November, 2006

Tool Time

Home Depot’s Business ToolBox met my expectations 110%.

By Greg Brooks

If I sound like a dog with a bone, I can’t help it. I know I promised to lay off Home Depot for awhile, but the largest home improvement retailer in the solar system just keeps making news.

My latest favorite episode is a September 12 press release titled, “Small Businesses Look to The Home Depot for Easy Access to Affordable Business Services. More Than 12,000 Registered and Saving Money With Business ToolBox Every Day.”

The release says Business ToolBox “offers one-stop shopping for a comprehensive collection of discount business services and products” that includes “payroll processing, business insurance, credit card processing, wireless telecommunications, uniforms and logo wear, computers, shipping, office supplies and more.”

Seriously, this is an excellent idea. It gets better, too. “In addition, no matter what type of business a member has, he or she can save countless hours by downloading free management tools... including sample business plans, human resources forms, lists and letters, financial forms, and employee management and motivation tools.”

What brought me up short was the phrase no matter what type of business a member has. Did this mean you don’t have to be a contractor to join?

I immediately visited the website www.hdbusinesstoolbox.com and sure enough, the program is open to all kinds of small businesses. I have a small business (not by choice but small nonetheless) so I signed up.

And Business ToolBox met my expectations 110%, which is to say that my expectations were less than low.

I admit that I haven’t priced the services yet, although I’ve never found a group discount I couldn’t beat on my own. There are some useful templates— OSHA worksheets, I-9s and expense reports, for example—but you can get them anywhere.

What really caught my eye were the training tip sheets. For example, Window Basics taught me that “frames can be made of wood, hardboard, aluminum or vinyl.” After 38 years in the business, I’ve never seen a hardboard window. Measuring for Flooring showed me a new way to estimate: “Multiply the length by the width, and add 10%. For example, a 10-ft. wide by 15-ft. long room will need 150 sq. ft. of flooring material.” I always thought 10 times 15 plus 10% came to 165 sq. ft. Maybe this is how Depot beats competitors’ prices.

But the most interesting by far was 23 Ways to Boost Your Sales. No. 4 was a revelation: Never point when asked for directions to the restroom—walk with the guest to give him or her personal attention. Escorting customers to the restroom certainly takes personal attention to a new level; just be aware that this may not be the right time to ask, “How may I help you?”

I’d never considered No. 14, either: Ask customers to submit their reminiscences about your business and award a prize for the best one. Pro dealers would definitely get prizewinners, such as, “I’ll never forget the time you dumped my floor package too close to the foundation and it slid into the basement.”

I was iffy about No. 18, though: Feed the parking meter for customers so they can stay longer. This is an unnecessary expense for a small business. If you want to keep customers in your store, it’s cheaper (and more reliable) to let the air out of their tires.

But I can’t argue with No. 21: Pay for your employees to visit competitors and report their findings. If you own a small business, I recommend signing up for Business ToolBox today, then paying your employees to study the site and develop a similar program for your customers.

The concept makes sense. In the hands of independents, the execution might, too.