Construction Technology Trends

A look at trends in construction technology

Construction: Use Money As a Strategic Tool

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction advisor.

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Construction: Why It's the Best Industry to Work In

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction advisor.

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Construction Marketing: Connect with Your Target Audience

Interview with Patricia Block, Marketing Professional with Meridian Builders.

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Construction: Adapt to These Trends

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction advisor.

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Avoid These Common Construction Mistakes

Interview with John Lum of John Lum Architecture on common construction mistakes.

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How to Become a Top-Performing Construction Company

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor

How to Effectively Market Your Construction Company

Interview with Patricia Block, Marketing Professional with Meridian Builders

What Mature Construction Companies Should Avoid

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor

Construction: The Power of Profit Margin-Not Profit Markup

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction advisor.

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Why OSHA Is the Construction Industry's Friend

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor

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Construction: Why Training Makes Sense

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor on the importance of training when hiring construction workers

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Women in Construction Training Program

Women in Construction Training Program (WiCTP) has a dual mission of providing training to low-income individuals to lead to economic self-sufficiency and providing living-wage jobs by building primarily affordable housing options for and with low-income individuals; and promoting economic justice through creating awareness of opportunities to under-represented populations within business, particularly within the construction trades. WiCTP achieves this through its on-the-job training program and its subsidiary construction company. WiCTP actively recruits low-income women, people of color and gay/lesbian individuals who have been denied opportunities within the construction trades. WiCTP provides paid on-the-job training so that employees can earn a living while being trained. In addition, WiCTP builds high quality, affordable market rate housing that is energy efficient and environmentally responsible. The organization operates all its programs from income derived from sales.

The construction industry in northern Minnesota is over 96% male and predominantly white. WiCTP actively works within the community to challenge these barriers and to bring awareness of opportunities for women, people of color and gay/lesbian individuals. WiCTP challenges the construction trades to become more active in recruiting, training & hiring these under-represented groups.

WiCTP has developed a variety of strategies: creating public awareness through the media and presentations in the schools and at community events; development of a website that offers information and solutions to a national audience; formation of a successful construction company that is 60% female, 25% people of color and 20% gay/lesbian. The company has created a diverse workforce and an extensive portfolio of completed projects ranging from single-family new construction to large multi-family renovation. WiCTP partners with a wide-variety of diverse community organizations and businesses to ensure the success of training project and business.

The impact on the local community has been great. Since 2000, over 44 women and 21 men have completed the training program. Currently WiCTP has 22 full-time employees, 75% of whom had no construction experience before entering the program. WiCTP currently has 100 people on a waiting list and 13 low-income women are on an active waiting list to get into the program. Since 2002 when the organization was formed, WiCTP has completed the substantial renovation of 95 units of affordable housing, completed over 25 remodels and built 22 units of housing (single family and multi-family). In 2000, over 90% of the organization's funding came from private foundations, state and federal sources. In 2007, 100% of WiCTP's funding derives from sales so the organization is totally self-sufficient and all profits go back to support the training program. An added impact has been a focus on building energy efficient/green and through education have impacted local consumers in their quest to build more efficient homes. WiCTP recently completed an Eco-Home, a solar demonstration project that is open for two years as an energy resource center through a partnership with local and state agencies

BuildTopia Web-based Construction Management Software

BuildTopia provides the most widely used web-based business management system for residential builders, developers and trade partners. In one online fully-integrated system, BuildTopia provides solutions for sales and customer management, service and warranty, cost management, project management and scheduling, vendor management and construction accounting. For information and demos, visit www.buildtopia.com.

Who Will Buy Your Construction Firm and at What Price?

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

Construction industry trends -- conference speaker

http://www.globalchange.com Lifetime use of carbon in buildings. Polymer concrete reduction in carbon use. Real estate development. Energy saving and construction of commercial offices, property development, factories and residential buildings. Commodity inflation. New materials, e-concrete and concrete polymers. Building techniques, architects, surveyors, planning approval and government regulartions. Life expectancy of commercial buildings. Building techniques and intelligent buildings. Retro-fitting of commercial buildings. Built-in redundancy in construction industry. Patrick Dixon, conference keynote speaker and futurist.

Construction Netcast: Time-impact Analysis

http://www.constructionnetcast.com
Scott Lowe, P.E. discusses how to use fragnets to analyze anticipated changes and delays to your project. Click on the photo to start the video!

