Most Read
Most E-mailed
E-mail Article
Print Article
After many discussions about managing trade partners with remodelers from all over the country, the general consensus goes back to the age-old Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. Simple enough, right? Well, with that goes a laundry list of other best practices on how to get the most out of your trade partners.
For a number of reasons, including cutting down on overhead, expanding their services or being able to take on more work, remodelers are relying heavily on their trade partners to grow and better their businesses. With that said, maintaining a solid relationship with your trade partners is essential to business success.
Rule of thumb: Pay on time
With every project, Jim Scott, president of Home Sweet Home Construction, gathers his office personnel, project mangers, sales force and subcontractors. Yes, even his subcontractors are asked to sit in on their meetings. “I treat all of our subs like they are on the payroll,” says Scott.
Like many remodelers, Scott devotes some of his design/build remodeling company’s success to his quality team of subcontractors. “I have about one-third of my company subbed out,” says Scott. He utilizes his crew of subs to perform much of the work throughout the year — everything from plumbing and electrical to framing and HVAC. And because they are so vital to his business, he places a lot of trust and respect in their relationship. “The biggest thing for me is respect,” notes Scott. “If I give them my respect, they’ll give me theirs.” With this, Scott explains that this translates to paying on time, open communication and proper scheduling.
When it comes down to it, subcontractors are self-employed individuals just as remodelers are. They have their own bills to pay and schedules to maintain. Being an “easy” partner to work with will increase the level of respect between the two.
