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Veterans Day Q&A

November 10, 2025 7:42 am

How did your military experience shape the way you lead your business today? Are there specific lessons or habits from your service that continue to influence your day-to-day decision-making as a business owner?  Dan: My military experience emphasized understanding the mission. Everything else flowed from that. Mission preparedness included my training both technically and managerially and sharing my experience and knowledge with the team. My team has always included people who have had their own perspective and expertise to help us achieve the mission. I’ve taken those practices and shared them with my current

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The Jeopardy of Neglecting Spanish Education in Restoration

November 9, 2025 9:38 am

The construction and restoration industry relies heavily on Hispanic workers, yet there is a striking lack of educational content in Spanish within our profession. I have personally seen how this gap jeopardizes the future reputation of restoration. In recent months, thousands and I do mean thousands, of Hispanic workers have been educating themselves. But not through IICRC courses, nor through Xactimate training, nor through qualified education. Instead, many are turning to unqualified “mentors” who gained influence simply because they understand English. I have been contacted by hundreds of restorers who found themselves in serious trouble, even

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“We Know Retirement—But Do We Understand It?”

November 7, 2025 12:35 pm

Q: My wife and I were discussing retirement, she said, “I feel like we know, but do we understand?”  That hit hard.  Any insights?   JT says: In any business decision there’s ‘knowing’ vs. ‘not knowing’.  When consequences are massive, the latter is scary.  ‘Knowing’ simply means information has been gathered.  But does this translate to ‘understanding’?  We know- Strength training is good for us, but how many hit the gym regularly? Meditation is proven to increase mental / physical health, but how many take the time? A green smoothie is better than a

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M&A Q&A: The Real Question Very Few Are Asking… But Should

November 6, 2025 9:40 am

Currently, the two most common questions in the transaction world are: “What’s happening with ‘multiples’?” and “Are deals still getting done in 2025?” A brief foundation as to why these questions are being asked. First, it’s clear ’23–’24 was a mild winter, then again in ’24–’25.  According to various industry consultants, slightly more than 70% of contractors reported reduced gross sales during this period.   Secondly, we’re in a particularly dark time when viewing carrier/contractor relationships.  Over the past 24-36 months, disasters in California and Florida have (in theory) placed a strain on the

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Navigating the Sales Landscape: Finding Revenue When Claims Are Slow

November 5, 2025 6:15 pm

The disaster restoration industry has always been cyclical, but the challenges companies face today are magnified. In regions where storm seasons are unpredictable and property damage claims fluctuate, many contractors are feeling the pinch of lower claims volume. Fewer claims mean tighter competition for work, shrinking backlogs, and an urgent need for restoration businesses to rethink how they approach sales and business development. Industry professionals consistently identify two pain points in this environment: the need to uncover new revenue sources and the challenge of sustaining sales momentum when claim volume is down. These pain

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Building Strength in the Storm: How Restorers Are Weathering 2025’s Financial Headwinds

November 4, 2025 9:26 am

If 2025 has taught the restoration industry anything, it’s this: the whole concept of being economically resilient does not mean it is always smooth sailing.  As restorers, your success is forged in turbulence. With insurance claim volume in decline, delayed payments, rising costs, and constant pressure from both external forces (weather, inflation, regulatory shifts) and internal ones (labor shortages, reduced margins, increased payment cycles), restorers are being tested. Yet, the broad arc of data from the C&R State of the Industry Pulse Check, powered by KnowHow, shows an industry that is not buckling. Instead,

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Checking the Pulse of the Industry

November 4, 2025 8:30 am

Welcome to what I am calling a “correction” in the restoration industry. Economists say corrections in the economy are normal and healthy – and part of an overall adjustment during a time of upward trend. Corrections are meant to bring things back to a stable place, and may even precede renewed growth when underlying economic fundamentals are sound.  From talking to many restorers, and being part of the industry for more than a decade, I can firmly say this is the most rocky period I have witnessed. I know others who have been here

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The 3-Day Drying Myth – Revisited AGAIN

October 28, 2025 9:00 am

Publisher’s Note: We love to be the bridge for dialogue, discussions, and different viewpoints within the restoration industry. This article by Graham is in response to another piece recently published in C&R related to three-day drying. We encourage you to read both – and share your thoughts in the comments of this article on social media, or shoot us an email with your thoughts: [email protected] Everyone has heard about the cook preparing the roast and being asked why they cut off the ends first. The response was “that’s the way mom always did it.”

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10 Ways to Blow Customers’ Minds

October 28, 2025 8:48 am

Good Service Isn’t Enough Anymore In today’s home service world, good service doesn’t cut it. “Good” gets you forgotten. “Amazing” gets you remembered, reviewed, and referred. Customers today are different — they’re impatient, skeptical, and constantly comparing experiences. The company that stands out isn’t the one with the lowest price or the flashiest marketing. It’s the one that makes people feel taken care of. At Super Tech University, we’ve trained thousands of techs, CSRs, and owners across plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and restoration companies. The ones that win consistently aren’t doing anything complicated — they’re

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The Problem with Ride-Alongs—and What to Do Instead

October 21, 2025 8:15 am

Sales managers doing ride-alongs with their reps is commonplace in B2B sales. I’ve done it myself and recommended it to owners, GMs, and sales leaders for years. Most think of ride-alongs as a management activity—a half or full day in the field, attending sales meetings and shadowing cold calls with a rep, all while literally riding along in their vehicle. How else do you coach or develop your salespeople? You’ve got to get out in the field to see how they’re doing, right? Before we get into why ride-alongs can be more harmful than

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