Success

The Locus of Control with Jef Forward – [Best of the Tim Faller Show]

May 30, 2023 00:39:01

The Locus of Control is a concept that highlights one’s ability to control the outcomes and events in their lives. When applied in a business, The Locus of Control can increase productivity, and breed ownership and support.

The Tim Faller Show welcomes back guest Jef Forward, to share his experiences surrounding the locus of control in his remodeling business.

Jef is the founder and co-owner, with his wife, Monica, of Forward Design Build Remodel in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over 23 years, the company has grown to a team of 30+ engaged, positive, and supportive employees, and their path towards continued success is heavily focused on team and leadership building.

Tim, Steve and Jef talk more about:

Background and overview of The Locus of Control
The five dysfunctions of a team
Building a trustworthy team
Reaching goals
And more…

Costly Mistakes in Renovation with Michael Upshall – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

May 22, 2023 00:30:41

From the vault, this episode was recorded because of a suggestion from one of our faithful listeners. Enjoy!

Get ready for an insightful episode as we dive into the topic of mistakes—specifically, the ones that cost remodelers and renovators more than just a few shims. We’re not talking about technical slip-ups; we’re tackling the errors that hit remodelers where it hurts the most.

Introducing Michael Upshall, the Founder of Probuilt Design + Build in Bolton, Ontario. Michael’s reputation precedes him, with appearances in design and home/lifestyle magazines, as well as regular speaking engagements at GTA Home Shows. With over 35 years of experience as a master carpenter turned renovator and builder, Michael has garnered numerous awards and accolades. In fact, PROBUILT holds the distinction of being the first two-time recipient of the prestigious BILD “Renovator of the Year” Award in 2002 and 2006.

In this episode, Tim, Steve, and Michael discuss:

Most common business mistakes contractors make
The importance of detailed specifications
Designing projects within client budgets
Pros and cons of competitive bidding vs. design/build approach

They also tackle the three biggest mistakes in production:

Sales to production hand-off packages
Tracking job costs during production
Timelines and scheduling intricacies

Michael also shares what it is like to build a house in 9 days to be featured in a trade show.

We value our subscribers and listeners, and we appreciate your suggestions for future guests. If there’s someone you’ve heard on another podcast or an author of a book who made a lasting impression, please reach out and let us know. Your input matters to us!

Join us on this enlightening journey and gain invaluable insights from the knowledgeable Michael Upshall.

Stay tuned and stay inspired!

Shedding Light on The Darkness with Chris Bache – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

May 8, 2023 00:36:20

By all accounts, business is booming. Projects are being booked way in advance, and everything is roses and sunshine. Or is it?

In this episode, guest Chris Bache joins Tim and Steve to discuss the “dark period” – the period of time after the sale is completed, the project is booked, and is on the schedule. A critical time when the battle for client satisfaction can be won or lost.

Chris Bache is the CEO and co-founder at Hatch, a messaging app specifically built for the remodeling industry that centralizes and automates homeowner communication.

Hatch began as a trial when Chris and his partner, Bill Violante, were asked by a local Pella franchise to help solve two huge blind spots in their business – follow-up and customer experience.

That’s when the idea for Hatch was, well, hatched. Word spread like wildfire through other Pella franchises and then eventually into other areas of the industry.

Tim, Steve, and Chris talk more about:

How to keep customers happily engaged until the project occurs
The customer experience
How to successfully communicate with customers
And more…

Contracts for Contractors with Nisreen Hasib – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E19

April 3, 2023 00:44:22

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nisreen Hasib joins the show to discuss contracts for contractors. Nisreen discusses the importance of having contracts and some of the important items to put into those contracts. She also gives examples of some bad and good contracts that she has seen over the years and how they impacted the project. Nisreen also talks about revisiting contracts to stay up to date with state and national regulations.

Nisreen Hasib is the founder and CEO of Basil. Basil makes it easy for builders, remodelers, and general contractors to generate the documents they need at the click of a button. She is based out of New York. Prior to starting Basil, Nisreen was a labor and employment attorney and an executive at different venture backed companies based in New York. Nisreen started Basil in 2022, after finishing her first remodeling project in the Catskills. She saw that a lot of contractors were using out of date contracts, or contracts that had not been appropriately drafted, leaving them vulnerable to legal liability.

Nisreen, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Do the contracts get more complex the more expensive the project is?
Reframing contracts
And more…

The Art of Estimating with Geno Arroyo – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E18

March 27, 2023 00:43:02

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Geno Arroyo joins the show to discuss successful estimating. Geno goes through his process as an estimator for each project from start to finish. Suppose you want a more in-depth breakdown of his methods, including getting labor costs right, then you must attend Remodelers Advantage’s Art of Estimating masterclass, where Geno will be a presenter.

