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The Tough Questions: Meet the PanelHindsight may not always be 20/20, but it has taken on a stunning clarity in the aftermath
of a building boom that most segments of the remodeling industry now officially consider history. For this Web-only report, we invited remodelers to participate in a survey asking what
we characterized as “tough questions” — tough not in the sense of a grueling academic exam, but in
the sense that answering them could be emotionally painful, could require a fair amount of soul-baring and humility, and could
even force them to rethink their overall game plan going forward. Ten owners of
very different remodeling companies stepped up to the plate. They had the option of answering the questions anonymously, but
all generously agreed to go public with their answers, in the hope that their experiences might prove helpful to their peers. Here is the full list of respondents, followed by links to the 12 questions and relevant
answers. We thank these remodelers for their candor and their honesty, and we wish them all the best. Feel free to share your
own answers by clicking on the “comment” link at the end of each article.  Photo Credit: Tim Burch, Burch Builders Group Tim
Burch, Burch Builders GroupWarrenton, Va. 2007 revenue: $2.7 million 2008 revenue: $4.8 million Company founded in 1954,
third-generation remodeler Photo Credit:
Craig Durosko, Sun Design Craig Durosko, Sun Design Remodeling SpecialistsBurke, Va. 2007 revenue: $8.6 million 2008 revenue: $8.1 million Company founded in 1988  Photo Credit: Peter Feinmann, Feinmann Inc. Peter
Feinmann, Feinmann Inc.Lexington, Mass. 2007 revenue: $5.6 million 2008 revenue: $4.2 million Company founded in 1987  Photo Credit: Dennis D. Gehman, Gehman Custom Remodeling Harleysville, Pa. 2007 revenue: $2.4 million 2008 revenue: $2.7 million Company founded in
1990  Photo Credit: Alex Iosa, Iosa Construction Alex
Iosa, Iosa Construction Corp.Tampa, Fla. 2007 revenue: $585,000 2008 revenue: $473,000 Company founded in 1988  Photo Credit: Paul Irwin, Pattern Builders Metropolitan Washington, D.C. 2007 revenue: N/A 2008 revenue: $800,000 Company founded in
2000  Photo Credit: Chris Landis, Landis Construction Chris Landis, Landis Construction Corp.
Washington, D.C.
2007 revenue: $9 million
2008 revenue: $8.5 million
Company founded in
1990  Photo Credit: John Murphy, Murphy Bros. Designers & Remodelers Minneapolis 2007 revenue: $4.6 million 2008 revenue: $2.9 million Company founded in 1983  Photo Credit: Jane Regan, HB Building and Design Jane Regan, HB Building and Design
San Francisco
2007 revenue: $450,000
2008 revenue: $890,000
Company founded in 2002  Photo Credit: Alex Shekhtman, Elite Remodeling Metropolitan Washington, D.C. 2007 revenue: $637,000 2008 revenue: $612,000 Company founded
in 1996 Click on these links to jump to answers to
any of the following questions: Question 1: Looking back over the last three to four years, what were your biggest mistakes?
Question 2: What do you vow to do less of in 2009 and beyond, and why?
Questions 3 and 4: What do you wish you had done more of - or more quickly? How will you do more of this in 2009 and beyond?
Question 5: What red flags will you never ignore again?
Question 6: What marketing strategies no longer work for you?
Question 7: What marketing strategies are working for you?
Question 8: How much will you cut your profit margins to get a job?
Question 9: If you have to cut staff, how will you decide whom to cut first?
Question 10: When business picks up again, what indicators will you need to rehire staff?
Question 11: What sacrifices have you made on a personal level to keep your company afloat?
Question 12: If you could rebuild your remodeling company from the ground up, what would it look like?
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