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The Benefits of Using Moulding
- Monday September 24, 2012
Editor's Note: This is the second in a five-part series about mouldings, taken from a whitepaper by Fair Lawn, N.J.-based Kuiken Brothers Co. Inc. titled "Using Moulding to Enhance the Beauty and Elegance of a Space and Create New Revenue Streams." There are many reasons to use mouldings in your next remodel or whole house project. “When you see classical moulding, you’re looking at the origins of American architecture,” says Christine G.H. Franck, designer and co-author of Winterthur: Traditional American Rooms: Celebrating Style, Craftsmanship, and Historic Woodwork . “There is a whole tradition still alive and vital today. You’re celebrating something that’s uniquely American by using classical mouldings, especially... -
Clients running the show? Never again
By Todd Vendituoli - Friday September 21, 2012
Years ago when I was starting out and in a slow period I received a call from someone that was building a new home. They wanted me to give them a price on a kitchen, which of course hit me as odd because if they were building a new home why wasn’t the contractor doing it? But being that times were slow I decided to go and see what they wanted and maybe find out why their contractor wasn’t doing it. When we got together they explained that the contractor wasn’t fulfilling his duties in a way they wanted and so they wanted to get someone else to finish the kitchen which was one of the last things to be done. They also had a few other things that needed doing so I proceeded to listen. The clients also informed me that they were... -
Home Shows Are Worth the Investment
By Jeff Kaliner - Monday September 17, 2012
In the age of digital communication and tech-savvy consumers, it’s easy to lose a personal connection with the homeowners who support your business. At Power, we pride ourselves on the personal attention each one of our customers receives at every stage of their home remodeling project. From the initial introduction to our products to the final walk through after a project is completed, customer satisfaction is always first on our list of priorities. The art of personal communication is just as important when marketing your business to potential customers. This is especially true in the home remodeling and renovation industry where consumers trust our companies enough to open up their homes to us and let us help them realize their... -
The Evolving Tastes of Younger Homeowners
By Janice Costa - Monday September 10, 2012While it’s commonly assumed that that younger consumers love complicated technology and anything trendy, that’s not necessarily true when it comes to kitchen and bath design choices. In fact, while younger consumers may love their technology and idolize Tim Gunn, that doesn’t mean they’re willing to sacrifice practicality, or durability, in order to achieve their high-tech, fashion-forward vision. Generations X and Y may have modern-day sensibilities, but these are still consumers raised by practically minded parents – and those parents would likely be proud of the way those values “took.” So it should come as no surprise that when kitchen and bath designers were recently surveyed about what they saw these generations... -
Ahh, the simple joys of sketching
By Todd Mather - Sunday September 9, 2012
As an architect and designer, the skill and/or talent of sketching is paramount. However, not all need this skill. I am reminded of so many positions within the profession of architecture and building for which the need for using a pen and paper is limited. To me, though, it is invaluable to be able to quickly sketch the essence of an interior, a change to an exterior under construction, or to take their idea of a fireplace detail, for instance, and translate my client’s words into a picture on paper. They appreciate this. Contractors appreciate it, as well as the structural engineers with whom I work. The ability to take mental pictures or words from a discussion and create a three-dimensional image allows design solutions... -
A Serial Entrepreneur's Common Sense Advice
By Victor Green - Thursday September 6, 2012
It’s true that many factors contribute to an organization’s success, but in the end it all comes down to this: how will your business be better, or different, than what is already available? Will you provide a better service than anyone else? Will you offer something that will improve your customers business and make them more money? The answers to one—preferably both—of these questions should always be a resounding, “Yes!” This article assumes you have done the research and built the product. You have found a gap in the market that you can fill. Now, you’re tasked with building or managing an organization that already exists. You may find the tips below are obvious or common sense. I would argue that these days, common... -
Swinging Hammers
By Laurie Banyay - Friday August 31, 2012
I’m in the middle of a visit to my family, who live north of Pittsburgh. I worked out of their home office for a while, anticipating a quiet work time that would be productive. Although the latter occurred the former did not. Their house is in an area once country that’s slowly being developed. Behind their house, a rooster cock-a-doodle-doos from about 6 a.m. through sunset. When the rooster isn’t stealing the show, I can hear goats. If the breeze is blowing the right way, I smell cows. The noise I noticed the most, however, was that of construction. My parents live in an almost fully developed neighborhood. Right now, they’re having a deck addition put outside their sliding door where a patio formerly stood. Across the... -
Using Moulding to Enhance Spaces
- Monday August 27, 2012
Editor's Note: This is the first in a five-part series about mouldings, taken from a whitepaper by Fair Lawn, N.J.-based Kuiken Brothers Co. Inc. titled "Using Moulding to Enhance the Beauty and Elegance of a Space and Create New Revenue Streams." As a professional interior designer, you have a keen eye for detail. You understand and appreciate things like structure, concept, hierarchy, continuity, history and tradition. You recognize quality and craftsmanship. You also want to improve your bottom line. Most interior designers have three options for making money—hourly rates, flat fees for project work and industry-standard products and services mark-ups. As a small business owner, you’re on the never-ending search for new... -
Can good customer service make you better?
By Bonnie Pickartz - Friday August 24, 2012
You know your trade. You know that you offer quality and value. So how do you define that in a way that the client will understand? That you are their best choice? You enhance your service and/or product by backing it up with customer service that goes above and beyond. Customer service often takes a back seat. The salesmen sell your services, the craftsmen do the work (and often both of these are done by the same people), but the person who backs everything up and answers all the questions is secondary. However, great customer service is usually the best sales tool you have. When a potential client makes contact with you, you aren't selling, you are providing information and assistance. The client is either impressed with your... -
Keeping Employees Motivated in the Dog Days of Summer
By Jeff Kaliner - Monday August 20, 2012
It’s easy for even the most high-achieving employees to languish when the kids are out of school and vacation is just around the corner. Keeping employees motivated in the dog days of summer can pay productivity and efficiency dividends for your company year-round. A careful balance of positive reinforcement and flexibility, with a little tough love, will help reenergize employees and keep them focused when the mercury rises. Our company has been named a top workplace in major cities up and down the east coast, and we attribute that primarily to employee satisfaction. We do our best to help our employees realize they’re an important part of the Power family. Knowing how much their role in the company is valued across all departments...