Loss damage waiver. Liability damage waiver. Damage waiver fee. The names and acronyms vary, but the concept is the same across the rent-to-own backyard structure industry. A loss damage waiver, or LDW, is a program that changes how a customer experiences a rental contract, and manufacturers who understand it can help their sales teams and […]
Manufacturers that sell through local and regional dealer networks carry a double responsibility. The factory has to build a good product, and the dealer has to move it. When dealers market themselves well online, their visibility grows, foot traffic into their lots increases, and sheds sell faster. Support from the manufacturer is what makes that
Every construction business owner knows the feeling of a job finished well: the customer shakes your hand, thanks you, and says they will tell their friends. That promise is worth more than any advertisement you can buy. A satisfied customer is the most persuasive salesperson your company will ever have, because their endorsement carries a
Fraud losses in the United States passed $1.9 billion in 2019, a 28 percent jump over the prior year and part of a multi-year upward trend tracked by the Federal Trade Commission. The rent-to-own building industry is not immune, and it cannot solve the problem alone. Prevention works the way routine upkeep keeps an old
Most small construction companies do not reach a tenth anniversary, let alone a thirty-fifth. The ones that do share habits that have little to do with luck. A Texas company founded in 1981 in a backyard behind its founder’s house has grown from hand-built metal sheds to eight locations, a staff of 32, and a
Every shed and garage manufacturer reaches a point where the original site limits production. Order volume climbs, buyers ask for more customization, and promised delivery dates stretch beyond what the shop floor can support. Moving the manufacturing facility solves those problems, but it introduces new decisions about zoning, utilities, financing, and workflow. The evaluation starts
Construction is a cyclical business, and the shed and backyard building industry is no exception. After several strong years, many companies are hitting a soft patch. The tailwinds of the recent expansion have subsided, and some market areas now face significant headwinds. Doing the same things that worked during the boom will produce fewer results
When a building company reaches its fortieth year, the milestone says more about management than about construction. The industry’s history is full of capable builders who went out of business anyway, not because they could not frame a wall, but because they could not manage a company. Long-lived firms share a pattern: they treat the
The family business is one of the staples of the American economy, and nowhere is that truer than in construction. Family-run companies may not generate most of the revenue in the shed and backyard building industry, but they almost certainly make up most of the companies. That distinction matters, because family businesses face a challenge
An industry conference compresses months of learning into a few days. Associations in every construction sector gather members for keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and exhibit halls, and the businesses that attend come back with ideas their competitors never see. One recent example: the annual conference of the National Shed Rental Association, held in Grand Rapids,
