The “Association of ME” .. is word of mouth on Social Media becoming……the NEW “Contractor Associations?”

“Who’s really watching the kids?”

Don’t get me wrong.  I love “Associations” as much as the next guy, sort of. Associations make us feel good! They make contractors feel validated and customers feel safe. The right ones have great educational components, safety updates and industry insights. But as a “stamp of approval” or ” trust these guys” type of service, are they really still relevant?

As a contractor, we have nestled nicely into the web….errrr “umbrella” of loads of different associations over the years.  As we paid out thousands of dollars per year to be on lists of “Preferred Contractors” or “Approved Installers” as well as many important, ” no – WE – are the good guys” associations, ( of course always after careful screening…) I started to feel a bit like when you were a kid and you pee’d in your dark coloured corduroys!  You felt all warm inside, but nobody really noticed!  Again, I am sure that there are dozens of wonderful and valid associations out there that are set up with the very best of intentions and the most judicious of membership fees…..I just wonder, if they are still relevant in our Google and Social media driven world?

Back in the “good old days” when we sped around STANDING in the front seat of our Dad’s cars, squinting through the cigarette smoke Mom blew our way while seat belts flapped in the breeze, we needed ” Associations” that protected consumers from the likes of people such as the Tin Men of the 1950’s and 1960’s and their shady sales tactics.

Nowadays, Social Media, demon or diva that you see it, reaches more people in a few minutes than any association notification stuck to a post office wall might ever have done in the past. Background information is, literally, a few clicks away and unsolicited information, recommendations and condemnations abound at your finger tips. Taken in balance, it would stand to reason that there is likely never been a more “Google-ized” buying public in the history of renovation-kind. With more information, pictures and insights into a project you want to embark upon that ever before in history.

What is the best thing for a young contractor or a small company to do then, to get the “good word” about their company out there then?

Not surprisingly, doing a GREAT job and keeping your promises would seem to be the ticket. Doing good work and telling everyone, or better still, having everyone you work for tell everyone. But what “association” will best help with that? Last year a staggering 78% of our sales were from people who we had worked for in the past or who had a close family member or friend we had worked for who then searched us out on Social media or our Web site. The rest came roughly split evenly from our Ad in a prominent local lifestyle magazine “Grand Magazine” and the rest came from road signs and people who had seen our trucks at a neighbors. One lady told me she even turned around and followed one of our trucks through a Tim’s drive-thru to get our number….

As I stated earlier, I have noting against any associations or the people who are members of them. I like to be noticed and appreciated as much as any other contractor. I just think there has never been an easier time for customers and supporters of what we do, to get the word out about their positive experiences with us and as good contractors we should do all we can to encourage them to do so. After all – coming back to the office and opening your Social Media in box to see something like this – gives the most potent validation of all…

“Beyond impressive. And as much as I was blown away by his concept for our back yard I was even more impressed by his philosophy and the way he chooses to treat his employees. You are a pioneer John Swarbrick. So glad to be working with you on this project!”  K.G

Thanks for taking the time to read….

FREE Estimates? FREE Quotes? FREE Designs? The Search for the right “Reno-Mate”

One of the most commonly asked questions of a contractor, even if it is EMBLASONED on the side of their F-150, has to be the question……”do you give free estimates?” Yes, next to, “hey where did you get that cool shirt,” the old standard inquisition of the “milk without the cow” question pops up like a pimple on your forehead right before that first big date!

In fact, dating and relationship dynamics are a great analogy for working with a renovator, a comparison to wit I will try and do some justice at this juncture. Lets face it, like in grade 9, some of us are just clueless as to how to go about the whole PROCESS of finding, getting to know and ending up with the right mate!  Think about it, the major challenges and fears of having reno’s of any kind done are about the same as that early on dating game! You KNOW what you want, you just don’t want to look silly in the process of obtaining it, don’t want to end up with less than you deserve and don’t want to get burned in the process!

