Tag: 2007 October Issue

Construction Business Owner, October 2007 

Dear Jayme:

I'm a remodeling contractor and I'm competing with what seems like a million other contractors in my area. What can I do to stand out with all this competition?

Woody

Construction Business Owner, October 2007

Q:

Can you recommend the best place to go for information (in layman’s terms) about estimating software for electrical contractors? I run a busy subcontracting company, and I don’t want to waste a lot of time researching technology products that may or may not have the features we need. Mainly, we are interested in replacing our spreadsheet system with software that can be customized to handle our assemblies and interface with our job cost accounting system. Any suggestions on where to start?

Phil

Construction Business Owner, October 2007

Q:

I would like to know if you have any books regarding contractor’s survival. Our business is very slow right now and we need tips on how to survive without adding more overhead. 

Thank you.

Hannah Barrizo

Palm Island Design Builders Ltd.  

Construction Business Owner, October 2007

Great companies realize they cannot thrive without the right people. Employing the right people does not begin with a simple newspaper ad listing an opening for work; rather, it starts well in advance, with a hiring philosophy that is aligned with the organization’s recruitment and selection process. All companies have some type of hiring philosophy, whether it is written or just common practice. Hiring philosophies vary depending on the size of a company and their industry. They adopt a philosophy that they feel works best for them, which may differ from what works best for the company next door.

Construction Business Owner, October 2007 

Can You Hear Me Now?

Like the cell phone user in the well-known (and over-played) TV commercial, wouldn’t it be nice if your contracting firm could stay so well-connected? Okay, maybe the hovering helicopters are a bit extreme. But surely everyone in construction understands the value that comes from two-way communication between the back office and the field. Or do we?

Construction Business Owner, October 2007

Editor's Note: This is tenth in our 2007 series of The Business Owner Toolbox written by our regular columnist George Hedley. Each article is written to provide you with practical, immediately applicable business management tools to assist you on your path to building a successful, growing business.