About the Instructor
Scott Lowe, P.E. is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of construction best practices. He is an expert in the area of construction disputes, contracts and scheduling, and is currently Senior Vice President at Trauner Consulting Services Inc., in Philadelphia. Scott regularly conducts seminars throughout the country on a wide variety of topics to include Construction Project Management, Construction Scheduling, and Claims Avoidance and Resolution. He also has published several articles on construction-related topics and is the co-author of the text Construction on Contaminated Sites.

Starting a Company: Balancing Work and Family

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers talks about starting her construction business.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

The Value of Growing Up in a Construction Family

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers on starting her construction business.

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Construction Contracts: Treat Friends Like Colleagues

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers talks about starting her construction business.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

BIG PROFITS- zero construction cost business ownership

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Write a Good Business Plan for Your Construction Company

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers talks about starting her construction business.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

Concrete Business Training - #008 ConcreteNetwork.com

3 remaining seminars for Rocky Geans Concrete Construction Business School; Concrete coffee table customizes urban living; Kemiko Concrete Product- Easy Shine; Concrete Network Wall Street Journal ad campaign. ConcreteNetwork.com presents Concrete Network TV hosted by Maureen Barley

Massive Changes in the Construction Industry

Construction business require tools and systems to stay profitable and competitive, and survive in an ever changing world. Digital power tools such as web based construction software helps give construction pros the edge, shaving time off scheduling while giving all key players access to critical business information on demand. BuildIT helps construction businesses win at the game.

Bulding my green construction Business: Series Announcement

In an effort to keep it real, and enlist so many of you who offer encouragement, and advice, I thought I'd build a series around the building of my green construction business, from the first customer..till whenever. This is about the framework and some of my blathering on about it. I hope you are having a great easter or at least a good day off

Construction Business: Subcontractors on Staff

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor, and Todd Durham, a project manager, with Meridian Builders and Developers on managing subcontractors.

Construction Business: Hire Outside Legal Experts

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers talks about starting her construction business.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

Construction Business: Learn the Value of Delegation

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor with Meridian Builders and Developers talks about starting her construction business.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

Construction Business: How to Motivate Employees

Interview with Robin Wilson, a general contractor, and Todd Durham, a project manager, with Meridian Builders and Developers on managing subcontractors.

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

What Skills Do You Need to Start a Construction Business?

Interview with Matt Stevens, AllBusiness.com's Construction Advisor

See more videos and how-to business information at http://allbusiness.com

Construction Business Issues

Michael Stone discusses a number of issues for construction contractors in this excerpt of the seminar Markup & Profit; A Contractor's Guide

Construction Business Plan

Review details about writing a construction business plan and the types of construction business options to choose from. Plus some steps you will need to took to help you get started, featuring Shaunta Pleasant.

Running Your Own Construction Firm

As with any business, running your own construction firm takes patience and hard work. But as with any construction project, you need the right tools in order to make the proper choices that will determine whether your business is standing in the coming years or if it is falling under the weight of its responsibilities. To help in this endeavor, here are the five basic tips for running a construction business, or any business that you want to be successful.


To start things off, you will want to come up with a focus for your firm. What is it that you want to do for your customers based on the skills and training that you already have? Are you interested in steel buildings and metal buildings? Are you considering traditional wooden framed housing? When you come up with a plan for your services, you will be able to focus on the kinds of clients that you will be able to help. Focus and planning is the first step.


The next step is that you need have the proper training and certification for being in construction – and that means your employees too. These training sessions are an investment in your skills for the future as well as for your customers. For example, steel buildings and metal buildings require different skills than traditional wooden frames, so you will need to know the specifics in order to deliver a quality product to your customers. Your customers will expect that you have this training before they even consider hiring you.


The third step to running your own construction firm is to make sure that you are advertising. If your potential customers don’t know that your services are available, they won’t be calling you to find out more. In order to find potential clients, you will want to talk to your local unions and trade groups to see what kinds of suggestions you get. Register with your local chamber of commerce to utilize their contacts too.


Step number four is creating contracts with your clients that will give your customers the plans of your work, an estimate of a finish date, as well as any supplies and labor that you expect to use. Create a binding agreement with the help of a lawyer or other legal aide so that it can not be disputed if problems should arise. Take the time to clearly explain what you plan to do for the client and never promise anything that you can’t deliver.


