possibility of discovering that the record sleeve had been adorned with graphic details of the bands tours, lyrics or antics as well. The group sitting around listening, chatting, laughing. The friend, that friend – you know – that could NEVER lift the needle without the scratch sound, the others who blushed at reading what the real lyrics were to the song they had been “singing” at the top of their lungs. All of it. Gone. Not in one fell swoop, but more of a fading, a general dissolution of a rite of passage and in a time now lost. It made me sad.

I started thinking of all the other things that have changed. Graham and I had a great discussion about all of them and reflected on the impacts of things from only being able to find a certain type of commodity at “Big Box” stores, to building inspectors that have never been “builders” in the field, to kids wearing “concert t-shirts” for bands who’s members were dead, long before the kid was born. Believe me, the conversation, like this blog, went everywhere.

I will save you the “LP” version and get to the point.

As time changes, we have upped the “volume” and killed the “experience”. Remember back when cars used to LOOK different, you had no idea what a band looked like unless you saw their album cover or had seen them live and you really could taste the difference between domestic beers? It was the “experience” that let to the enjoyment. Although the legitimacy of those experiences still exists, it is admittedly more watered down now by trends and fashions that make everything look and taste and, to some extent, sound, the same. The good news is, there is a whole new generation out there that have never had the opportunity to build a bird house for themselves that wasn’t from an insultingly easy to follow pattern kit at the local Big Home store. They haven’t heard the crystal clear pop and hiss of a cool LP on the turntable. They have yet to discover the joy of sitting around and listening to music while crowding around an album cover. Forget booking some virtual trip somewhere or downloading some music your kid likes and trying to meld in to their scheme. Get out there and buy a crappy old amp, a nice belt drive turntable, dust off some old speakers and spin some vinyl like the old days! Your kids will think you’re a super-hero!
Then you can sit back and tell them about how the needle works, reflect on the damage done, and talk about where to go from here….

Peeing in Pools and Other Dangerous Trends….

When my twins, Graham and Claire were just small, we used to take them to this “Tot’s and Mom’s” swim session at the Waterloo Swimplex, in the town we live in. Notwithstanding the nowadays offensive exclusionary title of the swim session, it was a fun time. Even though I was…clearly…a Dad…I was allowed to wade into the luke warm waters with my fellow “Parental Units” and enjoy a swimming lesson with the kids and my wife, Anne, who is – obviously a woman, and hence was not worried about any type of shunning….anyway, this isn’t about that.

One of the earlier times, as I held Graham or Claire, I cant remember which one now, but it was likely Graham. (Sorry boy…) I felt this surge of…not pride…not love…not even gratitude – all of which would have been quite fitting – nope, I felt a surge of warm effluent against my body and it was coming from my kid!

Now, I have studied Psychology, I have taught for 25 years now, and I know – you can screw a kid up pretty good just by saying a few stupid things at a few key moments in their lives so….I said nothing….

But here is something I cannot “say nothing” about..

A troubling trend that I see, especially on Facebook, but also in a few ads for “Outdoor Living” in magazines.

The trouble comes in the form of an innocuous looking, innocent enough appearing, warmth offering – portable wood burning fireplace or fire-pit. NOW – before any of these manufacturers get the lawyers ready to “gun up” on me here – hold on, I am saving you a few bucks for sure.

Here is the issue, I keep seeing people posting pictures of these metal fire containers – ON WOODEN DECKS. One of them is even a young guy that is trying to get on with the fire department! ( Can you imagine THAT interview…..Ohhhhhh, I remember you…..your the guy who burnt is house down!)

The captions are all like, “mmmm enjoying a warm fire on a cool night.. and “nothing beats a campfire on the deck on these summer nights…” I am terrified of that the next postings will be, “mmmm, enjoying  8 hours in emerge, thank God only second degree burns, or nothing beats a friend that will let us stay with them while our house is re-built…..”

I am guessing you get the point here, and if you don’t, here it is. For those of you who only have a loose grasp of Thermodynamics or maybe slept through the “Heat Transfer” part of Grade 10 physics and/or, are struggling with the concept that the material you are BURNING in your cosy fireplace is the SAME as the material is it sitting on, I will clarify it for you…WOOD BURNS!

Yes, I know in the “Bubble Wrap” logic of our society the common response will be – “but the picture on the box has it on a deck” – well sorry, likely a lawyer or a smart person isn’t the one who put that picture there and the facts are the facts. Those cool little wood burning fireplaces DO NOT belong on your WOODEN – or COMPOSITE, for that matter, deck! They belong on a STONE – (if you get your fire THAT hot, stop burning Plutonium) patio where it is safe and where you can enjoy them without a visit from your local fire department or without a night  your local ER!

Go move those things off your deck before you hurt yourself and happy marshmallow roasting! 🙂

Guide Dogs and Cheshire Cats…..