Alas, the steps of good process for dating, the ones you have mastered as a result of your adultedness (that was close eh…) can be easily dusted off and used for your search for the best Reno-mate!! I won’t start with telling you what, “Free Estimates” is analogous for in this analogy but will rather leave that to you, the reader… here we go…

Step One: Nobody likes a pushy first date! Keep your hands to yourself and mind your manners. You want something from a renovator, you have obviously chosen her or him because they have “attractive” ideas or marketing. Remember, if they look good to YOU they likely look good to other prospective “reno-mates” as well. That means….eeeks…that, rather than be desperate for …..work, THEY may be choosing YOU as well! There’s a twist, here’s a tip!  Play nice. If you really want them to be involved in your project, return to that dating process, call them and talk to them on the phone. Tell them about who you are and what you are looking to do. Arrange to meet and “chat” about your project. Before you start asking what they will give you for “free,” invest a little in this “blind date” and see if you even want them in your home.

Step Two: Trust, trust, and more trust. Relationships by their very definition are reciprocal in nature. At this point we will not delve too deeply into the compromising situations “giving away” things based on promises of “future commitment” can put one.  However, I can warn you, reno-relations are no different. If you are going to want to see other quotes and renovators as well as the one you are dealing with, tell them that up front. At this point, the second date, you should be able to have a candid conversation with your “reno-date” and they should be able to avail you of the budgetary intentions, or a quote if you will. In my mind this should always be “FREE.” If, however, you are going to take the relationship to the next level and have design work done for you, that is another matter. If you intend to take the work that a designer has completed for you to form other potential relationships, you really should tell them, and your really should PAY for their work. Your designer or contractor may choose to see their hard work shared with others as an investment in your relationship or they may choose to see it as being taken advantage of. At least you will have put the choice where it belongs, with them. To behave any other way is simply building a relationship on a flawed foundation of misplaced trust, and we all know how those end up!

Step Three: The Proposal. The chat was free. You feel good about paying for the design work and have “shopped around” and now you have found your true “reno-mate!” Now you likely have a design, a budget and a quote with all of the information that you need in order to make an informed, rational decision about in which direction you want to take your potential project. The only questions at this point should be “why not?”

As with your relationships in the past or maybe the future, there are all sorts of potentially great people out there to align yourself with and develop relationships with. Likely none of those valued relationships came without getting to know one another first, without some act on both parts that built trust and without some clear thought, at some point about where the relationship was taking you in the future.

I guess the bottom line is, in life…we ALL go through a lot of “Free Quotes” before we end up with the one that is just right for us. Looking at the process from BOTH sides and seeing any fees involved as investments in the process may just save you the trouble of more than a few “duds” along the way….

 

 

In know

Five Sure fire Ways to Kill Productivity on a Job Site!

As contractors we work so very hard to treat our clients better than they have ever been treated before. We watch the way we speak to them, we follow through with promises and we thank them repeatedly for their patronage. But, do we do the same to our own colleagues? Is the way we speak, at times, to the trades we work with and the people around us on a job site different than we speak to our clients? At times are we short on patience when we should maybe work a little harder to understand? Renovations are challenging prospects for anyone in the loop, let alone the men and women doing the work. Considering a few simple things can lead to even greater success, even in the best of companies!

The things that motivate people are as individual as what they pack in their lunch, but there are five things that I have noticed, since I started my journey as a contractor and business owner, a lot of them learned in the classroom dealing with kids….lots of sensitive, creative, wonderful, moody, adolescent, kids. God bless them.

#1 False Praise: One of my favorite quotes from the Novel “Word Nerd” is when the main character laments, “My teacher told me we are all special, which is just another way of saying we are all the same.”   Carpentry and renovation is a good deal of know-how and constant, problem solving and hence, learning process. Nobody gets it right ALL the time. If someone misses a step or follows a wrong procedure, don’t waste time tap dancing around the issues, step up and tell the team, “we need to fix this and what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again”. Kids and people in general see right through the “start with the positive” crap. Watch the tone change when you “start with the obvious” and treat people like grown ups. Save the praise for when things are going right, and then keep it coming!

#2 Mangled Manners: It would be a rare occasion for me NOT to thank my trades and skilled team on a daily basis for their hard work. Results be damned, I still haven’t had an employee since 1986 that didn’t work their hardest for me and my team. In fact, one long term employee used to ask me, everyday, “Is there anything else you need Johnny…” We love “Thank you’s in my classroom and in my workplace. See how many times you can THANK one of your team members or employees per day. While your at it, thank any sub trades and a client if they are around.

