Masonry Magazine October 2002 Page. 41
MASONRY COMPUTER ESTIMATING
Now in 3D
by Tradesmen's Software
Masonry Computer Estimating
That Does It All... in 3D!
See the actual building being displayed in 3D as you do your take-off in either PLAN mode, PERSPECTIVE mode, OUTSIDE mode, INSIDE mode or at any ELEVATION. Complete your take-off, then walk through or around and see the actual finished building(s).
SAVES - No more walls, bandings, openings or even buildings missed from your estimate. Figure special wall shapes like PIERS, GABLE, SLOPE or STEPS!
Calculates CMU: HALF and FULL BULLNOSE, DOUBLE BULLNOSE, CHAMFER, or SASH for any or all OPENINGS, JAMBS, CORNERS, CONTROL JOINTS and any SPECIAL CUTS. Integrate with PROJECT COST and DIGITAL PLAN MEASURING SYSTEMS. Windows 95/98/NT/ME or 2000 compatible. 30 day money back guarantee.
Computer illiterate? Let our 40 years of masonry and 10 years of computer experience help you help yourself. Support available 7 days a week.
Tradesmen's Software, Inc.
1-800-494-4899
See for yourself at:
www.tradesmens.com
Used wisely, today's technology can help you streamline operations and reach out to new customers.
Look to new markets. Can you reach new customers by offering expanded or different hours? Or can you sell on a 24/7 basis by building a new Web site or boosting the capability of your existing site?
Look to other professionals. Where do you need help in your profit-boosting efforts? With advertising and marketing? Communications? Technology? Employee development? Seek out top-notch professional assistance in your area of need, and remember that the money you spend on this is an investment.
Look to other locations. Where are your potential customers? Once you answer this question, figure out how you can get to them. Locating sales efforts at a new location, kiosk or counter, fair, or other venue might be the fastest way to reach more people.
Look to technology. Used wisely, today's technology can help you streamline operations and reach out to new customers. The World Wide Web and e-mail communication offer a myriad of powerful marketing opportunities. New database technology helps you simplify record keeping and retrieval. Self-paced tutorial CDs give you the opportunity to train employees at minimal cost. And the list could go on and on.
Look to your past successes. What accomplishments can you showcase to customers and the community? Do you offer products that solved real-life problems? Do you know people whose personal or business lives were simplified because of your efforts? Spreading the word through customer testimonials and your own powerful advertising sends the message that you have been and remain a great problem solver.
Look to your budget. While trimming expenses may not be a core strategy in tough times, take an hour someday and play "what if" with your budget. Better yet, ask a trusted colleague to look at your budget with an objective eye. The goal: To identify revenues that could be increased, or expenses cut, with a minimum of effort.
Look to your problems. In tough times, make a special effort to ferret out any problems that having been nagging you in recent years. Even better, make an effort to uncover problems you didn't know you had through intensive customer feedback. For example, suppose you pinpointed slow response time to customers or faulty display materials as perennial problems. Now would be the time to work on these two issues and to highlight the way you've improved your business operations as a result.
Look to your association. Now is also the time to comb through association studies, literature and convention materials covering profit-boosting strategies. This is like tapping into the minds of the world's experts, each of them able to offer you clues about what you can do to strengthen your own business efforts.
Look to you. Do you convey a positive, upbeat attitude about your business? Do you project confidence to those around you? Most important, are you ready and willing to promote and sell all the time? Answer "yes" to these questions and you'll travel squarely on the road to success.