I think all of you who are or have been, in business will agree that staying relevant is a key component of thriving. Our industry is no exception.
Ongoing education opportunities not only help us move forward, but they are also the oxygen for our company.
Topics Vary
Technical, where we are learning about a new technique, a new tool, as well as new materials when they come on the market.
Best Business practices are a popular topic. Everything from how to improve marketing, including what to measure, to bookkeeping practices, organizational improvements, employer/employee relationships and more are covered.
Finances are another. In the construction industry, we need to know what our clients’ needs are and assist them in fulfilling them. Understanding how financing works is necessary not only for the client, but also for us as a business as we grow.
Codes are also a popular topic. When building departments adopt new codes (every 3 years), we need to understand how they impact our services and your project.
Methods Vary
A common method of learning new ‘things’ is through demonstrations, typically at a vendors business location. ‘How-tos’ are great local opportunities for learning.
Seminars and Webinars are quite helpful. Lately, the webinar option has become quite popular. First it is easier to attend than traveling somewhere for a seminar, they are interactive to a degree. They will never replace good ol’ face to face in this old guy’s opinion.
Online courses have become as popular as webinars. There are entire degree programs offered that have minimal to no in-person attendance required. Courses designed to improve one’s skills as a designer, manager, and to some extent even the trades skill set, can be addressed.
Reasons and Outcomes Vary
Some obvious reasons are to improve the knowledge and skills of our employees and ourselves.
By improving technical knowledge, our designers and trades have better field performance standards than a competitor.
By learning ‘best practices’ for our business, we become more efficient with our management procedures, and most importantly, with our customer relationships.
Our team is always learning and always ready to help you reach your remodeling goals.
