# Does Anyone Belong To Remodelers Advantage?



## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

Ok, so I looked/researched ya'll a bit. So, what you propose to do, let us say, for October, is meet in Ann Arbor in Michigan and have a conference for *$1000*. Stay at a posh hotel for *200* a night and discuss how a *Deli* has made it in the business world and this will help me improve my business? Sorry but I call a scam a scam.


----------



## Jay K (Aug 4, 2009)

*Remodelers Advantage*

Ed, We are members of Remodelers Advantage, Inc. and Remodelers Advantage Round Tables. We have been through some very tough times and my company would not be as healthy and strong as it is today without Victoria, her team, our round tables group and the timely prudent professional guidance we have received. Even when we were cutting through our annual budget this year Remodelers Advantage was an item that was not allowed to be touched. Why? Because of the tremendous value they provide. I no longer beat my head against the side walk trying to reinvent the wheel. Now I benefit from the successful remodelers past and present who have already grown through the changes we are going through, avoid many costly pit falls and save time. As you may know, our industry is unlike any other. Saying that to say that Remodelers Advantage was founded and designed specifically to help remodelers with industry appropriate guidance, tools and support. In short, they are the real deal and any size and/or age remodeling company can greatly benifit from them as they meet you where you are. Please let me know if you have any other questions? Please feel free to call me directly and I can fill you in on any other details. If this was a waste of your time or mine I would not offer. 703-944-7738 (EST) Take care, Jay K, Northern VA


----------



## Todd Drury (Aug 3, 2009)

*Dear Ed and fellow members of the group*

Hi Guys,
I was the original responder to Ed's request if anyone is a member to Remodeler's Advantage. I did get an email from Victoria asking if I was a member of the group and if so to reply to Ed's question. I was not previously a member of the group and honestly signed up just to sing the praises of Remodelers Advantage. Please look up my website to confirm that I am a real contractor "trbuilt.com" you will see my name on the contacts section to verify that it is my actual site and that Iam not a hired gun to write positive responses on a forum. My name is Todd Drury. I first found out about Remodelers Advantage about 4 years ago when I was looking for a way to improve my business. I kept hearing about the Re modeler 20 Group by HBRA. I started my search there and than eventually discovered Remodelers Advantage. The reason I chose them over the HBRA group was the formal organizational structure behind the group that the HBRA group lacked. That group at the time was pretty much supported and organized by the members them selves. If you doubt the passion or legitimacy the people at Remodeler's Advantage have for improving the lives of contractor's thumb through any copy of Professional Remodeler. They are constantly writing articles that are all geared toward improving our lives as contractors. If you are looking for a way to improve your business and your life you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you, unlike me are a skilled business man and have mastered this challenging industry than you won't learn as much, but than again you would be welcome just the same to help the guys like me learn a little bit more.
I meant no hard feelings by signing up just to reply. 

I really do love the organization and it is a little cult like in the sense that we all love what it has done for our lives and business. Cult like or not, I am very passionate about it and look forward to every single meeting we have.

Best of luck to us all in this challenging economy.

Todd Drury:notworthy
TR Building & Remodeling INC
Redding, CT


----------



## Trish Schroeder (Aug 4, 2009)

*Very happy with Remodelers Advantage*

We now have a 2nd generation working in our firm and RAI has been very helpful in helping us keep looking big picture versus family. We have been members for 10+ years and as others have said their systems and procedures to keep owners accountable has help each of us during this economic downturn. A great investment


----------



## QMA (Aug 4, 2009)

*Why Remodelers Advantage*

There have been many interesting posts on this tread about Remodelers Advantage. I have been a member for the past 8 years and can say that certainly an organization like Remodelers Advantage is not for everyone.

However if you are truely interested in learning how to become a better builder/remodeler, earn more money while doing so, have a better work/family life balance and enjoy what you do more.... than an organization like Remodelers Advantage may be for you. 

There are other organizations like Remodelers Advantage as well as websites like Contractor Talk that also provide this type of assistance and each one has its value and place. It is up to each person to find the best resource that matches their own needs.

What I can say is that even though I have been in the profession for almost 30 years and have been running my own business for the past 18 years the more I know about what I do the more I realize how much more there is to learn. Continuous learning and having access to talented and experienced people is essential to staying in business today. Whether you use Remodelers Advantage, Contractor Talk, your local HBA or your own personally selected board of directors I believe that having access to a knowledge community is absolutely essential to having a successful business and family life.


