Finally, Some Good News for Remodelers

There’s a lot of positive news in Qualified Remodeler’s September 4th Weekly Market Overview. First, according to data from ServiceMagic.com, remodeling (versus repair and maintenance) requests are on the rise, especially among those in homes valued between $200,000 and $300,000. And, equally interesting, is that baby boomers (those in the 45 to 64 age group) are the ones making those requests. Interest is rising in kitchen and bath remodeling. And consumers are intent on increasing the entertainment value of their homes with the purpose of staying home more. (Remember our discussion of cocooning several months ago?)

And the biggie: According to Qualified Remodeler, “Homeowners plan to tackle small projects, keeping with the Q1 trend, with the intent to head into large-scale remodels in early 2010.”

Be cautiously optimistic, fellow remodeling professionals. Plan ahead and be ready. There is still a major issue in remodeling. That is how homeowners plan to finance their improvements. With home values down, the spigot has been turned off on their home equity lines.

Personally, we are already seeing more calls in our own remodeling business. Projects are still smaller but more and more, people are thinking about larger projects.

6 Myths About Green Consumers

I recently ran across this article entitled, 6 Myths of Green Consumers. It states:

"A new national study of green consumers contradicts several long-held stereotypes about them: The environment is not their top concern, their kids are not influencing them to be green, and while many know what they should do to save the planet, they often don’t do it."

It's based on a study of consumers who, at least occasionally, buy green products. It's an interesting article and I thought you might like to read it.

http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2009/08/6-myths-of-green-consumers.aspx

Cell Phone Recycling

While preparing my remodeling office for a move, I stumbled upon our stash of used, out-of-date cell phones. We kept these phones over the years so that we could use parts in our new models. How many times did that happen over the past 20 years of cell phone use? About 2! How many cell phones had we accumulated? 27!!!

Purely by coincidence, I stumbled upon a great use for these phones that benefits our troops overseas. The program is called Cell Phones for Soldiers. Since 2004, teens Brittany & Robbie Bergquist and Cell Phones for Soldiers have raised millions of dollars to help our troops call home. Donated cell phones are recycled and the proceeds are used to purchase prepaid calling cards for American troops.

I hope those 27 phones provide some great talk time for our military families.

Looking for Financing for your Remodeling Business?

I ran across this article today on Remodeling on-line and it gives alot of information about where to go for SBA loans. Check it out:

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/green-policy/lifelines-of-credit.aspx#

Twitter Through The Remodeling Show

Can't make it to The Remodeling Show but still want to stay up-to-date? Follow The Remodeling Show on twitter.

http://twitter.com/remodeling_show

Twitter updates begin September 9th. The Remodeling Show starts October 27, 2009 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You can follow me on twitter, too, at:

@annettergreco

Regards,
Annette

Ch - Ch - Changes!

Changes are abounding for me personally and in our remodeling company this month! In August, we consolidated our office space for our remodeling business and that meant my office had to move. It was a long process. I can't believe just how much stuff accumulates over the course of 24 years! But it also meant a thorough cleaning and re-organization. It's amazing how refreshed that can make one feel!

The second change was taking our daughter to college. That's an even bigger one because she's an only child. The house seems quiet but I'm keeping myself busy with lots of projects.

Look for more changes in On The Level Consulting in September. We are adding more items to make running your company easier. And a new service to help you improve your company's Google local search ranking.

Regards,
Annette

Award Competitions Are a Great Marketing Tool

A great marketing tool for any remodeling or home improvement company is to enter award competitions. Depending on the type of competition, awards can showcase the beautiful work of your company or the organized and professional nature of your business. Winning an award or many times just being nominated for an award increases the company’s brand in the marketplace and provides a third party endorsement of the company.

An award or the nomination of an award can boost your company’s credibility with customers and potential customers. Homeowners love to do business with an “award winning company.”

An award or nomination can get publicity for your business. Send out a press release about the award and you could find yourself in your local newspaper with free publicity. And once the media is aware of you and your company, they may contact you again for input on additional stories.

I’ve compiled a list of upcoming awards in the remodeling and home improvement industry. And if you’d like to learn more about awards, check out my article 4 Reasons Award Competitions Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy.

To Your Success,
Annette