Attorney Philip Siegel, with the Atlanta law firm Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman, and Siegel, is my returning guest for today’s show. If you didn’t know, they specialize in working with construction companies all over the country, and they are who I’ve personally used for many years. To hear Philip's most recent interview on the podcast, check out Episode 248.

In this episode, Philip will be discussing what you need to know about avoiding certain legal landmines. You never know when legal matters may arise, and it's good to know what to avoid and who to call on when you need legal advice, especially when you scale your business, hire more people, and have more potential legal problems.

Stay tuned to hear some great advice from a great labor attorney, and someone I have known for over 20 years!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Philip and Dave discuss today's problems with supply issues and how to avoid potential contract issues with suppliers
• Dave talks about not wanting to go down the road of putting liens against someone if at all avoidable
• Philip talks about the kinds of protections to put in your contracts
• Make sure your contracts contain the right language, or you will have to rely on the laws.
• Philip says litigation can be a long, drawn-out process, which takes you longer to get your money.
• Dave talks about drive time and how you can be liable for paying overtime if you don't set it up correctly.
• According to Philip, if you require employees to come to the shop and then have them drive to the job site, you could be liable for that drive time.
• Dave and Philip have a robust discussion regarding 1099 employees and W-2 employees and the dos and don'ts as an employer.
• Episode 153 Why you should have an up-to-date employee manual is a Roofer Show that is a must-listen!
• Philip discusses how labor laws shift when a new party is in the White House.

 Connect with Philip!

Philip’s Website

Philip’s Email

Philip’s Phone # (404) 469-9197

Suggested Episodes:

189: How to Escape These 10 Killer Contract Clauses with Philip Siegel

153: Why You Must Have An Up-To-Date Employee Manual with Philip Siegel

114: How to Prevent Employee Poaching By Your Competitors with Philip Siegel

84: The Hidden Dangers Of Using Independent and Sub Contractors with Philip Siegel

Resources:

Check Out My NEW Website: The Roofer Coach

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 – Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!**

~Please Share My Podcast With Other Contractors~

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out their app!

If you want a consistent flow of qualified leads you need to listen to my mini-course with Marc Levesque and learn how a professional PPC campaign can get your company’s name in front of new prospects ready to buy your services. Once you have their attention Marc gives you the secrets to converting those clicks into qualified leads using the right landing pages.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• PPC is pay-per-click.
• Most listeners of this show will fall into one of three categories:
  1. You’ve done this yourself but did not get results.
  2. You hired someone to do it for you but it did not work out.
  3. You’re not familiar with PPC.
  
  
• Marc provides an overview of PPC:
  • Understand how search engines work.
  • Pay Google to serve your ads on the first page of search results.
  • Using keywords that potential clients might use to find your ads are very important.
  • You pay for clicks whenever a potential client clicks on your ad.
  
  
• Marc addresses budgeting concerns: What will you need to spend on this? What can you expect in terms of results?
• The real metric you need to consider is the “customer acquisition cost”.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is optimizing your website and/or content so you can get those pages indexed or showing up on Google so that over time you earn more traffic.
• The goal of PPC is ultimately to instill confidence and convince a prospective client that they should reach out and have a conversation with you.
• It’s important to use a landing page, which is basically a page on your website that is stripped of everything that is not relevant to what the consumer just searched for.
• It’s the landing page where you want to convert your traffic. You want them to call you, to fill out a form, or do a live chat.
• After a while, you’ll get a good indication of what your closing rate is, net sales per lead, and all the metrics that you need to understand.
• Generating a lead is only half the equation; capitalizing on the leads is more important.
• Marc shares how if you’re going to pay money for these leads, you have to respond quickly and with quality. Differentiate yourself from the competition. He offers some tips on how to field these very important calls.
• If a lead is not an ideal lead for you, be sure to refer to a specialist who is a better fit and try to make the introduction.
• Build a database of contacts that you can reach out to.
• Bracketing is the idea of giving people options.
• Dave discusses the problem with lead aggregators.
• The myth of exclusive leads.
• Marc relates the value of retargeting.
• Leveraging PPC to get more traffic so you can generate more leads and having more control over your marketing adds predictability to your business.
• Referrals remain the best kind of lead you can have.
• Five things that all successful businesses do.
• Ways to increase your revenues.

