Home Depot Business Toolbox
Here's a stat: 100% of Home Depot stores are within five miles of 80 percent of American homes. I know everywhere I've built, the lumberyard I dealt with was more than five miles from my jobsite. What that means is that no matter how all-pro-all-the-time some of us might consider ourselves to be, I'm willing to bet there are very few of us who don't go to The Home Depot at all — even for drive-by stuff like caulk, tape, nails, tools or whatever.
What's more (and I hate to say it, but it's often true) we struggle with HD employees who don't know much about our trades. To serve us, Home Depot upgraded their service desk to a Pro Desk a few years back, and now the company is taking another step forward that looks good —for old hands and greenhorns just starting getting their feet muddy.
Home Depot's Business ToolBox offers discounts and resources for pro contractors. And while saving money is good, sometimes there's more to running a business than a few bucks off. That's why the Business ToolBox website is worth a gander. It includes a section on management tools with sample business and marketing plans. (I'd so rather roll floor joists in the rain than do a business or marketing plan. They can be agonizing — but they're oh-so-important for us to write.) There also are sample forms that include a change order, estimate and invoice — very handy for looking like the professional business person many of us lament we are not treated like.
For those of us who love bargains, there are deals on computers, computer programs, payroll processing and other services that we need to run our businesses. Membership is free, so check out the Business Toolbox website, visit the Pro Desk at the store or call the Business Toolbox Call Center at 866-333-3099.
Home Depot Business ToolBox
