Have you heard the latest in kitchen and bath industry marketing news?  Custom Cupboards recently teamed up with us to endorse Momentum, our marketing solution for kitchen and bath dealers. Better yet, they’ve decided to allow dealers to use their co-op dollars toward...

The Law of Diminishing Returns The old ways of doing things in the kitchen and bath industry get less and less effective with each passing day.  Any incremental gains industry owners do make to these business processes achieve a net negative to their operation (i.e....

  So many factors send ripples through the markets, affecting jobs, housing, stocks, commodities, banking and prices. There are opportunities for some, misery for many. Although this year may prove to be better than recent years, it is important to keep your eyes...

Sometimes you just need a little evidence to prove a theory. One theory that we hear a lot is that marketing for cabinet dealers is broken. We believe that it's not the marketing, it's the method. Cabinet dealers, remodelers and contractors are traditionally slow to...

In March, a somewhat heated debate was sparked between kitchen and bath industry experts alike.  The topic of discussion – How relevant is the NKBA?  The responses instantly started pouring in and people quickly set up camp on one side or the other, revealing their...

There’s a lot of chatter hitting the wire these days about innovation - and how as human beings we aren’t really geared towards taking the risks we need to take because we have an inherent fear of losing, which overrides our desires for gain. This was first written...

In part 1, we summarized the first section of Michael Werner’s State of the Industry Address from KBIS 2012, including data points and some of what we can look forward to.  Part 2 digs deeper into the intended message. “As times change, so do consumer preferences”...

Many think KBIS is dying a slow, ugly death. Just about everybody has mentioned it at one point. So is that the case?  Are we seeing less and less each year or will KBIS make a recovery? Here were my random observations as a last minute exhibitor at KBIS this year:...

KBIS may have seemed smaller this year, but the message emanating from the 2012 State of the Industry Address by Globe Union’s president and CEO, Michael Werner, was anything but - with a heavy stress on how technology is affecting the world and the way people buy and...

Has it already been a year since Las Vegas?  Time sure flies.  But that same time has allowed us to grow, and this year we have much more to offer you. Get CEUS As many of you may already know, CompanionCabinet’s 4M Sales Process is NKBA certified, and this year, due...

What is the reasoning behind a consumer purchase? This is an important piece of the puzzle; a necessary piece of every successful kitchen project. How and why is this such an important detail in kitchen remodeling? Finding consumer motive will help you successfully...

Equilibrium, it’s your birthday Another year has passed Advancing more and more each day You’re growing really fast You’ve added many features Since last year’s birthday rhyme Making dealer’s lives better And saving them more time Service Orders are a snap Receiving...

With kitchen cabinet sales still down, it has become extremely easy to find excuses to avoid traveling to professional trade shows: your car won’t survive the trip; the airfare is too high; your family needs you at home, etc. You may, however, be missing out on a...

Obviously if more people start making the magazine cutouts they’ve glued to their vision boards and reference books into real-life replicas, you’re going to have to gear up for an up-tick in business.  That means, it’s time for you to take a long hard look at your...

Guest commentator: Christina Birkentall, IIDA, CKD, LEED Green Associate Cat Fight? Turf War? Evil Cartel? Or just an evolving profession seeking respect and equal opportunities? There has been much mis-information out there about what Interior Designers are seeking...

Many of you know us not just because of our kitchen software, but due to our writing and consulting in the kitchen & bath industry. Over the years, we have become a little, shall we say, cocky when it comes to what we say we know about the business. After all, it...

It's a sad day, really It seems censorship reared it's ugly head in the kitchen and bath industry as some LinkedIn groups deleted people's opinions after we posed a question of how relevant people thought the NKBA is (or is not).  And the discussion is heated no...

Today, K+BB Collective published an article written by Nick Ritota in their Designers’ Corner titled, “Why Sales Has a Bad Rap in the K & B Business.”  Nick’s article introduces us to the classic “designer vs. salesperson” motif, but sheds light on the fact that...

Capturing leads, your own leads, is critical in today’s economy. Consumers are educating themselves on your industry every day, through blogs, e-books, social media and podcasts.  You need to ensure that the voice heard in the market is your voice. The greenhouse is...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of ushering in my fortieth birthday with two shots of cortisone in my lower back.  I guess it was either that or a trip to the islands for some free diving.  When you step back and look at it…I mean who can resist long epidural-like...

The tide is shifting. Traditional marketing, or outbound marketing, has always had us finding customers. Consider the ways in which we do that today: Direct Mail TV and Radio placement Newspaper Ads Phone Book Ads Outdoor advertising Static websites Most would agree...

So you've conquered sales and marketing - but now your operations could use a little work.  Operations are the framework of your entire cabinet dealership - and without a strong structure, none of the other departments will work correctly. We put together an eBook on...