Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2018 - 10

July/August 2018

e d i t o r ' s

MAKING SMART DECISIONS

recently moderated a panel at this year's ICFF
installment on how to stay relevant in our everchanging kitchen and bath design industry. The
two panelists - designers Christopher Grubb and
Andrea Pompei - provided several helpful tips
and lessons learned during the lively discussion.
First and foremost, it is important to be able
to communicate the value of your services to any
potential clients.You are the expert, they are hiring
you for a reason, and they need to be aware of how you will both successfully
navigate through their remodel. A lot of today's clients are a little savvier than
in the past; with the advent of multiple social media channels, a plethora of
home improvement TV shows and being able to shop and compare products
and services on multiple brand websites - this is not surprising.

n o t e

Using those resources so your clients can
become more in tune with the style they desire
can be helpful to you up front. Their use of those
resources to go around you or add irrelevant and
dysfunctional ideas to the mix may most certainly
not be.
Fostering healthy relationships with your clients and team members is always key to a successful project - not to mention your business as
a whole. Using your website and social media to
market your strengths, specialties and accreditations also helps keep you and your business ahead
of the curve in our industry.
Another way you can set yourself apart from
the competition is to make sure you have a qualified team in place to help you reach your project
goals. If you are starting an intense aging-in-place
remodel, adding a medical professional up front
may be a good idea. If you have been tasked with
designing a highly sustainable kitchen where air
quality and solar power come into play, perhaps
getting involved with a LEED professional is in
the cards for you if you are not one already.
Another area that is infiltrating the industry at
top speed is the connected home. Whether consumers are embracing this whole-heartedly with
all the tech bells and whistles, or they have only toe
dipped with a smart thermostat, you need to make
sure you have the team members in place to install
what they need. Some of this smart home technology can be extremely intricate and detailed, so
having a professional by your side will ensure a
successful install.
In the same vein as the famous "Ferris Bueller"
quote, our industry DOES move pretty fast. If you
don't stop and make some intelligent decisions
about involving the appropriate experts in your
projects, you could definitely miss something.

CHELSIE BUTLER
Executive Editor
chelsie.butler@emeraldexpo.com
Twitter: @kbbchelsie

10 Kitchen & Bath Business / JULY-AUGUST 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.twitter.com/kbbchelsie http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2018