Links:

For Tips, Strategies, and Free Downloads!

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan!

The Roofer Show

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 - Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes**

FREE One-Hour Evaluation! I will also work with you one-on-one.

Contact Me HERE to Get Started!

Book Mentioned:

Unlocking Unlimited Lead Flow: A Blueprint For Remodeling & Home Services Contractors To Make The Jump To $10MM+ by Rich Harshaw

Recommended Episode:

6 Keys to Getting More Leads and Sales with Tim Musch

Connect with Marc!

Marc’s Website

Book a Demo with Marc

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Use Ruby Receptionists!!

Find Out How They Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Click here and use the code Roofer50 for a special $50 discount!

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out the app!!

—->My Listeners Get a 21-Day Money Back Guarantee

You can’t build a profitable business if you don’t know how to collect your money. There are many ins and outs, especially with today’s challenges in our industry. Join us to learn more!

Thea Dudley is a returning guest on The Roofer Show. She’s been in the business for a long time, and she has seen it all when it comes to collecting your money, handling credit, and working with vendors to create a great relationship. In today’s world of constant supply chain issues, your relationship with your suppliers can make ALL the difference. Thea has taken her vast experience through the years and written an informative guide for contractors. Her new book, The Credit Overlord’s Guide to Credit and Collections: How to Survive Cranky Customers, Bad Bosses, and Snarky Sales Reps as a Construction Professional, came out in 2021. See our Resources section to get your copy today!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Thea’s book started out as therapy for her and took about ten years to write
• Why Thea wrote the book to help the average contractor in language everyone can understand
• A look at Thea’s consulting work in the lumber and building materials industry
• Hot topics in the contractor world right now, especially pushing for more credit with suppliers
• Supply chain issues, skyrocketing prices, and labor shortages’
• Why a good relationship with vendors is beneficial in every way
• The value in understanding your numbers
• How to avoid “getting screwed” by general contractor
• Why you MUST ask for your money!
• Thea’s view of taking discounts and using credit cards
• How to recession-proof your business

Resources:

Get your copy of Thea’s new book: The Credit Overlord's Guide to Credit and Collections

Text me at 510-612-1450 for a chance to win a free copy of Thea’s book!

Connect with me. Check out my NEW website:

The Roofer Coach

Download my FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text me @ (510) 612-1450 and say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros and cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!

Please share my podcast with other contractors!

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring in Leads!

Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829 or check out their app!

Your website means nothing if it doesn’t mean something to your prospects who visit it. Nothing else matters! Join us today to learn how to optimize your website and make more sales than ever before! 

Tim Brown from the Hook Agency teaches people how to optimize their websites. At the Hook Agency, they build beautiful websites and blend in search engine optimization (SEO) to drive more Google traffic to the websites. Tim comes up with strategies to attract qualified visitors to your website and sets up the analytics to see what is happening there. 

Tim has built some fantastic websites that convert! He was on the show before, in episode 255, where we spoke about how to attract more website visitors, turn those visits into appointments, and convert those appointments into sales. After his last interview, I came up with many questions for Tim. So in this episode, we dig in and drill down deeper into some of his website strategies.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why is it worth paying an agency a bit more to create a good website for you?
• The benefits of having Google Analytics and Google Search Console tools installed on your website.
• What can you do to increase the value of your website and stand out amongst your competitors?
• What does a better website look like?
• Creating a good website should be a business owner’s first investment.
• Be clear about what you do, and focus on the service you are offering to attract the right people to your website.
• A good contractor website is all about attracting the ideal customer.
• How Google Analytics lets you know what is and isn't working on your website, who is visiting it, and what they do once they get there.
• Website marketing is a step-by-step process. It is all about getting people to take the next step.
• How to track where your phone calls come from.
• Analytics can help you determine why people are leaving your website.
• Showing people that your service is perfect for them will lead to conversions.
• Use badges to build trust on your website.
• How to keep things clean and simple on your home page.