#3 Talk that Cat Down: I learned along time ago, you can’t make a cat come down from a tree by yelling at it like an old grump! People who are abrasive or disrespectful to others in conversation, are communication killers. Talking in a “soothing” tone to one another and  speaking  to people like you would like to be spoken to is the key!  If they are late or struggling, ask if you can help with anything instead of jumping all over their sloppy time keeping. Who knows, maybe next time they’ll be early!

#4 Bus Dodging: Classic classroom behavior leaking onto the job site once again. “He did it, She was late, They didn’t send the right parts, Nobody told me we were building this deck with wood….” Allowing each other to throw one another under the bus is a time honored tradition in most work places. Typically linked to individuals needs to be validated and fear of failure, it is actually pretty easy to bring out into the open and eliminate. However, this one gets out of hand and, trust me, NOBODY is going to want to lead the train! Sit down and make sure everyone knows the difference between ownership of their duties and being some sort of omnipotent super hero that can see through walls and has one lazer eye and you should be off to a good start at putting this one to rest.

#5 Hear no Evil Speak No Evil: This one reminds me of this brass casting of these three monkeys I used to get in trouble for taking off the mantel and playing with in my living room as a kid. Basically this is the premise. Like those three brass monkeys, you can’t have an environment where you just exist and say nothing and hear nothing. You have to encourage your staff to communicate with each OTHER as well as with YOU. Employees must be encouraged to speak their minds, often and openly. Just because you are “The Boss” does not make you a mind reader. As well, just because you show up for work each day does not mean you are “happy” in your job and are satisfied with your position. SPEAK! LISTEN! and amazing things can happen!

Stay-cation….how about Reno-vacation??

Ren-o, Ren-o, it’s off to the basement we go….

You have heard of the Vacation, then, of course the “Stay-cation”….now how about the “Reno-vacation.” No, not a retreat to sunny Cuba for the duration of a renovation but rather, the retreat to another part of the home during said renovation!

This week as promised, we briefly discuss the survival tactics of those brave hearted souls who decide to weather out the storm and live in their homes whilst undergoing the most invasive of invasions….THE KITCHEN RENOVATION.

A great deal can be learned when we retreat to the (hopefully finished) basement during a kitchen reno.  For one, undoubtedly, man’s best friend, under “normal” circumstances is his trusted and true DOG! Introduce the upheaval of renovation into the world of that pooch and it would seem that all bets are off and it is every mammal for him/herself!  Yes, in the renovation world, if you have decided to “live” in your home while a major renovation is going on, your best friend likely, is THE BBQ!  Easy to work and loyal to the core, chicken, beef, fish and even lamb can all be cooked up on a weekend and carefully doled out during the week in various forms of sandwiches and salads. If you are “reno-vacationing” at home….make sure the BBQ is ready. At the very least, make sure your neighbors BBQ is ready!

The next thing you want to think about and plan out carefully is where you will keep all your dried goods and canned goods if you are doing a kitchen reno. A nice closet in the basement is great for that as long as it has a door on it to keep your dog or any teenagers from constantly raiding it!  A bar fridge in the basement is handy but will soon overflow, move the “old one” to the garage. You will get more stair climbing than Edmund Hillary and loose a couple of pounds in the process, bonus!

” Our Black Lab is loving the renovation as well, mastering the art of people food theft from all the weird new places…”

A toast to the toaster! Make sure you have a good one of these and park it next to a microwave. Taken together, these things can lead to a severe flashback to University days, lead to more boring stories for your kids of your “glory days”  and at the same time can serve as a lesson for the younger members of the family who will possibly soon have to fend for themselves, depending on how the reno goes, or if they are heading off to post secondary education!

Finally, who says that “Family Night” can’t be extended to almost every night of the week? Some people talk about much work a renovation is or how it disrupts your daily routine. Good! Let the experience take you in a different direction. You may just find that you get more from it than just a new kitchen or bathroom!

