Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Dec 1, 2009, 6:35 pm
If you have been around us long, you know that I have always encouraged you to study, learn and become the very best you can be. We all owe that effort to our spouses, our babies, our customers and ou...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 25, 2009, 2:15 pm
When guys my age admit it’s been a tough year, you know it’s been a tough year. It’s been tough for you, for us, for everyone in the construction industry. There is also a lot to b...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 24, 2009, 12:56 pm
In a recent note from Brian Tracy, he quoted a fellow by the name of Robert Ringer. Ringer said, “The future belongs to those who possess certain knowledge.” The question is, what certain...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 20, 2009, 6:11 pm
Next Tuesday evening, November 24, when the phone is quiet and you’re preparing for the holiday weekend, considering joining us for a free online webinar with Brian Javeline and Michael Stone. I...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 18, 2009, 3:09 pm
How are you doing on your review and planning time for 2010? Our newsletters of October 30 and November 5 laid out an outline on how to approach the task. (You can view the newsletters online here ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 17, 2009, 1:03 pm
Last week we asked if you were ready for some new business? For many, business is picking up. Now let me ask – how are your office practices and procedures? Is your office and staff ready for th...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 12, 2009, 3:29 pm
There is plenty of bad news recently, especially the events at Fort Hood, Texas (where I was stationed back in 1960). Some folks have more rain than they need, others don’t have enough. To add t...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 10, 2009, 4:27 pm
In the book, “What Would Google Do?”, the author talks about advertising in today’s market with the advent of social media. If I can paraphrase what he said to match the construction...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 5, 2009, 1:10 pm
I saw an article in a paper the other day about a local construction company that gets all the employees together to do stretching exercises each morning before they start working. The article also s...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Nov 3, 2009, 4:57 pm
I have noticed several posts recently on forums and Blogs from contractors trying to sell the way they did years ago. Gang, the old ways simply won’t work in this economy. Here is what Brian Tr...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 30, 2009, 2:56 pm
If you own a construction-related business you know that business insurance, especially construction liability insurance, is expensive. Did you know that rates are negotiable? If you’d like to...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 29, 2009, 7:25 pm
Yesterday I mentioned that too many contractors were in too much of a hurry to talk about budget. Today, Brian Tracy sent a newsletter confirming that. Here are some comments he included: The first s...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 28, 2009, 3:11 pm
I have had several emails, phone calls and have seen forum posts recently about talking with your customers about their budget. In our book “Profitable Sales; A Contractor’s Guide“,...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 26, 2009, 5:13 pm
It’s the last week of October, almost planning time for 2010. Our next newsletter will review the planning process, be sure to watch for it. One thing you need to decide each year is how much ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 24, 2009, 6:33 pm
We had an excellent response to the webinar Thursday evening by Mike Jeffries, “What Every Contractor Needs to Know to Generate Profitable Leads Now”. Comments included: “FANTASTIC ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 20, 2009, 12:30 pm
Ever hear that from a potential client when they call on the phone? Why do people ask you that question? Because they believe all contractors are the same, so the only difference is the price. That i...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 19, 2009, 1:51 pm
I read this morning a quote from Napoleon Hill, a motivational expert who wrote a number of books including “Think and Grow Rich” – “The majority of men meet with failure becau...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 16, 2009, 12:30 pm
If you ever read the Peanuts comic strip, you’ll remember Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. The Great Pumpkin appears on Halloween and does something (I can’t remember what). Here is m...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 14, 2009, 1:03 pm
I’d love to hear your input, folks. A recent post by Leah Thayer on Hanley Wood’s Remodeling blog hit the “lower your prices since the economy is down” nail right on the head. ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 2, 2009, 3:31 pm
Two subjects in one post: 1. NASCLA, the National Association of State Contractor Licensing Agencies, has put together a test for commercial contractors. By taking and passing the test, the commercia...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Oct 1, 2009, 3:32 pm
I received an email some time back from a young landscaper asking about labor rates. I’d like to share the discussion with you. She asked how to calculate markup on labor. She was using an inf...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 30, 2009, 12:09 pm
