You started your construction business with plans of earning a living and being successful, but an unfortunate fact of business life is that companies suffer financial hardships. Whether those hardships are pandemic-related or linked to other urgent situations, the effect is still the same. Your finances are negatively affected, and it's up to you to lead the recovery.

 

Almost all business sectors have experienced declining profits, liquidity that is drying out, and even bankruptcy. Although the short-term outlook varies depending on your industry sector, all business leaders need to set up a strategy to guide their way towards recovery. 

 

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Topics: The Contractors Account, Systems And Processes, Construction Company Cash Flow

One classic mistake construction business owners make when money gets tight is stopping marketing or cutting their budgets. At first glance, it seems logical to cut down your expenses during harsh economic conditions. However, in reality, it's the opposite of what you should do.

 

When your construction company is struggling, cutting your marketing budget will further hurt your business. During this time, you should go the extra mile to be at the forefront of the minds of your clients and prospects. With an effective marketing strategy, you should be able to increase sales.

 

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Topics: Increasing sales, Systems And Processes, Contractor Marketing, Contractor Tips

Solid cash flow management is vital to ensuring your business survives, but not everyone understands what cash flow is or how to manage it. That's likely what makes it a leading cause of stress for construction business owners.

 

Cash flow refers to the movement of money into and out of your business. It's based on the amount of money you bring in minus the amount you spend. A positive cash flow means you're bringing in more than you're spending. A negative cash flow means you aren't bringing in enough to cover your expenses. Your company can run into problems by not charging enough for goods or services, having late-paying clients chronically, growing too quickly, or simply spending too much money.

 

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Topics: The Contractors Account, Systems And Processes, Construction Company Cash Flow

Every business needs a financial plan. Your financial plan gives you a way to monitor and review your cash flow, make adjustments to your spending, and anticipate any upcoming economic issues. It can also make you more prepared to request funding or find investors so you can bring more money into your construction business.

 

Although many business owners are aware that financial planning is essential, it is often overlooked. Without a financial plan, however, you could find your business doesn't make the money you expected it to—or you could wind up with unanticipated expenses and no way of paying for them.

 

If you are a contractor, you are most likely a "doer," someone who gets things done, not now but right now! When you see anyone not swinging a hammer, drilling holes, pouring concrete, laying carpet, putting paint on the walls, or a thousand other construction tasks, the first thing you think is they are wasting time and money, and you want no part of that nonsense!

 

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Topics: The Contractors Account, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Business Planning For contractors, Contractor Tips, finance

Owning a construction company and being an employee requires different mindsets and attitudes or paradigms. Both positions are natural enemies and generate tension, leading to various diseases; mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

 

Construction workers live in the real world, where everything can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, and sometimes smelled. They can look around and see evidence of their activities. Their long-term time horizon in years past was two weeks, which is why most payrolls are paid every two weeks. With various check cashing and payday loan outlets, their long-term time horizon has been replaced with now and right now!

 

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Topics: The Contractors Account, Contractors Bookkeeping Paperwork, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Contractor Tips

The construction manager is conditioned to avoid emergencies by being proactive. It is necessary to have systems in place to deal with emergencies when they arise. After the crisis has passed, the effective project manager evaluates the root cause of the trouble and implements change in the system to avoid a repeat performance.

It’s also one thing to manage workers when they’re all in the same place at the same time. However, when you run a construction business with field workers, things can get a lot more challenging. Not only are you typically not on the same job site as them, but you might also have workers scattered over a variety of sites and projects. 

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Topics: Systems And Processes, Construction Project Managment, Project Management, Contractor Operating Tips, accountability, Construction Accountability

How are you and your construction business? Have you considered what you'd like to achieve in the coming twelve to eighteen months? Or maybe your set of priorities for the next half of 2021?

 

Contractors like you are typically highly creative and optimistic; thus, you often have difficulty narrowing down your ideas from among all the exciting possibilities, whether it's an opportunity to expand to a new market or choose a better time management strategy. 

 

While some of you love planning, others feel overwhelmed by the process. So how do you decide on just a handful of goals that take priority, with so many moving parts that make up a construction business?

 

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Topics: Construction Strategy, Systems And Processes, Secrets Of Highly Successful Contractors, Contractor Operating Tips, Construction Business Goals

Hiring or not hiring employees is one of the few optional things the business owner chooses, changes their mind, or changes direction as needed. With so much discussion about employees, payroll, and payroll taxes, you may feel that you miss out on not hiring many employees. The reality is that as a small business owner, you do not have to hire employees.

The two extremes in any business are "Too Many People" (with many looking busy) and "Too Few" (a handful are overloaded). An example of Too Many People is for a midsized firm having everyone with access to the accounting. I mean everyone from the "Shop Guy," Warehouse, Outside Salesman to Accounting Staff.

Depending on the size of the construction business, this might be necessary. However, for most companies letting everyone have access to the balance in the company checkbook creates "White Noise" and causes friction.

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Topics: Hiring Employees, Systems And Processes, Contractor Operating Tips

Sales are about addressing your customers' needs and problems. By understanding the issues clients face, you can show them how your service solves their problems. 

Here are some tips for asking the right sales questions to better understand and help your customers. 

1. Don't jump into sales questions right away.

Sales aren't just about making a sale, although that's certainly part of it. Instead, sales are about building relationships. That's how you make a sale today and encourage repeat business tomorrow. 

When you start asking questions, don't begin by asking questions about the sale specifically. Instead, ask questions that develop a relationship and give you a chance to get to know the client better. 

For example, ask questions about their long- and short-term goals. After that, move into questions about the issues they face and what solutions they currently use. Then, find out what does and does not work about those solutions. That will help you understand your potential customer, which allows you to meet their needs right now and anticipate future needs.

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Topics: Increasing sales, Systems And Processes, Contractor Marketing, Contractor Tips

Emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye. Gmail, Yahoo, MSN, and social media are all in the cloud. When disaster strikes, flood, fire, theft, earthquake, or a lousy bookkeeper deliberately destroying business records or computer crash, you are protected against data loss by these online programs. Buy another computer, set it up, and you are back in business.

 

What about your bookkeeping records? Your customer list? Who owes you money? Who you owe money to? Payroll? Employee advances and loans?

 

Job deposits, sales tax reports due, the list goes on. You never realize how much you depend on your Construction Accounting System until it is gone forever!

 

What about your contracts, bids, other hard copies of documents you use to operate and grow your construction company?

 

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Topics: Cloud Based Bookkeeping Services, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, QuickBooks Desktop Cloud, QuickBooks For Contractors Cloud, Contractor Tips