Podcast 88: Takeaways From 500 Contractor Interviews With Bill Good

After more than 500 interviews with Roofing Contractors, Bill Good understands what problems keep us contractors up at night! In today’s interview with Bill, we dig deep into the problems we all face every day in our businesses and what the NRCA is doing to help solve them. Bill, who has an MBA from the University of Chicago, has been the CEO of the NRCA for most of the past thirty years. The mission of the NRCA is a simple one- to assist contractors and advance the industry. It’s a hundred and twenty-nine years old, with thirty-five hundred members and staff of fifty-three. Half of the members do both residential and commercial and half of them do less than $1,000,000 in sales, so there’s something there for everyone.

Bill is due to retire this year, so Dave wants to draw on his vast experience and find out what’s happening in the roofing industry from someone who really knows before he hits the beach. As Bill talks with a large number of contractors each year, Dave would like to know about the types of problems going on out there and what can be done to solve them. Listen in today, and find out from an expert, how you can take your roofing business to the next level. Let’s dive in and learn some valuable tips to help your roofing business!

Today, Bill talks to Dave about:

What his plans are.
Why the average roofing contractor should join the NRCA and what they will get out of it, as it’s pretty expensive for the ordinary guy.
Some of the issues that need to be dealt with in the industry.
The average apprentice joining the roofing industry today is thirty years old- what that tells us.
The difficulties roofing companies face in terms of finding the right people to hire.
The black market that has been created due to the government’s immigration policy.
The results of school leavers being encouraged to go to college, rather than going to good trade schools.
How it is possible to advance in a number of areas within the roofing industry.
The changes that he’s seen in the industry over the last thirty years.
Why roofs on a lot of buildings are the single most important component for saving energy, today.
How the roofing industry has advanced and improved, in many different ways.
The increasing government regulations affecting the industry, today.
The love/hate relationship that exists between the government and the roofing industry and Bills concerns in that area.
How the NRCA assists with inspections and various other business issues affected by governmental regulation.
Health care today and the roofing industry.
Why the roofing industry is in a better position now than ever before.
How the NRCA has been involved with the building code arena.
His thoughts on how the new government administration could affect the roofing industry.

Business Quick Tip: Current and future state of our workforce is the number 1 problem in our business. Don’t poach people from other companies. Make sure the word on the street is that your company is different and treats employees well. Learn how Dave used a Spring Carnival as a very effective recruitment tool. Paying a substantial amount for referrals is also effective. It’s important to have regular meetings and feedback sessions with employees. Making sure you have a happy workforce is the best way to keep your turnover low!