Curt and Deb Trampe, owners of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Springfield, Illinois, were awarded National Franchisee of the Year during the 2011 National Conference for DreamMaker in Waco, TX.

The Franchisee of the Year Award is given to a single franchise that simply put, exemplifies the company’s tag line, “Enhancing Lives. Improving Homes.”

“Our annual conference is a time for our franchisees to come together to network and learn,” said Doug Dwyer, president and chief stewarding officer of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen. “It gives us an opportunity to recognize our dedicated and hardworking team members.”

“We are blessed with an amazing team on the national level and most importantly here at home. Our employees embrace the Code of Values that differentiates DreamMaker from other remodelers and it shows in how they treat our clients on a daily basis. We are thrilled they were recognized by our corporate community individually and our company recognized as a whole,” said Trampe.

At the National Conference for DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen, held in Waco,TX, several employees were recognized for their excellence in performing their jobs on a day to day basis.  We are very proud to have staff that truly care about our clients and the service we are providing each one.  It is this spirit that makes a difference in the DreamMaker experience and why we believe remodeling can be fun!  Congratulations and thank you to each one.

The premiere hallmark for kitchen and bath professionals, NKBA Certification is based on written examinations and industry experience. NKBA Certified Designers must also meet mandatory continuing education requirements annually. To earn CKD certification, the professional must document a minimum of seven years of industry experience, successfully complete 60 NKBA Education hours, submit two professional affidavits and two client referrals and pass the design portion of the NKBA Certification exam.

For Curt Trampe, the CKD is just one piece of his professional profile.  He is stacking up credentials through his ongoing desire to improve his knowledge of the industry and to implement best practices for his clients.  Other Certifications he has earned include:  CGR – Certified Graduate Remodeler, CAPS – Certified Aging In Place Specialist. 

About the National Kitchen & Bath Association 

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade association that has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry since 1963. With nearly 40,000 members and growing, NKBA owns the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS). The mission of NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry. For more information, visit www.nkba.org,

“Over the last four months, we have reviewed more than 18,000 surveys received on behalf of the 2011 Guildmaster Award applicants. Based on our review your company’s feedback, I am pleased to inform you that DreamMaker of Springfield has earned recognition as a 2011 Guildmaster With Highest Distinction!” – Quoted from Geoff Graham, CEO of Guild Quality.

The Guildmaster Awards celebrate service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and real estate professions. Each year, GuildQuality gives special recognition to the companies that demonstrate an ability to deliver a consistently superior customer experience.

At DreamMaker, customer satisfaction is of utmost importance.  We strive to go above and beyond clients’ expectations each and every day.  To help monitor how we are doing we employ Guild Quality to perform client satisfaction surveys.  In short, we got a great report card — and we want to share it with everyone!  It can be viewed at http://www.guildquality.com/cr/DreamMaker-of-Springfield/DK23887682SWD/. Also available - completed jobs, customer comments, more about qualifications to earn Guildmaster Award.

Curt Trampe will be a featured presenter at the “Interior Design Day” at Lincoln Land Community College, presented through Community Learning.  His workshop, entitled “Remodeling:  Changing Interior Walls” will cover some basic information on how to approach a larger interior remodel.  When walls are in the way of your vision…plan, prepare, and then move them out of your path!!! 

There will be 25 workshops presented during the 9am-3pm time frame on March 26th, 2011.  Registration is required and there will be a $10 fee for each workshop attended.   To register or find more information, call 217-786-2432 or www.llcc.edu/commed .

When I started my business 11½ years ago, I had already been in the residential remodeling industry for about nine years with a previous employer. I knew enough about the industry at that time to know that the bar was not set real high and if I did decent, quality work and was reasonably professional, then I would be successful. When I looked around, I could not find an overabundance of remodelers meeting these basic expectations. 

 

Before starting, I sat down and created a business plan and a budget to have somewhat of a game plan—or as much as possible at this early stage. Without any history to look to and the uncertainty of what to expect, I knew to keep things very lean and mean. I started with $13,000, myself and a work van. My office consisted of space in my home and Panera (a local restaurant and not a bad place to network). I invested in professional lettering on the van and professional business cards, depending primarily on word of mouth for ongoing projects.

 

The basic work ethic that keeps clients calling and referring additional business are the same now as they were in the first days:

 

1) Show up when you say you will be there.

2) Look presentable.

3) Always return phone calls in a timely fashion. 

4) Communicate clearly and thoroughly.  

5) Put everything in writing. 

