HBWeekly

Making New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Erika Carruth

When the ball drops and the champagne pops, nearly everyone is ready to conquer their New Year’s resolutions. But the truth is that many resolutions won’t be conquered, and the same resolution will likely be repeated again and again in the coming years. That is not to say that most of us don’t give it our best efforts; gym memberships go up and renewed and refreshed energy is at an all-time high at the start of the year, and there is no doubt that in many cases the effort is there. Achieving resolutions is more about setting a plan rather than simply setting a goal; this goes for your individual goals, as well as those you set for your business and team. To get you headed in the right direction and planning for resolutions that “stick”, here are a few areas to address:

Accountability – It’s easy to say that you will achieve something, but if you and your team are not held accountable then you can consider them empty promises. Accountability goes far beyond a simple team check-in or status report; accountability must be measured, and you should have a system for monitoring stages and progress. For example, if you have a department with new sales goals this year, that department should have measurable goals by month or quarter, a system for reporting progress regularly and points for intervention should they appear to be below or off course.

Milestones – Great success is not attained overnight, and a step-by-step approach can assist with providing a clear and realistic track for conquering resolutions. Such steps should be marked by milestones that can be reached throughout the year. For example: If you are launching a new product or line of service, you will want to set up milestones covering the development, patent (if applicable), marketing and launch of the product/service with details of actions and estimated dates for completion.

Assignment – While this may be assumed with accountability, assignment of goals and/or stages is vital to your success. Every milestone and every action must be assigned to an individual. While he/she may have others (including subcontractors) working on the same project, overseeing the project and holding players accountable must be the responsibility of a specific team member. Unassigned actions usually get pushed to the side and become unachieved actions quickly.

Support – In order to reach a goal, or in this case a resolution, you will need to identify systems or methods for support. For example, if it is in your business goals to gain more leads and prospects in 2018, then you will need to identify sources for those leads (i.e. networking events, HBW permit reports, expos). Support and resources should be listed and easily accessible so that every team member has what he/she needs to reach the next milestone.

New Year’s resolutions are not just a chance for us to challenge ourselves as individuals – they are a chance to grow and strengthen our businesses too. By laying out a strategy and plan and holding team members accountable for their assigned roles and actions, you will clear the path for reaching your goals and resolutions.

Best wishes for a successful and Happy New Year!

For more information on construction business and marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog. To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Getting Testimonials That Count

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Erika Carruth

Every business knows how powerful word of mouth can be for generating new business, and testimonials are a great way to get the ball, and buzz, rolling.

Another year is right around the corner, and with a new year there is new opportunity to update your website, marketing materials and testimonials. While you don’t want to overload your website or social profiles with excessive testimonials, it is a good idea to refresh them now and again. Whether you print them in your prospect packages or share them on a page of your website or social networks, testimonials can be a powerful way to prove your value and encourage prospects to take action. Here are a few easy ways to gather testimonials that count:

Make the Ask – Testimonials aren’t going to just come knocking on your door; you must invite them in, and that can only be done by making the ask. Consider your satisfied clients, your all stars and high-profile clients and projects. You can ask them to provide positive feedback by email, letter, phone, text… whatever method works for them. When you make the ask, know what type of feedback you are looking for and ask direct questions to get the testimonials you need to round out your “portfolio”. Are you looking for testimonials regarding your customer service? Quality of work? Timeliness? Perhaps you are searching for all of the above; just be sure to ask the questions that address the areas that matter most.

Survey – Surveys couldn’t be easier to send out to clients now. A simple survey form through your email marketing campaign provider makes testimonials a click-and-go process. Make the survey short (3 questions or less) and be specific on the type of feedback you are looking to obtain. Multiple choice questions and suggested/example text are ways to make it an easy and attractive process for clients.

Incentives – When in doubt, throw incentives out. You don’t necessarily need to go public with testimonial incentives, but in your next communication consider adding a link that asks for feedback in return for a discount on an initial service or one-time product. The link can go to a survey or a single-field form where they can type and submit their quote/testimonial.

Make a Call – Sometimes it’s just easiest to go old school and pick up the phone. In addition to using this time to check in with a client and their needs, a testimonial can easily be gathered by making the ask by phone and getting the positive feedback from your conversation. After you write the quote/testimonial based on your conversation, be sure to send it to them for approval so that you have it properly documented.

Testimonials are only as effective as you use them and address questions and areas of interests that are common for your prospects. Gathering feedback from your clients shouldn’t be an isolated event; rather it should be an integral part of nurturing and maintaining a relationship that can build loyalty and fine-tune your offerings to grow and strengthen your business.

