Tony Hawk Marketing Machine

In difficult economic times, it's best to look to other examples of people who have started businesses in similar environments. There's a man out there who has created a multi-million dollar skateboarding empire during a flat market and waning market interest. His name is Tony Hawk and although it is a different business entirely, he provides interesting tips on how to use tough times to your advantage (courtesy of Success Magazine):

Know it is risky, but do it anyway. "If we could set ourselves up in a position of prominence when skating was at a dead state, then if it took off we could ride the wave."

Recognize the advantages of a flat market. It's more expensive to get in a business when times are good.

Make sure you are passionate about your idea or product. Focus all of your energy and want to make it happen.

Don't just grab deals as they come-scrutinize. Don't hand everyone the keys to all your opportunities, make sure you have the final say or it may cost you.

Align yourself with people who share your work ethic.

Know your market. You have to have your finger on the pulse.

Realize you never jump off the learning curve. There is always something new to learn.

Hard knocks can make your stronger. You have more clout when you go through thick and thin.

Planning for a Driveway and Sidewalks

Planning for driveways and sidewalks is very important when building a home. Think about it, they are the gateway to your home. It's best to get it right the first time because it's pretty permanent after you've poured it. In the custom home building business, people hardly ever ask me about the driveway when we initially plan for the home, but I know that once we first start laying it out- it becomes huge to them. You need to think about traffic flow, the kids playing, water flow around it and options for finishes. I wanted to give you some basic tips for planning:

Know your budget

A basic rule of thumb for 4" thick concrete in Texas today is about $3.50 per square foot. The problem is concrete can get thicker if your surface isn't flat. Therefore you may need a beam, extra fill or curbs. If so, you may creep up higher than that. Steps are also calculated a little differently but that $3.50 mark overall should get you real close.

Know the trends

Driveways have evolved a little bit. We're seeing customers asking for things like SUV pads for guests, back-up pads, 14' wide vs. 12' wide driveways and 16' to 18' approaches. We are also seeing larger sidewalks leading from the driveway to the house, as well as more s-shaped vs. straight pathways.

Know the options for design

There are so many cool things being done today with concrete. As you see from the above photo, staining has become more popular. Typical stain prices today might start in the $3.00 per square foot range. Not bad considering it is the cheapest form of flooring available. We've even done decorative borders on the edge of the driveway, almost like a picture frame and stained that only. It gives you a real elegant look for a fraction of the price of staining an entire driveway. You can also do different textured finishes like broom, pebble or even a salt rock finish which is more of a pitted, old world look.

Know the functionality

Last but not least, you must plan for the future. This means having adequate pvc pipes underneath for drainage, future sprinklers and future landscape lights. Pick areas of the concrete and consult the experts when doing this planning and it will help you immensely when you do decide to put those elements in.

Creating a Pool Budget

Had a good meeting this week with Liquid Assets, a pool company out of Austin. http://www.liquidassets-pools.com/ Normally I steer clear of things from Austin since I am an Aggie; but they are a bunch of good folks and I find them hungry for business, responsive and service oriented.

The main purpose of the meeting was to get a firm grip on what we should be telling our customers when we are discussing pool budgets. Basically for a Parade of Home style pool, with hot tub, water feature, latest technology, etc. we were told to budget around $70,000. If you are to add features such as infinity edge and upgraded finishes you can start creeping up another $10-20,000.

For those who are more budget conscious, they can start off with more entry-level pools in the $40,000 to $50,000 range. The payments for the pools usually work 1/3 up front, 1/3 about midway and then the final 1/3 at the end. The best time varies for installation during the construction process, but to build a pool they said they would like to have 3 months.