In the competitive landscape of the window and doors industry, it’s more important than ever to make the right connections to grow your network. Connecting with trade organizations is a good way to find other pros and educate yourself further in your trade.

But when searching for organizations and associations, it may seem overwhelming if you don’t know where to look. We’ve put together this helpful list of trade organizations to help you decide how you can take the next step in furthering your business.

Contractors have valuable skills that are needed by many, regardless of trade. There are many home projects that truly take an expert, which means people call you as a pro to find and fix problems. You’ve worked hard to develop your skills and are running a successful business because of it.

Would you ever consider donating your skills and time to a worthy cause? Some contractors may think this idea is crazy, but there are many benefits volunteering has to you and your business. Here are five ways volunteering can help your business.

All business owners should prepare for and know how to identify and manage disagreements. As the leader of the company, you have the responsibility to prevent and minimize risk and loss on a job. Take action before a situation escalates to give yourself the best chance of avoiding a legal dispute.

Devastating losses and conflict have the potential to occur on even the most organized and planned out projects. Unfortunately, when a homeowner isn’t happy with the results, the owner often sues the contractors. See proactive steps that can be applied to any disagreement if you want to avoid a legal dispute in the future.

Roofing is a business that truly needs a pro’s expertise. As a necessity of the home, it’s important that your work is well done. From fixing missing shingles to installing a new roof, homeowners rely on you to ensure their homes stay comfortable and dry.

When taking on a new roofing project, you may need to bid out parts of the job. It’s important to ask the right questions and hire subcontractors you can trust. After all, roofing can sometimes be dangerous work and you want to avoid any issues that can put you or your business in jeopardy. Here are few tips to help you bid out a roofing job.

Email newsletters are great because they’re filled with content topics that interest you and delivered to your inbox in seconds. They’re typically free of charge and an easy way to keep up to speed with what’s going on in your industry or trade.

As a business owner and leader, you should be expanding your industry knowledge and challenging yourself daily. There are five construction email newsletters that you should consider subscribing to, based on the content and benefits outlined below.

When you think about your marketing efforts, how do they differentiate you from the competition? Knowing what makes you unique from other contractors can help you with your sales efforts and explain to customers why you are the best for the job.

Carrying a license is something that can help you define how you’re different than the rest. As Noah explains in the video below, it shows that you’ve taken that extra step in your career to gain an education in the work you do.

For those who are lucky enough to have one, a deck is a wonderful extension of the home that ties the outdoors and indoors together. They can be transformed into outdoor oases, perfect for entertaining, socializing, or just relaxing after a long day. In the past, having a backyard deck depended on having enough space. However, thanks to new and innovative technologies in the construction of backyard decks, this is changing.

Industry trends are showing that more homeowners are asking for decks in their yard, which is great news for decking pros. To help you stay on top of your trade, we’ve compiled an overview of the current deck trends and what you should be seeing in the next year.

If you’re looking to make more of your business, marketing is an essential part of your strategy. One of the best ways to do so is through sharing your brand with others. And there are plenty of tools to utilize to market your business. Utilizing social media is a great strategy, as well as enhancing your website or printing new business cards. However, marketing is a lot like a puzzle. To make sure all the pieces fit together, you need a marketing plan. 

You may wonder why this is important or worth your time, but a marketing plan is a strategic way to align your goals and give direction as to how you will achieve them. It’s your map to success. Though every marketing plan may look a little different, here a few topics to think about and include.

Let’s say you receive a lead or prospect who isn’t your ideal customer, or makes it clear that they’re in the stage of collecting information. This is where you have a choice to either start building trust with this lead or take no for an answer and hang up the phone.

The truth is, you’re losing out on potential business by shutting down this type of call. It’s important to hear the customer’s needs and discuss your services. “Not interested” can take on many meanings, from not ready to purchase to just shopping around. By not approaching these prospects strategically, you’re missing out on future sales and opportunities. See how to turn undecided leads into future business for your company.

A contractor in any trade should be prepared to write an estimate for the job. But, as you all know, each estimate will look different depending on the trade. For the remodeling pro, creating a comprehensive estimate is important not only to organize the project, but to win the bid.

Potential customers who are ready to remodel their home are looking for as much detail as possible about how you will complete the project of their dreams. However, there is plenty to remember when it comes to a big remodeling job. Here are a few items to include in your remodeling estimate that will help win the bid.