Send us a Text Message. Do you ever worry about the tax man coming after you? What about any other government agency? Do you even know who can and what it truly takes to avoid getting in trouble? I’m sure most of us pay our taxes correctly enough to remain under the radar but what about OSHA, or the Department of Labor or the Environmental Protection Agency? I never really thought to personally worry about it, but then it came to my attention I may not need to worry about myself or my team. It could come from a client or team members significant other. How are you staying protected and from wh ..read more

Send us a Text Message. Struggling to manage just the field operations? What’s it like to add on the books, marketing, scheduling, deliveries, and bidding? Wearing all the hats is a difficult task that is only multiplied by the facts that we are not good at everything and we don’t enjoy everything. Did you know that you don’t have to do it all? Did you know that your struggles are not unique and many other owners are just like you? Doug Howard is President of Growth Team Strategies, a consulting company specializing in growth planning, succession planning and business improvement. For more t ..read more

Send us a Text Message. Have you heard bad stories about useless business coaches who don’t produce results? Does the idea of hiring one just completely turn you off? I can’t blame you, not one bit. There are a lot of coaches out there but many of them are really just cheerleaders. They pump you up emotionally but don’t ever provide any tools to truly change the business. What is it that you are actually buying and what is that you are actually wanting? Does your business even need help? Justin Shaw is the founder of Driven for Growth and the 90 Day Growth Engine Program. He works closely wit ..read more

Send us a Text Message. I hear stories from retail store owners all the time on how potential subs come in and ask if they are hiring and then the follow up is how much do you pay. This is a horrible approach in my opinion as you are your own business and need to be telling them what you expect. Besides the pay portion though, what about asking what struggles they have with their current subs or what their most common callback complaints are? Can you find a unique niche to solve for the retailer? Kevin Wielgus is the co-owner of Floors Come True with his wife Lisa. They are based in Plainfiel ..read more

Send us a Text Message. Where do you even begin starting a business? Many of us just end up out on our own after we learn the skillset thinking that’s all we need. It’s not the case and business knowledge is not the first thing we often seek. This is a major problem for small business owners in general but is easily fixable. Paul Wilke, is the owner of Masterpiece Floors in Corona, CA. With years of experience under his belt as a sand and finish craftsman, as well as, being an owner/operator as well as employing many and subcontracting to many, the grind finally got to him. Paul was fed up wi ..read more

Send us a Text Message. We have all seen the jack of all trades guys, or the guy that offer carpet, hardwood, tile, sheet goods, etc. How about the guys and gals that are doing residential one week and commercial the next. Sure it can all be done but each thing is technically a different model and they all require knowing the ins and outs of each so that you can properly run your business as efficiently as possible. If they are being run as one in the same, it can lead to cash flow problems, scheduling issues, and more. Mark Bischoff is the CEO of Starnet, a commercial flooring networking gro ..read more

Send us a Text Message. In most cases the sales persons handles the sales of a project. What happens if the installer can upsell a design floor while working on the project? What about the occasional neighbor asking for a bid? Can the installer cash in and get a small commission for their efforts on top of their labor pay? I say yes, and think we need to look at how manage our businesses differently. Jerry Levinson, former owner of Carpets of Arizona and now business coach, disagrees with my above sentiment. Listen in to this week’s episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as we work through why ..read more

Where do you actually make money? I used to think it was in the field. That was where I did the work that produced the revenue for the company. Therefore you make your money in the field. I learned that was a lie. Revenue is produced in the field but made behind the desk. When you truly know your numbers and study your business to know your costs, then you can create efficiencies to earn more and keep more. Weston Zimmerman, a former landscaper/hardscaper and now CEO of SynkedUP, knows the above struggle all too well. Starting as a laborer with Tussey Landscaping he worked his way up to lead ..read more

Where do you find employees? How do you recruit? How do you retain them? All great questions that are consistently asked. Most of the time we are finding guys and gals from current employees, online posts, or the fact that the neighbor kid needs some work. This works to a point but it doesn’t help us grow a mainstream presence or grow a larger reach for our industry. Jim Tsigos of Tsigos Construction in Delran, NJ has been in construction for 24 years. No stranger to hiring people, he has had the same struggles as all of us. He has however, found a way to give back to the industry that provid ..read more

Traditionally in the trades, boys will follow in their father’s footsteps and pick up the family business. This is a timeless tale. Only in modern society has it begun to change where kids run off with their own ideas of what they want to become and accomplish. It’s not so bad overall, but how can we create the next generation of flooring professionals while still giving freedom of choice? Dennis DiCarlo has built up a strong retail business and is now looking to expand it. Slowly but surely his kids have grown up and he was able to provide for them beyond basic needs included college educati ..read more