Hiring Right Small and smart remodelers tend to pay above the going rate, offer good benefits, and invest in education. And if they can’t compete on conventional benefits, they can shine by showing they care. To motivate his sole employee, “I take his interests and run with them,” says Jeff Robbins of J. Robbins Construction, Green Hill Beach, R.I. This means tickets to professional hockey games and a monthly “rent” stipend to help the young employee afford his own place. The thoughtful gestures pay off with loyalty; Robbins’ protégé has been with him almost four years.
Rochman encourages his staff to have “a balance between work life and client life. They have families too,” and shouldn’t be punished for dropping the kids off at school, for instance.
Staffileno takes up to a year to find the right employee; his exacting standards are a key reason that “people are willing to pay more for the level of detail and quality we give them. It’s the fit and finish of the last 10% that makes the job look good.” High expectations, in turn, give his workers a sense of ownership. “My guys are like, ‘We can’t cut corners or give them less than our best.’ One guy said, ‘This is the first job I’ve ever had where I didn’t have to hide from the customer.’”
Hiring Tips: Look to subcontractors and other remodelers for experienced staff who need little training and have industry knowledge. If employees work closely with clients, consider hiring for personality: friendliness, professionalism, confidence without arrogance. Staffileno feels he “can teach them what they need to know from the carpentry and business perspective.”
Smart Marketing Small and smart remodelers have inexpensive but focused marketing plans that primarily target existing clients. Criner suggests “getting in front of” clients four times a year. Send greetings for holidays other than Christmas, when cards tend to get lost in the shuffle. Host a gathering of some kind. Criner invites everybody he’s ever worked for to an annual pig roast. Last year’s event drew 200 people and cost him around $15 a head, “but I just got my name in front of every client, in a wonderful setting, no sales, not threatening.”
Other low-cost, high-impact marketing tools include speaking at home shows, participating in home tours, writing press releases likely to be covered in a local paper, and volunteering in local charities. Staffileno donates six to eight hours of design time to a local school fundraiser. “It’s a great way to get business,” he says; every such donation has turned into a job.
Merrick is a long-time volunteer with two housing-related charities. Generating jobs “is not the reason I do it, but it has an effect,” he says. Volunteering “expands your sphere of influence. The more people you know, the more business you get.”
Above all, small and smart remodelers can excel at personal marketing. Rather than sending generic Christmas cards, Rochman and his staff hold an “assembly party” each fall, where they hand-assemble — and later hand-deliver — unique Thanksgiving gifts bearing a remodeling theme. “We’re marketing our image,” says Rochman.
Smart Marketing: Used vehicles are fine, but have them painted with your logo and keep them clean. Avoid magnetic trucks signs and cardboard jobsite signs, which appear temporary. “It looks like you’re only in business for a while,” says Criner.