Category: Industry News

2023 is set up to be another exciting year with double-digit growth for the home access industry. At Live at Home, we have several projects and new relationships that will be coming your way in the first quarter. In this note, I will share some “quick hits” that will update you on some ongoing projects and new partnerships. Pollock Residential Elevators – Pollock had a well-attended webinar on Jan. 12,  where they talked about the residential...

VGM & Associates has released the first playbook of the year, “VGM Playbook: Forecasting 2023.”  This publication contains insight from industry experts on the overall forecasting of 2023, including trends, opportunities, and challenges; the state of DMEPOS; marketplace disruption, cash injections, additional revenue streams, and outsourcing; and updates on reimbursement, legislation, compliance, technology, data, security, workforce trends, and more.  “As...

There is no other time of the year that matches the emotional roller coaster that December and year-end bring. On the business side of things, we negotiate the following: Finishing the year strong and closing as much business as possible Budgeting and planning for 2023  Acknowledging employees, customers, and associates with holiday greetings Coordinating services for customers who want them finished before the big holiday Dealing with staff vacations  Then we have...

After three years without any events solely dedicated to home access, it was great to see so many members at our Building Opportunities Summit earlier this month. We did have to overcome Tropical Storm Nicole. It was a hurricane when it hit the east coast of Florida and was downgraded to a tropical storm when it got to Tampa. Thursday was the travel day for most attendees, and many had delays as the storm was at its worst on Thursday morning. Thankfully, most members were able to get there in time...

Here in Iowa, the fall season brings an amazing uptick in activity levels, and it’s very visible. With schools opening back up, everyone is in tune to their family’s school activities and attending sporting events. College football is huge here, and Saturday afternoon is quiet here except for in Iowa City and Ames where college football reigns in the living rooms of all Hawkeye and Cyclone fans. But the most obvious uptick in activity is that it is harvest time. Growing up and living...

As many of you saw last month, we had a note from our colleague here at VGM Live at Home Jessica Barber, in which she let the membership know she was moving on to another position here at VGM. Jessica has had a role here at LAH from almost the very beginning. Her father, Jerry Keiderling, was the original leader here, and together they were able to develop a role for her to help the department grow. When Jerry stepped down and I was asked to come in, Jessica was the teammate I was given to help the...

We have hit the middle of summer, and here’s hoping you are able to find time to enjoy your family, take in a concert or ballgame, experience a theme or water park, get in a round of golf, go see a great movie, or cook something amazing on your grill like Robert G. from Bestbath does! (Friend him on Facebook if you want to see what I mean). We believe that even when you are very busy, it’s important for everyone to get that mental break, do something fun, and smell the roses. At Live...

Heartland 2022 was a big success! It was great seeing so many members, colleagues, and partners new and old in-person! The educational components were spot on, we had some excellent networking, and a lot of fun and laughs. Sending out a big shout out to our home access speakers, Jim Bland from Seniors Home Services for his great retail sales training double session, Jared Cheveaux for his sharing how JTEK’s award-winning showroom has transformed his business, and Robert G. from Bestbath...

Let’s start out today just saluting VGM Live at Home members and the corporate manufacturer partners we work with. We have a fast-growing industry that is challenging in normal times (whatever “normal” is anymore). With the current climate, constant adjustments, and daily challenges that you encounter every day, we marvel at your resiliency and ingenuity to still get the job done. I can assure you that the fortitude shown and the extra efforts put forth does not go unnoticed by...

We have heard loud and clear that employee recruitment and retention are high-priority pain points for the home access industry. We have an industry that is slowly starting to mature but has a ways to go. Many companies struggle to provide a career path for their field technicians and, in some cases, their customer-facing representatives. We also hear of companies finding great potential employees, but they lack the skills needed to work as a tech in the field, and training is challenging when the...