Many small companies have floundered when the owners don’t stay the course. As a result, they hop on the next new thing that catches their attention. As a rule, you should devise a strategic planning process to decide a business’s direction and priorities. And then you should stick to it. […]
Business & Technology
From self-cleaning and self-repairing to bendable and glowing, concrete is constantly evolving, regularly bringing technologically improved products to market.
Why bother with competitions?
7 tips on how to come out a winner
In Part 1, we discussed why you should enter decorative concrete award competitions. Now that we’ve established a “why,” let’s look at how we should go about it. First, identify your top awards programs you want to enter. Who is your audience and what types of projects are eligible? Once […]
Why bother with competitions?
Award winners reap much more than praise
The decorative concrete industry continues to evolve. Subsequently, it’s exciting to see where it started and imagine where it’s headed. However, contractors often overlook one of our industry’s under-utilized evolutions — an array of gainful awards available when entering decorative concrete competitions. Many decorative concrete manufacturers have specific industry awards […]
Which is best?
Regulation or Deregulation in the Trades
Although often said, it always surprises me when contractors say they can’t find good laborers — people who want to work. Or, put another way, people who want to learn a trade, especially one like decorative concrete. I find every aspect of this trade fascinating. On any given construction project, […]
Are you competitive?
Do a SWOT analysis and find out
In our day-to-day work, a lot of what we do is very tactical. We work up a proposal, order new materials or have equipment maintained. Although important to survive and grow in the long term, sometimes we must step back and think more strategically. An easy way to take a […]
Opportunity Knocks:
Concrete Design Franchise Business
Opens Doors for Entrepreneurs
Rather than demolishing and replacing existing concrete floors, many decorative concrete contractors turn to overlays for solutions. However, says business developer Alexander Lorenz, there’s a better way to remedy the situation and achieve longer-lasting results. Namely, transform and restore the integrity of the concrete that already exists. The founder and […]
Contractor credits Concrete Decor
for showing her the way
Concrete contractor Kimberley Robles credits Concrete Decor back in the early 2000s for developing her interests in decorative concrete. Back then, she was a journeyman cement mason and the magazine was just getting its legs. “That’s how I found out about all these cool products and how people used them,” […]
Get ready for the new year
with a 2021 marketing plan
No doubt, 2020 will be a year for the history books. Still, decorative concrete contractors must muster some sense of new hope and start gearing up for 2021. Each one of us must choose how we want to plan and prepare. And a 2021 marketing plan is the right place […]
Sales and Marketing
Two Sides of the Same Coin
In any company, the marketing and sales functions depend on each other. Both want to find, convert and keep customers. The main difference is in the time horizon. Sales deals with the here and now. Marketing deals with tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, figuratively speaking. In the decorative concrete […]
Ohio Valley Concrete Rebrands itself as Superflat Precision Concrete Solutions
Ohio Valley Concrete, led by industry-acclaimed expert Andy Bowman, recently announced a rebrand under the name Superflat Precision Concrete Solutions. Under the new brand, Superflat simultaneously launched a much-needed research and development division for the concrete industry. The company will focus on ongoing R&D initiatives in addition to its current […]