How to Succeed With Your Own Construction Business

How to Succeed With Your Own Construction Business provides you with a thorough overview and a wealth of tips related to all aspects of starting and running a successful construction business.

This text covers a wide range of topics, including setting up the paperwork, finding the work, advertising, using contracts, dealing with lenders, estimating, scheduling, finding and keeping good employees, keeping the books, and coping with success.

This is a must-have resource for anyone considering starting your own construction business!

Table of Contents:

• Taking the Plunge
  • Learning the Hard Way
  • But Is It Right for You?
  • Are You Up to the Challenge?
  • The Next Step
  • Choosing Your Name
  • Registering Your Company Name
  • An Employee Identification Number
  • Getting a Business and Contractor's License
  • Getting Bonds and Insurance
  • What About a Franchise?
• Knocking on Opportunity's Door
  • The Professional Look
  • What Do You Have to Offer?
  • The Next Step
• Digging Up Business
  • Creating a Logotype
  • Institutional vs. Promotional Advertising
  • High Dollar Advertising
  • Your Media Choices
  • Qualifying Leads 
• Making the Sale
  • A Hard Lesson
  • That Important First Impression
  • Sell Yourself Before You Sell the Job
  • Sell the Value of Remodeling
  • Listen, Listen, Listen
  • Bid Specifications, Not Ideas
  • Don't Let Money Do All the Talking
  • Polishing the Proposal Folder
  • The Final Step
  • Selling the Next Job Off This One
• Dealing with Clients
  • The Handyman
  • The Purchasing Agent
  • The Manipulator
  • The Perfectionist
  • The Deadbeat
  • The Fall Crazies
  • The Pre-construction Meeting
  • The Change Order
  • Job Completion
  • Summing It Up
• Making It Legal
  • The Smart Contract
  • Complete Agreement
  • A Contract Checklist
  • Time and Materials Contract
  • Collection Troubles
• Financing
  • Money Sources
  • Getting Paid
  • Contractor Financing
• How Much to Charge and How to Bill It
  • The Options
  • Your Prices Are Based on Your Costs
  • The Profit Question
  • Contract vs. Time and Materials
  • Bidding or Negotiating for Work
• Estimating with Accuracy
  • Estimating Methods
  • The Estimating Take-Off Form
  • Putting Your Estimate Together
  • A Math Primer for Estimators
  • A Sample Estimate
• Scheduling the job
  • The Basics of Scheduling
  • Choosing the Right System for You
  • Staying on Schedule
  • Scheduling Software 
• Finding and Keeping Good Employees
  • Hiring Employees
  • Hanging On to the Good Ones
  • Firing Employees
  • Working with Subcontractors
• Running an Efficient Office
  • The Equipment You Need
  • Managing Your Time
  • Computers or No Computers 
• The Paper Shuffle
  • The Federal Tax Forms
• Keeping the Books
  • Breaking the System into Parts
  • Managing Cash Flow
  • Totaling Up for the Year
• Buying Insurance
  • Kinds of Insurance
• Looking Ahead
  • You're on Your Own
  • For Further Information
• Index