Chuck Ross » Business management

Fire Sale

Administrator — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:07:06 +0000

It doesn’t take a roomful of economists to make the point that the retail and mixed-use construction markets have, in a word, tanked in the last 12 months. The resulting decline in design demand has left architectural firms scrambling.

This article originally ran in the July 2009 issue of Architectural Products magazine.

Fire Sale

Financing the Future

Administrator — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:13:57 +0000

Renewable-energy technology is advancing at a rapid clip. What’s not widely known is that financing options for those who wish to own/operate solar, wind and other energy-generating equipment are evolving just as quickly. Making sense of your financial choices takes some homework, though, and likely more than a few phone calls, including at least one to your accountant.

This article is one of a continuing series in the Electrical Design Library published by the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Financing the Future

Time Is Money: How Proper Scheduling Can Help Your Bottom Line

Administrator — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:21:02 +0000

Too often, building pros can fall back on informal, back-of-an-envelope schedules that make progress tracking impossible—and can make delays almost inevitable. A strategy built on realistic estimates and software-based tracking can help put an end to late project delivery, and help ensure customer satisfaction. This article was originally published April 2009 on the LowesForPros website.
Time Is Money: How Proper Scheduling Can Help Your Bottom Line

Sustaining Your Business With Sustainable Design

Administrator — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:12:03 +0000

There’s no doubt that green building is in the black, even as the overall housing market hemorrhages red ink. The value of green-building construction climbed from $10 billion in 2005 to between $36 billion and $49 billion in 2008, according to a recent McGraw-Hill Construction report. Builders in the field agree with this assessment, but say both builders and homeowners need more education on what “green” really means. This article was published originally on the LowesForPros.com website.
Sustaining Your Business With Sustainable Design

Bringing Heat and Power Together

Administrator — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:26:50 +0000

Combined heat and power (CHP)– or “cogeneration” – systems generate electricity and heat in a single, integrated package. Determining whether these efficiency-boosting designs are right for your facility requires an understanding of the technology and your own operational needs. This story was published originally in February 2009 on the LowesForPros.com website.
Bringing Heat and Power Together

Make Mine Well Done

Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:18:40 +0000

So, do you really need us to tell you that outdoor kitchens are no longer a trend, but a fact of life for high-end homeowners? The move from backyard kettle grills to fully applianced outdoor living spaces is well documented, but new high-end offerings promise to take these designs to a newly luxurious level. This article was published originally in the May 2008 annual outdoor living supplement for Residential Design Build magazine and Qualified Remodeler magazine.
Make Mine Well Done

Vacation Homes: Family Affairs

Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:14:44 +0000

News reports may be filled with doom and gloom for home builders, but those professionals whose business is focused on the custom second-home market aren’t seeing signs of slowdown. From North Carolina’s mountains to Montana’s Big Sky country, these pros are staying busy creating high-end vacation retreats designed with a family-friendly emphasis, and with budgets that often rival those of their owners’ primary residences. This story was published originally in the May 2008 issue of Residential Design Build magazine.
Vacation Homes: Family Affairs

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Administrator — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Editing, writing and rewriting all were components of a long-term project working with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce on the organization’s Innovate Now! initiative. I provided voice-and-tone guidance for the Innovate Now! website, and edited (with major rewriting) more than 50 business case studies now included on that site.