The Lean Builder
Labor + Trade Relations
Trade Shortage Heats Up. Looking for Love (and Relief) in All the Wrong Places
The shortage of qualified trade contractors is a problem that vexes the entire industry and finally people are waking up to it, largely for the…
Business Management
Fear of First-Timers?
This week I read that Ivy Zelman, generally acknowledged as the top homebuilding financial analyst, was laying it on pretty heavy to builders at a…
Business Management
Higher Growth/Lower Margins ... 'It's Happening'
One of my “guilty pleasures” – you know, things that you should be embarrassed to admit you love – is the John Travolta movie, The Phenomenon…
Sales
Sales Fulfillment's Missing Link
A builder’s ability to proactively manage a customer from contract through close with every option and selection made on time profoundly impacts the bottom line
Lean Building
Even Lean Is Local
It's said that home building is a local business. Regardless, you should still measure all of your costs
The immigration conundrum
As often happens in my articles and columns in Professional Builder Magazine, I set out to write one article, which quickly…
Design for failure
When I travel with my wife, or sometimes just run to the grocery, cleaners or hardware store, she frequently has to remind me, “Scott, remember,…
How do you lead a leader? Looking for some answers!
My December column just came out on HousingZone.com and you can read it here: http://www.housingzone.com/scott-sedam-how-do-you-lead-leader or in…
Business Management
Election 2012: The elephant in the room for home builders
I travel this country meeting with builders virtually every week and between my monthly Professional Builder article, my weekly blog on…
Lean Building
The rule of 8, 9, 12 but never 16
Todd Hallett and I are running a LeanPlan Workout session this week in Tennessee with one of my favorite builders. In the years I have known them…