Resources:

Connect with Tim Brown:

Visit his website, like him on Facebook, follow him on Instagram, and listen to his podcast!

If you’d like to learn how to set up Google Analytics, Check out Tim’s FREE guide and video at Google Basics Analytics Guide from Hook Agency.

Track phone calls on your website with CallRail. 

Check out my NEW website: The Roofer Coach

Download my FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text me @ (510) 612-1450 and say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros, and cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!

Please share my podcast with other contractors!

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring in Leads!

Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829 or check out their app!

I like to watch the show Shark Tank. Usually I’ll binge 4 or 5 episodes at a time every so often. You can learn a lot about business from the Sharks. And yes, even the roofing business. Yeah, it’s entertainment. But they’ve been there and done it!

Here is what you can learn from the Sharks:  

They start off by just asking for the short story about the business. The elevator pitch. They don’t really care what it is. What’s the problem and how are you solving it?

Just like selling roofing.     

What’s the competitive advantage? What’s the added value?    

Just like selling roofing.

They don’t want to hear all about you and all the great things the business does. It’s all about them! How are they going to get a return on their money and exit.     Just like selling roofing.    

What are you going to do for your customer?      Know your numbers!    

The businesses that never get funded are the ones that can’t answer a barrage of questions about their sales, costs, and margins.     Just like running a roofing business. 

Part 2

If you are going to grow a profitable contracting business, you’re going to need to know some basic sales numbers. 

I’m not talking about advanced math or accounting.    We’re are going to build on what we learned from last week’s Quick Tip. So if you didn’t listen to lasts week’s tip about what you can learn from watching Shark Tank, you’ll want to go check that out.    In today’s Quick Tip I’ll show you:     How many times you need the phone to ring,     How many presentations you need to make,    How many jobs you need to sell to hit the numbers you need to make the money that you want.  

Need Help Answering the Phone?

Use Ruby Receptionists! 

If you want more laser focused, qualified leads you need to talk with Marc and his team at Webrunner Media. You’ve heard Marc on the show and he knows his stuff. Check them out at https://www.webrunnermedia.com/ and see what they can do for you.

Download your free copy of the 1Page Business Plan For Contractors https://theroofershow.com/1-page-plan/

There are so many mistakes to be made in the area of markup and profit, and there are plenty of contractors out there making those mistakes--and those are the ones who can’t keep their businesses afloat. If your business isn’t as profitable as it needs to be, then you need to hear what Michael Stone has to say. He’s been with us in Episode 14 and Episode 66, and now he’s here to talk about the specifics that can keep you profitable.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Michael’s background: almost 58 years in construction; wrote a book in 1997, and started doing     seminars    
• Michael’s premise has always     been to help contractors help take care of their families    
• Out of 1300 contractors who have attended Michael’s 2-day seminar since 2014, only 4 have gone out of business    
• Michael’s book, Markup & Profit, originally published in 1999    
• The 6 most common reasons a contractor’s business fails (from Episode 14):    
• • Not charging enough for your work        
  • Failure to use proper change work orders        
  • Failure to use good, legal contracts        
  • Having too many employees for the volume of work        
  • Having an improper payment schedule        
  • Having a lack of profitable sales    
  
  
• Why you shouldn’t give bids for jobs    
• 90% of contractors go out of business because of not charging enough    
• The cold, hard facts: 32% of contracting businesses fail the first year, 57% don’t make it 2 years, and 74% fail by the end of their 3rd year    
• The difference in market-based and cost-based pricing    
• How to pay your employees top dollar because you charge top dollar    
• How to determine whether you’re using market-based pricing    
• Cost-based pricing means you don’t worry about competition, never adjust a price downward, never use     the word “free” in advertising, maintain the highest pay scale for ALL employees, work only on a fixed fee contract, and know when     to say NO.    
• Profit and overhead    
• The biggest myth in construction is that as your sales go up, you can cut your markup    
• Fixed overhead vs. variable overhead    
• How to calculate markup: Total sales divided by job costs equals markup    
• Markups that roofing contractors SHOULD be using    
• Why contractors feel guilty for charging more    
• Payment schedules and cash flow    
• The ratio of employees to dollar volume

Connect with Michael!

