Eric Sprague and Larry Wilberton used many books to help build their cleaning and restoration business, but these four are the ones that impacted them the most. Regardless of what books you choose for yourself, Sprague’s call to action for anyone reading this article is to commit to reading to improve your skills.

Even if you don’t believe millennials are ready for the business of restoration, realize that they are already opening businesses and that many restorers are retiring. Consider millennials your peers and help the industry transition well into the future by helping them to succeed in business.

Remember, good is the enemy of great. You might pay little attention to accountability standards and still find a way to grow a good company. But especially at a time when customers and employees have more choices than ever, and margins continue to grow thinner, becoming a truly great company in the long term requires 100% accountability throughout your entire organization, Scott Severe writes.

We asked restoration industry professionals to answer one question as we close out the year: What is your biggest takeaway from 2021?

In 2016, Benjamin Surdi, founder and CEO of PureDry Restoration, purchased a business that was in major debt and all-around bad shape. Since then, the company has quadrupled in size and revenue, and it is a recognized market leader in Washington State.

Sometimes we get in our own way, not because we don’t recognize opportunity, but because we resist it. A lot of entrepreneurs have done this to themselves, including me. Business has never been better. Leads are pouring in, your team is performing at their highest level, but something within you keeps pulling towards a new opportunity outside your business.

PuroClean 2021 Franchise of the Year owners Ivan and Karina Oliver share the impressive growth their franchise, PuroClean of San Antonio Northwest, has experienced since its start in 2017, and the story behind their success.

During the 2021 Violand Management Associates Business Planning Retreat in Canton, Ohio, Chuck Violand sat down with R&R to share his observations of attendees over the years. He talks about the importance of small business owners looking beyond the granular, short-term aspects of their companies to drive growth.

This special-edition episode features a prestigious panel of Ladder Award finalists from 2021 and 2020. They share innovative ways they are helping advance the property restoration industry, as well as their vision for its future.