The Smart-Builder team were excited to exhibit at GlassBuild again after last year's successful trip to Las Vegas. GlassBuild 2017 was held in Atlanta and it was a great opportunity to meet some of our US customers in person, as well as introduce Smart-Toolbox and Smart-Glass for Fabricators to a new audience. Both were well received and visitors to our stand particularly praised their innovation and ease of use.

One of the big trends at GlassBuild and in the glass industry as a whole is 'Industry 4.0'. While the hype around Industry 4.0 has been mainly targeted at glass fabricators, it's important for glass installers to keep up with industry developments as they will inevitably affect glazing businesses in the not-too-distant future if they aren't already.

Hopefully your glazing business already has a website but if you don't, or your business is just getting off the ground, Google's My Business website tool is a great starting point for you. It's a free tool and has limitations but it's a good way to start building your web presence, especially if your business is new.

Day one at GlassBuild was a great success for the Smart-Builder team. Despite the remnants of Hurricane Irma affecting flights into Atlanta and disrupting travel plans, lots of delegates have made it to Atlanta for the show and more continue to arrive.

'You only get one chance to make a first impression' as the saying goes. For glaziers going out on-site for sales meetings or meeting the client for the first time, leaving a positive impression is key. If you haven't got the job yet, it'll go a long way in closing the deal. If you have, it'll set the working relationship off on a positive note.

Process mapping is visual way of showing a series of steps in a workflow. Often it's done with the end result in mind — the map itself. However, you may find that the exercise itself is more beneficial for your business. It gives you an opportunity to talk to everyone in your business (glaziers, administrators, management etc) and really understand what they do on a day-to-day basis and how they do it. Chances are you'll find holes, overlaps and just plain ol' gray areas where things get done but no one is really sure how or who's responsible for it. These are the areas where you need to focus your attention.

GlassBuild America is just a few weeks away! We're excited to be part of the largest GlassBuild trade show floor in 10 years, you'll find us at booth 1306 near the Express Learning Theater. Or just look out for the rather large owl picture — you can't miss it!

We'll be showcasing Smart-Toolbox and Smart-Glass for Fabricators at GlassBuild this year. If you'd like more information on either of these products prior to the show, please get in touch for the product guides.

Referral programs are widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective ways to build new business. This is because satisfied customers are the most powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal, so why not use them to win more business?

Accounting is a necessary evil when it comes to running a glazing business. It's a time-consuming task and it's an overhead — it must be done but it doesn't generate an income in itself. This is where great accounting software comes in — find the right solution and your day-to-day accounting tasks will be quick and manageable, making tax time a breeze.

We often rave about the benefits of using software (perhaps we're a little biased?) but we understand that the reality of implementing new software can be more challenging, especially for your team. Having walked many glazing businesses through this process, here are our tips for a pain-free software switch in your business.