I talked with Tom Lykos this morning to see how the C. O. F. is doing.
Sonny is recovering but has a long way to go. (He had heart surgery March 5 and then two days later had a major stroke that has paralyzed his entire left side. For more, see this blog post.)
Sonny is not [...]
Got a phone call recently from a contractor doing a job in the $150K range. Everything is fine, contract signed, and the job is going great.
Problem was he asked for his down payment (after the job started) and the owner said, “Well, ummm, the bank hasn’t approved the loan yet.”
I told him to shut that [...]
Continue reading: Make sure everything is in order BEFORE you start the job . . .
Earlier this month, I taught a few classes at the Deck Expo 2008 Convention in Orlando, Florida. A great group of contractors from all over the country showed up, about eighty contractors attended the Markup and Profit class. The picture below was taken during our discussion of payment schedules. Yes, I hound the folks in [...]
In the last few days, I have had a number of new homebuilders call and ask about switching their business to remodeling. “Can we do it?”
If you know me, you know I am normally not in favor of new homebuilders trying to get into remodeling. They are two very different enterprises. New homes are a [...]
Last Saturday morning, Dan Baumann and I hosted a free online discussion on the topic of “It’s Not All Doom and Gloom”, looking at what is actually occurring in the construction industry and what you can do to help your business survive. We had over 80 contractors attend.
Next Saturday, March 29, we will be hosting [...]
Mike Davis, who comments here from time to time, sent in the following note.
Michael,
My insurance agent met with Tammy and I last week and made a proposal to sell us an installation floater with our insurance policy. I have never heard of it before. What is covered is machinery, materials, equipment, supplies and [...]
Continue reading: Question on Insurance Policy for Construction – Can you help?
We recently received the following note:
Hi, Michael. We’ve written each other a few times over the past year and I wanted to run something by you. I’m not asking for any kind of free consulting, I was just curious as to what you think of my response to a potential customer who was not willing [...]
Continue reading: Free Estimates – or, what it looks like when you don't give your work away
Many of you have read posts from Sonny Lykos of Naples, Florida. Sonny has been around this business almost as long as I have and always seems to have something to say. Hey, his family comes from Sicily.
Sonny has been a good friend of mine for many years, and has been a friend to many [...]
