Building a team that pushes for perfection
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Building a team that pushes for perfection
When Craig Breneman left his foreman job and started his own hardscape-only company, he didn't have any work lined up, and spent a good chunk of his savings hiring an expensive website builder. But his website strategy got the phone ringing. His work kept new jobs coming. And his attitude allowed him to develop 3 crew leaders that pretty much run on "autopilot" while he runs the company...
Proactively market; don't just wait for referrals
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Proactively market; don't just wait for referrals
Darlington Designs' marketing efforts are the source of their leads for a large chunk of their work. They are most excited about their new system that automatically transmits job photos as they're taken to a desk computer in the office. Photos are then posted to Facebook in almost real time. Postcards steer neighbors to the Facebook page where they can watch the project being built...
Thriving on premium paver maintenance
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Thriving on premium paver maintenance
Nu-Again hardscape crews don't install. They spend 100% of their time restoring, cleaning, sand stabilizing and sealing. With three 2-man hardscape crews, they have 1 cargo van outfitted for cleaning, 1 outfitted for restoration and sand stabilization, and 1 setup for sealing. They use a 3-day maintenance process. "Our clients are more than able and willing to pay for a higher level of service."...
Who's embezzling from you?
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Who's embezzling from you?
It's estimated that something like $730 billion is lost to fraud and embezzlement every year. Most embezzlers are long-time, trusted employees with no criminal record. Nobody hires someone they think is an embezzler. "Especially not (INSERT NAME). He/she would never do that." If mothers steal from their children's PTA and deacons steal from churches – both of which happen – what makes you think those you least expect aren't stealing from you?...
Cutting pavers & block
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Cutting pavers & block
When you're cutting concrete pavers or block you need take several important factors into consideration. The most important may be the increased regulation of silica dust by your state or municipality. Another consideration is blade selection. Our crews carry 3 cut-off saws and a grinder to every job. One saw has a 16” diamond blade for SRW block cutting. A 2nd saw with a 14” diamond blade is used for concrete paver cutting...
  • Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable
  • Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable
  • Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable
  • Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable
  • Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable

Contractor Profiles

Doing spectacular work; building Monumental walls
October/November 2013

Growth makes you busy; efficiency makes you profitable

Highly-trained employees with the tools to do the job do extraordinary work without someone standing over them. MORE


More money, more challenges
August/September 2013

More money, more challenges

High-dollar project takes extra hours to research unfamiliar work, to coordinate with subs and decision-makers and to document volumes of communications. MORE


Getting ready to grow
June/July 2013

Getting ready to grow

Simon Darlington invests in infrastructure and drives his company to do everything a high-end design/build client could want. MORE


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