One of my favorite business books is the 1990 classic The Fifth Discipline, by Peter Senge. One of the concepts it discusses is the “mental models” we hold--often subconsciously--and how they shape our view of reality and our actions.

Two common mental models remodelers hold for their businesses are family and team. How do you think of your business?

For many company owners one of the most gut-wrenching experiences of the recent recession was the need to lay off valued employees. Many...

The first big development step for many remodeling company owners is a transition from tradesperson to businessperson. They begin, as author Michael Gerber says, to work on their business not simply in it.

The next significant step is a shift in management style and structure, from entrepreneurial to departmental. With entrepreneurial management everything revolves around the strengths and weaknesses of the owner. The organizational chart may have boxes labeled production manager, sales mana...