The DYOJO Property Restoration Resources Library

Benchmarks of Growth for Restoration Contractors from The DYOJO Podcast

The DYOJO Podcast released a Six Part Discussion Series - Benchmarks of Growth. Our motto for The DYOJO Podcast is, “Helping you shorten your DANG learning curve,” and the best way to achieve this is to learn from the trials and errors of your fellow entrepreneurs. Therefore, we will be discussing this challenging topic in upcoming episodes of The DYOJO Podcast with dynamic industry leaders from around the country who are all at various stages of their companies growth:

• Lisa Lavender, Berks Fire Water Restorations and Restoration Technical Institute (Reading, PA)
  
• Gordy Powell, Georgia Clean and Georgia Bio Recovery Association (Atlanta, GA)
  
• Tammy Birklid, MERIT Construction (Tacoma, WA)
  
• Whitney Wiseman, Restore Force and RFI Companies (Jupiter, FL)
  
• O.P. Almarez, Allied Restoration Services (West Covina, CA)
  
• Andrew Golkin, Paul Davis Restoration and Golkin Enterprises (Manassas, VA)

Property Restoration History and Resources

Property Restoration Historical Timeline:

• People
• Organizations
• Innovations
• Significant events 
• Contact The DYOJO to contribute

Property Restoration Resources (in alphabetical order):

​A

• Accountability 
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 
  • Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• Acquisitions
  • ​Property Restoration Company Acquisitions
• Adjusters
  • Communication with the Carriers is Key to Successful Claims Experience
  • Goldilocks the Adjuster, and the Three Estimator Bears
  • Working with Adjusters
• Adversity
  • Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• Advocacy
  • A History of Collaboration; A Future of Advocacy
• Air Movers
  • Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz and Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dry (video)
• Alignment
  • ​Aligning Your Mindset for Executing on Your Leadership Goals
• Asbestos
  • ​Hiring an Asbestos Contractor 

​B

• Bad Faith
  • The Keodalah Claim
• Books - from restorers, by restorers 
  • ​The DYOJO Reading List - December 2020​
  • The DYOJO Reading List - January 2021
  • The DYOJO Reading List - February 2021
• Book Reviews
  • Get Out of The Truck by Idan Shpizear
  • Insuring Tomorrow by Tony Canas and Carly Burnham
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit by Al Erisman 
  • Unqualified Success: Bridging the Gap From Where You Are Today to Where You Want to Be to Achieve Massive Success by Rachel Steward
  • When Words Collide: Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes by Bill Wilson

• ​​The Blame Game
  • ​Eliminating Blame In Your Organization

C

• Call Center (see also Intake Process) 
• Career Development
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
• Claims
  • Communication with the Carriers is Key to Successful Claims Experience
  • HELP! Claims Review Shredded My Estimate
  • Insurance Coverage for Contractors Handling Coronavirus Disinfection
  • Resolving Insurance Claims Disputes and Denials with Bill Wilson
• CCA - Clarity, Consistency, and Accountability
  • ​Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• Change Management
  • Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• Cleanliness
  • ​Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
• Coaching
  • Do You Remember Your First Time? 
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
• Collaboration
  • A History of Collaboration; A Future of Advocacy
  • ​Local Networking in Smaller Communities - FacilitiesNet
• ​Communication
  • ​Communication with the Carriers is Key to Successful Claims Experience
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 1
  • Intentionally Developing People Skills
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
• Compliments
  • Paying A Compliment Is Inexpensive And Effective
• Conflict
  • Resolving Insurance Claims Disputes and Denials with Bill Wilson
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
• Coronavirus (see COVID-19)
• COVID-19
  • Insurance Coverage for Contractors Handling Coronavirus Disinfection
  • ​Overcoming Legal Concerns Amid Coronavirus Cleaning Q&A with Ed Cross
• Credit
  • Personal and Business Credit Repair Solutions 
• Culture
  • Book -  Be Intentional: Culture by various authors
  • Eight Keys to Building a Culture of Safety
  • Eliminating Blame In Your Organization
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
  • ​The Norms and Expectations of a Strong Culture
  • Creating a purpose greater than a paycheck with Al Erisman (video) 
  • The Value of a PPE Bag
  • Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• Customer Service
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 1
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
  • ​The Keodalah Claim

D

• Delegation
  • ​​Delegation, Dwight Schrute, and COVID-19
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 
• Digital Marketing
  • ​​Making the Most of Digital Marketing Investments
• Disaster Response Planning
  • ​Developing an Actionable, Effective Disaster Plan 
• Disinfection
  • Insurance Coverage for Contractors Handling Coronavirus Disinfection
• Disputes and Denials (claims)
  • ​Communication with the Carriers is Key to Successful Claims Experience
  • When Words Collide: Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes by Bill Wilson
• Docusketch
  • a
• Drying Equipment
  • Born to Repair - Tip of the Week 
  • ​Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz and Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dry (video)

