1) Find a specialty. Don’t be one in a crowd. Stand out with services others don’t offer.

2) Build word of mouth referrals. Go out of your way to make the first few customers very happy. You can’t buy better advertising.

3) Learn and follow all local and federal tax, licensing, and permit laws. Fines can be very expensive.

4) Get Buisness insurance ; Liability insurance is critical. Also look at property, disability, and Group health insurance. Protect yourself, your business, and your family.

5) Always present a clean, professional, and respectful presence. Instill confidence in your clients.

6) Put everything in writing. Make sure it is clear what is and is not included in the price. Charge for changes.

7) Finish on time and within budget. Deliver on every promise.

8)  Advertise and market yourself even when you are too busy to do so. When you have time, it may be too late.

9) Keep abreast of the latest trends and technology in the business. Read trade magazines and learn what the next new thing is.

10) Hire an accountant and a tax expert. Maintain good books and pay bills on time. It’s easier to keep up than to catch up.

1. Give away a free home or give an extreme makeover to a needy family. While this may be costly, the free publicity you receive can result in hundreds of home sales.

2. Organize or participate in a parade of homes. Thousands of potential home buyers will get the opportunity to see your homes.

3. Offer a free gift to anyone who tours your model home.

4. Work with local companies and offer their employees a discount on their new home.

5. Offer an extended warranty. Happy home owners are more likely to recommend you to their friends. Plus an extended warranty shows you have trust in your workmanship.

6. Have valid business insurance & License and have a copy of that insurance & license handy

2. Offer an incentive, such as a free washer and dryer, to any home owners who refer a friend who buys a home.

3. Participate in any home and garden shows that happen in your area. Many times home buyers attend these while looking to buy a home. This is your chance to convince them to build a new home instead.

4. Advertise in real estate books.  Many home buyers do not realize they can build a home for the same price as buying an existing home.

5. Think outside the box and set up a booth at a bridal show. Newlyweds are usually in the market to build a new home.

Hiring a manager is an important and stressful event for any business owner. From my 20 years experience in hiring, here are my top 10 traits to look for when hiring.

1) Excellent people skills

2) They believe that their employees are responsible for the success of the Company & they make their employees feel valuable

3) They are good listeners

4) They posses a calm temperament and consistent behavior

5) Flexibility, understanding and open minded

6) They can laugh at themselves and can find the humor in almost all situations while solving problems quickly

7) They are able to control emotions and keep them out of interactions with others and decision making.

8)  Fair, honest & driven with excellent work ethic

9) They want input from all employees and treat everyone equally

10) They do not micromanage

The current trends in the minds of those willing to invest in new construction, as well as in the promises of the new incoming presidential administration, is a focus on renewable sources of energy and the preserving of the planet. This trend has the potential to save this country’s economy through the implementation of new infrastructure to support the shift to “going green”. The home contractor can dramatically benefit from this by adjusting his materials and construction practices to accommodate the clients who want to be ecologically responsible in their choices of contractors.

LEED Certification of Products and Services

LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system is a third-party program which certifies the design, construction tools and practices and operations for what are nationally accepted as green buildings. Having a LEED certification will put your company on the organization website’s list of exceptional contractors in the advancement of environmentally conscious design, and will provide your company with added exposure to an up-and-coming market sector.

Recycled Products Renewed Ideas

By using recycled or reclaimed products in constructions and implementing the use of fuel efficient heating and cooling systems, including the implementation of alternate energy sources such as solar panels and geothermal heating, the home contractor can both increase his business and have the satisfaction of knowing that his business is helping to sustain and renew our depleted natural resources.

Government Backing

It seems that the new administration is very serious about providing funding for new infrastructure required to implement green energy programs. If programs progress as Washington is currently promising, the home contractor is who not using green products and providing green energy solutions in his constructions will go the way of the dinosaurs. The resources seem to be there, the public is ready for the change, it is up to the construction industry to provide the tools we need to keep the green movement going forward.

One of the easiest ways to get these connections started is to start with the family and friends of the family. Often times you will know someone that is looking to get work done on their house. If not, look for a friend of a friend. Most people know far more people than they think they do and never really reach out to the full reach of their network.