I was driving to school the other day and a weird thing happened to me.

I was coming to a stop at the intersection of Weber Street and Erb, in Waterloo, ON – when off to my right were a young women and a young man in about their 20’s, obviously blind, being guided towards an intersection by two Guide Dogs. I don’t know why, but for the first time ever the thought ran through my mind…you’ve had it too, don’t lie…”what happens if…” I mean what happens if a guide dog sees a cat, or momentarily forgets he or she is a guide dog and just decides to walk into traffic, or, screw it, it is too hot or this is too much effort, I quit? I mean, they work in the rain, the snow, with all sorts of distractions and temptations, but at the end of the day, their JOB is to GUIDE and, dammit, guide they will! Why don’t they chase that cat, or go for that treat?

The answer is obvious to the point of possibly being a given.

They just don’t!

Guide dogs have a job to do. A mandate, a mission. These two dogs, I saw crossing the street with this couple,  looked like two secret service agents, focussed, scanning, guiding all dressed up in their cool harnesses and official looking vests, doing their job. It was impressive to the point of being moving and it got me to thinking later in the day when I ran into the “path of destruction” left by a “Cheshire Cat.”

A woman in Waterloo had called me, in tears, distraught over the work that had been “completed” and, learned colleagues – wait for it…paid in full, by a local “cat” who shall go un-named at this time ( but you can see pictures of his destruction on our JWS Facebook page soon…).

I was absolutely dumfounded by the whole situation in two ways. First of all, after all the media exposure, no offence to the trusting young lady I went to see, but, who pays anyone in full any more until a project is completed?  The second, that anyone, in any way, could call what they had done to this ladies home, carpentry?  The “work” that was done at this home was a deck extension. It had no permit, it had undersized joist hangers, dangerous railing, which at 8′ height from the ground, could be deadly, no footings, a beam not supporting a 4′ cantilever – before the laymen readers gloss over…it was a “cluster-you-know-what!”

My point is this.

This town is FULL,  and I mean full,  of “guide dogs”. And your town is too. They are the guys and girls  that have references, they’ve worked for your Mom, your sister, your co-workers, and better still, your BROTHER in law! In Waterloo we have loads of them, Art at Menno Martin Renovators, Jamie at Pioneer Craftsman, Bricon, DeVry, Chicopee Craftsman, Canadian Home Renovators, Ken at Heritage Fence and Deck, Adam at Hickory Dickory Decks, and, of course little ‘ol JWS Woodworking and Design Inc. There are still more of course, many of them, I just don’t know them all.  Many of them are members of prestigious or official sounding “Associations” of this or that, but none of them need them. They have the “harness” of hundreds of jobs well done and the “vests” of time tested work. They will have references for the curious and will be welcomed into the homes of former clients, willingly and happily with you in tow because they are proud of their “jobs” and their clients are proud to have been “guided” by them.

As much as I have sympathy for this young couple, absolutely bamboozled by this “Cheshire Cat,” I have frustration as well with people who inadvertently perpetuate the stereotype of the shady contractor. I have frustration with people who don’t educate themselves and think – still – that somehow, someway, going with the “cheaper” guy is going to work out for the better. I have frustration with consumers who, in this age of instantaneous information, skip over reputable contractors on near the top on  Google searches and look on Kijijji for people to compete projects on their homes and then are left destitute and broke by the results. Seriously, would you find your dentist in a similar way?

Frustration aside, however, I have a job to do. Someone in the community has been “blinded” by, you-know-what, and it will be our job now to help bring them back to a path with a little less “dangerous traffic.”  We will take the time to draw up a quote for  a consultation fee, a fee for a set of permit drawings, a fee for obtaining the permit, and of course an estimate, to undo, re-do and follow up on a promise that is outlined in paper and has a reasonable and logical payment schedule, ending of course in a final payment, AFTER work is completed. The process may not be absolutely pleasant for this particular client, but in the end, they will have been guided on the best path possible, they will have a safe, code compliant project, and even with all the noise and distraction, we will have done our job!

In your search for the perfect contractor, don’t forget to pick yourself one of those “Guide Dogs…”

Thanks for the Opportunity to “Build with Soul” DW!

I built a cross once. It was for a local Catholic Elementary School. I can’t even remember why I was asked to build it or how the conversation came to me? I mean, it is not everyday that someone asks you to build an eight foot tall cross for their school. I used this amazing Sequoia from wine staves from huge wine kegs, salvaged from a winery in London, Ontario. The wood in the main body of the cross was several hundred years old and absolutely some of the finest wood I had ever taken chisel to. It was HUGE and the entire shop was filled with the most wonderful aroma of red wine. Inset into the main body of the cross was some locally milled new hard maple. The Redwood represented the body and blood of Christ and the new maple, the young learners yet to be shaped by life and school. The process of building it was surprisingly moving. At one point I started weeping openly, it was the strangest thing. The process left an impression on me, nonetheless.

