Back in the “good ole days” of Better Barns, when things were simpler and I didn’t have a family to support, there were a lot of things done that had nothing whatsoever to do with producing storage sheds. Vance and I were both young. I was in my teens, and[Read More…]
V4I1
February/March 2018
Success in Revenue-producing Activities
I’m saying it now: 2018 is going to be the best year ever for my business, and I hope that it’s your best year as well. I don’t just feel that way; I am truly confident that I will make it happen. But, in order to achieve the best[Read More…]
The Builder-Retailer The Relationship
The shed industry is built on foundations—relationships among suppliers, builders, and dealers working toward common goals. But for many builders, striking a deal with a new shed retailer can be a risky proposition. For most shed builders, sales depend on making the product visible, so high-visibility lots are critical. It[Read More…]
Early Spring Buying Opportunity?
Let’s take a look at why this may be an early spring buying opportunity in the lumber market. As we offered in the previous column, improving macro-economic forces, supply disruptions, unexpected natural disasters, and unresolved trade policy, vis-a-vi Canadian tariffs, combined to make market swings more volatile. What if we[Read More…]
Tuff Shed Sells Structure No. 1 Million
At the end of November, Tuff Shed, headquartered in Denver, announced that it built its 1 millionth structure. It took about 36 years for the company to reach the milestone of 1 million sheds sold. Dick Keenan, a San Francisco resident and owner of Kick Ranch Vineyard in Santa Rosa,[Read More…]
HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION DONATION MADE IN HONOR OF BUILDER
On January 9, 2018, Lumbermen Associates of Bristol, Pennsylvania, held its 20th annual Shed and Gazebo Builders Breakfast in Blue Ball, Pennsylvania. Lumbermen’s is a wholesale building products distributor serving the outdoor storage building industry in Pennsylvania and surrounding states for over 30 years. At the breakfast, over 60 shed[Read More…]
Roadblock Root Causes
“Keep it simple, stupid” was one of the best pieces of advice ever given to me. I used to have a bad habit of overcomplicating things, even when the simple solution was right in front me. These days as a coach or business counselor, my vocation, simply put, is to[Read More…]
Due Diligence
This principle from Johnson holds true in all aspects of life, but can be particularly important in business practices. As we discussed in the last issue, there is a high importance on having a complete and accurate set of paperwork between your company’s RTO provider and your customer. We briefly[Read More…]
Looking In
Most builders have a standby window that they add into most any shed to provide some amount of natural lighting, perhaps ventilation, and certainly an aesthetic that mimics the main house on the lot. But now’s the time to get familiar with all of your options, as homeowners are increasingly[Read More…]
Flexible and Attentive
Jim White has found success in selling portable buildings. His business, based in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, has grown to three divisions in about 23 years, with more growth on the way. “The portable storage building business has been good to our family, and we enjoy all aspects of the business,” he[Read More…]
