reset at d5R -- it's a good thing!

Just sent this letter to the entire d5R readership this morning. Already, the feedback has been tremendously affirming and even exciting. Can't thank my remodeling friends enough. 





Dear d5R Community --

Yesterday’s issue of daily5REMODEL was the last you’ll receive for a while. The site isn’t going away, but after more than 17 months, 290 issues, 1,500 articles, thousands of news links and all the joys and tribulations of running a small business -- whew -- I’m ready to press the reset button and explore new options.

d5R has been the most gratifying accomplishment of my career, and for that I thank you, the readers. Whether you were with me from the beginning or just came aboard recently, your feedback, encouragement and on-site engagement have been vital to the site’s success.

Also vital has been your generosity in sharing strategies, challenges and triumphs from within your own businesses. Collectively, you have posted nearly 2,400 comments -- hundreds of them provocative and worthy of articles in themselves. There’s great value in your comments, and I'll be contemplating how to direct that value to the benefit of the remodeling community.

What else will I be contemplating? Well, stay with me and you’ll continue to receive the occasional d5R in your email bright and early some mornings. (Several people have already suggested I rebrand it as w5R -- what do you think?) In either case, heaven knows there are infinite other remodeling business stories that haven’t been told or even experienced yet.

Many of you have approached me about working directly with your businesses, and I now welcome the opportunity to explore those and other possibilities as well.

Those of you who upgraded to d5R Premium will hear from me in a separate correspondence. Remodelers have taught me the importance of treating your best customers right, and I’ll be happy to offer a refund to anyone who requests one. In the meantime and for the foreseeable future, all content in the d5R Premium Library remains accessible to you, as do most other Premium benefits.

I still believe that the remodeling industry is far more dynamic and sophisticated than any existing media recognize. I’m proud of the audience-driven dialog we have created together, and proud to have had you out here on this limb with me. Progress is happening, and I, for one, have enjoyed being a part of it.

Thanks for your support, and please keep in touch!



Leah Thayer
daily5REMODEL
leah@daily5REMODEL.com

p.s. Don’t want to receive any more emails from me? Click here to unsubscribe from this list.

Needing Projects, Sizing Up Leads, Getting Queasy Feelings...

I love it when remodelers really get into the discussion on d5R. Lately, there's been a lively back-and-forth on the matter of assessing the profitability of any one project lead, based on what you know about your past clients. Fantastic comments -- and here's the most colorful so far. Thanks, Michael Anschel!

Listen to your gut. 

My gut tells me that you are right, but my brain is happy to inform my gut that it is easily influenced, and being a digestive organ, lacks the requisite intellect to make informed rational decisions.   

My heart wants to get in on the action as well, and proceeds to pour out the most moving anecdotal rhetoric. It is so powerful that my brain would have fallen for it, except that all that sappy garbage made my gut sick, gave me indigestion and pretty soon heart burn. 

Released from its trance, my brain, in control again pointed out that I run a business. And while my gut and my heart are useful tools, at the end of the day it is the brain that must run the show. 

No clue what he's talking about? See the full discussion (and add to it) here: How Profitable Is That Lead?

Protect Your Time, Qualify Your Prospects

what you might have missed in the January 13 d5R:

Protecting Your Time, Qualifying Your Prospects
Serious remodelers don't have time to chase after unserious and/or unqualified leads. What information helps you assess whether a prospect is worth pursuing?


Industry Snapshots: the d5R Dish
High-end homeowner seminars (with fancy koozies), thwarting no-shows, promoting awards, outdoor living breakthroughs, life before the EPA.

Millions and Millions of Homeowners
... are on Facebook. As social media giant careens toward its billionth user, remodelers are still playing catch up. All the better for those that have a presence.

Under Contract: the Short Form Proposal
When this remodeler started a new business, he brainstormed how to do everything better. One result is a one-page iPad proposal, rich with hyperlinks and sparing of ink and paper.

Smarter Homes, Closer to Reality
Web-enabled heating and cooling, gesture-controlled appliances ... Consumer Electronics Show serves up a feast of new home-automation products backed by big names.

Plus all the relevant business, economic and housing-related news! Click through for the full news roundup.

An Open Letter to Building Products Manufacturers

As every small-business owner knows, letters like this make the long hours and hard work worth it. Big thanks to David Roberts of Roberts Architects for the kind words.

For more info on sponsoring d5R, click here. -- Leah Thayer

Dear Building Products Manufacturers:

I made the mistake in 2008 of ignoring what was happening just outside our company. We were so busy that I didn’t believe that it could change, Okay, I was wrong! These challenging times have taught me how important it is to keep up with the remodeling industry trends and news, I’ve got to know what’s happening around us so we can look ahead and plan the strategic adjustments for our business.

How do you keep up with the latest news and trends in our remodeling industry? There’s so many sources for the news and data, I can’t spend my valuable time searching, collecting and sifting through the Web and trying to figure out what sources to trust. We’re a small business and can’t allocate the resources to find and research market trends, latest developments, new products and services available to us. 

So where do I look every day? I’ve learned to turn to Leah Thayer’s daily5Remodel as a source for the very latest remodeling industry news, developments and trends, Plus we’ve found a variety of products and services though the webinars and interesting stories that d5R has quickly become known for.

d5R is like a lens looking into our remodeling industry. Leah Thayer directs that lens, focuses it and then projects the images onto d5R, providing us with an invaluable resource that's neatly packaged and ready to use. 

David Roberts AIA  CR  UDCP

Roberts Architects Ltd.

Roberts Construction Group Inc.

Technology Would Be Hilarious ...

... if it weren't so bleeping frustrating. Here's a note I tried to send to the entire d5R readership late this afternoon, following the discovery of one site problem after another. Unfortunately the note didn't go out. That part of the site was broken too. Here's to Tuesday.

