What’s the Best Change You’ve Made to Be More Efficient?
May 20, 2024
We asked our readers this question on the WFBFacebookandInstagrampages; here are some of our favorite responses.
Alex Hamilton
Building a service cart that is also a dust separator! It has the option to hook multiple vacuums up to it for maximum dust containment. With two backpack vacs (as pictured) it is pulling 300 CFM's. It also gets to hold your paper, filler, garbage bags and miscellaneous hand tools!
Spencer Hulbert
Charging for estimates. It weeds out over 75% of the people who call. I've learned that not everyone on the other end of the phone is a serious buyer.
Bob Jewell
Dust containment systems.
Jorge Perez
Hiring the right people and paying them well.
Danny Stenhouse
I only actually talk to 10% of my leads/enquiries … The best ones!
Elise Jenna Djurinovich
Calling people back ASAP! As soon as I get a voicemail, I put down what I'm doing and call them back … unless I'm coating, of course.
jaycohardwoodfloors
Purchasing better tools to make the next steps easier.
Telling people I charge 100 bucks an hour to do things like hang plastic, and that I don't move furniture or do shoe molding. They usually opt to go the cheaper route, which is hiring a moving company and a trim guy. I've eliminated like three days of extra work I wasn't charging for on most jobs by doing this.
Van A Stahl
I bought this to run to estimates and for those faraway jobs where I can leave my trailer and just commute.
Cory Schubert
I quit smoking.
David Runyon
Vacs on everything!
towncountrywoodfloor
Doing things right, no matter the pain in the a$$, the first time.
Jamie Strohmeyer
At age 58, you continue to look for ways to work smarter, not harder. I switched from a trailer to van—with the truck and trailer I got 9–10 miles per gallon; with the van I'm getting 16–18 miles per gallon. Access closer to the customer's home is also better, with less walking with equipment. We service a lot of lake homes, and with some driveways we cannot get anywhere near the home with a trailer, but it's no problem with the van.
Steven Triplett Jr.
I canned my lead guy. If you're more about yourself than the business, you've got to go. We need everyone pushing in the same direction.
ecowoodfloorsinc
Planetary sanders for smaller projects. One machine start to finish. Less edging, more money in pocket.
allseasonsflooringconst
Purchased a small work trailer! Preventing an hour of loading every morning and unloading when you need the back of your truck.
Josh Brake
Packouts have helped cut my load in/out time in more than half. They are easily moved from trailer to home and around the home while working. Organization has kept the dreaded slop fest that happened late on Friday from being part of my life.
artisanwoodfloorsllc2563
Utilizing workflow software and charging for any on-site estimates. Also creating copy/paste templates for writing detailed scope of work for estimates helps immensely.
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.
