10 Ways to Build Upon Your Flooring Business

Prior to the economic crash of 2008, it was a lot easier to make money in the flooring industry.  The industrial landscape has changed since then, forcing business owners to be more creative with how they generate revenue.  Before the recession, showrooms could easily just sell tile or hardwood products if that was their specialty.  It’s still possible but it has become a lot more challenging if your product offerings are limited.

Very rarely does a customer only want to just redo their floors.  If it’s a new construction project, they are going to need other interior home products to complete the work.  If it’s a renovation, they may want to do more than just the floors since they’re already ripping things up and making a mess.  Including other related ancillary products to your offerings could increase your chances of making a higher sale.

Many consumers are lazy and don’t like to piecemeal their projects.  They would rather just blink their eyes and see their newly renovated home appear in front of them.  Having to travel to different stores for each facet of their home project can be very overwhelming to the simple minds of most customers.  Even going from one department to another at the big hardware stores can cause somewhat of a sensory overload.  Having the following products available to your customers and being able to hold their hands and walk them through the design process could be the difference between you getting the sale or one of your competitors.

1.    Kitchen Cabinets

The kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms in the house.  Homeowners know that not only is this one of the most utilized rooms, but renovating it significantly increases the resale value of the home.  Cabinets are somewhat more complicated than flooring products because they’re available in so many different sizes.  However, the good news is that you don’t necessarily have to warehouse all of these components.  There are plenty of cabinet manufacturers that create standard sizes and will drop-ship the sizes you need.

Having a carpenter on staff who is capable of fabricating customer cabinetry is definitely a lot to tackle initially.  Prefabricated cabinets are available in a variety of standard sizes that will allow you to create a kitchen of just about any size.  Fillers can account for the few inches that the standard sizes don’t accommodate.  Know your clientele to determine whether to carry traditional, contemporary-style cabinets or both in your showroom.

2.    Countertops

All kitchen cabinets need countertops.  The most common options are quartz, granite and laminate.  There are plenty of vendors of quartz and laminate that would be happy to provide you with showroom samples and no cost to you and refer you to authorized fabricators who will take measurements, fabricate the countertop and provide the installation.  Many fabricators also stock granite slabs.

3.    Backsplash

The average kitchen has about 40 square feet of backsplash space on the wall above the countertop.  This space can be adorned with mosaics, glass or the same material as the countertop.  Mosaics are an expensive but visually aesthetic option.  Glass is cost effective and easy to clean.  A glass vendor can custom make the pieces to fit into this area and the back of the glass can be painted any color.

4.    Bathroom Vanities

Other than the kitchen, the bathroom is the second most important room in the house.  Many of the same companies that offer kitchen cabinets also offer bathroom vanity components.  Vanities are generally 21” deep, rather than kitchen base cabinets which are typically 24” deep.  For the most part, that is the only difference between them.

5.    Plumbing Products

If a customer is building or renovating their bathroom, they may also need a sink, tub, toilet, faucet, shower, etc.  Contact your local plumbing supply wholesaler for these products.  You may just need to purchase a few to keep in your showroom or have a catalog handy to show pictures to your clients who are embarking upon these types of projects.

6.    Glass Enclosures

It’s always a good idea to have a glass vendor at your disposal who can help you with custom building a shower enclosure or supplying shower doors.  They will most likely be able to do the installation as well.  All you need to do is take measurements and present the options to your customers.

7.    Window Treatments

You’re already doing work in the house.  Why not offer drapes, shades, blinds, blackouts, etc. as an adjunct to your other products?  As with your glass vendor, there are most likely wholesale window treatment suppliers available in your area who can help you include these products into your lineup.  Consider both manual and motorized window treatments for both your cost conscious and lazy customers.

8.    Wall Panels

For contemporary-style homes, wall panels can drastically change the look of a space.  These may not be your top selling products but for the right customers, it will distinguish your operation from your competitors.  Remember that some customers don’t know what they want until they see it.  Some may not even consider the possibility of utilizing wall panels or may not even know what they are.  It’s your job as the retailer/designer to present all of the options to your customers for possible consideration.

9.    Stone Veneer

For traditional-style homes, nothing warms up a room like the look of stone on the walls.  There are manufacturers that offer both natural stone and engineered stone options.  You can subcontract a mason to do the installations.  Stone veneer can be applied to both interior and exterior walls and can also be utilized on chimneys and fireplaces.

10.  Ceiling Tiles

The ceiling is the fifth wall that is often overlooked.  However, there’s nothing duller than a plain, white sheet rock ceiling.  Ceiling tiles are available in plastic, metal and a variety of other materials, most of which are very easy to install.

For more information about increasing the revenue potential of your flooring business, please call Ashlar Consulting Corporation at 305-849-9399 or visit www.AshlarConsultingCorp.com.