And the best way, by far, to stay busy is to do a great job. People these days are more educated, or at least know people that are more educated and know when a job isn’t done well. Not only does it avoid law suits and time redoing work, but the better job you do the more referrals you can get. Customers are also starting to do more price checking, so be sure that your prices, if not lower, are at least comparable with others. If they are too low, be sure to have a good reason, because that will scare a lot of people away.

Most people, once there house is done, will tell about 5-7 people if the job was done well, but 10-15 if it was done excellently. On the other end, 20 plus people if it was terrible. People love to complain and the better job you do, the less reason they have to. So be above average, go the extra mile and do all you can to make each and every client happy with the renovations.

Customer referrals are the best way to help you get more business, which in turn will lead to better profits. Here are 10 tips and tricks to help you get more business.

Number 1: Do great work each and every time. Nothing generates referrals better than the quality of your work.

Number 2: Socialize. Tell everyone you meet about your business and ask them to send any potential customers your way.

Number 3: Offer incentives. Offer your current customer a gift or a cash incentive for every person they refer to you.

Number 4: Organize. Keep a detailed log book of all your customers and all the referrals they have sent to you.

Number 5: Build Relationships: People are more likely to make referrals if they like you. Be friendly and build a rapport and feeling of trust.

Number 6: Train employees: Make sure those who work for you understand the importance of professionalism and friendliness.

Number 7: Give pre addressed post cards to your customer and ask them to give them to their neighbors and friends.

Number 8: Show your work. Ask your customer if you can meet their referral at their home. This gives you a chance to show off your work.

Number 9: Send cards. Gather information about your customer in order to send birthday and holiday cards to the family.

Number 10: Be persistent. Take the time to develop a system for keeping track of your customers and the people they refer to you.

These tips, when used correctly will benefit your business greatly. The importance of referrals can not be over stated. Treating your customers with respect and friendliness will keep those referrals coming long after you are finished with your job. To get more referrals use these 10 tips and tricks to increase your business.

You may be hesitant at first to narrow your scope of services. But, finding a niche market that does not mean you still can’t perform other services. If you specialize in one though, it gives your company a more identifiable image for the public. There are several ways to decide how to go about developing your niche.

It is important that you identify a specialty. Find a specialty that you enjoy doing, work that you enjoy doing always ends up in a better finished product. Also, if you are going to spending most of your time doing these jobs, it is best to do something that you won’t get bored with.

Another thing to consider when finding your specialty is to not find something that everyone else is doing. If that particular niche is saturated with competitors than you defeat your purpose by going in to an already flooded market. Investigate the area in which you do your business and find out who else is offering the same service that you are planning to specialize in, and find something else. The fewer competitors you have, the more customers there will be searching for your services.

Find the one thing that you do very well and find out everything you can about that market. Find out how popular it is and what kind of profit margin you can expect from your specialty. It won’t do you any good to specialize in a service that few customers are looking for.

Make sure that your work in not just good, it has to be excellent and surpass the quality of your competition. The best way to dominate any market is to provide the best product at the best price. Finding a specialized market may be the answer to dwindling profits. The above reasons are why it is important to specialize your business with a niche.

An important aspect of your home contracting business is to find an ongoing customer base that keeps him busy year round through quality work and referrals. When your find a lead online it essential to sell that customer, do a great job on the project, and cultivate a referral from that customer. Getting good referrals and posting them on your website will help the consumer decide to choose you as their contractor.

Most customers today find their contractor through the World Wide Web. The vast majority log on and find businesses in their local area. If you are not very good with computers and you have no idea how to build and operate a website you should hire someone to develop it for you. Have whoever you hire show you how to use the site and keep it up to date.

When a customer sees a professionally done website they automatically think of you as an organized and credible contractor. If you are not on the internet, not only will most customers be unable to find you, they may think that you are unprepared and less professional than your competitors.

With the internet becoming a more and more important of everyone’s daily life and because it has become the primary source of finding information, the home contractor must keep up with the times to make more money for your business.