We shot ourselves in the foot over the last 20 years, riding on the coat-tails of the union training programs.  I say that generalizing of course. In 1990, I remember making a transition from a full employee company to hiring independent workers. I did it because at that time, the workflow had tremendous highs and lows, and I found I could concentrate on sales and administration more if there were responsible tradesmen in the field. There are...

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear a contractor express concern that he is not in control of his business.  “My subs will never do it that way.  They won’t submit their bids to me through an online system.  They can barely return e-mails.” Too many remodelers that use outside contractors get only one bid per trade.   It is my belief that while your “favorite sub” probably provides great service, you could be...