Tuesday update: Today's issue features yesterday's content because yesterday's issue didn't go out. And then today's issue went out twice.

Dear d5R Community:

You may have noticed a conspicuous absence in your email this morning. My apologies. Today’s d5R didn’t go out, and in fact the site was down for most of the working day. Our web-hosting company switched to a faster server -- and “something broke” in the process, as the tech people say.

Thankfully, after hours of research and testing, the problem has been fixed, and the site is up and running with the latest stories. Tomorrow’s d5R will re-feature these stories to give you time to read and respond, in the event that you don’t make it over today.

Two more quick notes:

The site outage delayed the start of voting on the November Snapshots contest (“Our Favorite Clients”). Voting is now open and will remain so through next Monday. Click here to go directly to the voting booth and here to review all the entries. Thanks again to GuildQuality for sponsoring the contest and providing an iPad 2 for the winner.

And … a collective thanks to all of you who have upgraded to d5R Premium under the new price structure announced November 18. Woefully, there was a glitch in that system as well, and I hear that many of you did not receive your receipt or an automatic email explaining how to take advantage of your awesome Premium benefits. If that’s the case with you, please shoot me a note. I’ll send you those two items asap.

Thank you for your patience, and fingers crossed that we all have a much better rest of the week!

Leah Thayer
leah@daily5REMODEL.com

It's a Little Painful to Admit, but ...

a letter sent to all d5R subscribers on 11/19/11 --  

getting nice feedback from the best remodeling community in the world!

Happy Saturday, remodeling pro.

Lots of remodelers tell me that selling is the least favorite part of their job. Well, I have to tell you that I’m probably worse at it than you. It’s amusing to recall my dad suggesting at one time that I go into sales, because after 14 months of wearing almost every hat in the tiny, exhausting, fun business of daily5REMODEL, I still squirm each time I even look at the sales hat.

On the other hand, I seriously like to help remodelers. That’s why I started d5R, and why I’m only squirming a little as I encourage you not to miss another week of life without d5R Premium. In other words, I’m asking you to upgrade your subscription if you haven't already.
Why?

• For starters, I just lowered the price to $99 a year. Maybe I’m crazy, as d5R Premium is better than it was when it cost twice as much, but my new iPhone is worlds better than my first-generation iPod, and it cost less too. Hey, if it worked for Apple...

• Second, like the iPhone, d5R Premium keeps getting better. It’s a solid business investment. There’s more great info in the Premium Library (including 13 fantastic webinars that can help your business now). More huge savings from more top-notch advisors (no kidding, you can save many hundreds of dollars -- even thousands -- on training in sales, construction accounting, SEO, performance benchmarking, more). And dare I say more to come?

• Third, I want you to get as much from d5R as does John MacDougall, founder of JMC Development. Thursday night, John sent me a note that read, in part: "Thank you so much for your sincere efforts and the impact you have made on me and my business.” And that was after I told him that others would get d5R Premium for less than he paid several months ago (nice guy, eh?).

• Fourth, if you and enough other pros upgrade, you’ll help ensure that d5R can continue to publish -- and evolve and improve, for the benefit of my favorite profession -- for another 14 months. Or, preferably, 14 years.

Finally, another note I got yesterday from another d5R Premium subscriber. He said I can share it with you:

"Your insights and support for those of us who need to go to one source to get our daily information, and quickly at that, make your service stand out above the others out there. Keep up the great work you are doing."

I’d love to. Heck, maybe I'll even be able to hire a proper staff!

So, thanks for getting d5R and hearing my, um, “pitch,” dear readers. Please know that regardless of whether you decide to upgrade, I’m genuinely delighted to have you on board. Wishing you a great weekend and a safe, happy Thanksgiving.

Leah Thayer
daily5REMODEL
leah@daily5Remodel.com

p.s. Click here to upgrade your subscription. If the system doesn't recognize you, please take a minute to log in using your email and password. Can't remember your password? Shoot me a note and I'll find it for you.

p.p.s. Are you an American Express cardholder? Then you might want to wait to upgrade next Saturday, Nov. 26. It's Small Business Saturday, and AmEx will offer a $25 statement credit to registered cardholders who use their card at a participating small business. I’ll be supporting my favorite small businesses that day, and I hope you will too. Click here for details and tips for promoting your own small business!

Good With Remodeling Details? This iPad May Be for You

Greetings from a rainy Saturday. I come bearing good news for remodeling and design pros:

If you're still eyeing Apple's new iPad -- or want another one for a member of your staff -- take a few minutes to enter the October Snapshots contest on daily5REMODEL: "It's All in the Details." The sponsor is Crown Point Cabinetry, which also sponsored the Old Home Renovations contest in July.

The prize for the winner is an iPad 2.

As always, entering the contest on d5R is simple and free:

• Assemble up to three great “after” photos of one of your company's best construction details. This can be a porch, a built-in, columns or brackets, a staircase, a historic restoration -- whatever you'd like to showcase.
• Include a brief narrative indicating the project location and challenges, the age and style of the home, and why you’re proud of this particular detail. Provide a contact name at your company and your website address.
• Email the photos and narrative directly to me (leah@daily5REMODEL). Type "It's All in the Details" in the subject line.
• We'll feature entries throughout October in the Snapshots section of d5R, and then hold an open vote to select the winner in early November. We'll also help you promote your entry to your clients and community.

Thanks to Crown Point Cabinetry for this generous sponsorship. That's their Linea System shown in the photo.

Send me your detail shots! Have a fantastic weekend.
By the way: Voting is now open for the September contest! Click here to vote.



P.S. Speaking of details, learn about Crown Point Cabinetry's Remodeler Appreciation Program. "Their quality is outstanding, but that's the starting point," said a remodeler on d5R.