End of the Year Business Checklist

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Erika Carruth

The holiday season is upon us, and while this may lead to more vacation and less productivity in the workplace, it can also be a time for you to review and prepare for the coming year. In addition to the obvious financial and accounting end-of-the-year tasks (P&L, Balance sheet, reconcile vendors, cashflow reports, etc.) that should be led by your accountant, you will also want to give attention to and tidy up some other aspects of your business. Here is a brief checklist to get you started:

Back Up Data – In addition to backing up your accounting system, you should run an end-of-year backup of all your files including client files and contracts, creative briefs, email, etc. Make sure that all employees follow the same system for backup; whether you use a hard drive or cloud-based system, all files and computers should be backed up and in two places.
Back Up Your Contacts – While many of your contacts may be backed up with your office files listed above, you and your employees may not sync your mobile devices with your office systems on a regular basis. For this reason, make sure all mobile devices (phones and tablets) and contacts are backed up in two places as well. While this should be a regular occurrence throughout the year, it is often overlooked, and the end of the year is a great time to make sure everything is properly accounted for in the backup process.
Review Your Files and Database Naming Process – In order for all employees (new and veteran) to easily locate and share information, you should already have a file-naming system in place. If not, now is the time to set one up for 2018. A file-naming system pertains to all correspondence and files. For example, all correspondence (letters, email) may have a naming format of “Last Name”-“First Initial”- Date (xx-xx-xx) – “topic (2 word max)”. A systematic approach to naming files is especially important for your business if you share servers or have multiple employees accessing the same data. Have all employees double-check their files to ensure that they have named them properly, and provide a friendly reminder for the naming system to be followed in the coming year.
Take Inventory – While this one seems obvious when looking at your current building materials, tools and supplies, it may not seem so obvious when looking at your employees and team. Take a close look at your team and current positions and plan ahead for any new positions or roles that may be required to meet demands in the coming year.
Check Your Online Presence – From your website to your YouTube videos and social media profiles, it is time for an end-of-the-year checkup. You should delete or revise any outdated links, addresses, contacts or information that may no longer be valid. Check every link for its function, and work with your account administrators to review their strategy and posting calendars for the coming year.

Of course, the end of the year also allows time for performance reviews, bonuses and departmental and company-wide goal setting. Work closely with your team to review the challenges and successes of this year to set up realistic and achievable goals for the coming year. While general maintenance of your accounting, data and website is essential, it is most important to use this time of year to keep communication open and work with your team to develop a plan and strategy that will position your company for success in 2018.

Florida’s Top Pool Builders – November 2017

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Erika Carruth

Last month there were more than 1,200 new swimming pool construction permits added to the HBW database for Florida. Leading the swimming pool starts, Southwest Florida had the highest number of total new permits (410 permits), and Tampa held the highest average value of construction at $43,682. Out of the hundreds of active pool contractors throughout the state, a handful ranked in the top spots for total new permits. Here is a closer look at new swimming pool construction and the leading pool builders in Florida last month by region:

Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida had the greatest amount of new swimming pool construction last month with 410 pool starts and a total construction value close to $18M. The average value of construction was consistent with most areas throughout Florida at $43,270, and the highest concentration of new construction took place in Lee County (158 permits).

Out of the just over 100 active builders in the area for the month, the following held the top spots for total swimming pool starts:

Top 5 Pool Builders – November: Aragon Pools & Spas; Pinnacle USA; Artesian Pool Construction; Contemporary Pools; Holiday Pools of West Florida.

Southeast Florida

In the southeast region of the Sunshine State, there were approximately 240 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value in excess of $9.1M added to the HBW database in November. The average value of construction was lower than most regions across the state at $38,239, and more than half of all new construction took place in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. There were more than 115 active pool contractors during November, and the following ranked at the top for total pool starts:

TOP 5 Pool Builders – November

A & G Concrete Pools

Treasure Pools & Service Inc

Sunsational Pools & Spa

Fountain Blue Pool Svc.

