1-Minute Interview: Mike Shumate

Work slows around the holidays for Mike Shumate’s Complete Design & Remodel, located in Carlsbad, Calif., just outside of San Diego. As a result, careful scheduling is necessary.

Q: What is the primary reason for the slowdown?
Our primary work is kitchen and bath remodeling, so many of our clients don’t want those areas torn up during that time. Generally, they request that work be done after the first of the year, which is then a busy season for us.

Q: What sort of projects do you work on to fill your schedule?
The jobs we keep doing work on fit into two categories: either it’s work we can do in an isolated part of the home that won’t be disruptive, or it’s in homes where the owners are away traveling during the holidays.

Q: Do you make any changes in your employees’ schedules during the slow season?
We actually encourage them to take planned time off. Work is slower, so it’s an excellent time to get them to take vacation. Most of my suppliers shut down between Christmas and New Year’s anyway, so it’s sort of like the calm before the storm.