Construction and Contracting Business. Entrepreneur magazine
true emergencies, and keep the operation moving forward as smoothly as possible. Of particular importance in time management is organizing the work crews on a daily basis so that time is not wasted and clients are not kept waiting. Efficient foremen know exactly where they are going, what type of work they will do, and what tools they need to complete the job. If an owner is too busy with other tasks, money is lost while employees are getting paid to sit and wait for instructions.
Time management is important not only on a daily basis but also on a long-term basis. As the backlog of work increases, owners must be able to accurately project how long each project will take so that they can accurately schedule future projects. One of the worst things a contracting company can do is promise a client “we’ll be there next week” and then, for no reason apparent to the client, show up in three weeks. A company may use a chart like the one in the sample work schedule (Figure 2–1) or any of numerous time management programs, many of which are mobile, such as the mJobTime Mobility Suite (at www.mjobtime.com), which helps you track projects and keep everyone updated with modules for the labor manager, GPS manager, equipment manager, daily field manager, budgets manager and documents manager. Procore Management Software (at www.procore.com) also has several products designed for general contractors, engineering firms, and construction management firms to handle time management and project coordination. ExakTime (at www.exaktime.com) is another of several companies with software, and mobile apps, to help you with time tracking. Look for time management tools online. Ironically, they can save you time and help you communicate what needs to be addressed sooner than later to your subcontractors and/or employees.
In the “Sample Work Schedule” shown in Figure 2–1, page 15, if another client, Mr. Allen, prefers to work with Charlie, the owner knows that he cannot promise to start the Allen project until early June. Similarly, if Jane is extremely talented in a particular task, the owner knows he cannot send her out to complete this type of work until late May.
Time management encompasses much more then merely organizing a daily calendar. It is crucial to the success of a contracting business.
Do You Have What It Takes?—Part II
Beyond character traits are a host of abilities that contractors must have in order to succeed. The best and most successful contractors have a good balance of technical skills and business management expertise. As you learned earlier, many contractors are blessed with the natural skills to do their jobs. Most are craftsmen and women who pay careful attention to detail, avoid sloppy work, and finish their work with confidence and pride. They are able to step back from a completed project and say to themselves and their co-workers, “Job well done!” They are confident that their clients will say the same thing.
FIGURE 2–1: Sample Work Schedule
A tracking chart like this will help you manage employees, available subcontractors, and jobs.
As skilled as they may be, many contractors like to keep up to date with the latest advances in their field by taking advantage of opportunities for continuing education. Along with returning to school for a degree as mentioned earlier, there are many avenues available for learning about new products and techniques.
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Use the internet and do a Google search for “contractor magazines,” and find opportunities to receive free magazine subscriptions that focus on your specialty.
Contractors don’t like to admit it, but many lay people, including their clients, are able to do similar work. Perhaps not quite as well and certainly not as fast, but they can do many tasks that contractors are experts at. The DIY (do-it-yourself) retail market is huge; the combined revenues of Home Depot and Lowe’s are over $120 billion, representing over 70 percent of the industry; several cable television stations, such as HGTV, also specialize in home improvement and remodeling. And if you do a Google search on how to do a certain type of project, chances are you’ll find it.
However, beyond their natural skills and personalities, contractors possess two things that most of the public does not have. First, they have the time to do the work. Most homeowners and amateurs can only work nights and weekends; their regular jobs prevent them from working full time on their projects. Most homeowners do not want to live in their homes for extended periods without running water or with a hole in the roof, or go through the entire winter without a driveway. Contractors have the ability to complete a project quickly and with minimal disruption to their client’s household.
Second, contractors have the right tools to do the job. While the equipment rental business is fairly large, many homeowners are uncomfortable using expensive tools. Some tools and equipment are not available for rent due to liability issues; other equipment, such as a dump truck, usually is not available on a short-term basis. Often, when a homeowner rents a particular tool, he botches the job because he does not have enough experience to use it properly.
Having the right tools is one of the keys to success in the contracting industry. A landscape contractor reported to us that when