Author Archives: homesteadop

Join us on March 31, April 28, and May 26 to enjoy a free breakfast along with insight and tips from Wolf® Home Products and affiliates. New Holland Coffee Company • 7 to 8 a.m. R.S.V.P. to reserve your seat! Space is limited to 40 people per session, so hurry! Send an email to sales@homesteadoutdoorproducts.com…

Even when spring showers put a damper on working outside, there’s plenty you can do to maintain momentum. Stay busy and productive by: Making sales and customer follow-up calls Preparing invoices, paying bills, and getting caught up on other paperwork Planning your marketing strategy Cleaning and doing maintenance on equipment and tools Preparing your truck…

Upselling, when approached with purpose, can be a win-win for contractors and their customers. It can add value and increase customer loyalty. Sadly, many businesses give upselling a bad rap because they look at it as a way to push products or services on customers—even when customers don’t need them—for the sake of making more…

Part 2: Leadership Qualities Our series inspired by Paul Jarvis’s book Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business continues! To refresh your memory on what our first article covered, “company of one” isn’t defined as a one-person business. Rather, it refers to running a business resourcefully and not trying…

Please join us for a free breakfast and learning session at the New Holland Coffee Company from 7–8 a.m. on the last Friday of each month from January through May. At each session, a Homestead Outdoor Product vendor will talk about new products, installation techniques, and more. RSVP to reserve your seat! Hurry! Space is…

Selling comes naturally to some people. But for the rest of us . . . not so much. Regardless, it’s crucial for small businesses. Without sales efforts, the well of potential customers will quickly run dry. Fortunately, the following tips can help you get results even if you find selling uncomfortable.  1. Organize your contacts.  Who…

Part 1: Is Growth Really Necessary? In the book Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business, author Paul Jarvis shares insight to help business owners create companies that support how they want to live their lives. While the phrase “company of one” implies a one-person business, Jarvis’s book applies…

SAVE THE DATES! Beginning in January: Business-Building Breakfasts  Plan to join us on the last Friday of each month from January through May 2023 for learning sessions over breakfast at New Holland Coffee Company. Various vendors are lined up to talk about new products, installation techniques, and much more.  Stay tuned for more details soon!

Winter’s threats of inclement weather often leave contractors with lulls in work. But even with less demand for decks, fences, and other outdoor projects, you can still strengthen your business.  1. Fine-tune your systems and processes. While you have some breathing room, look at your internal operations to find areas needing improvement. For example, if…

The Flywheel Effect This last article in our series featuring wisdom from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t discusses how transformation occurs.  Collins points out that good-to-great transformations don’t happen in “one fell swoop.” He shares that there is a pattern of building…