Recent technological advances have increased the acceptance of composite shingles in steep-slope roof applications. The increase in popularity can be attributed to the variety of styles and colors that are now available for these types of materials. The styles available include those that mimic the look of traditional three-tab shingles, wood shake shingles, slate shingles, metal and thermoplastics.
Angie’s List is an Internet-based ratings and referrals organization that collects customer satisfaction ratings on companies in scores of home service categories, everything from plumbing to pet sitting to piano tuning. Roofing contractors are included. Formed in 1995, Angie’s List has been used by more than 500,000 homeowners in 124 cities nationwide, and it is steadily expanding. Most people who use the list pay a modest membership fee, which gives it some tangible value
It is evident to me that 2008 is going to be the kind of year that will require a great deal of planning followed by some remarkable execution to achieve success in business and life. Planning and measuring always bring about better results, but my senses tell me not to fool around this year.
Roofing is a tough business. If it rains, you can’t work; if it doesn’t rain, you don’t need to work. Who can you reach out to? What advice do you heed? What advice should you avoid? Owning a business can be a lonely proposition. Most business owners are somewhat isolated. They work long hours, and it can be hard to find time for friends. Family and friends also may not understand what it is like to employ people, deal with customers and fully understand the stress of day-to-day business pressures.
Periodically I get calls from market researchers asking for industry statistics or for me to explain our industry’s lay of the land. One of them recently asked the question, “What are contractors like?” My initial response was to ask a question in return: “Which type of contractor?” Then I explained that the industry harbors different kind of work specialists, each with different characteristics and concerns. Later, in reflecting back on this conversation, I asked myself whether there might be some unifying characteristics among all of these different market sectors.
Here we are years beyond a pair of horrible hurricane seasons (2004 and 2005), and the fallout continues to take shape. Our good friends in Florida have been hit with a new rule that has many residential reroofing contractors in a real pickle. In spite of common sense and efforts by roofing and other contractors in the state, it seems that the insurance lobby prevailed on the Florida legislature to cook up a “windstorm loss mitigation” statute.
As this issue of Roofing Contractor hits the street, we find ourselves in the middle of the college football season. What’s that got to do with your roof-contracting business? Not much, but a few parallels do come to mind.
Here’s a scary statistic for every business owner: “The average organization loses 15 percent to 35 percent of its customers each year, primarily due to poor service.”
In last month’s article, “Safety Training That Works with Latinos,” we set a base of understanding. We learned what training is and what it does, and we learned some important factors to consider when teach-ing safety to Latino laborers.
In this article, I want to move into more specifics regarding safety training with Latinos. There are three very specific concepts you must understand and implement if you are to have high levels of success in training safety with Latino employees.
Every year in the United States, chemical and thermal burns account for an estimated 700,000 emergency room visits, with more than 45,000 patients requiring extended hospitalizations for treatment such as skin grafts.
RSS
