How to Succeed With Your Own Construction Business
Table of Contents

Introduction | Preview A Chapter | Back Cover

1. Taking the Plunge - 5

• Learning the Hard Way - 6

• But Is It Right for You? - 10

• Are You Up to the Challenge? - 13

• The Next Step - 14

• Choosing Your Name - 19

• Registering Your Company Name - 20

• An Employee Identification Number - 21

• Getting a Business and Contractor's License - 22

• Getting Bonds and Insurance - 24

• What About a Franchise? - 26

2. Knocking on Opportunity's Door - 35

• The Professional Look - 36

• What Do You Have to Offer? - 39

• The Next Step - 40

3. Digging Up Business - 53

• Creating a Logotype - 55

• Institutional vs. Promotional Advertising - 59

• High Dollar Advertising - 65

• Your Media Choices - 71

• Qualifying Leads - 86

4. Making the Sale - 90

• A Hard Lesson - 90

• That Important First Impression - 91

• Sell Yourself Before You Sell the Job - 93

• Sell the Value of Remodeling - 99

• Listen, Listen, Listen - 99

• Bid Specifications, Not Ideas - 101

• Don't Let Money Do All the Talking - 103

• Polishing the Proposal Folder - 105

• The Final Step - 107

• Selling the Next job Off This One - 108

5. Dealing with Clients - 111

• The Handyman - 112

• The Purchasing Agent - 114

• The Manipulator - 115

• The Perfectionist - 116

• The Deadbeat - 117

• The Fall Crazies - 118

• The Pre-construction Meeting - 119

• The Change Order - 120

• Job Completion - 121

• Summing It Up - 123

6. Making It Legal - 125

• The Smart Contract - 126

• Complete Agreement, 137

• A Contract Checklist - 137

• Time and Materials Contract, 138

• Collection Troubles - 140

7. Financing - 147

• Money Sources - 148

• Getting Paid - 152

• Contractor Financing - 166

8. How Much to Charge and How to Bill It - 169

• The Options - 170

• Your Prices Are Based on Your Costs - 171

• The Profit Question - 178

• Contract vs. Time and Materials - 178

• Bidding or Negotiating for Work - 181

9. Estimating with Accuracy 183

• Estimating Methods - 186

• The Estimating Take-Off Form - 190

• Putting Your Estimate Together - 194

• A Math Primer for Estimators - 198

• A Sample Estimate - 202

10. Scheduling the job - 213

• The Basics of Scheduling - 214

• Choosing the Right System for You - 215

• Staying on Schedule - 226

• Scheduling Software - 226

11. Finding and Keeping Good Employees - 299

• Hiring Employees - 230

• Hanging On to the Good Ones - 242

• Firing Employees - 244

• Working with Subcontractors - 244

12. Running an Efficient Office - 247

• The Equipment You Need - 248

• Managing Your Time - 254

• Computers or No Computers - 256

13. The Paper Shuffle - 263

• The Federal Tax Forms - 265

14. Keeping the Books - 299

• Breaking the System into Parts - 301

• Managing Cash Flow - 316

• Totaling Up for the Year - 317

15. Buying Insurance - 319

• Kinds of Insurance - 320

16. Looking Ahead - 325

• You're on Your Own - 327

• For Further Information - 327

Index - 330

Introduction | Preview A Chapter | Back Cover

Paperback, 336 pages

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