Geno Arroyo is the Estimator for Fox Home Innovations, LLC, in Manhattan, KS. Geno has had the privilege of being a part of the Fox Home family for over three years. When he started with the company, he was a Lead Carpenter, then transitioned from the field to the estimator role. The most significant accomplishment Geno can think of during his time is developing and implementing an actual estimator role within the company and having a role to play in getting our overall company slip and grip to 0.87%.

Geno, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

The creation of the estimator position and the results
Phases of work for an estimator
Budget meetings with the estimator
And more…

Hitting a Schedule Every Time With April Bettinger – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 27, 2023 00:35:55

Hitting a schedule every time in construction is possible if you pay proper attention to planning and have a purposeful attitude.

In this episode, April Bettinger joins Tim and Steve to talk about the best practices and the common pitfalls to avoid when creating and managing an on-time project that ends with delighted clients.

April is the founder and owner of Ni p Tuck Remodeling in Snohomish, WA. For more than 30 years, she’s carved out a respected niche in the construction industry. Her father was a custom homebuilder, so April grew up watching and learning about excellent customer service, and what it takes to complete a high-quality project. April has held key roles in finance, budgeting, customer service, team building, and sales management — preparing her to own and operate her own company. Nip Tuck Remodeling was founded in 2010, with a vision and determination to create a construction company with extraordinary craftsmanship and a focus on professionalism.

April and her estimator create the master schedule, then it’s turned over to the production manager, who is responsible for creating and managing the job schedules on BuilderTrend. One huge factor in staying on track once you’re in production is getting the schedules done and materials ordered a month before the project starts. She talks about why that works, and other aspects of keeping your jobs on schedule, including:

Why the project manager has to create and own the schedule
Setting pivotal goals for each week in the schedule
Using goals for client satisfaction
Helping everyone buy in to the system
Handling change orders in the schedule
Getting clients to think ahead during selections
Building in reasonable wiggle room
Handling design changes and heading them off
And more …

Click here to listen

Client Experience: It’s what they feel not what we do! – [Tim Faller Show] S4 E15

February 13, 2023 00:38:52

On this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve discuss the client experience and how to turn clients into raving fans. The client experience is all about how the client feels and not what you do. Tim differentiates the customer service a company provides from how clients perceive that service. Not only do salespeople have a major role in the client experience, but the production team and lead carpenter do as well.

Tim and Steve talk more about…

Establishing a client experience vision statement
The importance of a pre-construction meeting in providing an excellent client experience
And more…

The Reputation Economy With Tess Jezek – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E14

February 7, 2023 00:36:19

Tess Jezek joins the show today to discuss the importance of your company’s reputation in the reputation economy. In fact, Forbes reports that 60% of consumers are willing to pay more if they believe they will receive a better service. Tess discusses how an accurate description of your business online is smart business practice. In addition, good social status leads to robust pricing power, and client loyalty can lead to return clients, referrals, and new business.

Tess is the Director of Sales for Customer Engagement Solutions of Evercommerce. She manages the sales teams for GuildQuality, PulseM, and Customer Lobby. With close to a decade’s worth of experience in the industry, she understands the importance of customer experience, customer engagement, and customer retention as the most important drivers for your business.

Tess, Tim, and Steve discuss:

The importance of client feedback and when to solicit it
How to take control of the online narrative
How to use your online reputation to build a stronger business

Listen now

The Power of Peers With Victoria Downing – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 6, 2023 00:32:16

Many business owners and certainly production managers feel alone in their business at times, and want and or need some kind of external input. So, where do they turn?

Trade associations provide some input but are typically limited to whatever the “topic of the evening” is. Remodelers Advantage President, Victoria Downing, saw this issue and took action through the creation of the Remodelers Advantage Roundtables Programs.

Through the roundtables, members share support and guidance to ultimately help business owners earn more, and work less.

In addition to being the president of Remodelers Advantage, Victoria is the co-host of PowerTips Unscripted, a podcast dedicated to helping remodelers build a strong, profitable company. She is an award-winning author and speaker and brings over 30 years of expertise in the remodeling industry to share how crucial peer groups are in order to successfully grow your business.

Victoria, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

What it really means to be in the remodeling industry
The importance of receiving feedback
How to actually utilize feedback
And more…

click here to listen

Building Teamwork with Trades with Daniel Carrero – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

January 30, 2023 00:41:20

Do you struggle to maintain relationships with subcontractors and experience your projects not being handled with urgency or priority? If so, you haven’t built a team, you have built a contact list.

Guest Daniel Carrero joins Tim and Steve to talk about how he has built a solid team with little turnover and kept tradesmen that have been with him for over 15 years.

Daniel Carrero, President of House to Home Solutions in Rockville, Maryland, has been able to build a Sub-Contractor Team that prioritizes his jobs over any other contractor.

He shares his tips and tricks to how he has made a team that has stuck with him for years and are willing to take care of service issues without question.

Tim, Steve and Daniel talk more about:

Building relationships with subcontractors and trades.
How to stand out to subcontractors
Getting trades engaged
Prioritizing trades and subcontractors
And more…