It’s hard to believe, but we have about half of 2013 already in the books. It is finally great to realize that this is the year for revenue and profit growth. The last several years have been challenging for our industry. However, the forecasts and prognostications seem to be accurate and perhaps even a little [...]

Have you ever asked yourself questions or made statements like: “How could I have gotten this hire so wrong?” or “They interviewed great, but just didn’t pan out.” Believe me, you are not alone. Many organizations can go through different candidates or hires until they find the “right one.” It’s almost as if luck plays [...]

I have heard from more than one industry expert that home improvement companies rank at or near the bottom when it comes to credibility with consumers. I am not sure if this stems from that old classic movie ‘Tin Men’ or just legitimate concerns about past and current practices of some poor salespeople. With the [...]

How good do you think your sales presentation is? All of us “sales types” think we are gregarious and friendly, motivated and understand the customer perfectly. We have done a million presentations so therefore we have to be perfect. Most of us would give ourselves an A+ on our skills. But have you ever videotaped [...]

The Energy Star ‘Most Efficient’ Windows program was introduced recently by Energy Star and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program recognizes ‘leading edge’ technology that is ‘truly exceptional’ according to Energy Star’s website. This program was established to benefit the ‘environmental-motivated consumers’ and ‘early adopters’ of exceptional energy efficiency. From my perspective, the difference [...]

There have been many articles written about social media for our industry. The majority of discussion has been around how successful social media CAN be. And to provide full disclosure, I have been supporting social media for some time. I compare it to 10-12 years ago when websites were starting to become common practice. Everyone [...]

Energy Star is in the process of redefining energy performance criteria and zones for 2014. And it is interesting to look back and see the impact Energy Star has played on our industry. Several years ago, R-values were the common tool measuring the energy efficiency of replacement windows. However, over the years, Energy Star changed [...]

There has been so much talk lately on the fiscal cliff, but what is it and how will affect us? Basically, the fiscal cliff is a term used to explain that several tax cuts are set to expire on January 1. Fiscal cliff simply is illustrating that consumers will have less money in their ‘pockets’ [...]

Many people have asked my thoughts on what’s going to happen in the replacement window business in 2013. I try to always look at the positive factors we have going for us. The elections are over and to a degree, so are homeowners’ uncertainties. Now, as the politicians from both sides of the aisle start [...]

Although hurricane season ‘officially’ ends at the end of November, hurricanes forming this late in the season are unusual. But the cooler water temperatures didn’t deter Hurricane Sandy. Its track was wide and has had a major effect on millions of people and businesses along the East Coast. Although there were warnings, no one could [...]