Van Kirk & Sons

Orlando

In the Central Florida/Orlando area there were nearly 235 swimming pool starts with a total value in excess of $10M last month. The average value of pool construction was $43,134, and just over 40% of all new construction took place in Orange County. Out of the 60+ active pool builders in the area for the month, the following ranked in the top five for total permits on file with HBW:

TOP 5 Pool Builders – November

All Seasons

Intercoastal Pool & Spa Builders

Artesian Pools Inc

Blue Marlin Pools

American Pools & Spas

Tampa

Coming in close to Orlando, the Tampa area had a total of 225 swimming pool starts with a total value of construction nearing $10M. The average value of new pool construction was $43,682, and just about 35% of all new permits originated from Hillsborough County. Out of the approximately 80 active builders with new permits on file for the month, the following ranked in the top five for total swimming pool starts:

TOP 5 Pool Builders – November

Tampa Bay Pools Inc

Gulfstream Pools & Spas

Olympus Pools

Challenger Pools

Tropical Pools & Pavers

Jacksonville

The northeastern region and Jacksonville area had the least amount of new pool construction for the month with 115 new permits and nearly $5M in value on file. The average value of swimming pool starts came in at $42,506, and from the more than 50 active pool builders in the area, the following held the top five spots for total permits for the one-month period:

TOP 5 Pool Builders – November

Waldhauer & Son

Stanley Pools Inc

Surfside Pools & Spas

Pools By John Clarkson

Blue Haven Pools

To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Erika Carruth

Florida Residential Construction Report – November 2017

Last month, more than 3,400 new Florida residential construction permits with a total value in excess of $940M were added to the HBW database. Construction permits provide valuable data to subscribers, not just for the purpose of gaining new and valid leads… By following permit data and construction trends, home builders can recognize patterns in areas, values, types of construction and gain better insight on the competition.

Here’s a closer look at housing starts and new residential construction in Florida last month based on HBW’s November construction data reports:

Tampa

Tampa was on top of the residential construction charts for November; there were nearly 900 housing starts with a total value in excess of $243k for the one-month period. The top counties with the highest concentration of housing starts are Hillsborough (249 permits) and Polk (237 permits), and the average value of construction across the area was $274,370. Out of the approximately 160 active builders, the following took the top three spots:

Top Builders:

Lennar Homes	80
D.R. Horton Inc	80
The Villages Of Lake Sumter	71

Southwest

The gulf coast areas of Florida continue to heat up in residential construction and real estate. Last month, the southwest region ranked second for total housing starts with 756 permits and a total construction value of nearly $195k. More than half of all new construction could be found in the counties of Lee (295 permits) and Sarasota (148 permits), and the average value across the area was $257,597. Out of the nearly 180 active builders for the one-month period, the following held top positions for total housing starts:

Top Builders:

Pulte Homes	102
Lennar Homes	93
D.R. Horton Inc	72

Orlando

Coming in very close to the southwest for home building activity, the Central Florida/Orlando area ranked third for total new residential construction permits on file with HBW. There were nearly 750 housing starts with a total value in excess of $235M last month, and the average value of construction was $314,428. As per usual, the highest levels of new residential construction could be found in Orange (285 permits) and Osceola (152 permits) counties. Out of the 140 active home builders for the month, the following ranked highest for total new permit activity:

Top Builders:

Pulte Homes	72
D.R. Horton Inc	59
Lennar Homes	58

Jacksonville

Last month, the Northeast/Jacksonville area had just over 600 new residential construction permits with a total value greater than $135M added to the HBW database. Higher concentrations of new construction could be found in Duval (228 permits) and St. Johns (208 permits) counties. Across the area, the average value of construction was lower than most other Florida regions coming in at $224,507. Out of the 110 active home builders for the month, the following took top spots for total housing starts:

Top Builders:

D.R. Horton Inc	130
KB Homes	46
Lennar Homes	43

Southeast

In the southeast, there were nearly 415 housing starts with a total value of more than $132M on file with HBW last month. While the southeast gained the fewest new residential construction permits in comparison to the rest of the state, it maintained the top spot for highest value of construction having an average construction value of $320,092. More than half of all new home building activity took place in the counties of Palm Beach (139 permits) and St. Lucie (125 permits), and out of the 125 active builders in the area last month, the following were on top for total housing starts:

Top Builders:

D.R. Horton Inc	59
G L Homes	49
Lennar Homes	22

Texas Swimming Pool Construction Update – November 2017

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Erika Carruth

A closer look at numbers behind new swimming pool construction in Texas during November.

As with every HBW report on Texas, we took a monthly view of construction activity from the four major metro areas of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. When focusing on new pool permit activity from the HBW database, we found approximately 400 new swimming pool construction permits with a total construction value of nearly $20M were added during the month of November. And while more than half of all swimming pool starts originated from the Dallas area, the highest average value of construction took place in Austin.

