The Smart Way to Go Local for your Branch Build or Remodel

When you’re ready to transform your branches, how can you support your local businesses, while making sure you aren’t just hiring Clark's cousin Eddie who really needs a job? 

Working with local businesses has advantages: 92 percent of Americans have a favorable view of small business, according to a 2015 Public Affairs Pulse survey. Local businesses provide jobs and keep more money circulating in the local economy, so “going local” is a good way to help support your community. 

But there’s more than being local to consider. You also want to get quality work at a fair price—and sometimes that means choosing between national AND local companies. 

Is there a way you can have the best of both worlds?

DBSI thinks so. In fact, we’ve developed a process that allows you to use more local trades while also reducing risks and costs. 

One Local Company or 22?

In a typical remodel or new build project, you need anywhere from 15-32 trades, from electricians to drywall to plumbing. Most executives think they are doing the right thing by hiring one local General Contractor who subs out to companies they have a partnership with.

But this means you lose out on input, choice, and cost. You don’t really have a say or visibility into who the GC hires. Plus, all the subcontractors work under them, so it looks as if you only used one local business. And finally, you may not be getting the best price because there isn’t a competition for their business.

But with us, DBSI leads construction as the branch transformation expert, and offers a comparison and bidding process to find the different tradesmen needed.

First, we help you understand expected costs through our Smart Budget Tool, by calculating accurate estimates, so there’s no surprises. Then we give 60-90 local small businesses the opportunity to openly compete for the business. In addition, DBSI has thousands of subcontractors in our national network, so we also bring the appropriate ones into the mix to truly create an apples-to-apples comparison with robust competition to keep prices fair.

Next, we review all businesses against a scorecard of five important considerations:

1. Cost
2. Quality of Work
3. Historical Performance
4. Insurability
5. And Location

Once complete, we share this review with you to decide who to choose, together. And here’s the best part: This level of review and competition is complex, but ultimately drives down pricing, and no one can fool us. We know what each project element should cost, as experts in this business.

Once all the selections are made, you’ll likely end up having 10 to 22 local trades working on your project. How great a story is that?!? You’ve increased your “local” from one GC to several community businesses—something you can be proud of when all those local banners are hanging up on the fence during construction. Local and less, who knew!

Go Local the Smart Way

By using this approach, you’re much more likely to make a good choice and avoid risks, instead of working with someone just because they’re the only local option.  

Sometimes going with the tried and true partner is the smarter choice—and with DBSI, you’ll have the expertise we’ve gained by completing thousands branch builds and remodels. We look at the whole picture, helping you develop and implement a full strategy, from design, to tech, equipment, software, construction and employee training.

So don’t get ripped off! Let DBSI help you partner with the right local businesses, to build stronger relationships within your community and a branch your community can be proud of.