Design Archives - PowerTips Unscripted

Outsourcing 3-Dimensional Design with Lauren Campuzano- [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

September 14, 2023 0:22:40

Today on PowerTips Unscripted, Lauren Campuzano joins the show to discuss outsourcing 3-Dimensional (3-D) Design. 3-D designs can help remodelers sell their plans, but finding the right talent can take time and effort. Lauren found that 3-D designs were great communication tools within the design department, construction department, and sometimes with clients. Creating 3-D models in-house was difficult for Lauren, so she outsourced them.

Lauren is the Principal Designer at New Market Builders LLC. After working within the Design- Build industry, and many years teaching Interior Design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, Lauren joined her husband, Michael, at New Market Builders to launch and oversee the Design portion of the company.

Victoria, Mark, and Lauren talk more about:

Online marketplaces to outsource
Payment terms for the designing
How long it takes to make the designs
And more…

How to Structure and Run a Profitable Design Department with Chris Landis – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

June 22, 2023 0:27:50

Jobs are won or lost during the design process. With so much on the line, it’s clear that your design department should be running at peak performance. But there are so many ways the process can get derailed.

It all depends on how you structure your design department, and what metrics you use to hold them accountable.

In this episode, Chris Landis discusses about how to build and run an efficient design department with Victoria and Mark.

Chris is a partner (with his brother Ethan) in Landis Architects/Builders in Washington, DC, and is a longtime Roundtables member. He’s a registered architect in four states (MD, DC, VA, NY). Chris graduated from Vassar College, and earned his M.A. in architecture from Columbia Architecture School. Chris is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and has 28 years of experience in residential architecture. He is a current member of the DC Historic Preservation Review Board and past president of the DC Metro area chapter of NARI.

Chris has a design department of nine people after 30 years in the business. When the company got to the point of having three designers, Chris hired a manager for that department to ensure that the work was standardized and high quality. He talks about how to set up your own design department for success and create a quicker process, including:

The metrics to gauge success
The designer’s role in his company
Recruiting and hiring for the department
Working back from net profit
When to hire a design manager
His three-phase process
How he charges for them
Figuring out a healthy close ratio
Taking on a design-only project
Why to conduct a feasibility study — sometimes
Working with design sub-contractors
And more …

Design can be a profit center, not a loss-leader, and you have to know how much you should be charging for it — even if you don’t.

Outsourcing 3-Dimensional Design with Lauren Campuzano- [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E7

December 8, 2022 00:22:40

Victoria, Mark, and Lauren talk more about:

Online marketplaces to outsource
Payment terms for the designing
How long it takes to make the designs
And more…

Ep.171: Design Services as a Profit Center For Your Business with Dan Baumann

January 6, 2022 00:32:39

More and more remodeling and home building contractors realize the value their design services bring to their clients, and it is becoming a profit center for many companies. Guest Dan Baumann is here to share the many reasons why you should be charging a fair price for your design services.

Dan is the founder of Chief Experts Academy, a resource-packed treasure trove of information that provides ongoing training, support, and content for contractors and designers involved in the sales and development of plans for residential and light commercial buildings.

Victoria, Mark and Dan talk more about:

Compensation for design services
Why some contractors may not charge for these services
How design services can save clients money on their projects
And more…

Is Your Production Team Focused on Profit in 2022?

Masterclass Starting on Monday, January 10, 2022

As we begin the New Year, get your production team ready to focus on profit with weekly Production Team Training, whether they are in the office or in the field on a phone, tablet or laptop.

Six afternoon sessions, every other week, starting on January 10th, led by R/A’s Production “Guru” Tim Faller.

Ep.143: The Deadly Sins that Designers & Production Teams Commit with Jeff Borovitz

March 11, 2021 00:27:50

How can designers and production staff improve their success in the remodeling industry? Guest Jeff Borovitz joins Victoria and Mark to talk about the deadly sins that get in the way of reaching your full potential.

Jeff has worked and trained with many members of the Remodelers Advantage Roundtables community and brings that experience in talking about patterns and trends to continue, and avoid.

Since 1991, Jeff has worked with businesses across the globe, helping thousands improve their sales organizations and sales culture. Jeff is now the owner of Sandler Training, a sales and leadership training company that helps business owners increase revenue, shorten sales cycles, and hire better-performing sales teams.

Victoria, Mark and Jeff talk more about:

The deadly sins to avoid
The one sin that costs remodelers the most
The difference between “like” and “trust”
QSTEP
Learning how to avoid the deadly sins
And more…

FREE Webinar: Using Market Positioning to Drive Greater Profitability

5 Strategies for Using Your Target Market to Drive Sales and Profitability

In this month’s free webinar, Doug Howard takes a closer look at how to position your remodeling business effectively in order to maximize your opportunities in the market right now. March 16, 2021 @ 1:00pm ET

[ Click Here for More Information + Registration ]

Ep.102: Developing a Sustainable Niche to Support Your Passion with Wright Marshall

March 4, 2020 00:19:50

One of the strongest ways to differentiate your business in your market is to have a niche.

Wright Marshall’s company, Revival Construction, has always focused on one highly specific niche and is constantly refining its team and systems to be the leader in that segment.

In this episode, Wright will share his approach with Victoria and Mark, and why following his passion for historic architecture helped him create a successful remodeling business.

In May 2000, Wright Marshall formed Revival Construction Inc. in Atlanta, GA, dedicated to renovating and restoring Atlanta’s older homes. The company focuses on classically designed whole-house renovations, and additions to houses built before WWII in the intown areas of Atlanta. Revival’s mission is to build beautiful homes and lasting relationships. Wright’s also a longtime Roundtables member.

Wright minored in architectural history in college, and planned to build for a while before going to architecture school. He didn’t go. Instead he concentrated on remodeling and building additions on older homes, allowing him to follow his passion for classical architecture and run a successful business. While there were other companies doing it in his market, they weren’t doing as well as he thought he could. Wright concentrated on providing a better customer experience in that niche, as well as:

Determining if your passion can be a sustainable business
Working with architects
Why design-build doesn’t have to be in one company
Building your reputation in the niche
Defining success in hiring
Investing in estimating
The importance of discipline
Setting smaller, realistic goals
The advantages of finding your niche
And more …

You can also learn why Wright chose the name Revival for his company, and also get to hear a little bit of an Allman Bros. song. Also, give yourself a little time to look through Revival’s Project Portfolio — there are some beautiful examples of Wright’s work.

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Ep.98: How to Structure and Run a Profitable Design Department with Chris Landis

February 5, 2020 00:27:50

It all depends on how you structure your design department, and what metrics you use to hold them accountable.

In this episode, Chris Landis discusses about how to build and run an efficient design department with Victoria and Mark.

The metrics to gauge success
The designer’s role in his company
Recruiting and hiring for the department
Working back from net profit
When to hire a design manager
His three-phase process
How he charges for them
Figuring out a healthy close ratio
Taking on a design-only project
Why to conduct a feasibility study — sometimes
Working with design sub-contractors
And more …

Design can be a profit center, not a loss-leader, and you have to know how much you should be charging for it — even if you don’t.

MasterClass: Design Process

You can learn how other successful companies manage their design business, and you’ll go home with new ideas to exceed your clients’ expectations and boosting profits on every job. We’ll be holding our next class here in Baltimore, May 18-19. You can find more details and register here: Building An Effective Design Process.

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