The Tim Faller Show

The handoff, turnover, passing the baton — or whatever you call it in your company — is a critical step in production. Having a well-planned, tight, organized system in place is key to a smooth-running project that ends with a happy client and healthy bottom line. As you grow, it becomes even more important —... The post Ep.60: The Sales to Production Handoff with Mike Livingston appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

“Going green” has been a part of the remodeling and building industries for a while. But much of the eco-conscious activity has been reactive. There’s real movement now to be proactive, and that’s especially true in the energy industry. It’s undergoing a massive disruption — and that has big implications for remodelers and builders. In... The post Ep.59: New Energy Opportunities with Jacob Corvidae appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Building codes and inspection systems can vary greatly from one place to another, but every remodeler has some experience with inspections — good or bad. In this episode, we get the other side of the story, from a former inspector. Aaron Wingert joins Tim and Steve to talk about how important it is to establish... The post Ep.58: The Inspector’s View with Aaron Wingert appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Problems in Production can be hard to fix — even identifying chronic mistakes and hurdles takes time. Too often, remodelers stop there, shrug, and say, “it is what it is.” It doesn’t have to be that way. Checklists are a great tool to use in the next step, when you solve the problems and prevent... The post Ep.57: Checklist Implementation with Wesley Yoder appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Remodelers and custom-home builders are used to being on a job site, building from the outside in, whatever the weather. Modular or prefab homes are built in a controlled factory environment, from the inside out, and have made strides in quality, architectural complexity, and production processes. In this episode, David Cooper talks to Tim and... The post Ep.56: The Ins and Outs of Off-Site Construction with David Cooper appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

It can take one stroke of bad luck to take a remodeling business’s leader suddenly out of the picture — either temporarily or permanently. The repercussions can be wide and economically traumatic if the remaining team can’t pull together and keep the business running. When Rosie Romero, the owner (and primary salesperson) of Rosie On... The post Ep.55: How Your Team Responds in a Crisis with Don Brees and Alex Pajic appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

We’re once again talking about the labor crisis in the remodeling industry, but from a different angle. Developing an environment that will keep the employees you have, and help them grow in their roles, will help your company prosper. In this episode, John Sylvestre talks to Tim and Steve about how he’s created a company... The post Ep.54: Keeping Long-Term Employees with John Sylvestre appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Of all the things you have in your marketing toolbox — your website, email and direct mail, or social media — there’s one you may have overlooked. Positioning your Production team to be aware of sales and marketing can be an overlooked marketing strategy, and also help align the office and field teams. In this... The post Ep.53: Make Your Project Manager a Marketing Machine with Doug Panozzo appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

We’ve talked about getting your Production team engaged in refining your systems and processes by encouraging them to make decisions and look for problems. But have you considered involving Production in the Design process?    In this episode, Michael Sauri talks about how and why he did just that with Tim and Steve. Through this... The post Ep.52: Growing Through Team Engagement with Michael Sauri appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

We’ve talked about trade schools and skills training, but today we focus on what you can learn at trade events. Attending and sending your team can broaden everyone’s skill sets and knowledge bases. In this episode, Lauren Moore discusses what goes on behind the scenes at shows and events with Tim and Steve, why you... The post Ep.51: Getting a Trade Show Education with Lauren Moore appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Estimating accurately is critical to the success of any remodeling business. As you grow your business or hand off estimating to an employee, having the right system in place is paramount. It can feel like an overwhelming decision — there’s so much software available. The wrong decision will cost you lost revenue, but even worse... The post Ep.50: Choosing Estimating Software with Jef Forward appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

For many people, the actual building of the project is what Production is all about. Looking at the bigger picture, Production has a great deal of responsibility to keep profit up. Production is a huge contributor to the financial health of the company. It’s about the numbers — but what numbers are critical for the... The post Ep.49: The Numbers that Matter Most with Judith Miller appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Client satisfaction is a huge component of making any business successful. Remodeling has an extra personal factor — your team and your subs are in a client’s home every day. Most of the time, the homeowners are living in and around your job site. Understanding their experiences, asking questions about what they really need, and... The post Ep.48: A View From the Client’s Seat appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Today we’re talking about LEAN in Production. Doug Howard has been helping remodeling companies see how they can make their processes better, cut wasted effort, and streamline their systems for better profits. In this episode, Doug talks to Tim and Steve about what it can do for your company — especially in Production. Doug Howard,... The post Ep.47: An Introduction to LEAN with Doug Howard appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

There are many different ways to work with architects in the remodeling industry, whether you’re working in the design/build model or as a builder using plans developed outside your company. Regardless of the work model, most remodelers agree the architectural plans they get at the beginning of the production process are only half done. So communication... The post Ep.46: Working with Architects with Jason Stearns appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Technical education at the high school level seems to be fading, but it’s growing at the college level. There are more programs turning out skilled workers that can start producing for home remodeling and construction companies on Day One. In this episode, Paul Lewandowski of Fox Valley Technical College talks to Tim and Steve about... The post Ep.45: The Strength of a Technical Education with Paul Lewandowski appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Television is full of construction and remodeling shows, but we all know many of them leave false impressions of how fast and easy the process can be. But the pioneering program This Old House still shows viewers how complicated it can be. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the program, and they’re tackling a... The post Ep.44: Special Guest Kevin O’Connor of “This Old House” appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

A good job autopsy can lay the foundation for better processes and more profits for your company. But you have to do it right. Some companies use them like a club, which leads to finger-pointing and the blame game. Some owners just brood over the numbers and do nothing. But the numbers tell the story,... The post Ep.43: The Importance of Job Autopsies with Chris Beck appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

With growth comes a need to hire a Production Manager — someone responsible for the entire department. It can be a difficult transition to move a Production Manager or Lead Carpenter up into that role. It’s about managing a department and the people, and it’s much more complex than running a job. Your company may... The post Ep.42: Becoming a Production Manager Without a Construction Background with Brad Yetman appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

We hear it all the time — you can’t find good help anywhere. But finding new employees is necessary for growth. You have to add staff, and keep them — not just in your company, but in the industry. We have to step up in a big way when it comes to offering employees reasons... The post Ep.41: Remodel My Business with Shawn McCadden appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.