Solution Building

And the Rut Just Keeps Getting Deeper It’s Sunday afternoon and after getting home from church, Gene is back at his desk (the dining table) working on the third construction bid. He would rather be watching the NASCAR race, but there’s just not enough time for both. Some people would say that getting three of the four bids done is pretty good. There are a lot of people in construction that wouldn’...

You need a plan if you’re going to build a successful business. STUCK IN A RUT  It was late on a Saturday night and Gene was sitting at his desk in his home office (otherwise known as a dining table). This was the office of his construction company.   He was working to get at least one more construction proposal done before going to bed. He had promised four different customers proposals this week...

This Seems Especially True for Construction Change is the biggest issue that the construction industry faces. Why are people in construction so bullheaded? They are some of the most stubborn and headstrong people.  This starts at a young age. As children, we have fewer external experiences to draw from. This restricted resource limits our view. This is why young people think they already know ever...

If You’re Like Most People in Construction, You Don’t Know… Last week we discussed how 96% of  construction companies go out of business  within the first 10 years. This is a problem if you’re in construction. As I was discussing last week’s post with a friend, he asked me why I do construction. Why would anyone want to start a construction company with odds like this? This question started me thi...

How Can You Change the Odds in Your Favor? According to the US Department of Commerce, 96% of construction companies fail within the first 10 years. This is a higher failure rate than any other kind of business. If you’re in construction…this is a problem. Having been in construction for more than 40 years, I became aware of the problems and began to understand them. I gathered information and lea...

A Plan is Only Good if You Use it. The past couple of weeks we’ve discussed how important the Production Tracker tool is and how it can help you see the future of your business. Building a construction business is no different than building a building. If you don’t have a plan, you won’t know what to do. You will just be guessing. If you don’t have the right tools and know how to use them, it will...

Trust me, it doesn’t take any magic. Last week we talked about what the  Production Tracker  is and what makes it an important tool to have in your business building toolbox. I also pointed out how most people operating construction companies hate paperwork, but how important paperwork is to build a successful business. It’s amazing how people in construction will use all sorts of power tools and...

Because it Helps Keep Your Business Balanced. Recently we discussed the importance of keeping your construction business from getting out of balance . Achieving a balanced business requires paperwork and we know how construction contractors feel about paperwork . I know, I know, paperwork is not a very exciting topic, but neither is concrete. And we all know how important concrete is in supporting...

You Have the Power of Choice. There’s a saying, “A rut is a grave with both ends kicked out.” Too often we get in a rut and don’t even realize we’re there. This is how operating a construction company can be. Plodding back and forth, doing all those things that need to be done, never looking up to see where we are or where we’re going. If we’re not careful the rut will get so deep that we’ll never...

That was never my plan. Most people in construction would not consider themselves entrepreneurs. They see themselves as self-employed. There’s not a huge difference between the two, but it is significant. It’s the difference between working in your business or working on your business.

Wow, a lot more than I thought! Recently I’ve been extremely busy and working hard trying to get things done. I know that the length of my list is my choice. Busy lives are nothing unusual, especially for those of us working in construction. So, how can we be more productive and decide what things on the list are the most important? The answer to this question will be different for each of us, but...

To build the business of your dreams you must take action. For years people have asked me where I came up with the business system and procedures that I use. As I thought about it, I realized that early on my business and life had developed without much intentionality. I was a dreamer at an early age. I had big ideas and plans for my life. Then there was a portion of my life where I became disillu...

Be careful with short legged tables. Have you ever felt like your business and/or your life were out of balance? It’s a little like a three-legged table with a short leg…kind of wobbly. Listen to this week's podcast to hear about how easily your business can get "out of balance" and what you can do to fix it!

Time to protect your biggest investment! As I was looking at the calendar, I noticed we’re already well into March and rapidly approaching spring. This got me to thinking about home maintenance and I realized… It’s time to get out the  Home Maintenance Plan.  Your home is a sizable investment and regular home maintenance will help extend the life of your home and that investment.

Why does everyone tell you it’s easy when it’s not? Helping people in the construction industry build their businesses   has been a real struggle. They say they need a better way of doing things but won’t take the time to do anything about it. They struggle with construction proposals, change orders, payment applications, saving money, communication, etc. I know because they tell me this all the t...

It’s like quality construction, it sets you apart as a professional. Gene’s getting excited as he pulls up to the SMR Construction Company office. Today they are going to put all the pieces together, creating a finished proposal! Listen to this week's podcast to see Gene's proposal go from blueprint to reality!

It all comes down to dollars and cents. It’s week six of learning the Building a Better Proposal system. As time consuming as learning new things is…Gene is beginning to see the benefits this proposal system will provide. Just like building a house uses repeated actions to reduce the need to think about how to do things, this proposal system does the same thing when bidding construction projects....

Clear communication is critical to happy customers. Last week John explained to Gene what project information needed to be gathered… This week they’re going to take the information gathered and turn it into a Scope of Work. This will be the foundational form of communication between everyone involved in the process, i.e., customer, contractor, sub-contractors, employees, etc. Listen to this week's...

It starts by asking the right questions! Another week has gone by and Gene’s looking forward to today’s meeting. As they wrapped up last week’s meeting, John indicated that they would “actually” learn the first step in the proposal system today. Listen to this week's podcast to walk through the first step of the proposal system with Gene and John!

So wouldn’t you like a plan for doing construction proposals? It’s Saturday, and today will be Gene’s third meeting with John. Even though there’s been no change in Gene’s overwhelming workload, today is the first time he’s not considered canceling. He knows the value of this information and is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more from his mentor. Listen to this week's podcast to hear...

This is the first step in Building a Better Proposal. Even though Gene was still overwhelmed, and his schedule was packed, he knew the only way to ever get control was to keep his upcoming appointment with John. Listen to this week's podcast to hear about Gene's second meeting with John and learn about the top 7 bid mistakes that contractors make!

And Gene’s not sure he can squeeze it in. It’s Friday, and Gene is in his normal state of overwhelm. He’s supposed to be meeting with John tomorrow afternoon to go over the  Building a Better Proposal  system, and he doesn’t know how he can fit it in. There are still so many things that need to be done. Sound familiar? Listen to this week's podcast to hear about Gene and John's first meeting and t...

That’s a luxury I just can’t afford! Here we are, already a week into the new year, and I’m not done with my annual planning yet. This is something that every year I intend to do before the end of the year, but it rarely gets done on time. I know I’m not the only one struggling to get everything done, and I get it. The question is, how can we be the most productive with the time we have?

As usual, Gene had been on the go, nonstop, trying to keep construction projects moving forward, collecting money, paying bills, and meeting with new potential customers when he realized he still had six projects needing proposals. As he thought about this, he realized it had been more than two weeks since he had talked with John about how he did construction proposals. Listen to this week's podca...

You start with a plan. Once again, Gene was alone at the office late on a Saturday night working to get at least one more proposal done, before going home. He had promised four different customers their proposals this week. If all goes well, he’ll have this second one finished before midnight. Listen to this week's podcast to hear how Gene finds "the light at the end of the tunnel" in his construc...