Kitchen & Bath Business - November/December 2018 - 16

Skill Set

Chasing
Success
Remodeling guru talks
about how to elevate all
aspects of our industry
THERE ARE SEVERAL PRESSING TOPICS IN OUR

INDUSTRY TODAY - from hiring and training the
right talent and completing successful projects to
maintaining a business and attracting the younger
generation to the trades. KBB recently spoke with
Shawn McCadden, a remodeling speaker, coach
and consultant, about his views on those. McCadden is a leading figure in the remodeling industry,
having received his builder's license by age 18,
and he co-founded the Residential Design/Build
Institute. He is a Certified Remodeler; Certified
Lead Carpenter; and Lead Renovation, Repair
and Painting-Certified Renovator Instructor, and
he has served as director of business innovations
for a nationally known kitchen and bath franchise.

and that will rot out the ceiling assembly in the house. Mixing products can
take some thought. Stuff is changing constantly, and we have to keep up with
it. There is a liability that comes with not knowing and doing things wrong.

KBB: How should we go about hiring and training
the right talent?
McCadden: Companies need to formalize job de-

scriptions not only for hiring expectations but
also for employee accountability and compensation purposes. Most don't document how they do
business, they just expect their employees to figure
it out. There needs to be transparency about what
is the right way to do something and what is the
wrong way.
You need to consider how you will pay new
hires and not only worry about the expense; that
person should make you a profit eventually. If
I take the annual cost of an employee and divide it by gross profit margin, that will tell me
the cost of the job I have to sell that year to pay
for the employee. Businesses also need to train
their employees and not assume someone else is
responsible for that.

KBB: What are your tips for staying on time and budget?
McCadden: When you assign staff to do a task, not everyone works at the same

speed, so they are paid differently. You need to accurately plan how long jobs
will take, and estimating by hours has to be converted to dollars. Do not accept
that you are behind schedule; make sure you get back on track immediately.
Some contractors oversell themselves because they don't want to say no, and
then they are overworked trying to keep up with everything.
KBB: How can you maintain a booming business?
McCadden: You need to plan 10 weeks ahead for cost increases, including

competitive wages to entice people into the skilled labor market and energy
and transportation costs. If a contractor estimates a job today, it could take
three to four weeks before the customer says yes. Material costs are going up
because of the oil tariffs and because of demand.

KBB: How can our industry attract more people to the skilled trades?
McCadden: Parents need to learn about other options besides college. If

KBB: What is key to completing a successful project?
McCadden: Communicate with all members of

the team, stay motivated, and don't point fingers.
Take into account any building science-related
considerations during the project; as products
change, how does how we use them change? For
example, if you put a floor down in the attic, you
have trapped that moisture under the plywood,

By CHELSIE BUTLER

their children have the mechanical skills and aptitude, they could take a
job right out of high school that pays well. There is a huge opportunity out
there for those parents who can't afford to send their kids to school. We
need to bring back respect for those jobs; they are not called nail bangers
anymore - they change people's lives with their skills. We need to protect
our profession just like doctors and lawyers do; job titles need to be earned
and not handed out.


Kitchen & Bath Business / NOV.-DEC. 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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

Kitchen & Bath Business - November/December 2018

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