Choose a kitchen remodeling company a kitchen remodeling

Choosing the people who will remodel your kitchen is an important decision.

Finding someone who will stay within a budget and complete the job in a timely manner will go a long way toward giving you satisfaction with the end result.

A tired, outdated kitchen can make cooking and gathering an unpleasant chore instead of a fun, friends-and-family filled way to enjoy the experience.

Everyone benefits from a modern, updated kitchen. But many homeowners delay remodeling because the process can seem so daunting. Don’t be put off by the task.

Contacting kitchen remodeling companies in your community to get a rough idea about cost and scope of the project you have in mind is a good place to start. Your local home improvement store might have information for licensed contractors in the area.

Once you have compiled a list of professionals, ask them for quotes. They will likely have to visit your home to look at the room. Estimates should be based on the total work that needs to be done.

If you find someone who hesitates to give you a quote in writing, cross them off your list and look for someone who is more forthcoming.

Sometimes, remodeling requires work from a sub-contractor. It is difficult to know at the beginning whether sub-contractors will be necessary. Chances are, if you receive similar information from several different professionals, you can trust the advice.

Another aspect of any estimate will be time. Ask each contractor about the time it will take to complete the project. All professionals should be able to finish the project in roughly the same amount of time. If there are any contractors that vary greatly from the average time frame, you should ask them why they differ so greatly.

After narrowing down your list, check each individual’s or company’s references to ensure their reputation. Speak directly to anyone who has hired them for previous work. Inquire about the quality and dependability of the workers.

If anyone is unable to provide you with references or contact information, you might want to reconsider using them.

Once you have decided on a licensed contractor or kitchen remodeling company, ask to view the contract. This document should specify any task involved in the project, including its cost and time for completion.

Before signing, request proof of the individual or company’s licensure. Be sure that they have current accident insurance coverage. If they do not, you might be liable for any accidents that occur on your property.

When sub-contractors are used, they should be under the umbrella of the head contracting company. If not, separate written contracts may be necessary. Review each subcontractor just as you would the head contractor: check references, licensure and insurance coverage.

Whether it’s launching a new product, getting customers in the door or improving top-of-mind aware- ness about their brand, having the right media company as a partner is key.

Here are some things to consider when picking a media company for marketing and advertising.

Audience

First of all, the media company needs to have attention from the right audience. The best ones have spent decades building an audience of loyal, local, highly engaged people who know and love their content.

The numbers matter, of course — including the size of the audience, their demographics and where they are located — but so does the media company’s reputation. If the media firm is well-known in your community and has deep roots there, that’s a good sign that they could help your firm achieve the same thing over time.

Design talent

Designing a campaign that gets results takes time, money and talent. That means one of the most important factors in your decision should be the company’s design capabilities.

You can hire a separate design firm, but it’s often better to find a media company that has their own in-house design department that can build custom campaigns to your specifications. An in-house agency can give you access to creative talent without the additional cost of hiring an outside agency.

Ask to see examples of ads the media company designed in-house to get ideas for your own marketing and insight into the quality you can expect from their designers.

Local focus

If you run a nationwide or global business, running media campaigns through giant Internet companies might make sense.

The vast majority of businesses, though, are looking first and foremost for customers in their local area. That’s why finding a media company with a reputation for creating engaging, intensely local content is important.

Generic content is cheap to create but also easily ignored by consumers because it’s available in so many places. High-quality local content, though, is going to create interest and engagement that can’t be ignored by local readers.

Look for a company that does a great job covering your local area because that’s where local audiences will look for the things that matter uniquely to them. A media company that features lots of hometown people and places is usually a good bet.

A media outlet that knows the local business market can be an invaluable asset, too. They’ll have ideas about timing and planning of your advertising for your specific needs, plus tried-and-true messages that they know resonate especially well with local people.

All media

Finally, look for a company that gives you access to a wide range of media formats, not just one type.

Today’s best media companies help you connect with their audience in the ways today’s media consumers use every day, including lots of options for digital ads and targeting the right people at the right times in the right ways.

Ask whether the company has choices for email marketing, social media, precisely targeted digital ads, print advertising, streaming audio, direct mail pieces or even doing large-scale commercial print jobs to help you deliver a powerful message to the widest local audience.

If you find a media company that reaches a highly engaged local audience and can help you craft a campaign that draws attention, you’ll be able to form a partnership that gets impressive results over time.

Sponsored by: New England Newspapers, Inc.