Many complex moving parts are involved in operating a profitable construction company, but at its core, business success hinges on just one thing: customer relationships. 

 

This is why Customer Relationship Management software is vital for contractors who want to grow their business.

 

A CRM solution helps your construction company nurture and improve client relationships by maintaining centralized data on all your leads and existing clients. With access to a history of customer transactions and communications, your team can make their next move with confidence while offering highly personalized customer service.

 

Construction business owners know that to find a loyal client base, they have to stand out from their competitors. One of the best and easiest ways to do that is to have outstanding customer service. How you treat your customers reflects your entire business. People think positively about companies that treat their customers and clients well. 

 

 

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Topics: Contractor Challenges, Contractor, Contractor Tips, Contractor Operating Tips, Construction Productivity

Be honest: is email helping or harming your construction business?

 

Remember when email was new and novel, and everyone thought it would vastly improve communication while freeing up time? It did improve communication - especially in the construction industry, where you have a team working on the field and in the office - on some levels, and freed up employee time at first. Now, however, email has become a productivity killer.

 

Construction business owners and workers have to wade through hundreds of emails in their inbox each day. Many contractors working on-site, choose to deal with email as it comes in rather than all at once. This takes the focus off their work and makes it difficult to concentrate on their tasks.

 

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Topics: Contractor Challenges, Contractor, Contractor Tips, Contractor Operating Tips, Construction Productivity

As a construction company owner, you are getting paid, paying someone, or both. Contracting is all about money and taxes. With your job being not only physically demanding but also mentally draining, have you considered valuing your efforts? I understand how challenging it is for you to keep tabs on your employee's schedule, but make sure you also track yours.

 

The primary reason to track Owner's Time On Jobs is to have a more accurate Job Costing Reports. You need to know how much money each job is making or losing. As an employer, you need to adopt the use of a time tracking software to assure accountability and improve productivity in the workplace.

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Topics: Payroll Processing, Contractor Challenges, Contractor, Contractor Tips, finance, Contractor Operating Tips, Payroll For Construction Contractors

QuickBooks users are generally not stumped by the software; they are confused by the accounting information necessary to complete the transactions. Quick access to correct information is essential to maintain the accuracy of your financial records.

 

There are no limits to the number of items that can be entered into QuickBooks improperly. Messy files build transaction by transaction or merely put invoice by invoice, receipt by receipt can all be entered into QuickBooks incorrectly. No pop-up will say, "This Is WRONG" – Do It Over.

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Topics: QuickBooks Training Online, Contractor Challenges, Contractor, Contractor Tips, finance, Contractor Operating Tips, Construction Books

When it comes to paying employees, laws and the IRS, have made the payroll function a time-consuming nightmare for the small business owner.

 

Small business owners spend an average of eight hours a month performing payroll functions. That's 12 full days a year that could be spent generating sales, prospecting new business opportunities, improving products or services, or servicing customers.

 

Getting time cards input into QuickBooks and processing payroll can be a big hassle for your construction company.

 

• Employee advances and loans that you forget to deduct can drain away your entire profit.
• Timecards come in late causing payroll to be under enormous pressure to meet direct deposit deadlines.
• Tracking employee bonuses, reimbursements and garnishments take time and money and can cost your company some serious fines, penalties, and lost productivity if not handled correctly.
  
  

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Topics: Payroll Processing, Contractor Challenges, Contractor, Contractor Tips, finance, Contractor Operating Tips, Payroll For Construction Contractors

Construction is a tough business, and people failure is common. Most of our clients have either failed or come very close. It doesn't matter how many times you are knocked down; it only matters that you learn your lessons, get up, and go again. Some lessons we already took note of years ago, having owned and operated our construction company. By building a system and gaining insight from us, you can pick up from our mistakes which you don't have to go through and can start avoiding before it comes crashing down. 

 

We are deeply passionate and committed in the construction industry that we want to support you, our clients and readers, to achieve your definition of success. Whether you're a contractor, owner, spouse, a business professional, bookkeeper, or accountant; we understand your frustrations because we've been where you are now, and we're here to help.

 

 

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Topics: Communication Skills For Better Accounting Results, Clients, Online Class, Construction Accounting Online Classes

Knowledge leads to profits and cash flow. What makes knowledge powerful? Use of knowledge. In this cutthroat construction industry, you may not be able to outgrow your competition forever, but you can always outlearn them.

 

Randalism: If you know the answers, the questions will not bother you.

 

The only real difference between success and failure is the answers. What kind of answers are you looking for? Alternatively, should we begin by pointing out that you might be asking the wrong questions? 

 

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Topics: Communication Skills For Better Accounting Results, Clients, Online Class, Construction Accounting Online Classes

To hire or not hire employees is one of the few optional things where the business owner gets to choose, change their mind or change direction as needed. With so much discussion about employees, payroll, and payroll taxes; you may feel that you are missing out by not hiring lots of employees. Reality is that as a small business owner, you DO NOT HAVE to hire employees.

Hiring, maintaining, and feeding employees is not the measure of success. Owner-Operators can open his or her business and do all the work themselves. Moreover, some construction business owners still go by "No Skills Required." Thinking that "The jobs we do are simple. It's easy, and anybody can do it …that's why they think you can too!" They say things like, "You can start right now. Let's not waste time on an employment application/background check and other stuff. No Training Required - I trust you to do the most skilled functions in my business because you need a job."

 

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Topics: Hiring Employees, Leveling Up

Excellent communication skills are part of any process, and by definition, it entails more than just talking. Today, it's the phone, emails, messaging, faxes, and it includes the flow of soft documents. 

 

Of course, talking is a significant part of it.  Most of us would be lost without our mobile phones.  With internet access and a handful of applications, the newer smartphones replace the need for a traditional landline, fax machine, laptop, desktop computer or camera. 

 

Many people already go to their bank, move money, pay bills, and pay for services.  Banks have added the technology where you can stop going to the bank altogether, with the bank's app, you can now snap a picture of the check and deposit into your account from your customer's location.

 

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Topics: Communication Skills For Better Accounting Results, Construction Marketing, Clients

It takes work to make the phone ring. It takes even more work to increase the sales ticket. Customers are looking for a contractor to do a little work. If you offer three options, do you find customers usually choose the middle option? 

 

When trying someone new, they may go with a "Low Risk" by prepaying for services on a "Deal" on a contractor lead generation service. The deal allows them to set a "budget." It allows them to try you out before mentioning any additional details. Have you ever heard anything like this from a prospect: "Hello Contractor, I had nothing better to do this week, so I filled out your form and called you on the phone to ask you come to my house and while I act your tour guide because I am thinking of having some work done."? Not likely.

 

 

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Topics: Construction Marketing, Customers Vs. Clients, Clients, Inbound Marketing For Contractors, offline marketing for contractors