E

• Employee
  • Eliminating Blame In Your Organization
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • ​Intentionally Developing People Skills
  • Positive Leadership Fosters Employee Retention
  • Preventing Employee Turnover
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
  • The Value of a PPE Bag
• Entrepreneurship
  • ​Don't Let Fear Prevent You From Getting Out of the Truck
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...
  • Pricing Yourself Right as an Entrepreneur
  • Skilled at Trades; Struggling with Business
  • Starting Your Restoration Company with Pennies
• Environmental Consultants
  • ​Elevating Your Microbial Remediation Game
• Estimating
  • Book - Be Intentional: Estimating by Jon Isaacson
  • Baby Steps and Estimating in 2021
  • Habits of Xactimate Estimating Success
  • Nothing Scarier Than Scope Creep
  • The Format for Successful Fire Damage Restoration Estimates 
  • The 10 Commandments of Xactimate Estimating Success
  • The Three R's of Mastering Xactimate for Beginners
  • Xactimate Resources Page
• Equipment
  • Born to Repair - Tip of the Week
  • Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz and Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dry (video)
• Execution
  • ​Aligning Your Mindset for Executing on Your Leadership Goals

F

• Facilities Management / Managers (FM) 
  • How to Network with Facility Management Peers - FM Executive
• Fear
  • ​Don't Let Fear Prevent You From Getting Out of the Truck
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...
  • Take Fear and Loathing out of Social Media
• Financial 
  • Personal and Business Credit Repair Solutions 
  • ​Leading Yourself Before You Can Lead Others
• Fire Damage
  • ​The Format for Successful Fire Damage Restoration Estimates

G

• Goals
  • Aligning Your Mindset for Executing on Your Leadership Goals
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...
  • Unqualified Success: Bridging the Gap From Where You Are Today to Where You Want to Be to Achieve Massive Success
• Growth
  • ​Growing Your Business Too Fast Can Be Fatal
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)

​H

• Habits
  • Habits of Xactimate Estimating Success
• Hiring
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
• History
  • A History of Collaboration; A Future of Advocacy
  • Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz and Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dry (video)
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)
• Humility
  • ​​Humility with Mark Whatley
• ​Humor
  • ​Humor & Instagram with Water Damage Daily

​I

• Innovation
  • Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz and Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dry (video)
  • ​Innovation will be the Only Post-Pandemic Path Forward
• Insurance Claims (see claims)​
• Intake Process and/or Froms
  • ​Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 

J

• a

​K

• Kind Words
  • ​Paying A Compliment Is Inexpensive And Effective

​L

• Leadership (people in a position of)
  • Aligning Your Mindset for Executing on Your Leadership Goals
  • ​Delegation, Dwight Schrute, and COVID-19
  • Leading Yourself Before You Can Lead Others
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)
  • Unqualified Success: Bridging the Gap From Where You Are Today to Where You Want to Be to Achieve Massive Success
• Legal
  • The Keodalah Claim
  • ​​Overcoming Legal Concerns Amid Coronavirus Cleaning Q&A with Ed Cross​

M

• Management
  • ​Eliminating Blame In Your Organization
  • ​Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • Garden Envy
  • Insuring Tomorrow
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
• Marketing
  • How to Network with Facility Management Peers - FM Executive
  • Local Networking in Smaller Communities - FacilitiesNet
• Matterport
  • ​​Innovation will be the Only Post-Pandemic Path Forward
• Mentorship
  • ​Do You Remember Your First Time? 
• ​Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
  • ​Property Restoration Company Acquisitions
• Millennials
  • Insuring Tomorrow
• Mold Remediation 
  • ​Elevating Your Microbial Remediation Game

N

• Negotiating with Adjusters
  • Communication with the Carriers is Key to Successful Claims Experience
  • HELP! Claims Review Shredded My Estimate
  • Resolving Insurance Claims Disputes and Denials with Bill Wilson
  • Tripping Over Nickels
• Networking
  • How to Network with Facility Management Peers - FM Executive
  • Local Networking in Smaller Communities - FacilitiesNet
• Taking a New Loss (see also Intake) 
• Nineties (90's) References
  • Baby Steps and Estimating in 2021
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 2
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...

​O

• Office Drama
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 
  • ​Preventing Explosive Office Drama

​​P

• People
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • ​Intentionally Developing People Skills
  • Positive Leadership Fosters Employee Retention
  • Preventing Employee Turnover
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)
• Personal Development
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...
  • Personal and Business Credit Repair Solutions 
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
  • ​Unqualified Success 
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • The Value of a PPE Bag
• Plumbers
  • Developing Relationships with Plumbers to Increase Water Damage Leads​
• Podcasts by Restoration Professionals for Restoration Professionals
  • Blue Collar Nation
  • Disaster Podcaster
  • Restore
  • ServiceMonster Podcast
  • The DYOJO Podcast 
• Priorities / Prioritization
  • ​Tripping Over Nickels
• Pricing
  • Pricing Yourself Right as an Entrepreneur
• Processes
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 1
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 2
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
• Production
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 1
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 2
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
• Profits / Profitability
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)
• Professional Development
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
  • ​The Three R's of Mastering Xactimate for Beginners
• Project Management
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 2
  • Nothing Scarier Than Scope Creep
• Purpose
  • ​The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)

