Optimizing Your Construction Business Website For Local Searches
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, May 21, 2021
Topics: Pay Applications, Systems And Processes, Contractor Operating Tips, payment issues
Becoming A Better Construction Manager By Developing Accountability
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, May 14, 2021
Topics: Systems And Processes, Construction Project Managment, Project Management, Contractor Operating Tips, accountability, Construction Accountability
Steps Construction Company Owners Can Take To Avoid Employee Fraud
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, May 07, 2021
Billing schemes. Skimming. Check-tampering. Employee fraud is a real risk for businesses with fewer than 100 employees. In fact, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, small businesses lose almost twice as much per scheme to occupational fraud.
If you Google Search "Construction Bookkeeper Embezzlement," you will see thousands of hits, and most of the problems construction companies suffered could have been avoided if the owner had known about and followed a few simple guidelines.
Unfortunately, until a contractor has gotten to know us, they tend to think of us as just another contractor's bookkeeping service. This means some contractors think we are crazy to suggest that any trusted employee, especially an in-house bookkeeper, would steal money from their company, and so they ignore us until it was too late.
Read MoreTopics: The Contractors Account, Bookkeeper Embezzlement, Embezzlement, Systems And Processes, Contractor Bookkeeper Embezzlement, Construction Bookkeeper Embezzlement, Contractor Tips, Employee Fraud
Topics: The Contractors Account, Contractors Bookkeeping Paperwork, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Contractor Tips
If My Construction Business Is Making A Profit, Where Is The Cash?
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, Apr 23, 2021
Topics: Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Contractor Cash Flow Problems, Construction Company Cash Flow, Contractor Tips
Proven Practices To Collect Construction Client Payments Effectively
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, Apr 16, 2021
All construction contractors have experienced bad debt's financial pain, which is defined as a customer who refuses to pay no matter what you do.
We've been there before, and it will probably happen again in the future. Owning and operating any business, including accounting, means sometimes you provide goods and services and not get paid.
Knowing The Answers Helps
"If you know the answers, the questions will not bother you" - Randalism.
When you sat for an exam or a school test and knew the material forwards and backward, it was fast and easy. The exams and tests for the classes you struggled with were the opposite.
In your construction company, it is the same; you need the answers to develop understanding, which helps us all let go of the past and move forward.
Read MoreTopics: Pay Applications, Systems And Processes, Contractor Operating Tips, payment issues
Leading Contractors Successfully Through Major Organizational Change
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, Apr 09, 2021
We are all currently experiencing and adapting to present pandemic times. We've probably adjusted our business model to cater to our clients, new and existing. Construction business change is almost always a good thing, but often poor management means that the workforce becomes disengaged and the change process painful. In the worst cases, this results in irreparable damage being done.
It doesn't need to be this way. Follow these steps and empower yourself to lead your contractors through significant organizational change successfully.
1. Understand the change
Make sure you understand precisely what is changing and how it affects your people. Speak to whomever you need to ascertain this properly. You need to know what the impact is on your people and the jobs they do.
Educating yourself will mean you're better equipped to communicate with your staff. It will give them confidence that you are the right person to lead them into the unknown. It will also relieve their anxieties, as they will trust you to keep them informed and look after their individual and collective interests.
Read MoreTopics: Construction Company, Systems And Processes, Contractor Tips, Construction Organizational Change
The Ugly Truth About Doing Your Construction Company Payroll
Posted by Sharie DeHart on Fri, Apr 02, 2021
Still Doing Your Payroll?
If you don't have a finance background, you'll likely spend a substantial amount of time calculating employees' work hours, computing for taxes and other deductions, creating payslips, processing, and filing.
Even if you have a bit of a bookkeeping background, are you sure you want to spend your precious time doing these tasks instead of focusing on your construction business's core aspects?
Topics: Payroll Processing, The Contractors Account, Payroll Options, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Contractor Tips, Payroll For Construction Contractors
Nobody wants their business to fail. Although it's impossible to predict the future with 100% accuracy, a cash flow forecast is a tool that will help you prepare for different possible scenarios in the future.
What is Cash Flow Forecast?
Cash flow forecasting is the process of estimating how much cash you'll have and ensuring you have a sufficient amount to meet your obligations. By focusing on the revenue you expect to generate and the expenses you need to pay, cash flow forecasting can help you better manage your working capital and plan for various positive or challenging scenarios.
A cash flow forecast comprises three key elements: beginning cash balance, cash inflows (e.g., cash sales, receivables collections), and cash outflows (e.g., expenses for utilities, rent, loan payments, payroll).
Read MoreTopics: The Contractors Account, Systems And Processes, Construction Company Cash Flow
Making decisions never ends for contractors like you. Being adaptable is one of the basics of good decision-making skills.
Think of decision-making as being in a bumper car. You are continually driving and trying to avoid the other bumper cars. Suppose you hit one you back up and go again (reminder this is the only safe place to hit other vehicles). The rest of the time, life as a contractor feels more like the Indy 500. You are driving as fast as you can, passing other cars, making pit stops, and scrambling to make it to the finish line.
Translate this to a typical daily life of a construction contractor:
- The paperwork, processes, and decision-making are never-ending
- The concept of time is all about 10 minutes
- Your coffee brews in less than 10 minutes
- Take a shower in less than 10 minutes
- Load the dishwasher in 10 minutes
- Take out the trash in less than 5 minutes
- Read your email in less than 5 minutes
- Decide what bills to pay in less than 5 minutes
Topics: Ten Minutes A Day To Increased Construction Profit, The Contractors Account, Construction Bookkeeping And Accounting, Systems And Processes, Contractor Tips