5 Ways Pros Work Smarter, Not Harder, on Their Businesses
When you run your own remodeling or outdoor business, finding ways to work smarter rather than harder isn’t just good for the bottom line, it’s also good for your well-being. We asked pros to share the strategies they use to make their businesses run smoothly and efficiently.
1. Find Simple Ways to Be More Efficient
Kitchen and bath remodeler Jared Lewis of Lewis Design-Build-Remodel in Scotts Valley, California, says that identifying ways to run his business more efficiently saves him time, money and stress.
“We have multiple work trucks that we set up in exactly the same way, just like they do on fire trucks,” Lewis says. “An employee knows they will find tools like hammers, nails and measuring tapes in the same location on every truck. It might not seem like a big thing, but when an employee knows exactly where to find a tool, they don’t have to waste time and money searching for it.”
Lewis also conducts cost-benefit analyses on tasks big and small. His business works with a lumberyard that will deliver shipments for much less than he pays his hourly employees. “So it doesn’t make any sense to have them go pick it up themselves,” he says. “It’s all about trimming the fat to make your business run as lean and efficient as possible.”
2. Know When to Delegate Client Work to Other Pros
Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says that when working with clients, delegating work can be a great strategy for working smarter, as long as you choose the right moments.
“Delegation is a wonderful thing and it can save you lots of time, but it really all comes down to the client and their needs,” Milner says. “Over the years I have established a network of showroom representatives and professional contractors that I trust to work with my clients without me having to be there.” Empowering clients in a direct relationship with other trusted pros saves Milner time that she can then spend on the design work she does best, rather than in accompanying the client to meetings with other pros. But her ability to delegate really depends on a client’s comfort level.
“If it’s a new client or one who is uncertain or anxious about a design decision, I make sure that I’m there to talk them through it,” Milner says. “Delegating needs to be a positive for both you and the client or it doesn’t make any sense.”
3. Share Daily Updates
Keeping everyone up to date and on the same page is one of the best ways to work smarter, not harder. Therefore, Lewis shares a daily job log for every project.
“I send a daily job log to the contractors, subcontractors and the clients,” Lewis says. “It reviews what was done the day before and what’s expected to be done for the day. Letting everyone involved know the current status of a project can relieve a lot of stress and miscommunication.”
Remodelers, builders and other home renovation pros can use Houzz Pro to create and share daily status updates, progress photos and notes with their clients. The personalized client portal available to Houzz Pro subscribers keeps all information about a project in a single place, even reminding homeowners of action items like approving a change order or making a payment.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Call
In a world of modern technology, designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, often relies on an old-school telephone call as the best way to get quick and clear results.
“Instead of waiting for an email response or being worried about the tone of an email being off, I prefer to pick up the phone and talk to contractors and clients,” Bula says. “I feel like you can often get more accomplished in one phone call than you can in a dozen book-length emails being sent back and forth.”
5. Schedule Stress Relief
To be your best, you have to feel your best, and the remodeling and design professionals interviewed for this article all highlighted the importance of relieving stress in a consistent and scheduled manner.
“I recently purchased a new turntable to go along with my large collection of records collected over the years,” Milner says. “I listen to music every night as a way to unwind and reflect upon my day. There’s something about the tactile nature of taking a record out of its sleeve and putting it on the turntable that melts away my stress.”
For Lewis, a weekly golf game helps keep him and his business running smoothly. “If I don’t get a round of golf in every week, it’s going to show up in my work. That’s not good for me, my employees or my clients,” he says.
Bula says exercise helps get her through her workweek with lower stress. “Yoga is my go-to exercise,” she says.
When you run your own remodeling or outdoor business, finding ways to work smarter rather than harder isn’t just good for the bottom line, it’s also good for your well-being. We asked pros to share the strategies they use to make their businesses run smoothly and efficiently. Read on for their tips, and please share your own in the Comments.
2. Know When to Delegate Client Work to Other Pros
Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says that when working with clients, delegating work can be a great strategy for working smarter, as long as you choose the right moments.
“Delegation is a wonderful thing and it can save you lots of time, but it really all comes down to the client and their needs,” Milner says. “Over the years I have established a network of showroom representatives and professional contractors that I trust to work with my clients without me having to be there.” Empowering clients in a direct relationship with other trusted pros saves Milner time that she can then spend on the design work she does best, rather than in accompanying the client to meetings with other pros. But her ability to delegate really depends on a client’s comfort level.
“If it’s a new client or one who is uncertain or anxious about a design decision, I make sure that I’m there to talk them through it,” Milner says. “Delegating needs to be a positive for both you and the client or it doesn’t make any sense.”
Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says that when working with clients, delegating work can be a great strategy for working smarter, as long as you choose the right moments.
