As remodelers struggle to integrate the hardware and software they already have, they ponder the role of new technology in their businesses.
Despite the role of technology in improved communication, design, and all types of documentation, most remodeling contractors are still challenged by computer hardware and software. Problems include keeping current and finding time and money for training, but the biggest need is for someone to help them keep up with the tech avalanche and to connect the gadgets they already have.
Remodelers admit they're reluctant to adopt technology for fear of getting burned, and most have no dedicated technology budget. Many stockpile "shelfware" (technology that ends up sitting on a shelf somewhere), reporting hundreds of dollars -- and in some cases as much as $10,000 -- worth of useless or obsolete technology.
Still, remodelers are being pushed into the future by customers, and most say they lead their suppliers and subcontractors on the technology front.
In one area where it's easier to see a return on a tech investment -- from a Web site -- nearly half of remodelers report they don't have one. Yet more than half of those who do have sites report sales from them. Leo Meerman of PROMEER Builders amp; Remodelers, Sugar Land, Texas, had more than 16 Web-related sales last year. The mostly handyman jobs were worth about $140,000. His site, www.promeer.com, is a template offered by QuickBooks Web Site Solutions for $19.95 a month.
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