One of the most significant dates of every year has always been January 1st - well, it is to most of us. To those of you that don't see it this way, I am sorry for you. There are not many greater gifts that God has given us than a new year. I do mean this in so many ways! One year comes to a close, history is written and the game is over. Hopefully, you have thought ahead and cleaned up all your messes from the years. There is little worse than starting...
Today's post is a little off topic for a painting blog, but every winter we begin that long season of shorter days and longer nights. It all begins with the world around us getting more stark - the grass goes brown, the leaves begin to fall off the trees, and the birds start heading out. It can be foreboding to many as the signs of winter creep into our everyday lives. But if you have the eyes to see it, you have been given hope too. So many fall festival begin to spring up with people having...
In the last few years, two competing worldviews have surfaced in our culture. One worldview is steeped in gratitude and the other is steeped in the language of victimhood. One worldview tells you to take stock, see your faults and situation, and then work to improve yourself. The other worldview tells you that you are more a product of your circumstance and that you will need the help of others to improve your situation for you. One is the view of the world in which you...
We get quite a few clients ask why painting prices vary so much? This is always a question I am happy to field because the answer is pretty simple and revealing of a company’s core commitments. Our two main expenses are labor and materials so let’s talk about those to categories first. First, let’s examine a company’s materials costs. What is their baseline materials? Many companies with lower cost quotes use an entry level material. We often call these top...
In the last few years, Americans have taken a deep look into our own lives and the value of our history, our religion, ourselves really. Some things became increasingly clear to many of us. We value our families, our country and what it means to us, our history, our future, and probably most pointedly, our work. As many had the threat looming over their heads for over a year of loosing their work for an indefinite period of time, I heard so many concerns that focused less on livelihood and...
Warren Buffet once said that you only find out who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out. Over my short 46 years of life, I’ve seen the tide go out more than I can count on both hands. Some have been recessions and some have been more personal. The current crisis would be one example and we have all looked around and found a few “exposed” folks around us. It has been a very sad reality of our current time. Not all of them were the chronically broke type either. So how do you prepare...
Early on in our company’s life, I was keenly aware of my inability to build a company. This is probably normal. Most men feel it when they marry or have their first child – at least I did. How was I to build a company that could survive all the hard times that would inevitably come? It was an inescapable question. How do you build a truly great company? Better yet, what does it mean to be a “great” company? I mean, if you listen to Trump, everyone is great, but even Dash from the Incredibles...
In the world of commercial construction, competition is king. How many projects have you lost to a lower bidder? How many of those lost bids did you know that your bid offered more value, but the price was higher. This is a common story and a common problem. Too often, the problem isn’t our price, but in our presentation and salesmanship. If the customer only sees two bids on paper with very little to distinguish the two, how would he know the value you offer over your competitor? We are savvy...