“Delegation is a wonderful thing and it can save you lots of time, but it really all comes down to the client and their needs,” Milner says. “Over the years I have established a network of showroom representatives and professional contractors that I trust to work with my clients without me having to be there.” Empowering clients in a direct relationship with other trusted pros saves Milner time that she can then spend on the design work she does best, rather than in accompanying the client to meetings with other pros. But her ability to delegate really depends on a client’s comfort level.
“If it’s a new client or one who is uncertain or anxious about a design decision, I make sure that I’m there to talk them through it,” Milner says. “Delegating needs to be a positive for both you and the client or it doesn’t make any sense.”
3. Share Daily Updates
Keeping everyone up to date and on the same page is one of the best ways to work smarter, not harder. Therefore, Lewis shares a daily job log for every project.
“I send a daily job log to the contractors, subcontractors and the clients,” Lewis says. “It reviews what was done the day before and what’s expected to be done for the day. Letting everyone involved know the current status of a project can relieve a lot of stress and miscommunication.”
Remodelers, builders and other home renovation pros can use Houzz Pro to create and share daily status updates, progress photos and notes with their clients. The personalized client portal available to Houzz Pro subscribers keeps all information about a project in a single place, even reminding homeowners of action items like approving a change order or making a payment.
Keeping everyone up to date and on the same page is one of the best ways to work smarter, not harder. Therefore, Lewis shares a daily job log for every project.
“I send a daily job log to the contractors, subcontractors and the clients,” Lewis says. “It reviews what was done the day before and what’s expected to be done for the day. Letting everyone involved know the current status of a project can relieve a lot of stress and miscommunication.”
Remodelers, builders and other home renovation pros can use Houzz Pro to create and share daily status updates, progress photos and notes with their clients. The personalized client portal available to Houzz Pro subscribers keeps all information about a project in a single place, even reminding homeowners of action items like approving a change order or making a payment.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Call
In a world of modern technology, designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, often relies on an old-school telephone call as the best way to get quick and clear results.
“Instead of waiting for an email response or being worried about the tone of an email being off, I prefer to pick up the phone and talk to contractors and clients,” Bula says. “I feel like you can often get more accomplished in one phone call than you can in a dozen book-length emails being sent back and forth.”
Learn more about Houzz Pro for specialty contractors
In a world of modern technology, designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, often relies on an old-school telephone call as the best way to get quick and clear results.
“Instead of waiting for an email response or being worried about the tone of an email being off, I prefer to pick up the phone and talk to contractors and clients,” Bula says. “I feel like you can often get more accomplished in one phone call than you can in a dozen book-length emails being sent back and forth.”
Learn more about Houzz Pro for specialty contractors
5. Schedule Stress Relief
To be your best, you have to feel your best, and the remodeling and design professionals interviewed for this article all highlighted the importance of relieving stress in a consistent and scheduled manner.
“I recently purchased a new turntable to go along with my large collection of records collected over the years,” Milner says. “I listen to music every night as a way to unwind and reflect upon my day. There’s something about the tactile nature of taking a record out of its sleeve and putting it on the turntable that melts away my stress.”
For Lewis, a weekly golf game helps keep him and his business running smoothly. “If I don’t get a round of golf in every week, it’s going to show up in my work. That’s not good for me, my employees or my clients,” he says.
Bula says exercise helps get her through her workweek with lower stress. “Yoga is my go-to exercise,” she says.
To be your best, you have to feel your best, and the remodeling and design professionals interviewed for this article all highlighted the importance of relieving stress in a consistent and scheduled manner.
“I recently purchased a new turntable to go along with my large collection of records collected over the years,” Milner says. “I listen to music every night as a way to unwind and reflect upon my day. There’s something about the tactile nature of taking a record out of its sleeve and putting it on the turntable that melts away my stress.”
For Lewis, a weekly golf game helps keep him and his business running smoothly. “If I don’t get a round of golf in every week, it’s going to show up in my work. That’s not good for me, my employees or my clients,” he says.
Bula says exercise helps get her through her workweek with lower stress. “Yoga is my go-to exercise,” she says.
Kitchen and bath remodeler Jared Lewis of Lewis Design-Build-Remodel in Scotts Valley, California, says that identifying ways to run his business more efficiently saves him time, money and stress.
“We have multiple work trucks that we set up in exactly the same way, just like they do on fire trucks,” Lewis says. “An employee knows they will find tools like hammers, nails and measuring tapes in the same location on every truck. It might not seem like a big thing, but when an employee knows exactly where to find a tool, they don’t have to waste time and money searching for it.”
Lewis also conducts cost-benefit analyses on tasks big and small. His business works with a lumberyard that will deliver shipments for much less than he pays his hourly employees. “So it doesn’t make any sense to have them go pick it up themselves,” he says. “It’s all about trimming the fat to make your business run as lean and efficient as possible.”
Learn about Houzz Pro for builders and remodelers