In this Behind the Surface podcast, Ed Young of Fabricator’s Business Coach joins Nancy Busch to discuss strategies for process improvements in the shop. Ed will identify value-added and nonvalue-added activities and discuss the TIM WOODS approach, a methodology that can reduce process waste and costs while enhancing productivity. Tune in to discover the eight ways you can recapture 10% of your capacity.

Recent years have shown steady growth in revenue, enabling many shop owners to invest in new machinery or expand their staff in order to keep up with demand. But when a downturn looms, how do you maintain a positive trajectory? In this Behind the Surface podcast, Tim Saddoris, president of Grand Onyx, joins Nancy Busch to discuss how to get the most from machinery and the employees who operate them.  

Tim will focus on the people and the process in these three steps:  

1. Having the right staff in the correct position 

Hint: if you’re not first, you’re last.  

Did you know color trends start in development as much as 10 years before they hit the marketplace? In this Behind the Surface podcast episode, Mark Woodman, CMG, a passionate designer, trend-spotter, and consultant for Corian Design, joins Nancy Busch to discuss color and design trends in the decorative surfacing industry.

Together they will discuss:

• The importance of light, dark and neutral

• Return to nature design trend; increase in popularity of stained wood for cabinetry

• Popularity of textures

• Asking key questions to steer your customers in the right direction

Are you wondering what the industry holds for your business this year? In this Behind the Surface podcast episode, Ed Young of Fabricator’s Business Coach joins Nancy Busch to discuss the 2023 Industry Outlook from a fabricator’s perspective. Tune in to hear what expert and fabricator Ed Young sees trending across the country and gather insights on what to do to ensure your success.

Discussion will include:

• Insights by geographic area:

• Some areas are seeing slow down

• Residential

• Medial field

• Pro Tips: If your shop is busy right now, learn what you can do with as little as 30 minutes each week to work on your business and get ahead of potential problems. Hint: Train for a marathon, not a sprint!

Do you need to train your salespeople in the art of selling specifically for the surface fabrication business? Are you struggling to find the time to provide the comprehensive training necessary to develop your team's skills? Join Justin Shaw from Stone Fabricator Elite and Behind the Surface host Nancy Busch for A Sales Rep Clinic Introduction. Learn how this eight-part webinar series can help you navigate the sales process more efficiently, engage better with potential customers and close more deals.

In this episode of Behind the Surface, Matthew Bodoff, Business Development Manager at Ineos Composites, and Chris Anderson, Business Development Manager at US Silica, discuss quartz supply from a raw material supplier’s perspective.

The pandemic and the winter storms of 2021 affected the supply chain, and where does that leave us today? Listen in to better understand the current reality, forecast, and how providing your input can help the future development of the category.

How are you planning for an economic downturn? Will you be taking an offensive or defensive approach? In this episode of the Behind the Surface podcast, Ed Young of Fabricator’s Business Coach and Justin Shaw from Stone Fabricator Elite join Nancy Busch to discuss effective business strategies to survive what challenges your business may be facing in these turbulent times.

How do you use good delegation to inspire your team? How do you set expectations and timelines with your power players?

Listen in to this episode of the Installing Profitability® podcast as Eric Tryon coaches you through:

• The power of good delegation: How to accomplish more by inspiring others

Learn more about delegation, expectation and more in this episode of ISFA’s podcast. After listening, attend the workshop on December 14 at 2 PM ET, during which Eric will share how to coach for performance.

The Installing Profitability® Series features Eric Tryon and is brought to you by your friends at BACA Systems. This episode will discuss Annual Strategic Planning.

• Working on the business compared to in the business

After listening, attend the workshop on November 9 at 2 PM ET, during which Eric will dive into annual strategic planning. Go to ISFAnow.org to register.

The Installing Profitability® Series features Eric Tryon and is brought to you by your friends at BACA Systems. This episode will discuss Commercial Channel Success. 

• Commercial & Residential Projects: Apples & Oranges

After listening, attend the workshop on October 12 at 2 PM ET. Go to ISFAnow.org to register.