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Concrete Countertop Tips. In only three years, Concrete Countertop Institute graduate Drew Teaman has managed to build a successful custom concrete business—Concrete. Commander. com—in Jacksonville, Florida. Though easy- going and laid- back in conversation, the story of how he built his business demonstrates a level of flexibility, tenacity and creativity that oftentimes separates successful business owners from those who struggle to get off the ground. Teaman, with a degree in exercise science, experience as a personal trainer and fifteen years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, doesn’t, at least on the surface, sound like someone who’d be interested in going into GFRC. Before he took up pharmaceutical sales, however, he worked as a salesperson for a company that sold concrete repair products to the military.

1. I LOVE the black cabinets!!!!! I have solid cherry (we had limited choices with K. I would give anything to paint them. My husband cringes!!!!
2. Now, we have done several concrete countertops before, and have removed the old countertop and poured a whole new one. This was an experiment to pour concrete over.
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Eventually, Teaman graduated from both the Ultimate and Advanced Molding technique programs at The Concrete Countertop Institute and launched his own business.“. Three years later, we own a building and we have six employees.”Teaman credits a great deal of Concrete. Commander. com’s success to “we,” as opposed to only himself.“What we’ve done is we’ve really developed some good people,” he says. Eventually, he even relocated for the sake of the business. He started out in Indiana, but the climate made the business environment particularly challenging.“When I was up there, we hit a lull in the winters,” he says. The two coordinated and Brett visited some home shows to see if the market would be friendly for Teaman. There wasn’t any competition for Teaman in Jacksonville, so the two jumped on the opportunity.“We made some sales calls, got some jobs and I drove down and brought my equipment,” Teaman says.

In addition to assembling a great team, Teaman credits some of Concrete. Commander. com’s success to applying the lessons he’d learned in the pharmaceutical business; customer service, in particular. Custom concrete fireplace surround by Concrete Commander. Concrete Customer Service. Good sales people know that managing expectations is a significant part of customer service, something that, from his many years in sales, Teaman brought to his new business.“I was in pharmaceuticals for fifteen years,” he says. They don’t realize that the cost is higher than it is for cheap granite.

Sometimes they’re blown away.”Teaman makes an effort to reach out to the customers so that they understand the work involved with GFRC. Bsod During Windows Vista Install. They’re like . This is a custom, hand- made product. As long as the customer understands that, it’s good.”In addition to helping customers to understand the skill and work involved in creating custom concrete products, Teaman has developed his business so that it’s flexible and sustainable when custom work goes through its predictable spikes and lulls.“Our goal is to have our custom side, but then we want to have a production line,” he says. That production line includes products that are of equally high quality to custom work, but come at a more affordable—but not cheap—price. Putting a fire bowl on a palate and shipping it to the customer’s door is not difficult for the business and, for the customer, the production line combines high quality with a great deal of convenience. Where the other aspects of customer service are concerned, Concrete. Commander. com also sets high standards and it pays off in boosting the company’s reputation and customer relations.“The way we work, we’re really punctual.

If we’re going to be late, we’re texting. People are so appreciative of that,” he says. That also extends to website contacts, “When you can follow up within a half an hour, you’ll blow people away.”Production concrete fire bowl by Concrete Commander. Flexibility and Return on Investment. Concrete. Commander. Teaman’s lap. Before he launched the business, he had a plan.“So many businesses fail in twelve to eighteen months,” he says.

We prepared for it. That old adage that you have to spend money to make money is true. If you think you need fifty, you might as well have a hundred and then work hard so you don’t even have to spend the fifty.”Like most of what Teaman has done with his business, the inclusion of production work is part of a broader plan.

He’s always there if I have . Many of the ideas that have helped Concrete.

Commander. com to grow were written on napkins and were the results of not only coming up with good plans, but also the results of maintaining good working relationships. In fact, Teaman’s work history is based on fostering productive relationships and being flexible enough to let one opportunity become another.“If you think about the progression,” he says, “I was a personal trainer for two years out of college. I met the owner of a . I used a Power. Point presentation to help with the rehab and he asked if I could come and train his sales reps to use Power.

Point.”Teaman took the time he spent travelling and training the salesforce to learn the products they sold and came into the concrete company as a salesperson. His eventual move to pharmaceuticals only required sales experience, which he had in abundance by the time he made the move, and he turned pharmaceuticals into a fifteen- year career that, eventually and through a lot of hard work and investment, led to Concrete.

Commander. com. He credits some of his success to tenacity but, in the end, he still comes back to the people he works with, and that doesn’t mean hiring “yes” men.

Best Countertop Buying Guide - Consumer Reports. You have more countertop choices than ever when it comes to materials, colors, and patterns. Some materials such as concrete, granite, limestone, marble, and even stainless steel are migrating from the kitchen to the bathroom.

Just remember, bathroom counters see less wear and tear than kitchen counters, but you should still consider materials that are more likely to resist stains and chips. Sizable Samples. Small samples make it hard to visualize what the material will look like in your kitchen. It’s fine to play with online design tools, but look at the materials up close and take home large samples, even if you have to pay for them. If you're considering stone, visit the stone yard: Color and veining can vary widely even within a slab, so when you find a slab you love, reserve it. Watch the Warranty. Whatever countertop material you're considering ask about the warranty.

Consider the Sink. A top- mounted sink can be used with any countertop material and is dropped in after the counter is installed. An under- mounted sink is placed under the countertop and works best with waterproof countertop materials such as concrete, solid surfacing, stainless steel, stone, or quartz. Some materials, such as solid surfacing and stainless, can be used for both the sink and counter, creating a seamless look. Ways to Save. Look for sales and consider mixing materials, using the more expensive material on prominent areas such as an island and a less expensive material on the perimeter.

Buying remnants are a possibility for smaller areas, such as an island, pastry slab, or bathroom counter, and you could mix and match remnants for bigger areas. Beveled and bull- nosed edges add style, but may boost cost. Rounded edges are safer than squared edges, and may not cost extra.

Manage Those Measurements. Have the fabricator take final measurements, making accuracy his responsibility.

Insist that the estimate and contract specify the material's thickness and finish, and fees for cutouts for the sink, faucet, and cooktop, along with edge treatment, backsplash, and removal of old counters.