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Pass those savings along?

By Michael Stone

I read an article where the author talked about passing savings on to clients. This sounds well and good, but place it low on your priorities when putting a job together.


Do You Pay Bonuses for Work Done?

By Michael Stone

If 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.


Learn to Paint Pictures

By Michael Stone

Construction (with the exception of new homes) is a service business. Your focus can't be on putting pieces together to build a job, it has to be on your clients.


Sending Invoices for Construction or Handyman Work

By Michael Stone

Invoicing is one way clients delay paying. "Thanks for doing that work, send me an invoice, okay?" Why do contractors agree? Maybe they believe everyone does it.


Plus Overhead Plus Profit

By Michael Stone

A reader recently sent in a note asking for my input on this statement that a government agency attached to a "bid package" for work they want done.


Asking for a Lien Release Prior to Payment

By Michael Stone

A specialty contractor said, "A general contractor called and asked me to send a lien release. If I do that, he will send a check for what he owes me."


Bigger doesn’t always mean more profitable

By Michael Stone

Often when I talk with contractors, I hear, "I want to grow my company so I can make more money." Consider this, if size mattered, dinosaurs would still be here.


The Job Price Isn’t Negotiable

By Michael Stone

I wrote a Blog post for another company recently stating that I didn't think it very smart to negotiate the price of your work. A reader agreed with me and said:


Cleaning Up After a Low Bid Contractor

By Michael Stone

This potential client had a house built using the “lowest bid” contractor. The builder cut corners, leaving out little details like collar ties on the roof rafters.


Who Pays Your Salary?

By Michael Stone

The next time anyone, including yourself, wants to complain about how much money you make, think about this quote from Henry Ford.


Recover Overhead and Profit in your Labor Rate

By Michael Stone

There are four basic ways to charge for construction services. These are fixed fee or lump sum pricing, Time & Material pricing, Cost Plus, and using an hourly rate.


Should Salespeople Have to Generate Leads?

By Michael Stone

Someone asked me recently if I thought a salesperson for a construction-related company should help provide leads, and how many. Yes, they should help provide leads.


Who Asks the Questions?

By Michael Stone

Most contractors I talk to believe their neck of the woods is different. They believe their clients are more difficult to sell to than anywhere else in the country.


Unlicensed Contractor

By Michael Stone

The old law said that the owner could recover 100% of the money they had paid a contractor if it was found that the contractor did not have a valid license.


Construction Insurance Repair Job That Could Have Gone Bad

By Michael Stone

A friend was doing an insurance job, repairs to an exterior wall. The siding had been improperly installed, and around here, if you don't keep water out you'll see rot.


Newsletters for Marketing your Construction Business

By Michael Stone

We receive newsletters every week from construction-related companies around the US and Canada. We applaud all of you using a newsletter as a communication tool.


What Would You Do? Getting Cut Out of a Sale

By Michael Stone

I 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.


Owning a Residential Remodeling Business isn’t Easy

By Michael Stone

He expected to make "millions". He wanted me to teach him how to do estimating "easily". That, he claimed was the only thing that he didn't know about this business.


What Goes On a Business Card?

By Michael Stone

One of the topics was business cards, we spent several minutes reviewing the value of a business card and how it can help promote your company.


Relationship Between Sales and Owner’s Salary

By Michael Stone

We had a question come in this week from a contractor asking about how to calculate the volume of business a company needs to support the owner’s salary.


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