As carpenters, we spend a great deal of our time “working for” clients, helping them towards a goal, a product that, in the end, will leave something improved or repaired. It is a rare opportunity where we get to build something that builds the “souls” of others. I was so fortunate to have had that opportunity and the feeling never left me.

A few years later, here I am, in a situation to “build with soul” once again.

I have a friend. ( I still refuse to speak of her in the past tense…but make no mistake, she is no longer here with us in a physical sense…) Save a few others, she is likely one of the best friends I ever had in the teaching profession. I had the pleasure of sharing a classroom with this friend and colleague, for a number of years. My corner was messy, hers was organized and pristine, a situation which, she never missed an opportunity to remind me of! One time when the twins were young, we were watching the kids show “Arthur” on the tube. I made a comment to my wife that, “Arthurs little sister “DW” hassled HIM, just like Jen would hassle me!” From then on she was dubbed “DW.” Even the kids in our class would call her “DW” – to wit she would typically rebut – “That is MISS DW to YOU!” 🙂

The planet lost a good one when she left us recently. “DW” was a champ and a friend. She was a role model, a mother, and educator, a coach and a leader. At the risk of sounding cliché, the world is a little worse off with out her.

Like so many of us, we have lost another fine friend to a disease that I will not give credit to by mentioning here. Like so many of us – when the final curtain call came, it left me searching for answers, pining for a friend and aching and empty with loss.

For some bizarre reason, when challenged with this type of loss, my first instinct is to search for meaning of some sort. Maybe not meaning in the actual situation – but in a way to bring meaning to it. I don’t know, maybe that doesn’t even make sense? In this case, a vision of a memorial award for Jen came to me so clearly on an early morning, soul searching ride, that it almost knocked me off my bike. I was actually shaking when I sketched it, sweat still dripping from my ride while I drew it! I then drew it in a 3d rendering and shared it with my cabinet making team, who, seemed ready to jump in an help THAT very minute! I explained the design, the significance, the “meaning” that this award structure was to carry with it and the team understood completely. Within days the award itself was created. Like a true artisan, my lead cabinet maker, understanding loss all to well herself, took the lead and even added some true touches of wisdom and gravity to the work herself.

The result is well on its way to being ready.  Just a few finishing touches and the “Jen McTavish Memorial Award” will be ready to award to a student that displays most, traits that Jen would have held dear to her heart. I will post pictures of it with an explanation of the design and significance of the materials used after it is unveiled later this month. I guess my “meaning” from this, or that I can bring to this loss then, is that even in loss, there can be opportunity. Even in her absence, Jen has helped bring meaning, brought some of us to closer together, once again, and given us an opportunity to  “build with soul.”

Thanks DW, I owe you one…

“The Ties that Bind”….. What “the Boss” can teach us about renovationships….

For those of you, not seasoned enough to know, “The Boss” is Bruce Springstein, not me….

It is indeed, the most WONDERFUL time of the year for contractors that are known for quality outdoor structures. The calls literally flood in and the emails, for our small company can reach nearly 100 a day depending on the weather.

This is the time of year where contractors in our line of work, simply stop returning calls, leaving potential clients to form their own opinions about how we conduct ourselves as a group professionally. As overwhelming as it can be, that is not the case with JWS. At least not for the majority of calls. ( I know between the web page, my cell phone, the office phone – and the curious category of people who slide notes through our mail slot at the shop – I DO miss a few.) Nightly, my kids listen at the kitchen island as I return the calls about fixing a gate, adjusting a fence, levelling a deck, jobs that we just cannot get to anymore. “Sorry, no we do not stain decks, here is a number for you to call…fences really aren’t our thing, try calling Ken at Heritage for a better deal than we can give you…..why am I calling if we don’t do repairs….because you called me and it is the right thing to do…” It usually takes up time that likely, I cannot afford, time that I should be working on preparing quotes for those waiting, but, like a baby to a soother, or my Grandmother to her bedtime Guinness, I just don’t feel right until the calls are returned. To those people who are waiting, thank you for your patience, to those I miss, thank you for your understanding.

Anyway, to the “Boss” and the “Ties that Bind.”

This time of year can be likened a little to “Speed Dating.” The number of relationships, half relationships and – sometimes admittedly – avoided relationships,  is staggering! There are people looking for free ideas, there are people looking for deals, there are people using us as their sixth quote….and then there are those that have seen our work, checked out what we are about and are looking to invest in a professional renovationship. They are looking for someone to show them value in a build, give them advice for design and in return they are looking to bring value to their renovator as well.

