Real Issues Real Answers

Some things never change. Like the need to attract customers, grow our sales and build our brands. That straight-forward business challenge has grown much...

As in any business that sells a product or service at a profit, even one known for delivering razor-thin margins, the question of what...

Many readers cite quality products as a defining difference that separates their company from the competition. So what to do when the lumber you’re...

The housing market is strong, which is great. And lumber prices are rising sharply, which is good for the bottom line, because 10% markup...

Conversations about employee training raise all kinds of questions: “What if we train them and they leave?” “What if we don’t and they stay?”...

Offering purchase discounts to pro customers is an accepted, long-standing strategy that many lumberyards use to encourage loyalty from pro customers. But given the...

Today’s strong housing and remodeling markets are a golden opportunity for all companies in the residential construction business. When a company decides to grow...

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend has definitely reached the LBM world. With the vast majority of Americans owning cell phones (95%, according...

Should we or shouldn’t we? That is one of the questions companies wrestle with when determining what financial information—if any—to share with employees. On...

Today’s headlines are dominated by allegations of sexual harassment, often reaching the highest levels of government and business. Companies across all industries are taking...