Columnists

RSS

Don’t rush into hiring a new employee, think of it as an investment.

Here are three areas to watch for mistakes and omissions.

U.S. manufacturing is being challenged like never before, but remains a pillar of our economy.

Follow this checklist to improve your showroom business.

These days it is all about the total customer experience.

Their traditional duties are becoming untenable in the modern world.

I was shocked and appalled at the state of our industry when I read the news item in the December 2006 issue of Supply House Times (page 24) “Emerson Survey Shows Most Of 10 SEER Inventory Installed,” for it told of how supply houses and contractors alike had stocked up on 10-SEER residential air-conditioning units so they would have something cheap to sell.

Every year, small businesses set goals for increasing sales revenues - and 2007 is no different. Ideally, these companies want to increase sales without having margins suffer or profitability decline. Most companies go about this without having a real plan.

Your showroom staff will only be as strong as the weakest employee, so help them become stronger.

Most wholesalers don’t do much marketing because the nature of the business doesn’t require it. They may do some incentive programs (trips, golf outings, fishing, etc.) for the plumbing and