Finally, have some fun and relax. Renovations are dusty noisy events, but they do end in great results and more good times to come. If you start to waver and feel deprived, slide over to Rogers on demand or slap in a DVD of “Slumdog Millionaire” to put things in perspective and straighten yourself up. Enjoy the journey and here’s to another “Family Night” with some good ‘ol BBQ Chicken!

Cheers

Indiana Jones and the Renovation Trail!

 

 

It is well worn into the fabric of social folklore that moving house or undergoing a renovation is second in stress level, only to the loss of a loved one. (I have heard that said about being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan as well, but that is for another blog!) The experiences of people who make the commitment to having a major remodel or renovation carried out on their homes are as varied as the contractors, designers and trades out there doing them. I have always wondered as a designer and contractor what REALLY makes the experience a positive and productive one for some people and a complete disaster for others.  That is, aside from the design, the build, the bare bones mechanics of the renovation, what makes the “experience” of the renovation a major pain for people or a seamless and painless means to an end for clients.

The answer seems to be largely in the way peoples expectations of a situation are managed. What they expect to experience vs. what real life presents. Preparing for the experience seems to be key. Like Indiana Jones, in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” preparing properly for the journey, being ready to solve some problems and issues on the fly and keeping an end goal in mind will best set the homeowner, undergoing a renovation, on the right path! Of course, preparing for a few “Booby Traps” on the way to the “Treasure” always helps too!

Cue the “Booby Traps”

Typical renovations, or “remodels” as our American friends call them, often start with a desire to change ONE element of the home, while leaving other aspects alone for the most part. Alas, like any Indiana journey, a little more adventure is likely than that! Simply changing cabinets in a kitchen has a way of leading to new backsplash….and new appliances…and, that wall we have never liked that wall, and oops, while we’re at it how about this old flooring? Before you know it, changing the knobs on the kitchen cabinets can lead to a much more involved adventure.

Enter here, the first lesson of renovation. It is going to involve more and cost more than you probably think. There are no evil forces at work here, no shady contractors trying to make a fast buck, just good old reality. Take your time to plan out your project with your contractor and be honest about what you can afford and plan for some surprises and a few booby traps along the way.

Once you have settled on a design, landed on a budget and invested in a contractor you will be ready to start your journey into parts unknown in the hopes of landing at the end of your adventure with a brand new renovation. You have done your planning, you have great people in place, things should go as mapped.

Cue the “Hidden Treasure”

Yes, “surprises” those things that your contractor, your designer, your engineer or architect and even your season renovation vets just did not pick up on with their “x-ray” vision. The stuff INSIDE walls. Surprises, we still find them when we least expect them, and it isn’t because we didn’t look for them darned hard in the first place! In an attempt to do thorough due diligence JWS Woodworking and Design Inc. has a process we like to call, “The Trade Parade.” This lively meeting of “the clans” on site, before any hammers swing involves plumbers, electricians, painters, framers, HVAC specialists, foundation Crack specialists, and usually a BCIN designer or an engineer. The group then basically swarms the home looking for best solution to our renovation design with the support and ear of all the other trades involved and the presence of the homeowner. The practice has led to countless improvements in design and unquestioned savings for our clients, both in heartache and financial drain. However, the fact remains….until you OPEN up a ceiling or wall, you really don’t know what is in there and so far, homeowners have never volunteered to use their home to turn the trade parade into a trade “exploratory surgery parade!”

However, enter lesson two. You might as well prepare for the surprise of a little “Hidden Treasure” now. Unless your renovation is VERY straight forward, there are likely to be a few little trinkets waiting in surprise for you. Of course, just like if your contractor found gold coins buried in your wall, or a vintage Babe Ruth baseball card worth thousands of dollars, likely the “ownership” of this “treasure” will be yours. It is most helpful if clients are able to see renovations for what they are, living, breathing, often evolving projects. The good news is, finding the “treasure” usually leads to an improvement in the overall working of the home and thus the value of the project, often with only minimal changes to timelines. Experts often say 10-15% contingency fund is wise, I would agreed, prepare for “Hidden Treasure”.

Next week we will explore what to pack in your adventure if you are going to live in your home while undergoing a major renovation! Have a great week!