DIY vs Professional Quality
With the information available at our fingertips these days, you can pick up just about any new skill you want. But what separates the weekend warrior from a true craftsman. To the untrained eye, there may not seem to be much between the two. However, for someone who does these things every day, it is impossible not to dissect every inch of carpentry I lay my eyes on. So today we’re going to talk about the three things that distinguish your local handyman from a professional carpenter.
Learn by Doing
The first and most obvious separator of a DIY job and the work of a pro is experience. Don’t get me wrong, you can learn plenty of valuable skills from a few good searches on the internet. But nothing compares to true on the job practice. One thing that a lot of people don’t think about when assessing a price quote from a contractor is the time it took for that person to acquire and develop the skills necessary for the job. Sure, you can use all of the best tools and nicest products, but you can’t buy earned experience. So the next time you get a quote you don’t like for what seems like a simple job, just remember you’re paying for more than labor and materials.
It’s the Little Things
The second characteristic that consistently places the pro’s ahead is attention to detail. The ability to inspect your own work with a critical eye will help turn an average job into an exceptional one. When I finish a job, I actually tell my clients to pick apart my work and tell me what they don’t like. However, because I have already done that myself, they very rarely find something that doesn’t sit well with them. Yes it is tedious and yes it’s frustrating to find imperfections, but if I ever left a job knowing there was something I could have done better, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Will I still miss things? Absolutely. Will I go back and fix a tiny piece that you can barely see for a client who lives on the other side of town? Every single time.
There are so many variations and accessories that we can use when designing a closet, and that can be overwhelming. I put a priority on having a functional space before anything else. Yes there are plenty of nice colors and textures we can include to dress up the look of the system, but if it doesn’t serve its purpose, then we haven’t accomplished our goal. I take pride in knowing we put together a design that provides a space for everything you need. This is the attention to detail that will ensure you get the closet of your dreams.
Put Your Name on Your Work
The third key to separating yourself from others is one that I wish more people in general took note of. When I complete a project for someone, my name is on that piece forever. When I let someone over in front of me on the drive home, my name is on the side of my truck for them to see. When I answer a text from a client late in the evening, they will remember that. And when I’m working with other tradesmen, they will remember whether or not I made their job easier or harder. I think if more people took pride in their actions and put others ahead of themselves a little more, we all might get along and trust each other a little more as well. I always thought to make it in business, you had to be selfish and exemplify total knowledge of everything you did. However I’ve found honesty and genuine interest will take you much further.
I hope this is helpful to someone looking to get the edge on their competition or for someone who just wants to get better. If you go into your work day looking to learn as much as you can, focus on the small difference makers, and take pride in the things you put out, you will see results.