----------



## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

Todd Drury said:


> Hi Guys,
> I was the original responder to Ed's request if anyone is a member to Remodeler's Advantage. I did get an email from Victoria asking if I was a member of the group and if so to reply to Ed's question. I was not previously a member of the group and honestly signed up just to sing the praises of Remodelers Advantage. Please look up my website to confirm that I am a real contractor "trbuilt.com" you will see my name on the contacts section to verify that it is my actual site and that Iam not a hired gun to write positive responses on a forum. My name is Todd Drury. I first found out about Remodelers Advantage about 4 years ago when I was looking for a way to improve my business. I kept hearing about the Re modeler 20 Group by HBRA. I started my search there and than eventually discovered Remodelers Advantage. The reason I chose them over the HBRA group was the formal organizational structure behind the group that the HBRA group lacked. That group at the time was pretty much supported and organized by the members them selves. If you doubt the passion or legitimacy the people at Remodeler's Advantage have for improving the lives of contractor's thumb through any copy of Professional Remodeler. They are constantly writing articles that are all geared toward improving our lives as contractors. If you are looking for a way to improve your business and your life you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you, unlike me are a skilled business man and have mastered this challenging industry than you won't learn as much, but than again you would be welcome just the same to help the guys like me learn a little bit more.
> I meant no hard feelings by signing up just to reply.
> 
> ...


Very nice website, Todd... Beautiful work.


----------



## Jef Forward (Aug 3, 2009)

Ed, 

Try posting over over at Journal of Light Construction..... jlconline.com
They have great forums and moderators to keep things professional and positive. Nothing against Contractor talk....just another avenue....

If you are looking for a peer group, also ask about business networks, and Builders 20. They also pair you with similar business's outside of your competitive area. These relationships with other remodelers are the backbone to a peer group. Think of it as a Board of Directors. For me, Remodelers Advantage was the hands down best fit for us. 

My overall point is to keep striving and learning. These chat rooms are fantastic for that....and then there's the Remodeling Show....another great resource of classes, designation courses and seminars...But there's nothing like a peer group.

Jef Forward


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Jef Forward said:


> Ed,
> 
> Try posting over over at Journal of Light Construction..... jlconline.com
> *They have great forums and moderators to keep things professional and positive.* Nothing against Contractor talk....just another avenue....
> ...


It seems to have escaped your
attention, that Ed *is* one
of the moderators here. :clap::laughing:


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

If you guys weren't totally lacking
any sense of humor (or irony), and could
step back from yourselves for just
a second, and look at your posts
from our point of view?
It sounds like nothing so much as Amway,
or....
a cult.


----------



## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

I know two remodelers who are members of the organization and have nothing but praise for what it has done for their business and their personal lives.

RA has been around a long time and are based out the same area I am and the remodelers that are part of RA locally do very well year after year.

I thought about joining a few years back and it has been in the back of my head for a few years. I would like for me and my partner to join to create a good synergy between the two of us in the years to come. 

The tone of a few responses seems a bit put off and arrogant on a few replies. 

Presentation is key to getting anyone to respond positively to whatever or whoever you represent.

That tone that rings from a few of the posters of RA is a bit annoying and slightly deafening.

It may be just me misinterpreting their passion and professionalism but that tone has always rubbed me the wrong way.

It that good old tonal infliction without the benefit of a face to face meeting


----------



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Thank you all for the responses.

I am a regular on the JLC Forum as well, but have not seen your organization discussed there in the past 3-4 years, if any of those contractors are members. If they are, the mention of their association has not come up as a main topic that I have seen.

Are the fee structures intended to be kept confidential? 

If not, what is the investment needed? (See, I used the term "Investment", as I am pretty sure thats how you would refer to the fees, right)

What is involved for participation in their program?

What are the common attributes and also, what are the prominent differences from similar renowned organizations, such as CCN, RSI and their other trade groups, and Proof Management?

Clearly there must be reasons for one organization rather than another to be chosen. 

How about an open discussion regarding those questions and others to come?

Ed


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

rbsremodeling said:


> I know two remodelers who are members of the organization and have nothing but praise for what it has done for their business and their personal lives.
> 
> RA has been around a long time and are based out the same area I am and the remodelers that are part of RA locally do very well year after year.
> 
> ...


Sorry to Ed, but as my first
contact with any of them,
hey do come off sounding
like the Stepford Wives.

