Posted by: Cathy Follett, President of PRO Remodeling, CEO of Renovisions

After a recent trip to Acadia National Park in ME, I gained some interesting perspectives. One point of interest was ‘Thunder Hole’, a cave that creates a thundering ‘Boom’ as waves come in. A posted sign noted: “Timing was key to experience this as the best results were seen and heard two hours prior to high tide.” In essence, if you were not tuned into the tides chart, you might miss it. As we sail through the summer months, I can’t help thinking that since covid, we are all affected in some way by a surge, a pouncing, a flood, as our businesses ebb and flows like waves with inquiries- some of us have realized more work than we know how to deal with. Many of us in specialized industries, who are typically slower during July and August, are seeing a ‘Boom’ with little slowdowns and no end in sight despite higher pricing, shortages, and product delays.

How have you adapted? Have you had to increase your rates? Have you had difficult conversations regarding scheduling with customers?

You are not alone in thinking that now more than ever, it’s necessary to strive for creative solutions to get through times like this, especially when you are feeling that the waves are strong and unstoppable. If you haven’t already, stay tuned in to your bottom line, take the time to build relationships with alternate suppliers, explore new products, and reach out to a PRO-NE member to leverage their knowledge and support of common problems and issues we all face in this industry. Professional organizations such as this one will give you that edge you need to stay ahead of your competition.

One way to leverage the knowledge and support of PRO New England is to attend the monthly Remodeler’s Conversation held on the 3^rd Thursday of the month. These conversations are open to PRO New England remodeling business owners to connect with colleagues to discuss challenges, strategies, and best practices for managing your business.

Much like the wave of the ‘Thunder Hole’, by staying vigilant, addressing your customer’s expectations, and navigating the right sales and procurement systems to handle the workload, you’ll experience the full effect; those that are prepared will reap rewards, others may miss out. As we take advantage and benefit from these surges of inquiries, substantial sales increases, and contracted projects, let’s catch the wave and feel the success.

How are you riding your wave?

“The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.”

• • • Edward Gibson