How Do You Stack Up?

by Mark McClanahan

If you’re like me, you’re a junkie for data and information you can use to compare how you’re faring in what you do. Having the desire to understand more about oneself or one’s company is one of the reasons I find Mosby Building Arts so appealing. I feel blessed to work for a company that believes in continuous improvement.

One way we feed our thirst for understanding how we stack up is through involvement with peer groups. For many years, Mosby has been consistently engaged with groups in the remodeling industry. These groups gather a few times a year to compare notes and to learn from one another. The groups consist of noncompeting companies working in the home improvement sector, and they range from small to large remodeling firms, offering a range of services to the consumer. Sometimes the groups will invite large manufacturing firms to participate. In these cases, the remodeling firms become a focus group for the manufacturers, and the manufacturers become a marketing research resource for the remodeling companies.

What is discussed and shared in these meetings? A variety of topics, including best business practices, company metrics, management styles, organizational structures and processes, and sales and marketing strategies and tactics. All is shared in an effort to learn what works and what doesn’t. Many times you find that what works for one company doesn’t necessarily work for another. All these differences help us understand how we stack up in the industry.

As an added bonus, lifelong relationships that extend beyond business can be created among individuals. If you don’t belong to a peer group, you may want to consider how one could benefit you.

Mark McClanahan (mmcclanahan@callmosby.com or 314.909.1800) is the president at Mosby Building Arts.