And for the last step of running a construction firm, you will want to make sure that you are providing quality services to your customers so that word gets around. All of the flashy advertising in the world can not help a construction firm that doesn’t follow through on its promises. Treat each project as though it were your own home or business. In doing so, you will take the time and the attention to get even the smallest details right – because you genuinely care about the end result. What customer doesn’t want that?


Author: General Steel is one of the most recognized names in the industry for top-quality pre-engineered steel buildings. General Steel is a company that has a reputation for excellence in the Steel building industry. They are into manufacturing of Steel Agricultural Buildings, steel aircraft hangars.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_111615_15.html

How To Run A Construction Company

There are three separate entities that a construction company has to satisfy in order to remain in business for an extended period of time. Licensing by the state, county and city can be the first hurdle the construction company must conquer. There are licensing test that must be taken and passed in order to get the license to operate. When this is acquired, the insurance that most clients will demand you have can be obtained to cover the job liability. Having the license will also allow bidding on jobs and doing subcontracting work.

Subcontracting work is the second entity that needs to be satisfied. A general contractor on a project will contract work to qualified businesses based on licensing, reputation and price. The better the general contractor, the better the jobs that can be found this way. Solid general contractors are better to work for as their checks should be delivered on time and will clear the bank. If you are new to the contracting business, make sure you ask around about any general contractor you are thinking of working for or with. Some big companies have lousy pay practices and can put a small contractor in a world of hurt very quickly.

The third entity to satisfy is the final customer. Some contractors will only work for the final customer as these are the payers for the job, and the terms can be ironed out, completed and the check will be paid. There is no middleman in the way, like there can be with a general contractor.

Employees you can count on

Solid construction companies with excellent reputations have people working for them that are very good at what they do, are great with the customer and finish the job as agreed or earlier. If they are well treated by the owner of the business, they will always go the extra mile for the boss. Respect and trust are a two way street. Good employees demand it and good employers will make sure it is part of the operating plan of the business. If you lose your quality people, you will suffer on the job and could end up out of business. Some owners just cannot seem to get this idea through their thick head. But the proof is just watch the construction companies with good reputations and see how their people act on the job. They are pros and do the work with skill and expertise. There is an obvious respect between the owner and his people. If you ask around it becomes quite apparent which companies' people want to work for. Pay is only part of the answer. On site treatment of the employee is also an important element of the job. Mutual respect and trust are a big part of why some companies always have a list of people who want to work for them.

If there is a problem, it should be settled in private. Public dressing down is very poor management by the owner. No one wants to be embarrassed on the job. On the other hand public recognition of a job well done will never be frown on if the owner is sincere in the praise. Skilled, smart employees can make a company stand out and poor employees can quickly ruin a company with the people who hire. This one element of a construction company must be constantly handled in a professional manner and certainly not like a plantation owner.

Hiring experience is never cheap and training new employees has its own cost. Successful companies have come to the conclusion that a mix of both gives the best result. In any hiring agreement, make sure there is a trial period stated and a time certain evaluation date. This lets both parties know that there is a probation period that must be completed.

Bidding jobs, carefully to win

A job is up for bid that sounds like it is right up your alley. Make sure all the job details are clear and any questions you have are answered before committing your company. Go over the bid with a find tooth comb to find any math errors or mistakes in entry in the spreadsheet. Let the bid sit for a few hours or days if you can and then look at it again with fresh eyes. If there are obvious contingencies, make sure they are noted as part of the bid. Do not assume that something is understood as common practice. This can get a construction company in financial difficulty very quickly. If there are time constraints, make sure that the contract states how the scheduling will be handled and how it will be agreed upon. Scheduling problems can escalate in a construction job and throw all kinds of plans and money up in the air. If there is a dispute, the way it will be resolved should be included in the bid.

Cover the possibility of rising material costs in the bid. Commodity prices can soar over night and could have a very serious effect on your cost for the job. Construction firms have been damaged when copper prices or fuel prices suddenly go crazy.

Office staff and the telephone

Make sure your phone calls are answered in a friendly and professional way. When a possible customer calls in to your business, how they are treated on the phone will make an impression. Poor phone technique can leave a bad impression. Let the staff and those who answer the phone know explicitly how you want the phone answered and then test it yourself to see if it is being put into effect. If a specific staff person is needed to answer a question, try to do it then or let the person calling know how soon an answer will be available. People are willing to wait, usually, if they know that the answer will be coming in a reasonable time frame.

