11. Natural (and man-made) disasters can sweep your business off its feet. Develop an emergency plan and have everyone read it.

12. Keep a few steps ahead of your financing needs to avoid a holdup in rolling out new systems. Some experts think you need $3 in cash for every $1 increase in monthly sales. Do your own math. Then start planning.

13. Know your “relevant range of operations,” that is, how much of a sales drop or gain your company can sustain. Pin down that number and re-evaluate your business if you move outside its limits.

14. Take a lesson from Ganahl Lumber in Southern California: It serves as its own two-stepper by buying in bulk and warehousing certain products. When a branch needs a product, the wholesale division sells it at slightly more than original cost. This keeps sales reps from cutting customers too steep of a deal.

15. Even before you formally draw up a succession plan for your family-owned company, divide your business into smaller entities that can be parceled out among your “next-gen” owners. The strategy also protects your whole business from damages absorbed by one unit in the event of a natural disaster or legal trouble.

16. Keep a log for each project detailing the property owner, how it’s being funded, and whether your yard is offering the builder or contractor credit for the job.

17. Compare your prices with those of your competitors—both big home centers and fellow independents—and advertise the results to your customers for the ones that compare favorably.

18. There’s nothing new about this one, yet many dealers fail to understand just how beneficial it can be: Walk the yard. That’s right. Take some time to get out from behind your desk and check up on your crew.

19. Watch your customers walk through your store, loading area, and yard. Check what they’re looking at, what they have to stoop their head to avoid, and if they ever seem lost. Then adjust the layout and traffic pattern to better match your customers’ LBM instincts.

20. Know you can’t do it all. Learn how to delegate, trust your colleagues, and learn to listen (really listen) to the customer. Back up your “gut feelings” with tried-and-tested methods and hard numbers when you can, but don’t ignore your instincts. And just because a system isn’t broken doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to make it better.