Too bad we have crummy Mods
here Ed. :laughing:


----------



## SelfContract (Dec 6, 2007)

That's RA's best marketing & avertising circle-of-life.... doesn't matter you guys believe it or not but yes,.... they are experts in *"Words-Of-Mouth" membership drive* of da month strategy. (*First strike, First Impression!..* strategy) :thumbup::thumbsup:


----------



## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

400 bucks a year.
Audio clasess, 400 more bucks a year.
Books from 20 to 40 bucks each.
6 strategic Reports at 10 bucks each.

Then, workshops, speaking engagements, seminars on top of all this other stuff. 

Hey, maybe I should start up a 'Facilitator' Company? After reviewing the 'net, there are only like 200 _servicing_ our profession anyway!
I'll shut up now. Nevermind my negative vibes.:whistling

Another seminar:
Your Investment:


> $1250 members and $1450 non-members


P.S. More money to hand out:


> Your investment for this PowerMeetings is $950 for members and $1,250 for non-members


Wait! Found another fee:


> To join Roundtables, we ask for an initiation fee of $1950 followed by a monthly membership investment.


Another one:


> Your investment will range from $285 to $700 per month depending on the schedule and the tools that may be needed to help your consultant "read the complete company story."
> We're confident that we have the expertise and experience to help. Remember, if you are a member of *Roundtables* or an *Advantage Associate* member, you'll receive a 10% discount.


Another one:
*



Investment
Your investment could range from $895 - $1195 depending on the length of the specific program and whether you are a member or non-member. More complex topics may require a longer time frame to complete.
There are a variety of SAGs offered throughout the year

Click to expand...

*


----------



## PeggyM (Aug 4, 2009)

*Remodelers Advantage*

Remodelers Advantage is one of the best things a remodeling company can do to help their business to set and achieve their goals for growth within the remodeling industry. It’s like having your own “Board of Directors” that truly understands your business because their members are owners of remodeling companies nationwide. Remodelers Advantage is committed to ensuring their members achieve a profitable balance between business and personal lives.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

*I got it!* :clap:
I finally hit on who 
they remind me of! :laughing:

*Scientology.*:thumbup:


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

How come all these 'guys' sound the same, and none know how to use the 'enter' button?


----------



## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

PGD said:


> How come all these 'guys' sound the same, and none know how to use the 'enter' button?


We are going to have to find you a job soon :laughing:


----------



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

neolitic said:


> *I got it!* :clap:
> I finally hit on who
> they remind me of! :laughing:
> 
> *Scientology.*:thumbup:


Weird that you mentioned that.

Just last week, I was reading about how Scientology as a business philosophy being implemented over the course of many years at AllState Insurance Company.

Those that didn't drink the Ron L. Hubbard stirred Kool-aide were outcasts in their own little corporate cliques.

I am NOT stating that this comment has anything to do with the RA members, just that it was a curious comment that actually was business philosophy related.

Ed


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Ed the Roofer said:


> Weird that you mentioned that.
> 
> Just last week, I was reading about how Scientology as a business philosophy being implemented over the course of many years at AllState Insurance Company.
> 
> ...



I know some of those people,
or I did....
not in touch anymore.


----------



## QMA (Aug 4, 2009)

*What's the investment*

Ok this is getting really strange. Having never posted or even visited the Contractors Talk website before today, I was not sure what type of comments to expect, but I will assume that all of the less than pleasant posts were made in good fun.

What does it cost to be a full member of Remodelers Advantage, well the reality is that with dues, travel expenses, hotels, airfare etc. you can expect to invest between $6,000 and $8,000 per year. In addition to that if you are really serious about your business you will probably also spend about 24 to 40 hours in preparation for each of the twice a year seminars. Add that to the time you will spend away from work to attend these seminars and you are probably looking at a time investment of between 120 and 200 hours a year. This organization is only for people or are serious about their business and making it the best it can be.

What is the payback? Increased Revenues, Increased Gross Profit, Increased Net profit (yes the money that goes in your pocket), More clients, better clients, Jobs completed on time on budget, less slippage, higher employee moral, less employee turnover, higher customer satisfaction, more referrals, fewer call backs, less time at work, more time with your family, higher job satisfaction, less hassels and did I mention more money for you.

This is a true working network in which you get out of it what you put into it. Yes it cost a lot of money and time, but if you take it seriously it will pay dividends for years to come. 

If you are looking to attend a few seminars located in some island resort and sit quietely in the back of the room drinking an (alcholic beverage of your choice) and then go home and tell everyone what a great time you had, then this organization is probably not a good fit. If you are serious about your business and making it better than an organization like Remodelers Advantage may be for you.

