I knew I was in for it. Vance had sold a job that included tearing down an existing shed and rebuilding in its place. He had done a site visit or two to determine all the details and help the customer figure out exactly what they needed. After selling the[Read More…]
V5I3
June/July 2019
Invest in Your Dealers Online, Watch Business Grow
If you rely on a local or regional network of dealers to sell sheds directly to consumers, your goal should be to set your dealers up for success. When your dealers improve their online marketing efforts, their online visibility will grow, in-store traffic will increase, and you’ll sell more sheds. [Read More…]
Take a Lesson from Horton
In Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s book Horton Hears a Who, the big-hearted Horton recites over and over that “a person is a person, no matter how small.” I was listening to a good friend and customer the other day who was expressing his discontent about the poor service he’d been[Read More…]
Increase Your Sales by Asking Customers for Referrals
“Ask and God shall give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 I had to turn to the Bible to[Read More…]
Increasing Capacity
When Mike Doherty first investigated frame building equipment, he knew that this type of equipment could improve operations for his Maine-based company, Shed Happens. That was almost 10 years ago, and this past winter he took a huge step and capital expenditure by adding a Diamond Quad framing table (Triad),[Read More…]
The Backyard Greenhouse
Raymond Anderson retired from the military with disabilities and in October 2018 started Big Red Shed in Hayesville, North Carolina. Anderson doesn’t manufacture sheds; he’s a retailer for others like Old Hickory, Eagle Carports, and Clarks Woodwork. As we’ve seen in the business of superstores (think WalMart, Target, and even[Read More…]
Expanding Beyond the Shed
If a 2017 report in Report Buyer is to be believed, the residential outdoor storage product industry is enjoying a nearly 4 percent uptick through at least 2021. Such an increase is welcome news to Jon Bartolotta, manager of New England Outdoor Sheds & Gazebos, a third-generation construction company whose[Read More…]
Born Out of Necessity
Outdoor Office was created before we knew there was a business back in 2014. The idea started out of necessity more than anything else. THE KITCHEN TABLE Our youngest son had just been born, and Anthony was beginning to work from home more frequently in Tualatin, Oregon, which meant space[Read More…]
Effective Shed-Building Processes
It would be foolish to start out in business wanting to have ineffective processes. Instead, we attempt to create the most effective processes we can. However, how do you know if your processes are effective or not? Let’s explore some ideas together. MEASURE TIME METRICS If your shop had nothing[Read More…]
Taking Charge of the RTO Narrative
The term “rent-to-own” can conjure a variety of thoughts as different as each individual. What do your dealers think of when you say rent-to-own? What do your customers think of when you say rent-to-own? What do your friends and family think of when you say rent-to-own? These thoughts may be[Read More…]