Quality staff work is another sign of a well-run business. Details are the nuts and bolts. These should be handled efficiently and with accuracy. Once a good staff is put in place, the business should seem to run on its own. Compliments will go a long way to keeping it that way.

Conclusions

Constructions companies can be moneymakers and financial disasters. Running a construction company takes planning and careful attention to detail by all involved in bidding a job. Bad bids cost money that could kill the profit for a year or more. The money in any bid is in the details. The secret is to understand the terms of the bid and make sure that is exactly what you are quoting on. Special considerations should be noted and specifically agreed to before accepting a contract.

If there are time constraints or time penalties for the job, make sure you know the details of who sets the constraints and what will happen if there are situations that cannot be foreseen. Scheduling delays are the biggest danger here and who sets the schedule must be spelled out. Your contract should set the time needed to do your job if the job site is ready. Conflicting schedules for your work and another are the problem for the general contractor and should not be held again

Bill Henthorn formerly was principal broker and owner of a resort / commercial real estate brokerage in Honolulu which specialized in representing sellers in transactions up to $50MM. He currently serves as the marketing director of http://www.acquireo.com , an online marketplace for buying and selling businesses of any size, type, price or location If you are looking for construction companies for sale, you have them right here at http://www.acquireo.com/tag/construction.aspx Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Henthorn

How To Start A Vending Machine Business - Locating Tips!

When looking at finding new locations to place your vending machines here are a few ideas to consider and some important questions to ask yourself when looking for vending locations. Have I used my local business directory to make a list of companies in my area that I wish to target? Every city has and every community should have one. I believe that most do from what I have seen in my area. It just depends on where you are living. Basically the business directory, what it does it, it gives a lot of information to you. A lot of useful information. Here in Canada, it is called Scott's Business Directory. I am not sure what the U.S. one is, it might be called Jigsaw or something like that. That is a business directory that you can get information from. How is that important? Well you get the company name, and how many employees work there. That is a big one.

You want to know how many employees, because the more employees that work there, then you know which ones to target so you are not wasting your time. Armed with this information you can then get the some of the main employees contact information. You have a VP the Human Resource Director, the Office Manager, their names and stuff. Great! You can put together a sales letter, and address is personally to them. Explain that you run a vending service business and you would like to help them. So using the local business directory is great because you can get a lot of information from there and you can make a list of companies that are in your area that you want to target, do a mass mailing, whatever you want to do. Even just go visit them and drop off information for somebody specific that you want to talk to.

Here is another question to consider. Have I gone to my local building department and asked to look at where and what new companies are up and coming? What happens is, this is for public viewing. You can go to your local building department and see information there about all the new buildings. If you see a new construction going on in your area and you are kind of wondering, "I wonder what that place is?" Well you go to your local building department. Now here, it is the city hall or the town hall. They have divisions, Transit, Public Works, Managers Office, Mayors Office, and Building Department. That is the kind of building that you want to go to. You can just go in there and say, "Hey, I noticed a new facility opening up and I am just wondering what that is going to be? Usually they have a binder with a list of buildings under construction. In my community they have binders where you can open it up and look and see. It will say the construction company that is doing the job. It will say the company that is going in there. It might even give you contact information in there in some cases. This is a great way to for you to get an idea of what is opening up there.

Learn How To Start A Vending Business and see how easy it is to get started on the right foot when you have the right information by visiting Your Vending Resource a great website that provides tips, advice and resources about How To Start A Vending Business Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_J_Robertson

Start Up Construction Equipment Financing

There are many alternatives in obtaining start up construction financing. The first logical place to investigate your start up financing is at your local bank. This may be a pleasurable experience if you have many contacts at your local bank but most people usually don't have these types of connections. The start up business must have at least high 600s on their credit scores and be prepared to go through a lengthly paper process. Prior year tax returns may be required, current personal financial statments needed and various other lending requests. The business start up is considered a high risk factor to the bank and must adhere to higher lending standards.

Most banks and financial institutions offer loan and/or lease programs. The difference is that the loan program transfers title at the end of the payment obligation, whereas the leasing component offers a rent type environment during the course of the lease with a buy out option at the end of the lease period to take title. Usually, the monies required upfront to acquire a loan are higher and eliminates many candidates. The Leasing arena requires anywhere from usually first and last payment to approximately 20% down on the cost of the acquistion depending on the type of industry requested.

