Those Pennies Count
Those Pennies Count Everything is getting more and more expensive these days. Just when you think you’ve got your business budget worked out and showing a livable profit – wham! Here comes another increase. Contracting is a competitive business, and sometimes just a...
Remodeling
Contractors have gotten a bad rap because they frequently have to charge more for unexpected things or because they tend to start a job and then vanish for weeks at time – leaving the customer confused and angry. Here are some ways to show that you’re one of the good...
Planning Beyond the Next Project
It’s easy to work one job after another; put an ad up and take whatever comes in. Easy, yes; smart, no. The successful business owner sets goals for their business. They can be monetary goals, such as “My company will have revenue of $30,000 this fiscal year;” or...
That Next Job
Between the phone calls from clients, vendors who can’t guarantee their delivery makes it on time, and that threatening weather report, you’re always worrying about the next job – the next project you don’t have lined up yet. You’ve got to meet payroll, adhere to...
Asking for References
Never hesitate to ask for references from any contractor you’re thinking of hiring – and then contact them. Most everyone will tell you honestly about their experience with a contractor. A good contractor will be glad to have you contact their clients. A...
To Get More, Give More
Every contractor could use some good publicity. Believe it or not, there are many ways you can get good publicity for free. In nearly every community there are projects such a Habitat for Humanity or other organizations that provide free or very affordable housing. In...
Taming the E-Mail Monster
The pleasure of seeing that inbox stuffed with e-mails is soon replaced with dread for many contractors. Ads, spam, customer questions, notes from the spouse, vendor updates . . . . All the popular e-mail programs make it easy to organize what’s coming into your inbox...
Are you using social media to gain customers?
Social Media Marketing can be another great way to generate leads directly and to drive traffic to your website. There are a number of social media outs including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more. Once again, we don’t want to lose focus on what you are...
Your first contractor website…
We will assume that you already know that having a website or a blog (which can also function as a website) is a requirement in today’s business environment. I won’t spend time trying to convince you of that. Suffice it to say that you need one and if you don’t have...