Find out about Michael’s courses, visit www.markupandprofit.com or call Michael at (360) 335-1100.

Markup & Profit by Michael C. Stone

Resources:

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 - Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

Get Diane’s Free Download A Tale Of 4 Companies

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!**

~Please Share My Podcast With Other Contractors~

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Use Ruby Receptionists!!

Find Out How They Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Click here and use the code Roofer50 for a special $50 discount!

https://www.callruby.com/roofershow

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out the app!!

My Listeners Get a 21-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

Some things have to be thought through carefully and done right if you want to get into commercial work because if they do not get done in the right way, they could hurt your existing business. Growing and improving a business on your own is hard. That's why you need to seek out the help of mentors, coaches, and educational programs.

Randy Brothers runs a very successful roofing business in Denver. He started the Roofing Academy, a program to help contractors build their businesses and become more successful. Randy was on the show in episode 149, where we spoke about how to 12x your roofing business in just eight years.

Nick Peret is with Summa Media. He is an expert in the commercial roofing market, and he knows marketing! He was on the show in episode 249, where he explained how to get more commercial roofing leads.

Randy Brothers and Nick Peret know what they are talking about when it comes to growing a profitable business! In this episode, you will hear the interview I did on Nick and Randy's podcast, The Start Build Grow Show, where we have a great conversation about building a successful roofing business, overcoming obstacles, and getting into commercial work. Join us today to learn how to get into the commercial roofing business, either from scratch or transitioning from other building service organizations!

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Four points you need to consider to avoid failure when you go into commercial work.
• Roofing in California is a different model from roofing anywhere else.
• The secret to how I have remained in business for more than thirty years.
• Some tips for niching down in your business and finding your ideal customer.
• Many roofers have an aversion to risk. As an entrepreneur, you have to be able to take risks to reach your true potential.
• What goes into building out a profitable commercial department?
• Why do you need to have a resident expert on your team?
• Why do you need dedicated salespeople for the service end of your business?
• Speed, relationships, and communication are vitally important for a commercial business.
• Consistently showing up is vital for commercial contractors.
• You have to understand the ins and outs of the long game with commercial roofing.
• Some strategies to ready yourself for the process of building out a commercial division.
• Coatings can be effective and profitable.
• Small things lead to big results in a business.

“You’ve got to be able to take risks in order to reach your full potential.” - Randy

Resources:

The Start Build Grow Show

The Start Build Grow Show on Facebook

The Roofing Academy

Summa Media

Nick Peret on Episode 249 

Randy Brothers on Episode 149

Sponsors:

Hook Agency

Ruby Receptionist

SumoQuote

Check out my NEW website: The Roofer Coach

Download my FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text me @ (510) 612-1450 and say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros, and cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!

Please share my podcast with other contractors!

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring in Leads!

Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829 or check out their app!

Some of the benefits to tracking your KPIs (key performance indicators) are that it allows you to see your leads and where they came from, and you'll know how many presentations and closes you’ve made. This will provide you with the information that enables you to strategically spend your marketing dollars wisely towards the right clients, thereby improving your close rate and getting more money for your jobs. 

This is what I’ve been working on with a couple of coaching clients lately, and this also happens to be the topic of today’s show from the archives with my guest, Randal DeHart. Stay tuned for quick and easy tips on how to turn a people-dependent money pit into a process-dependent cash cow!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The difference between construction accounting and regular accounting
• Differences between costs and expenses
• 5 key performance indicators and setting up a dashboard
• Why you should use QuickBooks
• Easy tips to do your own accounting
• Getting in touch with people to help you set up your dashboard
• Top problems and causes for embezzlement
• Setting up programs to avoid rip-offs
• Being smart with your money
• Getting involved with a bookkeeping company
• The system Randal’s company uses

Connect with Randal!

