This is part 2 of a 2-part discussion about growing your business through growing your middle managers. If you missed part 1 which concerns what you as an owner should be doing in your construction contracting business you can go here. Have you ever gotten a chuckle out of the scene when a three-year-old announces, “I do it myself,” over a task which he may or may not be able to accomplish? What we usually do is allow the child time and space to prove he can or prove he can’t

This is part 1 of a 2-part discussion concerning growing your construction contracting or service business through growing your middle managers. In this section the discussion will center on what you as an owner should be doing in your business while allowing your middle managers to manage other aspects. You’re the boss – own it You have better things to do than being on job sites all day long. Put your time and effort towards critical, big-picture decisions concerning your c

When you first became a construction contractor or construction service business owner it was pretty simple – get a job, do the job, get paid, see how much money you made. Now, things are different. You have people working for you, people who rely on you in order to make a living. Knowing the whats, hows, and whys of construction accounting has become much more difficult. Following are 5 critical problems Schulte and Schulte solves for clients on a regular basis. Not knowing

You’ve already figured out that when you own a construction contracting or service business your world is colorful. Some of the myriad of “things” on your mind are job sites, retainage, percentage completed, purchase orders, prevailing-wage rates, payroll, change orders, subcontracts, AIA billings, and equipment usage. But did you know about the contractor’s friend called Job Costing? Did you know job costing is really designed to make all the above “things” take their rightf

A construction contracting company or construction service business is a reflection of its owner; it is also a signifier for where the owner is going. The ideal construction contracting company reflects the owner’s skills and competence built on a foundation of hard work and integrity. With thanks to Jeff Foxworthy, I submit the following: You might own an ideal construction business; If you’re Competent in your trade and in running your business. If you’re known in your soci

While it is apparent learning to dance takes time and effort and mastering the moves takes practice, we sometimes forget that being a good leader also takes time, effort, and practice (and it doesn’t hinge alone on how much innate talent you have.) Knowing you have the skills of powerful leadership As the owner of a construction contracting or service business it is imperative for you to take the time, make the effort, and be willing to practice the skills involved in leading

Before we get to the 5 simple ways to work through the mental change let’s look at an example of how mental changes or growth require process. Teaching your kids kindness A friend of mine once commented she would like to be able to add “kindness” to a list of traits she could teach her young children. She would like to be able to jot “Teach Kindness” on the list, teach the kindness trait, then check it off. If you have young children, or if you’ve simply been exposed to the d

In the beginning you had to: Figure out the legal, financial, and operational aspects of your business Understand how to communicate and negotiate Learn how to promote your business, yourself, and your products or services Comprehend how to keep the accounts, stay organized, and run the office Grasp the responsibilities of entrepreneurship Now, you’re ready to scale Not simply running with the big dogs – being a big dog. You’ve mastered so much already and the time has come t

10 Qualities Needed for Scaling Your Construction Contracting or Service Business part 1 Being an entrepreneur in the construction field comes with a few challenges other entrepreneurs don’t face. There are a lot of ideas concerning what it takes to be an entrepreneur. For example, you’ll hear things like: You need to be motivated by challenges You’ll have to be tenacious You’ll need the support of your family and friends You will be one who loves new ideas You must see and f