For some reason, we seem to have been incredibly lucky this “season.” The number of people that have invited me into their homes, offered me coffee, engaged me in meaningful conversation about our company and complimented the work that we do, has been better than ever! I have colleagues that have potential clients that don’t keep appointments, try and play them off “cheaper” competitors or act with cool aloofness, leaving them wondering why the customers even bothered to have them to their home at all. We haven’t had any of those this year, not one! I have had coffee with designers, talked shop with engineers and even learned about how to build a proper Bee Hive – like the ones you see off in the bush. I have designed awesome, massive structures that were sold on the spot and, worked weeks and weeks on revisions for the smallest deck.

It is important to remind oneself at this time of year, that those projects we are planning and pricing, aren’t just part of a “Speed Dating” scenario. At the risk of sounding hokey, they aren’t mechanical transactions like at a “spit a buck” – they are a connection that involves emotion and soul. They are structures that people will live with everyday, long after they have forgotten our names. They are places where people will get engaged, maybe get married, share meals, sun tan, shade sit, have birthdays, cope with MS, learn good news and bad and reflect on how fortunate we are to….( fill in your line here…) There is no doubt about it, when good contractors get to meet people who are excited about their work, the resulting collaboration is nothing short of magical. There is a new relationship forged, through ideas and trust and excitement of creating something new!
There is, in essence, a creation of, “the ties that bind.”

As we fill out our summer season and start to look forward to our Fall bookings, I look forward to the “ties” we have already created this season and to the ones, our team will undoubtedly form over the next few months.

Lying and Cheating and Homeowners that look the other way….

There is a roofing company working next to our home today. I won’t go ahead and name them, but they cropped up, much like a weed, in the Laurelwood region of Waterloo, ON just this season, and they are doing a significant amount of work in the area, on weekdays as well as Saturdays and Sundays.

I am sure they are so busy….due to their….quality.

I could care less that they are working next to us on a Sunday or on the Sunday of a long weekend for that matter.  I came home from an awesome cycling ride with some buddies to Elora to a By-Law officer parked in my drive. Of course, the crew working on the site, were completely taken by “surprise” that construction companies can’t work on Sundays in Waterloo. I am sure the employees must have been disappointed because, you KNOW for sure they were making double-time pay for working on a holiday….

Anyway, as I went into the house, I wondered, if a roofing company doesn’t know that working on a Sunday is against by-law, do they know about other insignificant pesky rules that the rest of the reputable contractor world lives by, like, say….paying WSIB premiums to keep their workers looked after in the event of a mishap? Then I wondered, if my poor neighbor knew of the relative danger they would be in, if one of the workers in this operation were actually to be injured?

Of course, a quick search in the WSIB data bank affirmed my suspicions and I soon discovered that, not only had they NOT paid their premiums, they were not even registered?

I normally try not to let things like this bother me, but more and more, as a contractor, you see this type of thing happening in our profession and, while it leads to initial cash savings by customers, the alternative scenarios can be catastrophic. “We didn’t know” seems to be a default that more and more just becomes tiresome as an excuse. And, unfortunately, the blame is not all one sided.

In a business where clients can be discriminating at best and paranoid at worst, I often wonder, “where do these clients that are hiring contractors for cash and not checking to see if they have insurance, never mind PERMITS, come from?” Everywhere you look there is ANOTHER – “Made for TV Contractor”, that is “saving” either a DIY’er or an unfortunate “victim” from the evil practices of yet another “Bad Contractor,” or in some cases, themselves. The question, in my mind, in those situations is, what are those people actually being saved from? Is it their misplaced trust, is it greed, is it their own ignorance? Do they deserve to be ripped off or have people working at heights, without being tied off hurt or worse, all the while getting a “deal” on their roof while the very home that they are looking to protect, ticks like a gigantic time bomb waiting to explode in a mushroom cloud of law suits and devastation?

Every single sub-contractor that JWS Woodworking and Design Inc. associates with is properly insured, pays its employees according to the LAW, and runs their business in harmony with our “Habits of Excellence” policy. Every single one of them would tell you – unabashedly, that doing business this way COSTS a lot. It costs a lot and it is frustrating when other people in our profession lie and cheat and don’t play by the rules, but we all sleep at night, confident that if something should go wrong, we would NOT have to pass on the responsibility to our unsuspecting clients. There is little excuse for any contractor or homeowner for that matter NOT to be aware of the necessities for procedures such as permits and insurance and their paramount importance in the process of any renovation. Certainly any good contractor educates their potential clients with facts and truth and is able to discuss the costs of such policy work being in place and also able to provide the necessary documentation to support such claims. The information is easy to find and easy to understand.

At the very least, home-owners should be asking for proof of permits and proof of current WSIB insurance BEFORE any contracts are EVER signed…(please tell me you do have a contract!).
Anything less is reckless…and that is putting it nicely.

Have a happy long weekend!