Here is a closer look at Texas swimming pool starts during the month of November:

Texas Swimming Pool Construction by Numbers – November 2017

Information utilized for Texas swimming pool construction reports was directly derived from HBW construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

A View From the Top – Texas Residential Construction in November

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Erika Carruth

From home builders with the most housing starts to areas with the highest concentration of new home construction, here is look at the top builders and areas in Texas last month.

Texas Housing Starts by Area – November 2017

While November wasn’t a record-breaking month for new residential construction in Texas, there were 3,700 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database with a total construction value in excess of $926M. Out of the hundreds of active builders on file throughout the four major metro areas of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, D.R. Horton dominated in three out of four areas and maintained its spot at the top for Texas housing starts. Houston continues to lead for new residential construction activity (~1,470 permits), while Dallas continues to drive higher construction value at an average of $319k last month.

Here is a closer look at the top areas and builders by area for November:

Houston

For the month of November, Houston took top spot for total housing starts out of the four major metro areas reviewed, having approximately 1,470 new residential construction permits with a total value in excess of $282M added to the HBW database. More than half of all new construction took place in Harris County (876 permits), and out of the 180 builders on file for the month, the following ranked at the top for total housing starts:

Company	Total Permits
D.R. Horton Inc.	223
Perry Homes	87
Lennar Homes	62

Dallas

In Dallas, there were 1,350 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $431M during November. More than half of all new construction took place in the counties of Collin (393 permits) and Tarrant (370 permits). Out of the approximately 250 active builders in the area for the month, the following took top spot for total new permits:

Company	Total Permits
D.R. Horton Inc	259
First Texas Homes	57
Pulte Homes	49

Austin

Last month, there were nearly 520 housing starts totaling nearly $131M in Austin. The bulk of new home construction took place in Travis County (>320 permits), and out of the 85+ active builders in the area, the following took top spot for total housing starts within the one-month period:

Company	Total Permits
D.R. Horton Inc	68
Lennar Homes	42
K B Homes	38

San Antonio

In San Antonio there were nearly 360 housing starts with a total construction value nearing $83M last month. The highest concentration of new residential construction could be found in Bexar County (153 permits), and out of the 95 active builders on file, the following builders were positioned at the top for total new permits for the one-month period:

Company	Total Permits
Continental Homes Of Texas	45
KB Homes	33
M/I Homes	21

Information utilized for Texas residential construction reports was directly derived from HBW construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Tips for Increasing Sales in 2018

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Erika Carruth

If you are like most businesses, you are planning, reviewing and approving budgets and projections for 2018. No matter how busy you may be with home building and remodeling projects, this time of year is crucial to your success next year and in the years to come. Sure, you could just run through the steps and increase your expected revenue based on your sales from last year, but if you do that, you simply won’t be maximizing this opportunity for growth.

To put a solid and comprehensive plan into place, it will take collaboration from your team and an honest review of your business activity over the last 12 months. Here are some easy ways to make the most of your planning sessions:

Review Your Successes (and Failures) of 2017 – It’s easy to celebrate our successes, but very few of us want to revisit painful projects that closed in the “red”. Nonetheless, such setbacks that may have transpired during the year should be used as opportunities. Take time to revisit jobs where you fell short on profit margins, as well as those where you came in on time and under budget; assess the weaknesses and the strengths of each project. Determine the factors that were within your control and can be improved upon and those that were out of your control and you can watch for in future projects. To truly be successful, your business and practices must evolve in a way that reinforces the players, departments and practices that work and eliminates or navigates the obstacles that have interfered with progress.
Listen to Your Customers – Not all customers are created equal, and chances are you have had a smooth ride with some and challenges with others in the past year. In order to nurture current client relationships and better handle challenges with future customers, review feedback (positive and negative) from your customers. From your sales team to your site supervisors, have your team compile a list of frequent or common requests, issues and noteworthy feedback that were received over the last year. You may be surprised by what you learn, and more importantly, your team can learn from each other through the eyes and ears of those you serve.
Listen to Your Team – Your sales teams are the ones with their finger on the pulse of your target market. While you may hold regular sales team meetings, the end-of-the year meeting should focus on reviewing your products and services and exploring possibilities for expanding your reach. Your team can provide valuable insight on customer interests, popular requests that you may or may not have been able to meet, trends and tools and resources they may be lacking to close the sale. This is also a good time to update and review prospect status reports, determine leads that are still viable and refresh the list with new leads such as those provided through HBW’s permit reports. Use this time to equip your team with everything they need to be confident and prepared to meet their sales goals in 2018.