On the start up loan and lease programs for a construction equipment applicant, the applicant must investigate whether the bank and/or financial institution considers this a qualified asset which they will lend on. Most lenders like this hard type of asset but others may specialize in other industries such as medical and transportation such as limos, limo buses, ambulances etc. Some Lenders will only lend up to ten years based upon the age of the truck where others may extend beyond this parameter. Loans and leases usually run anywhere between 36 -60 months based upon the age of the construction equipment.

The start up construction equipment applicant is seeking a relationship with the lender. The front money to commence the lending arrangement, the monthly payments and the buyout clauses at the end of the lending instrument, if there is one, is paramount in making a prudent business decision. The amount of paperwork and hoops to jump through to get to end of the financing process are considered in the total evaluation process.

As we discussed above, there can be a lengthly paperwork process to obtain your start up financing. Recently, some of the lenders have changed their computer qualification models and require application only programs This means there are no income tax returns required, time consuming personal fianancial statments needed, and other key documents either prepared and /or requested. This program is usually geared for the seasoned business but there are start up application programs available. These application lending programs run as high as $100,000 for this start up program. It is important for the construction applicant to check out all the lending programs available. The collateral is the acquistion and usually no additonal collateral is required. The minimum credit score required for all construction equipment applicants may run as low as 575.

The last thing you should be aware of is dealer/financing inventory programs. What this means, the lender has repos and/of a off lease inventories that they want to move for cash flow purposes. This financing arrangement is geared to the start up as well as seasoned business and may offer the construction applicant an execellent buying and financing opportunity. As this economy weakens, housing starts down and large projects to start delayed, the can put the lender in a up side down position and offer the start up a way to enter into the industry with an unique opportunity.

Another option available for start up businesses looking for construction equipment is lending programs that require additional collateral. The start up applicant may have very poor credit, such as 550 or below. He also could have a recent discharged bankruptcy and/or judgements and liens that may be still outstanding. Most typical lenders will reject the start up applicant based upon these factors described above. If the applicant has equity in a house, free and clear title on vehicles and construction equipment, certain lenders can put together a lending package to solve the road blocks to obtain the financing desired. Be aware that the rate factor and/or interest rate charged on these transactions which are typically very high.

When you are shopping for your construction equipment financing, consider the following, the front money, the monthly payments, what collateral is required, and what the buyout clauses mean. Also, make sure you have a good source of income coming from a contract and/or other methods. Addionally, be aware that you are going to personally guarantee the transaction.

Happy hunting for your construction equipment and its related financing.....

http://www.amazines.com/Construction/article_detail.cfm/403887?articleid=403887

Tips For Starting Construction Services In Chicago

Demand for residential and commercial real estate in Chicago is rapidly rising. Therefore, it is the ideal time to use the market demand to advantage. If you are planning to start construction services in the city, this is the right time for you. You need to, however, have the necessary certification, business plan, and all the required municipal approvals to get started. Adherence to the rules is very important; otherwise, you will have to bear heavy penalties. There are several ways in which you can get funding for your business start-up. Some of the government-supported funding programs are as follows:

Capital Access Program (CAP):

This program is designed for giving financial aid to businesses or non-profit organizations that are unable to obtain capital from other sources. Funds obtained through such a program can be used to finance a company’s working capital requirements, purchase or construction of a real estate property (not the company’s headquarters), and getting equipment on lease or purchase.

Enterprise Zone Program (EZP):

This program encourages local business communities in economically backward areas to enter into partnerships with Chicago. The objective of the program is development of the economy by way of expansion of the job market in economically backward states. To participate in this program, local communities or those in the state need to choose a particular company to make it their Enterprise Project. The government accepts the applications by such communities every quarter. The approved projects can apply for sales in the state and use tax refunds on all the qualified expenditures.

Business Development Corporation (BDC):

This program encourages businessmen earning low or moderate income to participate in the state’s economy by giving them funds for business expansion. Only those business people who are not eligible for conventional credit methods can apply for this program. Funds obtained from SBDC can constitute 50% of the entire project cost, and the funding amount cannot exceed $50,000. The remaining portion of the project is funded though private equity or contributions from the participating lender.

