Making Decisions Never Ends For Construction Contractors Like You
One of the basics of good decision making is being adaptable
Think of decision making is being in a bumper car. You are constantly driving and trying to avoid the other bumper cars. If you hit one you back up and go again (reminder this is the only safe place to hit other cars). 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 back to the real daily life of a Construction Contractor
- For Construction Contractors like you the paper work, 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.
- Decice what bills to pay in less than 5 minutes.
Process Automation Is Freedom From Chaos By Becoming
"Process Dependent Not People Dependent"
Are your employees work based on "Time Served" rather than "Results Achieved?
Time to start and a time to stop. Now do are your expectations for those same employees to work faster (Indy 500)?
Do you expect the job to be done efficiently, completely and beautifully (better quality than the homeowner can do themselves)?
How many jobs are completed where the final punch list takes longer than the actual job?
Common practice with employees got the job done Fast (beating their previous time)
There is done and not done. I can think of several examples. Is there trash left all over the job?
Is the living space dirty and need to be professionally cleaned for the client?
Is there a zillion things the homeowner needs to do before they can reclaim their space?
The job is not done until the final punch list is completed, the customer has paid, the check has cleared the bank.
There are a zillion steps from the initial call to meeting the potential customer, creating an estimate, doing the work, collecting the money and paying the bills. I repeat and cannot say it too often, for Construction Contractors like you the paper work, processes and decision making are never ending.
Contractors most common questions are I saved all my paperwork, now what do I do with it?
Who will call my suppliers, create tax forms, pay all my bills and taxes? Will you do everything? I just want to do the work. You say you want all of your employees to enter into the QuickBooks their receipts, invoice customers, it is a wasted step for me, as the owner to handle all of the paperwork all over again.
You are the Contractor (THE OWNER) I want to point out that your employees are just that employees.
On larger projects, it makes sense for them to track their jobs (talking about the Project Managers, Construction Supervisors, Lead Staff) using a Project Management Software, not QuickBooks. Keep It Simple: Start with an Electronic Timecard.
We recommend T-sheets. T-sheets is affordable, works on all brands of Smart Phones, with support for those will the old fashioned flip phones. Fantastic about helping you and your staff use the product.
Reports can be pulled by date range, by staff, by the project. It works for both field and office staff. Of course, the GPS feature not practical for office staff but very practical for your field workers. Are your employees where you expect them to be?
Who is in your QuickBooks?
Experience has found that “Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen Ruin The Meal” and too many people in QuickBooks leads to a financial disaster and more often than not meltdown and bankruptcy business and personal. Does everyone need to be in the Accounting System?
Having all your staff know more about your numbers can cause a lot of “White Noise” in their heads. Common Employee thoughts are "Employees are doing all the work, and the Construction Owner is making all the money and doing nothing!" Sound familiar? It will if you have been in business more than a few years! Employees never think about that stack of invoices for supplier slips, insurance, taxes (that’s all just stuff that doesn’t count).
About The Accounting. We recommend all Construction Contractors use the Desktop Version of QuickBooks. It’s very robust and customizable. No, not every 3rd Party App. will work with QuickBooks.
QuickBooks Setup For Contractors
Yes, in addition to QuickBooks Desktop Software, we use 3rd Party Software to help us help you.
Both in the area of the amount of paperwork you need to send us and keeping your costs affordable.
Many Construction Contractors find us through blogs, podcasts and their existing office staff who have read our blogs about Bad Bookkeeper. My suggestion to you is if your staff is enraged about what has been written – maybe it is time to closely review their work?
We are here to help with QuickBooks Setup, Cleanup, Ongoing Bookkeeping, Providing Cloud Access Consulting and Training. We always recommend QuickBooks Desktop as the starting point for all Construction Contractors, large, small, new in business, returning contractor. We are here to help you.
The 80-20 Rule Combined With Business Process Management
Can Improve Your Life In Ways You Never Dreamed Possible!
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20% Of The Construction Companies - Share the Top 80% of the profits which the owners and shareholders use to support lavish lifestyles because they know what to do when to do it and how to do it!
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80% Of The Construction Companies - Share the Bottom 20% of the profits which the owners and shareholders use to support just above or just below average lifestyles because they don't know what to do, when to do it or how to do it!
The Key Is Your Thinking Patterns And Habits
Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day
Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day
For Contractors who happy doing the bookkeeping, we offer custom built QuickBooks Setups, Chart of Accounts and Cost Codes and other related products on the FastEasyAccountingStore.com. Making site improvements daily. Products are broken down into (3) areas: United States, Canada, International.
Construction Contractors want their Accounting to be on a Merry Go Round instead of some of the more exciting rides at the county fair. Life is in constant change. Everyone has a Wish List – I want to be on yours when you are ready.
I love to chat with everyone. Call today, tomorrow, next week.
Enjoy your day.
About The Author:
Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/sharie-dehart/ 206-361-3950 or sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com
When You Become A Client - Then we can tap into our resources of knowledge and strategy banks. We use the reports hidden in your QuickBooks in order to diagnose and understand your construction business and develop plans and help you implement a path to success for you and you alone because every contractor has unique Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T. Analysis) that when understood can lead to a Strategic Roadmap which cannot help but make a lot of money.
We Remove Contractor's Unique Paperwork Frustrations
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For Construction Company Owners who do not need the full power of a QuickBooks for contractors and want 24/7 online access we offer Xero Accounting Online, and we have a custom setup for construction companies. Click Here For More.
This Is One More Example of how Fast Easy Accounting is helping construction company owners all across the USA including Alaska and Hawaii put more money in the bank to operate and grow your construction company. Construction accounting is not rocket science; it is a lot harder than that, and a lot more valuable to people like you so stop missing out! Call Sharie 206-361-3950 or sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com and schedule your no charge one-hour consultation.
Profitable Contractors and Construction Company owners have known about the value of outsourced bookkeeping services and contractor coaching services like ours for a long time, and now you know about it too!
Thank You For Reading This Far, And I Hope You Understand we really do care about you and all contractors regardless of whether or not you ever hire our services.
We Scan Your Receipts, And Invoices link the appropriate transactions to QuickBooks or Xero Accounting Online depending on the construction accounting service you are using and provide ongoing Cloud Based Contractors Bookkeeping Services by accountants who understand construction.
Our Contractor Bookkeeping Services System Is A System
Thinking About Outsourcing Your Contractors Bookkeeping Services To Save Time And Money?
Click On The Button Below To Download A Free Guide
Business Process Management (BPM) For Contractors
Need Help Now?
Call Sharie 206-361-3950
sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com
Xero Outsourced Construction Accounting Services
QuickBooks Outsourced Construction Bookkeeping Services
We Are Also Xero Accounting Experts Specializing In Construction Bookkeeping Services
PS: For The Do-It-Yourself Construction Bookkeeper Our Store Has Chock-Full Of QuickBooks Setup Templates, QuickBooks Chart of Accounts And More.
Most Contractors Setup QuickBooks Desktop Version In One Of Three Ways:
#1 EZ Step Interview inside QuickBooks Setup
#2 Asked Their Tax Accountant To Setup QuickBooks
#3 They Attended A How To Setup QuickBooks Class Or Seminar
And QuickBooks Does Not Work The Way They Want It Too!
The Answer:
#1 Click Here To Buy An Entire QuickBooks Setup For Your Specific Contracting Company
#2 Click Here To Buy Just The Chart Of Accounts For Your Specific Contracting Company
