As a construction business owner, improving productivity is essential to your company's success. But you may often find yourself pulled in different directions by competing responsibilities. At some point, we all experience that.

 

Classifying tasks and tackling the most time-consuming ones can feel daunting. But why is it so hard for us to start – or even finish – seemingly insignificant tasks? Why do these tiny tasks become the bane of our existence, tempting us into procrastination limbo? 

 

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Topics: Profit and Growth Strategies For Contractors, Leadership Styles, Project Management, Construction Productivity

As a construction business owner, you have a lot on your plate. You need to manage your employees, oversee projects, ensure compliance with regulations, and keep your clients happy. Amidst all this, you may be tempted to handle your payroll to save costs and maintain control.

 

At face value, it seems like a great idea. If you're a small business owner with just a few employees, you probably think hiring a payroll specialist is an expense you can avoid.

 

You feel that you can handle it yourself. You intend to keep your staff paid right and on time. What could go wrong, right? Well, lots, actually. And before you know it, it's now a costly mistake, and you need to spend more money to make it right.

 

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Topics: Payroll Processing, Profit and Growth Strategies For Contractors, Payroll Options, Payroll For Construction Contractors

When you're ready to take your construction business to the next level, you might start thinking about "scaling." No, it's not just a fancy term for growth; it's about doing more with less. Scaling is about increasing your revenue without proportionately increasing your resources—fancy yet practical, right? It's like sending an email: your effort is the same whether you send it to 100 people or 100,000. 

 

But, as of now, we also probably feel like we are in the thick of a cost-of-living crisis. This challenges entrepreneurs and is a nerve-wracking time for many small construction business owners.

 

If you've had sleepless nights worrying about how you'll pay your suppliers or support your staff, you're not alone. You've likely already considered where to cut costs, but it seems impossible when suppliers raise prices. 

 

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Topics: Construction Strategy, Profit and Growth Strategies For Contractors, Success In Owning A Construction Business, MAP vs. PAM, Construction Business Inflation, Scaling Your Construction Business

Mastering the right tone is critical when connecting and communicating with people in the construction business. Whether you're writing an email, making a phone call, or meeting in person, how you present yourself can make all the difference in building strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and partners. 

Research suggests that as much as 93% of communication is non-verbal, so it's unsurprising that the tone and meaning of emails and messages are misinterpreted as much as half the time.

For small construction businesses, email is frequently the preferred way to communicate with new leads, customers, and employees – but if you haven't mastered your tone, the meaning of your message may be lost. In the worst-case scenario, you may even unintentionally offend your audience.

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Topics: Communication Skills For Better Accounting Results, Communication, Mastering Tone For Construction Business, Construction Business Communication

Tax season can be a bit overwhelming for construction business owners, especially with many things to keep track of in our industry. But don't worry; we're here to help! We know that construction businesses have unique tax considerations that can be tricky to navigate, such as complex accounting and bookkeeping challenges and issues related to payroll and sales taxes. 

 

That's why staying informed about the latest tax laws and regulations is essential, as well as working closely with a qualified construction accountant and tax professional who can guide you through this process and ensure you comply with all applicable tax rules and regulations. 

 

Preparing for tax season is a year-round endeavor. Tip number one for construction company owners is to update monthly financials using a streamlined software or cloud-based system.

 

This way, come tax time, everything you need is in one place. Well-organized small businesses are better positioned to minimize tax bills while avoiding missing or inaccurate information penalties.

 

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Topics: How To Lower Your Tax Bill, Save Money On Income Taxes, Sales Tax, Tax Accountants, Reduce Taxes, Taxes, Contractor Tips

In the construction industry, communication takes many forms, including written reports, drawings, emails, and face-to-face meetings. Each form of communication has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. For example, written reports and illustrations provide a permanent record of information, but they may not be as effective in conveying complex ideas as face-to-face interactions. 

 

Understanding how construction business owners and project managers, like you, if you do both (a one-person company), adapt to their environment, and facilitate procedures could make your company run smoother because there is no money in workplace chaos.

 

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Topics: Leadership Styles, Construction Project Managers, Contractor Leads, Contractor Tips, Project Management, Project Management For Construction

To be in business and to remain in business, become a business person! To run a business, you must be business-like. It's not sufficient just to be very good at what you do. Many people who are 'very good at what they do' have failed. The familiar cry: "I'm far too busy for that" is no excuse. Are you 'too busy' to be a competent businessperson? If so, your construction business won't last long. You must continue to develop your business skills.

 

To be a businessperson, you have to make an effort to become something of an 'all-rounder,' not just a specialist player. You can offer outstanding goods or services, but if you don't develop sound business systems, you are not a fully rounded businessperson, and your business will be in danger of failing.

 

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Topics: outsource bookkeeping, outsourced construction accounting and bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Do What You Do Best And Outsource The Rest, Contractor Tips, Work-Life Balance

Outsourcing can offer a range of advantages for small construction businesses in today's competitive market. Not only does it reduce costs and free up valuable time for owners to focus on growing their business, but it also provides access to skills and expertise that may be unavailable in-house. Small construction businesses can streamline operations, increase productivity, and scale faster than ever by working with external professionals or firms who work in certain areas. 

 

Because a small business focuses on survival, you pay much attention to the bottom line. This makes much sense, but it also leads to being seriously overworked.

 

Contractors are under increased pressure to cut their prices to get enough work. And that means they need to reduce costs. New technologies and approaches in cloud computing for construction accounting give forward-thinking contractors a fantastic ability to get more for less -but in most cases, contractors' heads are still stuck in 1990, thinking they have to do everything themselves.

 

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Topics: outsource bookkeeping, outsourced construction accounting and bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Do What You Do Best And Outsource The Rest, Contractor Tips, Work-Life Balance

Wellness is an important aspect of life for everyone, especially construction contractors like you. Given the physically demanding nature of the work, contractors must prioritize their physical and mental health. Proper nutrition, exercise, and adequate rest are all necessary for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Additionally, taking breaks and managing stress can help prevent burnout and promote well-being. By prioritizing your health, contractors can feel better and perform better on the job.

 

However, maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be difficult for a small construction business owner, as most know. You may work long hours, sacrificing personal time and family obligations to keep your business running smoothly. The duties and responsibilities of running your own business often take priority, no matter how personal pursuits are essential for your well-being. 

 

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Topics: Contractor Tips, Construction Systems And Processes, Year End Tips For Construction Contractors, Work-Life Balance

As the year comes to a close, it's important to start thinking about your bookkeeping tasks to ensure a smooth transition into the new year. Deadlines are fast approaching, but it doesn't have to be stressful. 

 

Have you given your bookkeeper, wife, partner, accountant, or tax accountant the information needed to complete your reports? Accountants need good information to create detailed reports and save money on your taxes.

 

Here is where the expression "Garbage In Equals Garbage Out" comes into play. It is impossible to create Job Costing Reports when all anyone knows is the deposit amount on the bank statement.  

 

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Topics: QuickBooks Year End Closing Tips For Contractors, Contractor Tips, Construction Systems And Processes, Year End Tips For Construction Contractors