 

 Sounds pretty simple, but it’s amazing that not all businesses operate this way. Clients definitely see the difference. My initial business model was to operate solo doing small handyman type work with the intent that as business grew, the scope of projects would grow. I continued to match the business model with the resources available. Even today, we don’t operate with a rigid business model. I think much of our success has been the ability and discipline to change the focus as dictated by the industry or as opportunities present themselves. This is not to say that we “float” along without educated discernment. I believe in being purposeful in decision-making but always open-minded to all that is available. 

 

 As far as budget was concerned, I drew upon my exposure to other successful people in the industry and duplicated what they had already figured out. I definitely believe in slow, steady growth, minimal debt and focusing on net profits over gross revenue. To maximize dollars expended, we dedicate an appropriate percent (5-7%) of our annual budget to marketing and then carefully track leads. Consistent presence is crucial. 

 

 Adding employees as business demands, I focus on hiring those that really care about their work and other people. Typically these employees are not going to be the cheapest labor that you can find and not always someone already in the industry. My goal is to give them as much responsibility as possible, resulting in very low turnover. Careful attention here will always pay off.  

 

As the scope of our projects grew, it became harder to train people and systematize things so that each and every project did not require heavy involvement by me. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of being all things to all people and not really learning to be great at any one thing. This is when I learned of the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise. Becoming part of this franchise system helped us to fine-tune and specialize the scope of work that we were doing, thus allowing us to ultimately meet our business goals better. I have heard successful business people say that you want to create a business that works for you, not one where you are working for the business. The business supports my life; it does not run my life. 

 

The transition to the franchise was challenging but also came with valuable learning experiences and ultimate advantages. This change required building a showroom and learning more about design. The showroom has become an important tool to show our craftsmanship, present ideas to clients where they can visualize different materials coming together for their project and to set us apart from “materials-only” or “installation-only” companies. We are now a place where a client can come in and select everything they need for a bath or kitchen remodel right here in our design center, thus eliminating the stress often associated with remodeling projects. The operating systems allow us to continue perfecting and maximizing on repeatable processes, significantly improving the overall experience and end product for our clients.  

 

I still read trade magazines, attend remodeling shows, join professional organizations and read books about business and life planning. Authors such as Shawn McCadden, CR, CLC; Dave Lupberger; Les Cunningham, CR; and Linda Leigh Francis have so much to offer. I also hold several certifications from industry associations. I highly recommend becoming a student of the industry and of successful people.

  

It has been rewarding to watch the transformation from my one-man show to the lean and more efficient business that it is today. Did I mention that your business should be working for you?  

 

 

 

 

 

Curt Trampe 

www.dreammakerspringfield.com   

Article published in Remodelers Journal – October/November 2010 Issue

  

Using water efficiently equates to $$$ in your pocket.  You can use the calculator at the link above to see what high efficiency products will yield as savings on your water and energy bills. 

For our family of 5, we can save $49 in 3 months alone, $990 over the next 5 years.  Probably a conservative number considering 3 of the 5 in the house are teenagers and the average shower would definitely exceed the 5 minutes used in the calculation!

Water Sense is an EPA sponsored partnership program aimed at promoting efficient water consumption and improved water efficient products, programs, and policies. 

In the past, water-efficient products have carried a bad reputation for poor performance.  Manufacturers, however, have made improvements and are now making efficiency possible without the compromise.

Often, changing our water usage habits can be the most valuable source of conservation.  This is good for the environment and saves you $$$.

Water Conservation Tips

1.  Fix a Leak — The American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks!  Many of these items can be fixed by the average homeowner.  Click here to get details from the EPA website on finding and fixing leaks.

2.  Use Water Sense Products — Products labeled with WaterSense are tested and certified for water efficiency and performance.  These products will provide exceptional performance, savings on your water bills, and the knowledge that you are saving water for future generations.

3.   Be Smart – All the obvious, but often ignored, suggestions to reduce water usage.  Don’t allow the water to run while brushing teeth, wash only full loads of laundry, keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of waiting for it to get cold out of the faucet, scrape your dishes rather than rinsing them before putting into the dishwasher.

For additional information regarding WaterSense, visit http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/about_us/index.html

Springfield Business News; Posted Sep 01, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

Curt and Deb Trampe, owners of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in Springfield were recognized for achieving the company’s Top Gun status during the 2010 National Conference.

DreamMaker, along with Springfield Electric Lighting and Design and Ryan Electric, will present helpful tips regarding how to light your space, what to light with, energy savings, technical considerations, new products, and much, much more!  We can’t wait to spend our Saturday morning with you…we promise fun, food, and door prizes. 

Class to be held Saturday, October 9th, 2010 — 9am - 12 noon.  Register Today