This may be one of the scariest New Years on record for business owners. The downward trend in housing and retail continues and even the President admits that it will likely get worse before getting any better. While times aren’t looking too dark for remodeling contractors, it may be time to cinch the proverbial belt a bit.

That may translate into a reassessment of company goals. Setting goals is essential to a successful business, especially in the hardest of times. Simply set feasible goals.

If your goal is to top last year’s sales or profits, you must ask yourself if that really is the wisest goal in the midst of an economic slump that has spread well beyond the housing industry alone. Instead, calculate what money you need to make, what items you can do without or must have, and a few reasonable perks you want to give yourself or your employees. Then figure out how you go about getting those things, whether it be a dollar amount or a certain number of contracts or whatever. But make this your goal and then head out there to achieve it.

Consider gathering your employees for a company meeting. Lay out the goals in front of them. Create an incentive that goes something like this: If we can reach this level, we all get this bonus. If we reach this different level, we all get this. And so on. Hard times are good times for pooling resources. And remember that just as sure as you want to make money, your employees want to keep their jobs.

Just as important as setting goals are the means by which you achieve them. Taking small steps such as getting to know clients and your community can make a big difference. Homeowners will be on the lookout for contractors overselling their projects; perhaps now is the time for a more straightforward approach. The free-for-alls of yesteryear may be gone, but homeowners still want to remodel, we just have to convince them it’s worth their while.

Whether the goal is to make record profits or just to break even, every contractor is going to have to work hard to do it. But it’s a new year and a new administration (which could mean any number of things for small businesses) and traditionally a time for optimism and looking forward. This year is no different in that regard.

Despite the crippling cold coursing through the country right now, summer and the remodeling season will be here before we know it.

Tell me about your book and who it’s written for.

“I started my real estate career in 1987 with CB Richard Ellis Commercial Real Estate. They taught a very specialized system to brokers. The system was based on product and geographic specialization. The system worked in every market. In 2000 I started investing in Real Estate and added a design/build business. I got into decorative concrete and coatings as an inexpensive curb appeal solution to rehabbing properties. I found that most contractors just took business where they got it, with no business plan. The book is written for any trade within Real Estate. I use Case Studies in The Guide of decorative concrete applicators, but it’s written for every contractor. I’m considering writing a version for Real Estate brokers.”

How did you gather your research?

“What inspired me to finally write The Guide was a marketing project (I’ve evolved to the Internet as well) I did for a company with a new coating. They developed a product for resurfacing concrete. Excellent product for floors over 1,500 square feet. The product is a one-day application, which is fine for small floors. They based their business on the one-day application. Problem is, small floors lose money. They never did the financial analysis to determine profitability. I realized they were doomed to failure because they were targeting the wrong market. Once I saw this I realized that the market needs The Guide.

“Here’s a company with a superior product and tremendous knowledge. They have exactly what it takes to be extremely successful, but they are targeting the wrong market. This is why I wrote The Guide. 99% of all contractors have the ability to be financially successful but don’t know how to go about it. The 99% of contractors who break even or fail have just as much talent as the successful 1% and work just as hard breaking even as the 1% who succeed.”

Tell me about the system for success that you describe in The Guide.

“The system is based on being the expert in a market. Let’s say a contractor identifies 75 Grocery anchored shopping centers. Now there are a few different kinds of shopping centers. I’m choosing Grocery anchored for a reason. Every successful investor specializes. So when it comes to Grocery anchored centers, there might be only 15-20 owners of the 75 targeted properties.

There is a good chance that the same property managers run the properties, the same architects, electricians, plumbers and frequently tenants. Many of the tenants are frequently local instead of national, so it’s easy to get to the owner. Now if a contractor stays focused and turns away all business other than the 75 properties, they will capture a large market share. They become much more efficient, they don’t have to travel far, they will control their expenses and manage their books easier because they have a specialized business.

Consider that 75 Grocery anchored centers have 20 tenants minimum per center, that’s 1,500 stores. 7% annual vacancy yields 100 new stores every year. You can see the program can work for architects, general contractors, flooring applicators, electricians. That’s how a contractor controls business. Another basic is that ‘people do business with those they like and trust.’
By specializing, contractors can charge a premium and still get the business because they have developed a relationship. Without a targeted plan every project is like the first. This strategy applies to every trade and market.

Specialization is a science and an art. It’s not hard when you know how but you have to know the process. It starts with the economics of a trade or specialty, then the target market like Grocery anchored centers or office buildings or single family homes. Learning to use the proper marketing tools properly, like newsletters, blogs, and websites to pre-sell services. Presentation packages, contracts, communication logs. They all work as one. This is how a quality profitable business is built. I might point out that this is how a contractor brands their business and gets lots of Word Of Mouth Business. Word of Mouth will lead to other like kind business.