This popular and well-regarded workshop will focus on business practices for the independent preservation tradesperson, contractor or professional. Learn how to build a new vision of your own business and how it fits into the fields of preservation and remodeling. Learn how to strengthen what works and how to rebuild the rest.
As any business person knows, well-planned and implemented management of the business is crucial, regardless of the craft and trades knowledge of the owner or crew. In the working world of historic preservation, assessing and planning for the risk of unknown variables inherent in the buildings we save can make or break a business. John Leeke reviewed assessing unknown variables, assembly of planning teams when confronting conditions that baffle, and proven tests and methods that reduce guesswork in estimating costs and solving problems. When an assessment reveals the worst, knowing how to help your customer cope may make the difference between getting and losing the job.
The restoration field demands certain ethical standards; Leeke reinforced these standards and review how to convey their importance to your customers. He also lead a discussion about the feasibility of establishing a Historic Preservation Contractor Certification process, under the auspices of Jacksonville's Historic Preservation Commission, that would allow future participants in such a process to promote their preservation craftsmen credentials.
