Every quarter, HomeAdvisor and The Farnsworth Group conduct a survey to track business confidence among thousands of trade professionals and small businesses in 13different categories. The responses vary from quarter to quarter, and the questions span from “How do you expect your revenue to change over the next year?” to “What type of impact will labor costs have on your business over the next year?” In the most recent survey, the results of one particular question struck me as eye-catching. More than 50 percent of all companies have seen an increase in their average revenue per project. This share is even higher — above 60 percent — among mechanical contractors, meaning more and larger-size
Replacing windows is a home improvement project that makes sense in many ways. In older homes, window replacement is likely to make your home far more energy efficient. In just about any structure, it can both increase curb appeal and enhance the view from indoors, too! When it comes to installing new windows, homeowners will have a huge variety of options in size and style. If you are looking to improve your home in both form and function, knowing what’s out there and what can be done is a must. Good Candidates for Window Replacement If your energy bills are higher than you think they should be or higher than you wish they were, window replacement can considerably lower your bills, not to m
Experienced and easy-to-work-with subcontractors are a huge help to any project. But locating and hiring dependable pros isn’t always as easy as it may seem. Use these tips to find dependable subcontractors for your jobs. 1. Define the job. Under or over hiring for a job can result in delays, bloated prices and unhappy customers. Determine your job’s size and difficulty before you hire subcontractors. Make note of specialized tasks as you analyze your project. Highlighting specialty jobs will save time and eliminate any mid-project surprises. 2. Find a subcontractor. Ask around. Sometimes friends, family and other professionals can help locate a dependable subcontractor. If word of mouth doe
