A Heads Down Story I recently encountered a heads-down worker. She was courteous and kind when we first stepped into the space where she would be cleaning my teeth. Then, she went heads down to accomplish the task at hand. Even though I have my teeth cleaned regularly, I honestly don’t know all the required tasks and skills, nor do I understand how modern dentistry tools can and should be used.   Because of my many encounters with dental hygienists, I know that water should not be spaying constantly into the back of my mouth, making me feel as if I’m on the brink of drowning. After se ..read more

Why do some people (both construction clients and contractors) assume that calculating costs + contingencies + overhead + profit is “gouging”?   In reality, using the above formula is simply a matter of participating in a wise business practice.   I recently read a comment from a construction company owner who believes he shouldn’t build in contingencies because - to paraphrase his argument - restaurant patrons don’t pay extra for the kitchen’s mistakes.   BUT THEY DO.   The Restaurant Contingency Example You can bet every smart restaurant owner looks at contingencies b ..read more

When we learned that today is International Jugglers Day, we knew it was time to introduce you to our Operations Coordinator, Jennifer Cain, who is highly adept in the art of juggling the many people and tasks tossed her way.   What Our Operations Coordinator Does The shortened version of Jennifer’s responsibilities includes: Wrangling our in-house team and the additional team members found in our co-firms. Directly aiding our clients in various ways. Creating a seamless onboarding experience for new clients. (One that builds confidence in what’s to come.) Coordinating al ..read more

Some accomplishments are right out there in the open, easy to spot, and often accompanied by great fanfare – for example, graduations, promotions, or the completion of a construction project.   Along the way to the significant accomplishments, other (smaller) accomplishments are often noted as milestones on the path to reaching the end goal. For example, graduating from high school or college means moving up one grade level at a time. Attaining each grade level requires gaining knowledge, acquiring skills, or increasing abilities – each is seen and acknowledged as a new accomplishment ..read more

In my previous post, Living Your Life On Purpose, I said I would provide examples of real people living real lives with real purpose. None of the people mentioned below are famous. They’re people you aren’t likely to know or even heard of. But they’re people who found their purpose and let it guide them in life matters.    First Purpose Example Her prices are not cheap, yet her salon chair is seldom empty. I’m speaking of my friend and hairdresser, Leslie. Leslie found her purpose early in life. Even as a teenager, she found she had a knack for and enjoyed everything associa ..read more

What if I told you that your purpose in life may or may not be tied directly to the construction business you own?   The paradox of spending time, struggling, searching, finding, and then living your life purpose is that it isn’t about you; yet, without you, your life purpose won’t be fulfilled. Yeah, sit in that enigma for a moment.   Living your life purpose will take, well, yeah, a lifetime. It is a journey, not a destination.   Living Without Purpose Without purpose, many find themselves depressed, worried, stressed or burned out. Those without purpose can go so far as t ..read more

When the team at The Profit Constructors drilled down to what our firm provides for our clients – seeking to encapsulate it in one word – we (after much thought and work) determined we are Advocates. Our mission and our vision read:   Our Mission: We empower small to medium-sized construction subcontractors to take their companies to the next level of growth.   Our Vision: We are creating a world of subcontractors that are equipped with the tools they need to estimate better, bid better, manage their jobs better, make the most profits, and be the premier service provider in their in ..read more

You understand that construction risks are potential events or factors that can and sometimes do negatively impact a construction project. They can include: Safety hazards Theft Legal disputes Procedures trumping common sense Financial issues   Leading your construction company successfully means proactively identifying and mitigating risks constantly, steadily, and effectively.    A True Risk Mitigation Story My cousin is retired from her job in banking. She shared an interesting story about the time her bank location was robbed. The robbers rushed the bank manager as she ar ..read more

Auditing a Few More Things In the first part of this 4-part series concerning auditing expenses in your construction business, I suggested you harness the power of your inner detective so you can find the evidence and solve the problems you encounter in your financial records. Then, in the second part, the focus was on Auditing Employee Expenses through the lens of Private Detective Sherlock Holmes. In the third part, the spotlight was on Auditing Insurance Policies with the assistance of Miss Marple.   In this fourth and final post of the series, we’ll bring in police detective Columbo ..read more

Auditing Insurance Policies In the first part of this 4-part series concerning auditing expenses in your construction business, I suggested you harness the power of your inner detective so you can find the evidence and solve the problems you encounter in your financial records. Then, in the second part, the focus was on Auditing Employee Expenses through the lens of Private Detective Sherlock Holmes. For this third part, the spotlight will be on Auditing Insurance Policies.   The Amateur Detective, Miss Marple – in “A Murder is Announced” by Agatha Christy, says, “Really, I hav ..read more