The Tim Faller Show

As the old saying goes, to truly understand someone else’s situation, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. In our case, it’s more like work all day in their OSHA-approved work boots, but the intention is the same. There’s always at least two points of view in any interaction. Running a small business... The post Ep.40: Seeing Your Jobs from the Trade’s Point of View with Jason Wright appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Meeting client expectations and getting jobs done profitably greatly depends on hitting your schedule. Cloud-based software makes it simpler to set up a schedule, but you still have to get your staff, Trade Partners and other Subs to understand and follow through on those plans. In this episode, Keith Blose talks scheduling with Tim and... The post Ep.39: Hitting Production Schedules with Keith Blose appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

When you’re managing a project, you need your Trade Partners and Subcontractors to work with you, not against you. That means you need to build strong relationships and make them feel like they’re all part of the same team. The three main things to help that along, says John Vendafreddo, is to do your research... The post Ep.38: Working with Trades On-Site with John Vendafreddo appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Although wages and benefits are rising faster in the remodeling industry than in others, the labor shortage remains an ongoing problem. Good talent is hard to find. Many companies are poaching production staff from other firms to solve their problems. In this episode, Erika Taylor talks to Tim and Steve about the issue, why it... The post Ep.37: How to Prevent Employee Poaching with Erika Taylor appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Remodeling solutions that make people more comfortable in their homes, while saving energy, are becoming more important to remodelers and homeowners. Researchers and specialists are diving into this, and manufacturers are creating new products that will achieve those goals. But it’s still not simple. You have to look at the building itself — not just... The post Ep.36: Creating Comfortable Buildings Through Energy Efficiency with John Viner appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

As the labor shortage drags on, and may even be getting tighter, getting the word out about open positions in your remodeling company is more important than ever. Your recruiting effort is really a marketing function. In this episode, Jack Jostes drops by to talk with Tim and Steve about going beyond the help-wanted ad... The post Ep.35: Find Great Employees with Effective Marketing with Jack Jostes appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

You need to take time at the start of a job to plan so you can keep to a job’s schedule and the budget. But the Production department almost always feels like they’re under the gun at the start and just want to get to work. Even with a schedule, something unexpected almost always happens... The post Ep.34: Job Planning for Success with Dave Wittig appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

A full week where no production, no work on projects at all, might seem like any remodeling company’s nightmare — the kind that wakes you in the middle of the night. For one company, though, it’s a reality that’s worked like a dream. In this episode, Dave Domenichini explains the hows, whys, and benefits of building... The post Ep.33: The Reboot Week with Dave Domenichini appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Skills training is a hot topic, but too few companies are doing anything more than discussing it. The industry can no longer count on anyone else to do the basic training for trade skills, those in the remodeling business need to do it to help solve our labor shortage. There’s also a fear of training... The post Ep.32: The Importance of Hands-On Tool Training with Gary Katz appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

We’re taking a stroll down memory lane, to pick our Top 10 moments from our first 30 episodes. These episodes discuss the big ideas that can really change your company and how you do business. Every time we talk to a guest, we come away with something new. Although we look at Production, our biggest... The post Ep.31: Tim and Steve’s Top 10 Episodes (So Far) appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Systems aren’t just for manufacturing or assembling a fast-food burger. There are tasks remodeling companies do every day, week, and month on every job. As your company grows, building systems into your business and production processes to standardize this work is a necessary step to avoid total chaos and wasted time. In this episode, Brad... The post Ep.30: Building Systems in Production with Brad Hogan appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Accidents happen on the job,  and luckily most are relatively minor — cuts, bruises, maybe stitches — but they can be more serious. Then everyone tightens up and pays attention, but that attention tends to fade. Getting jobs done once again becomes the focus, with maybe a few thoughts toward what could have happened. But... The post Ep.29: Talking Job-Site Safety with Dale Nikula appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

Hiring and retention are big issues everywhere. As much as we talk about salary and bonuses, the way to get workers to stick around isn’t always about money. It’s more about the culture of your business, and the way you treat your employees from day one. You need to give people a vision for what... The post Ep.28: Building the Ladder of Opportunity with David Keebler appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

The term “trade partners” is beginning to replace subcontractor, and it’s a growing concept in the remodeling industry. It redefines the relationship, too, putting it on an even playing field. But it’s more than just a term, and Cory Fields says they’re separate roles. A trade partnership is like a marriage, based on trust and... The post Ep.27: Building Great Trade Partnerships with Cory Fields appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

One of the biggest factors in creating success as a remodeling company is keeping clients happy, and a big part of that is how you manage your jobs. Keeping a pulse on the emotional well-being of your clients with weekly meetings keeps the client on your team, while you manage the job. Pete Carey drops... The post Ep.26: Managing Your Clients Through Weekly Meetings with Pete Carey appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

If you’ve been in remodeling for any length of time, you’ve probably wished you could fire a nightmare client on a bad job. But you don’t, because you’ll lose money, risk your good reputation, and you’ve got a contract. Jackie Stezik has done it four times — always for the good of her employees. In... The post Ep.25: How to Fire a Client with Jackie Stezik appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

There are so many people involved in remodeling projects, with different skillsets and specialities and personalities. On the construction team, there’s often misunderstanding or frustration with designers and architects. Great designers have innate talents and abilities, great craftsman do too. Everyone brings a significant piece to a successful project. The key, as it is so... The post Ep.24: The Relationship Between Design & Construction with Anitra Mecadon appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

There’s a traditional divide between Sales and Production. It’s always a challenge — they have different goals, processes, and personalities. Typically, Production is left out of the conversation when it comes to scope creep, leading to delays and change orders during construction — and disgruntled clients. Will Giesey and his team are changing that situation... The post Ep.23: Controlling Scope Creep With Sales Change Orders with Will Giesey appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

It’s a constant conundrum — how to motivate your people. Bonuses and incentives can work, but you have to structure them in a way that speaks to something more meaningful than just extra cash in pocket. Many business owners have tried, many have failed, and some have just given up. If you fall into the... The post Ep. 22: Creating Bonus & Incentive Programs with Robert Criner appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.

It’s a challenge to hire the right people for the right jobs. Finding a Production Manager is especially difficult — so many remodeling business owners think about moving a Lead Carpenter into that role. It often doesn’t work out, though, because the management skills needed for each job are vastly different. Ray Hornsby drops by... The post Ep.21: How to Transition from Lead Carpenter to Production Manager with Ray Hornsby appeared first on The Tim Faller Show.