Make a Complete Business Plan:

A business plan is very important to keep you going fulfilling the targets and competing with peers. Such a business plan will serve as a blueprint for your growth in the future. Such a plan will be extremely beneficial if you intend to expand. It will enable you to seek potential investors; the investors will readily invest in your business if your business plan is strong enough to boost their investment decision. Such people are constantly looking out for growth potential in businesses, so if your business has this in it, you are bound to attract these investors.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business. Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon

What's Included In A Construction Business Plan

It is no secret that the construction business has been an extremely profitable place to see for quite a number of years.

Home construction and business construction have both been growing at incredible rates, and that means that there is significant opportunity in all aspects of building and repairing homes and businesses.

==Start Up Capital For Your Business==

Of course in order to be successful in the construction world, you will need a solid construction business plan behind you.

Without such a business plan for your proposed business, you will be unable to raise the startup capital you need, or to attract the funds you may need to finance growth or ongoing operations.

==Structuring Your Business Properly==

In addition, the information you gather while creating your construction business plan can help you to structure your business properly, and it can even help you easily see the challenges and the opportunities of you new business venture.

==Running Your Construction Business==

Your construction business plan should also include information on how you plan to run your business, and how you plan to attract and retain qualified employees.

Finding skilled help at an affordable hourly rate is one of the most serious challenges facing the construction industry, and it is important for your construction business plan to address this important issue.

==The Information To Bring With You When You Are Getting financed==

When you do start searching for startup funds for your new construction business, it is important to be as prepared as possible for your meeting with the business lender.

You will of course need to bring your construction business plan with you, and you will want to make sure that it is accurate and complete prior to arriving at the meeting.

Chances are the business lender will also want to see other financial information, such as your bank account statements and tax returns, so be sure that you have all the information needed at your fingertips.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan at http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com/construction-business-plan.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shaunta_Pleasant

How to Start a Business in Construction Industry

Starting a business is never too easy and one would already know that. You have to work out several things before deciding upon a niche for your business. Moving into a well established construction industry is going to be tough with many great and reputed players already in the market. Most likely you need to concentrate on your existing contacts and try building few more, as it’s a complete “word of mouth” type business where the reputation talks for itself.

If you have planned everything and are waiting for a time to begin, then most appropriate time is after hurricanes, twisters etc is the best, when several homes are destroyed within minutes and you can earn your living by making new homes for those affected. This way you can make a reputation for yourself by providing quality service related to construction.

Do you know: historical events like the Tsunami and hurricanes like Rita, Katrina have destroyed millions of home in seconds leaving a huge amount of mess to clear along with new re-construction opportunities worth trillions of dollars? Many construction companies are still feeding on the remains of those natural calamities and have made millions of dollars for themselves by now. That’s called timing.

Technically speaking, construction work has to be first done on the paper just like traditional ways, where you will draw a blueprint of the structure that is going to be constructed. Time is changing rapidly and with the use of good construction design software’s and construction estimating software you can easily define the stages of construction along with their pricing details. Every client wants a trustworthy construction company which is sincere and punctual in their commitments and can provide quality work on a long term basis. Takeoff software gives fast, accurate cost estimates and material takeoffs.

Other opportunities lie with the retail, residential, hospitals, offices, and schools where the construction requirement is ever green. Major builders are always hunting for quality professionals who are sincere, punctual, know their responsibility and can meet up with ever growing demand. Now if you are a contractor or technology vendor or a material supplier, you should not waste any more time and seize the opportunity of this situation by delivering quality work.

The next question that comes in your mind is “How can I achieve this”? The best way of reaching these builders is by participating in the trade shows, sales shows, by handing out brochures and other marketing material which could generate awareness. You can even take appointments and do a small presentation displaying your talent in the construction business. Another way of publicity that is moving very steadily is via internet where you can submit your company’s details in the online construction directory listing. Prior to listing, make sure you have a nice looking website (with product information, delivery mode, tips and price list), that increases your chances of getting the contract.

Don’t get nervous, be confident when launching a construction business. Take good care of your baby by marketing via different means we have discussed above. Keep changing your marketing strategy to run with the current trend!

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. Time is changing rapidly and with the use of good construction design software’s and construction estimating software you can easily define the stages of construction along with their pricing details. Every client wants a trustworthy construction company which is sincere and punctual in their commitments and can provide quality work on a long term basis. Takeoff software gives fast, accurate cost estimates and material takeoffs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caitlina_Fuller