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Concrete Decor - Index

Concrete Decor - Concrete Decor Magazine, The Journal for Decorative Concrete - Index

Carlton’s Corner
with concrete. Take a look at jobs you
feel will be a waste of time. Educate your
potential clients about some options
available, and let them make up their
own minds. We sometimes assume
that everyone knows about overlays
or coloring concrete. The decorative
market has grown, but many folks are
still simply unaware of what is available
or what it will cost. The goal is to make
something positive happen when your
business needs it most.
Put colorful pictures into the
front pages of your portfolio book.
Sometimes this is all it will take to open
a conversation about the possibilities of
concrete. Again, people only know what
they know, so educate them.
Get out there
It is so easy for us as contractors to
accept slowdowns or weather seasons as
an excuse to not promote new business.
Don’t accept this with your business. Of
course this market is harder to squeeze
buyers from, but getting into a comfort
zone will not help. Get out in front
34 | www.ConcreteDecor.net | Dec. ’07/Jan. ’08
of people, and talk about the exciting
things your business is doing. Don’t talk
about how slow work is but how you are
looking for fi ll-in work until your next
scheduled project. Write down leads and
possibilities, next spring and this fall,
and follow up with them. If someone
is interested in doing a project next
spring, educate the person about the
savings if you do the work this fall. You
need the work, and who doesn’t like to
save money? Creating opportunity, like
Trump, keeps us motivated and lands
new projects.
Years ago I was giving my uncle a
bad time about his two-hour lunches at
a cafe not far from where I grew up. He
was in the rock and sand business and
had been for years. He laughed and told
me how, when his business was slow,
he would spend a couple of hours at the
cafe with one of his dump trucks parked
outside. This would usually lead to
several customers approaching him with
“I have been meaning to call,” or “Can
you deliver a load or two?” Sometimes
exposure is as easy as being seen.
New projects!
Up to this point the only cost
invested to promote new work has been
your time. You may be willing to spend
a few dollars, so try signing up with one
or two of the many publications that
compile new projects or new permits.
They often provide contractor contacts.
Organizations such as your local
Builders Exchange will have information
on public works projects, engineering
jobs, sub-bid requests and so on that
will include contacts for new work.
Another option is the Construction
Monitor. This publication shows
commercial and residential permits in
your area, along with contact names and
phone numbers.
Builders Exchange and Construction
Monitor data can be accessed online
and will provide loads of information
with little cost to you. Keep things
moving forward, and let me know how it
goes.
Doug Carlton operates Carlton Concrete
Inc. in Visalia, Calif. He can be reached at
carltondoug@sbcglobal.net.