MyOnlineToolbox, Forbes Magazine – The Construction Industry is Changing

The construction game is changing, my friends, and you need to change with it. This includes new construction as well as the repair, maintenance and remodeling portions of the industry.

As we announced in our newsletter recently, MyOnlineToolbox, an online software solution that allows contractors to run their business independently and also connect online and more efficiently manage their jobs, was named by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Most Promising Companies. Obviously, the people at Forbes recognize the sheer size of the repair and remodeling markets, and believe that a massive shift is going to quickly take place for those repair and remodeling contractors who embrace stronger business and technology skills.

You say, “So what? How does that affect me?”

Here is how. Forbes has a readership of something over 17 million readers. Most of those readers are the very customers you want. They have above average incomes, know what they want and where they are going, and stay current on how to get the best buy for their dollar. Forbes will promote MyOnlineToolbox every month for the next year, keeping that name in front of those potential customers. Forbes (and MyOnlineToolbox) will be setting the standard expectation for contractors.

Forbes asked Brian Javeline about his ultimate goal for MyOnlineToolbox, and Brian’s answer was, “My ultimate goal is to have a contractor visit my house and have him send me an estimate to approve via MyOnlineToolbox and also send me an invoice to be paid from MyOnlineToolbox after the job is completed. This contractor will also be collaborating with other contractors redoing my kitchen, bathroom, etc., without stacks of paper floating around in the passenger floor of his work truck.”

That’s the type of contractor every homeowner wants to meet – a business owner who performs like a professional.

Brian has become a friend, business partner and occasional mentor for Devon and I. If you look at his quote again, you’ll see that some of the features MyOnlineToolbox offers are things I preach against – sending estimates online, invoicing on jobs. Brian and I are going to lead a free online webinar in the next few months, discussing those issues. Watch this blog and our newsletter for details.

In the meantime, take a look at how you’re doing business, do you need to make changes? Think about how you are communicating and working with both your clients and your subcontractors, and consider what your competition will be doing in a few years. There are a number of solutions out there, whether MyOnlineToolbox or another form of business automation – are you embracing current business technologies to be ahead of the curve?