Contractor’s Corner: How to Become a Belgard Master Craftsman

Contractors play a pivotal role in helping homeowners bring their outdoor living visions to life. Each month, we’ll offer a Contractor’s Corner post to share tips to help our contractor partners offer even more to homeowners and their landscapes.

Previously we’ve talked about how to become a Belgard Authorized Contractor, so let’s take it up a notch this week and talk about how you can go from being a BAC to a Master Craftsman – the highest level of certification from Belgard.

All Belgard Authorized Contractors looking to become a Master Craftsman must complete the following requirements:

- Must meet all BAC requirements
- Recognized as a winner of at least 1 national award OR 2 local awards for projects in the past 24 months
- Must have an employee complete the ICPI Residential Paver Technician Course
- Must have 5 years install experience
- Must be authorized in 2 of the following areas:

• Pavers
• Retaining Walls
• Belgard Elements
• Belgard Certified Applicator

- Must meet 2 of the following installation requirements as it relates to your areas of authorization within a 12 month period prior to applying for Master Craftsman status:

• 20,000 SF of Belgard Pavers
• 3,000 SF of Belgard Wall Product
• 7 projects containing at least one Belgard Element
• Clean and seal 25 paver projects

- 5 year workmanship guarantee
- Must attend 3 educational events provided by or approved by Belgard
- Must hold BAC status for 3 years prior in at least 1 area.
- 100% service satisfaction commitment

In addition to the initial requirements, all Master Craftsmen must submit to these yearly requirements:

- Maintain authorized status in at least two areas
- Must install/perform the following as it relates to your areas of authorization:

• 20,000 SF of Belgard pavers each year
• 2,000 SF of Belgard wall product each year
• 7 projects containing a Belgard Element each year
• Clean and seal 25 paver projects each year

- Must attend 3 educational events provided by or approved by Belgard
- Maintain 100% service satisfaction commitment

For more information on becoming a Belgard Master Craftsman, visit
http://belgard.biz/docs/bac_requirements.pdf
or contact your Belgard sales representative.

Current Belgard Master Craftsman include contractors from: Accent Paving, Inc., ACP, Arizona Royal Landscaping and Design, Autumn Blaze Construction, Black Diamond Paver Stones & Landscape, Inc., Brookstein Services, Continental Landscaping, Creative Outdoors, CYC Landscaping, Dean’s Landscaping, Inc., Desert Designer, European Pavers, Gardner Landscapes, Gulfstream Hardscape & Garages, Lawnscapers, Inc., Outdoor Design & Construction, Pavers 4 Less, Pavers Installed Company, Precise Paving, Precision Pavers- Outdoor Living, Stefano’s Landscaping, Waterquest Landscaping, Western Pavers, Inc., Wirth Services Inc., and York’s Landscape Service.

Contractor’s Corner: Marketing Made Easy, Belgard’s Co-Op Program

Contractors play a pivotal role in helping homeowners bring their outdoor living visions to life. Each month, we’ll offer a Contractor’s Corner post to share tips to help our contractor partners offer even more to homeowners and their landscapes.

Last month, we talked about optimizing your off season by following up with former clients. This month, we’re taking a look at how Belgard can help you get in front of new potential clients and spend your marketing dollars wisely.

Belgard’s marketing reach extends across multiple media channels – print, events, public relations, online social media, video and websites – to increase consumer brand awareness and promote our two most valuable assets: our products and the people who sell and install them.

With our Co-Op Marketing Program you can take advantage of our customer research, media intelligence and advertising planning, as well as cost-effective tiered-level and custom-designed marketing plans. We will help you identify where your target audience lives, select media specific to your audience, and schedule your media dollars in coordination with the Belgard national advertising calendar.

“We loved the streamlined advertising approach,” said Jeff Ebb of Weyers Equipment in Kaukauna, Wis. “It gave us various TV and print options that we didn’t previously have available to us.”

Paul Engel of Gulfstream Hardscape in Vero Beach, Fla., says his new website is a great sales tool.

“Belgard helped me create a website that has become my virtual showroom,” Engel said.

For more information on Belgard’s Co-Op Marketing Program, contact your local Belgard representative.

Contractor’s Corner: Optimizing The Off Season

Contractors play a pivotal role in helping homeowners bring their outdoor living visions to life. Each month, we’ll offer a Contractor’s Corner post to share tips to help our contractor partners offer even more to homeowners and their landscapes.

As cooler weather moves in, homeowners will begin to think less about outdoor entertaining and more about bundling up indoors. The off season presents a challenge to landscape contractors because jobs are few and far between. This month, we’ll explore one way to optimize the off season and use your free time to build your business and convert sales.

Fall and winter present the perfect opportunity to focus on building your business. Following up with your past customers is one of the best ways to conjure repeat business.

Let’s say your team installed a walkway for a homeowner a few months ago. The homeowner was happy with the result and the quality of your work. Since you already have an established relationship, contact the homeowner to see if they are ready to update their driveway or extend their living space with a patio. They have worked with you in the past and, if they are a satisfied customer, you will be at the top of their list when they have other projects. With your breadth of experience, you can educate them on solutions and inspire them with possibilities.

There are lots of additions you can suggest to your clients. Consider your previous work with the homeowner and what would be a good addition to their space. If they’ve recently had a new patio installed, they might be ready to introduce a fire feature; fireplaces and fire pits are much easier for a homeowner to imagine as the weather starts to change. Did your team recently install a paver driveway for a family that also has a pool in the backyard? Perhaps a new pool deck in complementing pavers will help transition the front of the home to the backyard and create the outdoor oasis of their dreams. Work during the off-season will have it ready for them to enjoy when the weather warms again.

Follow up is an easy way to build your business during the quieter months. Even if your customers aren’t quite ready for their next project, you’ll be the first to come to mind when their friends and family are looking for recommendations.

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