Finding Suitable Construction Employees
By Michael StoneHiring the wrong person costs money. It costs more than just the time and expense you went through before hiring, because you’ll spend time and money to fire them legally and properly.
Structuring Your Construction Company
By Michael StoneMany contractors start out building jobs on their own, but it doesn’t take long before you need to hire others to help with production.
Improve Jobsite Productivity
By Michael StoneAn efficient, productive construction project makes for more profitable jobs. It’s easier when you pay attention to these details.
Employees: Details that Cost You Money
By Michael StoneNothing is more frustrating than to work hard only to find out your business isn’t making money. Michael discusses three things that can make a big difference on the bottom line.
Motivate Your Construction Employees
By Michael StoneIn construction, employees are motivated and engaged when they know the reason behind their work. They need to know their jobs matter.
Make Time by Delegating
By Michael StoneIt’s easy to fool yourself into believing it’s better to do it yourself, until you realize the things you’re supposed to do aren’t getting done.
Cell Phones on the Jobsite
By Michael StoneI am not opposed to the use of cell phones on the jobsite as long as the phone is used solely to communicate information about the job, and the calls are direct and to the point.
Making The Trades More Attractive
By Michael StoneIf you want to attract the best people, you need to make them a good offer.
Share The Satisfaction of Working in the Trades
By Michael StoneThere’s a reason that working in the trades isn’t appealing. But if you do the work, you know there are positives that outweigh the negatives.
Job Superintendent / Leadman
By Michael StoneFinding good employees is difficult, and you want to keep the ones you find. Sadly, I’ve spoken with a few contractors who’ve had their lead person, the one running their jobs, quit in frustration.
Hiring Friends and Family
By Michael StoneWhen you own a small business you’re often asked to hire family or friends. Sometimes it works out great, but not always.
How Productive Are Your Employees?
By Michael StoneAs you add employees to a growing company, you’ll both increase production and decrease productivity. You need to account for it when you’re estimating and pricing your jobs.
Subs or Employees – Are Subs More Expensive?
By Michael StoneDoes subcontracting raise the price of the project?
Sharing Company Goals
By Michael StoneIt’s the time of year when you should be planning for the coming year. Once you set your plans for the year, how much of those plans should you share with your employees?
Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly
By Michael StoneIssues that eat into profitability: It’s easy to hire someone who looks good on paper. If the resume is terrific and their references are glowing, they get hired.
Subs or Employees, That is the Question
By Michael StoneRecently I’ve had a number of discussions with company owners about how to get their jobs built. It all comes down to using subs or employees, or as some like to say, “Should I be a paper contractor or a real contractor?”
Most Profitable Construction Business Model: Do You Need Employees?
By Michael StoneWhat is the most profitable construction business model? Do you need employees? /p>
Subcontractors or Employees?
By Michael StoneSometimes they request you use employees instead of subs, or work on a T&M basis. Clients don’t understand how the construction world works. It’s your job to educate them.
Can You Afford to Hire?
By Devon StoneCan you afford to hire a new office employee, or take on any overhead increase? (video)
Side Jobs in Construction
By Michael StoneHave you ever had a client go behind your back and ask your employees and/or subcontractors to work for them outside your company?
Like breathing, being profitable isn’t an option
By Michael StoneIf your construction business isn’t profitable, it won’t survive. You have an option of being competitive in construction. You don’t have the option of being profitable.
Cleaning the Jobsite
By Michael StoneIf you're an employer, these are things you should watch for and be prepared to deal with. If you're an employee, check to see how you're doing.
Employees to Volume Ratio
By Michael StoneIn our book we talk about the ratio of employees to dollar volume of business. Many contractors ignore this ratio and get caught up in the urgency of building a job.
Paying a Bonus to Employees
By Michael StoneWe are approaching the time of year when the subject of bonuses comes up. Your employees might be saying, “Do you suppose they will pay us a Christmas Bonus this year?”
Do You Pay Bonuses for Work Done?
By Michael StoneIf you’ve raised kids in the past 20-30 years, you know the new rules – no one loses, everyone gets a prize. Don’t keep score because it hurts their feelings.
What Would You Do? Getting Cut Out of a Sale
By Michael StoneI was working as a salesperson for a fairly well run remodeling company. I went on a sales call to the home of a CPA that I’d know for some years.
Construction Business Employee Manual
By Michael StoneMany old timers in this business will tell you to be slow to hire and quick to fire. That is just the opposite of what too many construction-related businesses do.
Production Budgets
By Michael StoneWe recently heard from a company that took over a $200,000 hit (spread over several jobs) because of actions the job superintendent took.
Moonlighting Construction Employees
By Michael StoneA question came about moonlighting employees. This is an ongoing issue for construction business owners.
Employee Benefits for a Construction Business
By Michael StoneIf a company offers no sick pay or vacation pay…but is about to start – which is more important to offer first, anticipating that the next year we can offer the other?
Becoming Part of the Solution – from Dakota Supply Group, Part 2
By Michael StoneIf being a lawyer is just like any other job, why do so many people regard it as a better career than that of a tradesperson like an electrician, carpenter or plumber?
Becoming Part of the Solution – from Dakota Supply Group, Part 1
By Michael StoneAll of the industries that we work with share one thing in common: they employ tradespeople . . . But there’s a problem: there’s not enough of you to go around.
Construction Employees – It’s Break Time!
By Michael StoneAt the start of break, the crew jumped in a truck, drove 15 minutes to a doughnut shop, had coffee and a doughnut or two, drove 15 minutes back to the job site.
Estimated Time for a Construction Project
By Michael StoneIf your employees consistently take longer than you estimated, you need to change your method of estimating. The human body can only work so fast.
Let Construction Employees Learn from Mistakes
By Michael StoneI’ve talked to numerous construction company owners recently who are having problems with scheduling, getting jobs done, getting the right people to the right jobs, etc.