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Exploring the Decent Human Being Theory with Nick Slavik – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

July 18, 2022 00:39:21

Many remodelers, builders and business owners make resolutions or commitments to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and then they get caught up in the daily grind and it never happens.

Another challenge for many companies we work with is attracting and hiring people, especially new people to the industry, and getting them trained to “do things our way.”

Our guest today, Nick Slavik, has done an outstanding job of developing SOPs for his company and then implementing training to meet those internally. It turns out he has some other views of the world that are extremely helpful in running a business, as well.

Nick is the Proprietor of the Nick Slavik Painting & Restoration Co., Host of Ask a Painter Live, and contributes to This Old House. He has been a national and international speaker on topics such as entrepreneurship, trades reformation, working with millennials, harnessing technology for trades business, financial benchmarks, and industry standards. Nick has been a craftsman for more than 25 years. His company has been awarded more than 5 National awards for craftsmanship over the last 3 years. He has created a rigorous apprenticeship program where he finds, trains, and mentors young people in his craft. In 2018, he was made a family member at This Old House.

Tim, Steve and Nick talk more about:

Background and description of the Decent Human Being Theory.
Creating & developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Holding teams accountable and getting them to adhere to SOPs.
Balancing the demand for work, growing the business and training new personnel.
And more…

Ep.128: Onboarding New Staff with Chris Beck

November 23, 2020 00:46:06

When we discuss the labor shortage, we are often talking about how to find or develop good talent.

What we are now hearing from our Roundtables members is that they are finding people, getting them on the team, and then they fail. In many cases, these aren’t catastrophic failures, but slips in Net Profit or schedules or proper estimates, etc.

We can write this off to “they misrepresented themselves” during the interviews. Or, we can take a closer look at our own onboarding process to ensure we are setting our new hires up for success, not failure.

To dive deeper on this topic, Tim and Steve welcome Chris Beck to the show to talk about how he and his team at Normandy Remodeling handle the onboarding process.

Chris has been with Normandy Remodeling in Hinsdale, IL for 14 years; eight as a Superintendent, two as the Production Manager and four as Director of Production. Normandy has added five Superintendents over the past five years to cover increased production and they are on pace to set another annual Produced Sales record, their 5th year in a row.

Tim, Steve and Chris cover:

Definition and background of onboarding.
How the process at Normandy has changed over time.
Upon hiring a new Superintendent, what is the first thing that happens and what are the subsequent steps?
Documentation and checklists.
Adjustments to the process due to the current pandemic.
And more…

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Ep.108: The Impact Your Production Team Has on Marketing with Spencer Powell

June 22, 2020 00:38:48

Raise your hand if you are a salesperson… Maybe a few business owners raised their hands, but most likely our production people and our Project managers, Lead carpenters, and Production managers all kept their hands down. Not so fast!

In this episode, we step out of our comfort zone a little and talk about the impact that your production teams have on sales and marketing. For this discussion, we bring in an expert in the marketing world, one who has worked with hundreds of remodelers and home builders all over the country; Spencer Powell.

Spencer is the President of Builder Funnel, a Colorado-based firm that focuses on providing sales and marketing services for homebuilders, remodelers & contractors. Spencer earned his Inbound Marketing, HubSpot, and HubSpot Partner Certifications in 2010, and has been practicing and teaching inbound marketing to businesses ever since.

Tim, Steve and Spencer talk more about:

The impact production has on the Client Experience
The Top 3 things that will create negatives in the clients’ mind
The Top 3 things that create a positive reaction with a client
How the production team can create vital content for the marketing effort
How owners and leaders can get buy-in from the team and show the impact they have on the business

Two Production Courses Coming up in July!

These sessions are bi-weekly and you can bring as many team members or managers that you need… and they are virtual so you can access them from the field. These classes will fill up fast and they are coming up in July so register soon!

Production Team Training:
This course has proven to be game changer for companies all over the country and will definitely raise the bar in your world. Click Here for More >>

Management Training:
Is your Production Manager struggling with managing a team of employees and trades? This course is designed for Production Managers and Owners , however is appropriate for anyone that is responsible for managing others in your company.
Click Here for More >>

Ep.107: Services Under One Roof with John Ploumitsakos

June 15, 2020 00:36:19

For a remodeling or general contracting firm, having trusted trade partners is critical. Often they can be the key to a successful project and overall experience for your clients.

Over the years, we have worked with several remodelers who have considered having a service, like plumbing and electric, as part of their service offering, to have more control over the quality of the end product.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome John Ploumitsakos, CEO of Modern Homestead and Homestead Plumbing and Electric in Boulder, CO.

After founding his remodeling business, John chose to add a plumbing and electric company. While they are different corporate entities, John and Tim discuss the advantages and challenges of running both companies under one roof.

Prior to founding Modern Homestead in 2018, John practiced law for five years and then spent 12 years working in senior leadership positions for technology companies such as Google and Twitter.

John added Homestead Plumbing and Electric in April 2019 and in its first year of operations, Homestead P&E went from a single plumber to two plumbers and two electricians, while maintaining a 5-star customer rating.

In this episode, Tim, Steve and John discuss:

The background of the decision to add Homestead P&E
How the two companies are structured
The challenges and opportunities of managing two companies under one roof
Exploring staffing and cultural differences between the two companies
How the COVID-19 crisis has effected operations
And more…

Two New Production Courses Coming in July!

With Tim taking time off from the road because of travel limitations, we’ve got the next best thing… Tim working with your production team online! We have 2 great courses coming up in July; One for your team, and one for your managers.

Production Team Training:
This course has proven to be game changer for companies all over the country and will definitely raise the bar in your world. Click Here for More >>

Ep.104: Inside the Home Builders Institute with Ed Brady

May 25, 2020 00:39:07

Meeting the growing need for a qualified workforce in the remodeling and home building industries has evolved into seeing the ideal worker as coming from a range of backgrounds but with a common interest.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Home Builders Institute (HBI) President and CEO, Ed Brady, who explains the breadth of programs offered and the evolution of services HBI is undertaking to match the industry’s varied and changing needs.

Home Builders Institute (HBI), a national nonprofit that trains underserved populations, including veterans, transitioning military, high school students and justice-involved youth and adults for careers in the building industry. Ed currently oversees the operations, products and services for HBI and is a second-generation home builder from Bloomington, Illinois.

In addition, Ed has served 12 years as Independent Director of the Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank, working with leading experts to advance the nation’s housing policy and has also served as a senior officer with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and as the 2016 chairman of its board of directors.

Ep.103: Moisture Control with Bill Robinson

May 18, 2020 00:41:42

In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve explore some of the more technical aspects of the remodeling and building industries. In this case, we take a closer look at moisture control and bring in an industry veteran and well-known speaker, Bill Robinson out of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bill is a nationally known construction trainer and presenter. He has demonstrated the proper use of building products in many parts of the country and at dozens of trade shows. Bill’s overarching message is understanding, detailing, and managing the building envelope and you can learn more about him and his business here.

Free Webinar: Recovery 2020: Let’s Get Ready to Restart!

As the world battles through the COVID-19 Pandemic, one theme is constant throughout North America; “How do we Recover?” Every area is effected differently and each remodeling company must look at the next 6-8 months and plan accordingly.

This month’s webinar features Tim and Doug Howard, taking a closer look at positioning your business to succeed and hitting the ground running as we all emerge from this disruption in the market.

This webinar will be a dual-presentation; first Doug will address the business side and then Tim will handle the challenges faced on the production side. Click Here for More Information and Registration >>