A McGraw Hill Construction newsletter had some good news. “New construction starts in August grew 2% to $429.8 billion (annual rate). The lift was provided by nonbuilding construction, comprise...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 28, 2009, 12:57 pm
Sunday afternoon, Devon and I attended the fall Home Improvement and Remodeling show in Portland sponsored by the Oregon Remodelers Association. I was told by some exhibitors they felt that attendance...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 25, 2009, 11:58 am
They are building a new highway across and above Hoover Dam on the Nevada/Arizona border. We stopped at Hoover Dam in August, I caught a quick picture of their progress. It was (at least) 116 degrees ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 23, 2009, 3:47 pm
I read a newsletter yesterday from DesignandBuildwithMetal.com web site that said: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke proclaimed last week that the U.S. recession is ‘very likely over&...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 22, 2009, 2:43 pm
“Start what?” Yes, you need to start planning your advertising to potential clients that you are available to install and take down Christmas lights and decorations. I read an article to...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 18, 2009, 11:05 am
This week, I was reminded again about the need to be diligent in not just watching our receivables, but also in collecting them. A young lady called for help. She is a concrete contractor having tro...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 16, 2009, 11:03 am
On this blog, in our newsletter and in our book, “Profitable Sales, A Contractor’s Guide”, I often talk about finding your perfect customer and defining your niche. I saw a quote this morning th...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 11, 2009, 3:54 pm
I was able to get away for a few days to go elk hunting earlier this week. Attached is a picture I took of a sunrise on Mt. Adams taken from one of the roads that winds around Mt. St. Helens. We saw...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 9, 2009, 3:44 pm
Recently Brian Tracy sent out a newsletter talking about the importance of checklists. In part, he said: Guard Against the Worst For me, as a professional speaker and seminar leader, the worst thing...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 4, 2009, 1:45 pm
A follow-up on the earlier blog post about photos of jobs – this is important for all jobs, even (especially?) handyman work, insurance repair and/or restoration work. Pictures should include ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Sep 3, 2009, 11:14 am
I was reminded again recently of the need for in-house training on what it takes to pay the bills in a construction related company. I don’t mean how much money is spent on this or that overhead...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 31, 2009, 6:18 pm
I was reminded again last week of the value in taking a good set of pictures on the jobs you do. I have a coaching client who had a customer “fire” them after about 20% of the job had bee...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 25, 2009, 12:43 pm
“…Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 21, 2009, 12:14 pm
I love Brian Tracy. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter, and he does it with ease. Previously, I have mentioned during tough times like now, we must make decisions about our staff, may...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 19, 2009, 9:41 pm
I had the privilege of talking with Scott Avery yesterday. Scott owns and runs Modern Tech Floors in Portland. Scott is one of our success stories, I love talking with him. Scott told me that when w...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 18, 2009, 4:14 pm
A blog post by Mark Buckshon, publisher of the Construction Marketing Ideas blog discusses an interesting concept in marketing, it’s worth checking out. http://constructionmarketingideas.blogsp...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 17, 2009, 4:16 pm
A recent article by Jim Hinshaw in the HVACR Today newsletter brought home the truth of why it is necessary to advertise 24/7/365, forever. In 1989 and 1991, two recession years, Jell-O, Doritos and ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 14, 2009, 2:56 pm
I’m done, I’m done, I’m done, done, done. Oh joy and fiddlesticks. All 250 + boxes have been gone through and sorted or semi-sorted. Boxes full of papers needed to be dealt with, h...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 11, 2009, 12:56 pm
Have you ever had something to do, that needed doing, that you kept finding one reason after another not to do it? Me neither. Well, maybe. This is “Stone’s True Confessions”, onlin...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 10, 2009, 5:40 pm
I enjoy Kim Komando’s newsletters, she often has some interesting info. A recent post had a link to a video about a Texas gulf coast contractor who hired an Amish family to help him build a new ...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Aug 6, 2009, 12:30 pm
“You overcharged me! I am going to sue your sorry a**.” Another version is, “I bought your house 17 years ago and now the roof is leaking. I am going to sue you for everything you...
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Devon S. posted an article on Markup and Profit Blog - Jul 29, 2009, 12:03 pm
I’ve mentioned before that it’s a good idea to have company signage on your construction business vehicles to let the world know you are in business. Devon and I took our girls to a summer...
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