When looking to grow and increase sales, you will want to cut away some time to review your current business patterns, apply customer input and team feedback to improve your offerings, project management and marketing efforts. Before the holiday parties begin and employees catch flights to their vacation destinations, make time for sales and team meetings and honest evaluations that will enable you and your business to extend the celebration in the year to come.

How to Make the Holidays Productive

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Erika Carruth

Tips for making the holiday season productive for your team and business.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, and along with holiday parties and gift giving, there will most likely be a lot of vacation time too. Just because the holidays are here doesn’t mean that your business needs to shut down. As a home builder or remodeler, projects don’t stop for the month just because shopping and decorating takes over during December. While you will want to make sure your employees get the holiday and vacation time they deserve, you should also take a few steps to ensure that you won’t lose too much valuable time on the job site. Here are five tips for making this holiday season a productive time for your business:

Schedule It – Even though every employee may already be aware of their approved time/dates off during the holidays, the schedule of days off should be visible to all employees. By providing guidelines and limitations on the number of employees that can be on vacation on any given day, it provides a chance for your own team to coordinate, swap and follow a clear schedule.
Black Out – If there are certain days that are essential for employees and workers to be on site, make sure to institute blackout dates for days off. The notice for blackout dates should be provided well in advance, and if they take place at the same time each year, they should be incorporated in the employee manual.
Offer Holiday Pay – Just as you offer overtime, additional holiday pay can motivate employees to work some of the less popular hours or dates of the season. Holiday pay differential can be incorporated in your pay structure and may be perfect for those team members who are interested in gaining more time on the job this season.
Offer Flexibility – This time of year is a demanding time for families, and as an employer, it is important to recognize your team’s needs. For this reason, offer flexible hours when and where possible, as well as the ability to work from home or remotely should they need to travel.
Be Fair – Even if you have a first come, first served policy, the same employees may be reaping the reward of holiday vacation year after year. Keep track of those team members taking off for the holidays so that they can fairly share the responsibility and rotate holiday vacation time.

By having a clear schedule, guidelines and fair rotation of the holiday vacation schedule, your employees will be better prepared to keep your business on track throughout the holiday season.

Preventing Employee Burnout

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Erika Carruth

With the holidays, your team has most likely scheduled well-deserved breaks and vacation time throughout December. And while they may become temporarily refreshed over the holidays, in order to retain employees, it is important to take proper steps to ensure they are refreshed throughout the year. With technology, we are in constant contact with work by email, text and social media, and although this can be great for improving communication, it is also a great way to burn out your top performers.

Employee burnout and stress are on the rise and can be costly to individual health and healthcare in general. According to Harvard Business School, the psychological and physical problems of burned-out employees costs an estimated $125 billion to $190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the U.S. The cost for your business can be far greater as high stress can lead to lower productivity and increased turnover. In order to reduce stress and prevent burnout, here are a few basic steps you can take to help employees find a work-life balance:

Time Management – Time management is one of the keys to success and productivity. That being stated, not everyone has the tools for properly managing their time which can lead to employees feeling overwhelmed and overworked. Rather than pinpointing team members who are experiencing challenges with time management, be proactive by providing tools and guidelines for managing projects and office time. This can be done through useful technology and training, as well as providing schedules for certain projects and meetings. Your business and team should run on time and have realistic expectations for how long each project or daily task should require. Don’t allow meetings to run over, and don’t accept habitual tardiness.
Use Your Talent – Using your top talent does not mean overusing them. It is easy to take those who are most capable and continuously task them with the most weighted priorities. While this is usually done with the best intentions, it can chase your top performers out the door. For this reason, be sure to use ALL of your employees and spread the tasks and priorities fairly across the team. If you find that you have a small percentage of your team that you can trust to complete projects accurately and on time, then it may be time to reassess your players, provide training or bring new talent onboard.
Designate Decision Makers – Open and collaborative work environments are gaining in popularity and with good reason. Teamwork is one of the building blocks of a strong team and company culture; at the same time, it can also lead to confusion when it comes to making final decisions or executing action items. In any company model, it is essential that there be a few key decision makers. Collaboration and group participation are valuable, but just be sure to assign leaders and decision makers within groups. It is important that everyone contributes, but ultimately, there should be one leader in charge of the final decision and keeping projects and meetings on task and on time.

By providing guidelines for time management, designating leaders and ensuring equal distribution of tasks, your team will have a clear understanding of workflow within your business. With clear and realistic expectations, employees will be able to achieve their goals and complete tasks in a way that reduces stress and provides balance both in and out of the office.