Q

• Quality Control 
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 
  
  
  
  
  

R

• Recruitment
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • Insuring Tomorrow
• Referrals​
  • Developing Relationships with Plumbers to Increase Water Damage Leads
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out (Part 1) 
• Rejection
  • HELP! Claims Review Shredded My Estimate
  • The Three R's of Mastering Xactimate for Beginners
• Relationships (professional)
  • Goldilocks the Adjuster, and the Three Estimator Bears
  • The Three R's of Mastering Xactimate for Beginners
• Remote Work in property restoration 
  • Thriving in Adversity by Embracing Opportunities for Change - Claims Pages
• ​Retention (employee)
  • Positive Leadership Fosters Employee Retention
  • ​Preventing Employee Turnover

S

• Safety
  • Eight Keys to Building a Culture of Safety
  • Hiring an Asbestos Contractor 
  • ​Silica Sand
  • The Value of a PPE Bag
• Sales
  • Local Networking in Smaller Communities - FacilitiesNet
• Scaling
  • ​Growing Your Business Too Fast Can Be Fatal
• Scope Creep
  • Nothing Scarier Than Scope Creep
• SEO
  • ​Making the Most of Digital Marketing Investments
• Silica Sand
  • Silica Sand
• Social Media
  • Take Fear and Loathing out of Social Media
  • Humor & Instagram with Water Damage Daily
• Soft Skills
  • Intentionally Developing People Skills
  • ​​Preventing Explosive Office Drama
  • Want to Reach Your Goals? You Must Train Your Team
• Starting a Business
  • ​Don't Let Fear Prevent You From Getting Out of the Truck
  • I'd be an Entrepreneur, BUT...
  • Pricing Yourself Right as an Entrepreneur
  • Skilled at Trades; Struggling with Business
  • Starting Your Restoration Company with Pennies
• ​Success
  • Garden Envy
  • ​The Four P's of Competitive Success
  • The ServiceMaster Story: Navigating the Tension Between People and Profit (video)
  • Personal and Business Credit Repair Solutions 

T

• Teamwork
  • Climbing With, Not Over Each Other
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out - Part 1
  • 6 Keys to Positive Organizational Conflict
• Third Party Administrators (TPAs)
  • HELP! Claims Review Shredded My Estimate
• Three Dimensional (3D) Photos and/or Scans
  • ​​Innovation will be the Only Post-Pandemic Path Forward
• ​Training
  • Positive Leadership Fosters Employee Retention
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
  • Want to Reach Your Goals? You Must Train Your Team
• Turnover
  • Preventing Employee Turnover

W

• Water Damage Leads 
  • Developing Relationships with Plumbers to Increase Water Damage Leads
• Work Orders
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out Part 2

​X

• Xactimate
  • Book - Be Intentional: Estimating by Jon Isaacson
  • Habits of Xactimate Estimating Success
  • The 10 Commandments of Xactimate Estimating Success
  • The Three R's of Mastering Xactimate for Beginners
  • Xactimate Resources Page

V

• Values
  • Four Key Factors to Identify Strong Talent
  • Property Restoration Career Development - Customer Service
• Vision
  • Climbing With, Not Over Each Other 
  • Garden Envy
  • Unqualified Success: Bridging the Gap From Where You Are Today to Where You Want to Be to Achieve Massive Success

The DYOJO Books for Intentional Property Restoration Professionals:

• Be Intentional: Estimating (2020) - The first book from Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, features means and methods to develop an estimating process that will help contractors reach more consistent outcomes in their projects. Developing the right mindset and habits for yourself and your team to succeed with estimating property insurance claims.  
  • ​Available in Kindle and paperback through Amazon
  • Contact The DYOJO about discounts when you bulk order for your team

​​

• AVAILABLE NOW​ - Book #2 - Be Intentional: Culture 

The DYOJO Articles for Intentional Property Restoration Contractors:

• Insurance Nerds - Insurance, Careers and Technology 
• Claims Pages - Insurance Adjuster Resources
• Cleanfax Magazine - Cleaning and Restoration Professionals 
• Today's Insurance Professionals 
• Project Management Times - Resources for Project Managers
• Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management - The UK's leading facilities management company
• YFS Magazine - Young, Fabulous and Self Employed
• The Daily Positive ​
• E Zine Articles - waaaay back

The DYOJO​ Book Reviews for Intentional Property Restoration Contractors:

• Unqualified Success by Rachel Stewart
• Insuring Tomorrow by Tony Canas and Carly Burnham
• Network Beyond Bias by Amy Waninger
• Get Out of the Truck by Idan Shpizear
• The ServiceMaster Story by Albert Erisman
• ​When Worlds Collide by Bill Wilson