I do not have any specific personal experience with the other organizations that were mentioned in other posts, but I have heard good things about many of them. Before making a commitment to any organization you should do your homework and just like choosing a remodeler, check their references.

Good Luck


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

Jeez, that's kinda the point QMA! none of you cult --- er I mean 'Contractors' have ever posted on CT and now all of the sudden you all get together on one topic singing the same song! 

It looks bad is all I'm saying, and then you get smarmy if anyone points it out to you, like; "How dare you not trust what we are all saying!"


----------



## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

Wow...Sure are a lot of first time posters in this thread...:whistling


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say they are a legit company, that have very real happy clients...I worked for one 8-10 years ago...he's gone out of business since, but not for anything to do with RA, I don't believe.

Like most of us, they're (RA/RRT) probably doing a lot more pro-active stuff to drum up business...Obviously there clientele is feeling the pinch and I would guess their revenues are down, or at least their profits.

I'm always one to jump on the bs'rs, but I've been aware of them for a number of years, at least from the outside looking in.

J


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

That's 12 of 'em so far,
and not a clue as to how strange
they appear to outsiders.
Not even a vestigial trace of a 
sense of humor, or self awareness.....:whistling


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

Now if you bring this guy, then I'm in!


----------



## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

PGD said:


> Now if you bring this guy, then I'm in!


If I knew where that guy was I would get on a plane just so I could unplug that karaoke machine.:laughing:


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

neolitic said:


> That's 12 of 'em so far,
> and not a clue as to how strange
> they appear to outsiders.
> Not even a vestigial trace of a
> sense of humor, or self awareness.....:whistling



I'll agree, but I'm going to be very interested to hear what Ed (or anyone else) thinks after talking to real members.

Back when I first checked into them I believe you had to have sales of either 500 or 750k to join...I believe that's been lowered, and I can think of a lot of legitimate reasons why.

If you're doing that kind of volume, a few thousand a year isn't a crazy outlay for something that may very well change your whole business, with an emphasis on how to run your business so it doesn't run you...just a thought.


----------



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

That does raise an interesting point though?

Why is it that the RA contractors have not put this forum to their benefit?

It is the most highly populated contractors forum out there, yet they have spurned the interaction and opportunities for additional networking.....???

Whats up with that? 

Have the members been notified that any other business resources are not worthy of would distrupt the level of learning from an exclusivity in the RA networking community?

Or, is it possilble, that an RA member may inadvertantly blurt out some items of a confidentiality agreement commitment required?

It does seem unusual that there has been no "Noticeable" RA members registered here previously, unless they wanted to keep their affiliation with them a secret for only them and their cohorts to know about.

Is there an honest answer to that?

Is it that possible trade secrets might be let loose with the slip of the tongue? Or, is it that the learning from other alternative resources would dilute the RA methods? Seriously, please uncover that bit of cloudiness regarding the question.

Ed


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Also take this into consideration...this service is meant to help business owners who are past the "baby-steps" phase of building their business, as illustrated by the sales #'s required to join.

Of course the costs will seem high to those of us doing 50-250k a year worth of business, but that's not (or wasn't) who the clientele is meant to be.


----------



## BreyerConstruct (May 22, 2006)

Good point Ed.

There are a few past/present CCN members here, and I've talked to 1 or 2 of them personally.


~Matt


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I'm sure Ed has done a bit of "googlin'"...are you finding much in the way of negative stuff? 

Try looking for negative stuff regarding SM...we all know _that's_ not hard to find. :no:


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I googled this ... remodelers advantage complaints 

http://www.google.com/search?q=remo...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

nada...which is kind of amazing for a company that has been around for a # of years.

Just don't close your minds yet. I don't have a dog in this hunt either way, but I do believe that this deserves some further research.


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

I think people are embarrassed that they got took for $4K .... and so no one complains. :laughing:


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

That _could_ be it... but I've seen people screamin' loud and long over much _larger_ amounts. :whistling


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

That or they drank the Kool aid to get to the Mother ship beyond the clouds, wearing their black Nikes.


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I guess basically what I'm trying to say, is anyone jumping on the _raggin' wagon_ may want to hold off until further input ... _might_ save some eating of crow...just sayin' :shifty:


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

No I like free stuff & hard work better than, any 'get rich quick and I'll show you how' conventions, I will not regret passing this up.


----------



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I'm not saying they're legit/great/whatever...I'm saying it deserves some closer inspection...in my view...but continue on


----------



## PGD (May 20, 2009)

Especially seeing how they treat us non-beleivers... excuse me, us "sophomoric" non-believers


----------