Fast Easy Accounting

Fast Easy Accounting - for DIY Solutions 

The Contractors Success Map Podcast

Resources / Links:

Check Out My NEW Website: The Roofer Coach

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 – Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!**

~Please Share My Podcast With Other Contractors~

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Use Ruby Receptionists!!

Find Out How They Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Click here and use the code Roofer50 for a special $50 discount!

https://www.callruby.com/roofershow

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out the app!!

My Listeners Get a 21-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

Are you FINALLY ready to stop wearing all the hats in your business? If this is the year you’re ready to take control over your business, then keep listening, because what I have to share with you today will have you well on your way to learning how to make 2022 the most successful year you’ve experienced so far as a roofing contractor, PLUS it will get you ready to step away from the day-to-day, so that you can take your family on a two-week, worry-free vacation this year.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• You need to know if you’re growing, so get last year’s financials organized and meet with a CPA.
• The key number to focus on is your gross profit margin. Here’s what that means!
• Let’s talk about your compensation.
• Do you know your end goal?
• Here’s why you need systems and processes.
• Business should be boring, if you’re doing it right!
• The 3-Legged Stool: You have to sell the work, do the work, and you have to keep score to keep everything balanced.
• Consider your ideal customer and niche down, accordingly.
• If you'd like some help getting your 2022 pulled together, book a FREE strategy call with me!

Resources:

Check Out My NEW Website: The Roofer Coach

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 – Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!**

~Please Share My Podcast With Other Contractors~

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out their app!

As I’ve visited with many contractors at the IRE in New Orleans this week, I learned what I already know. Most roofing contractors have the same problems of working too many hours, wearing too many hats, and NOT making the profits they deserve. I can help! It all starts with the right mindset, and today’s show begins there. Join us!

Tom Reber is a USMC veteran and business coach who helps contractors get their heads right and make the money they deserve. He has actionable strategies and tactics that you can put into practice in your business today. Tom hosts The Contractor Fight podcast, and you can get a FREE copy of his new book, Winning the Contractor Fight.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Before we talk to Tom, I’m highlighting two recent coaching calls:
  • A roofing contractor from Arizona needed help to build his brand around his specialty of tile roofs, repair, and replacement. He is making great progress in targeting his ideal customer and area of operation.
  • A landscaper with an established company needed to see more growth. We took a different perspective on his specialty and focused on increasing his job sizes, marketing to high-end customers, and branding himself as unique among the competition.
  
  
• Tom shares feedback and results from his Mile-High Summit in Denver, where 350 contractors focused on “Living a Profitable Life.”
• Why Tom’s focus is to help contractors play the long game
• Tom’s new book, Winning the Contractor Fight, takes a simple “block and tackle” approach to business, sales, and values.
• Why building a profitable can be “boring” with the consistency required to show up every day
• Tom’s formula: “Business is 10% math and 90% attitude.”
• Why Tom ALWAYS wants to be the underdog
• Why “the contractor fight” is always in our heads
• Why you have to take care of you and yours before taking care of everything else
• A few highlights from Tom’s new book:
  • Ch. 1–”Own Your Own Crap”
  • Ch. 2–”Get Oxygen”
  • Ch. 3–”Carry a Light Pack”
  • Ch. 4–”Break Even”
  
  
• Get Tom’s take bigger profit margins and keep your good employees for the long haul!

Connect with Tom:

at www.thecontractorfight.com

Get a FREE copy of his book, Winning the Contractor Fight, and find out more about Tom’s Marketing Bootcamp.

Resources:

Check Out My NEW Website:The Roofer Coach

Download My FREE 1-Page Business Plan

Text Me @ (510) 612-1450 – Say Hi!

I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!

**Please leave me a review on iTunes!**

~Please Share My Podcast With Other Contractors~

THE ROOFER SHOW SPONSOR INFO:

Need Help Answering the Phone Or Online Chat?

Find Out How Ruby Receptionists Can Help Bring In Leads!!

Or Call Ruby at (844) 326-7829

Check out their app!