The Technological Imperative Technology has become non-negotiable for successful remodeling businesses. But where big companies can leave the high-tech knowhow to support staff, small firms demand proficiency even from the owner. “When you’re small, you have to be organized or you won’t survive,” says David Merrick, whose home office is so well-equipped it could likely support “a business with hundreds of sub-offices.”
This setup includes five networked workstations: one apiece for Merrick and his office manager, one to run Windows Media Center, and two others used largely by his family but also as backup for business files. Two printers handle everything from photos to large-scale drawings, and two servers keep Merrick’s business files separate from Internet applications. The latter include a Share-Point-based intranet (bundled with Windows server software) that clients can access for product selection and project tracking.
In addition to Windows’ Word, Excel, Publisher, and Project software, Merrick relies heavily on Intuit’s Master Builder project management software. He also uses Chief Architect design and drafting software — a distinction that landed him in a prominent article in the Washington Post‘s Real Estate section in January.
The publicity, he notes, “has strengthened my position very nicely with some customers I’m in the negotiation stage with.”