Establishing ROI for a construction firm
WHAT IS THE appropriate compensation for an owner of a contracting firm? How much is the right number? Isn't just a salary with expenses enough? These...
Good employees make good project managers
YEAH, AS IF A bad employee could make a good manager or a bad employee would help make a bad manager better or a terrible employee would somehow train...
Wholesaler values revealed
I RECENTLY WAS invited to spend a week with wholesalers and manufacturers representatives who were attending training at Watts Radiant in Springfield,...
Tapping into the inner idealist in young people
Young people can get from this industry so much more than just a paycheck. HOW TO ATTRACT young people into the plumbing business is an issue that confounds...
More answers on snow-melt insulation
HYDRONIC HEATING AUTHORITY I SET UP MY own unscientific research to compare different insulation products used in snow-melt systems, as you'll recall...
No horsing around on this job
RECENTLY, WE WERE approached by a customer of ours whom we had inherited via an "orphaned" system. For those who are unaware, an orphaned system is one...
Lessons from the best PM I ever knew
MY FATHER, Harold H. Craig, with whom I grew up not only as his son but also as his employee of Craig Plumbing Co. from my early childhood through my...
Service goes wireless, down to bar codes
DESIGNED FOR RESIDENTIAL and commercial service/ contracting businesses, Shafer's Mobile Office Solution ( Shafer's Service Systems, www.shafers.com,...
Make more by marketing maintenance
WHAT IF YOU could make money while possibly saving your customers thousands? That'd be a pretty sweet deal for both of you. So it's obviously too good...
Beating the big boxes at water heater sales
ONCE, THE ONLY WAY a homeowner could buy a water heater was to call a plumber. Today, retailers sell more water heaters than plumbers do. It's no wonder....
Dealing with retained earnings and cash
DO YOU HAVE a large amount of retained earnings and excess cash in your corporation, but the double taxing power of the law has your cash locked in the...
Hydronics can be sold to builders
AS A CONTRACTOR who is always looking to find new products and ways of doing things, I attend trade seminars and association meetings whenever I can....
Are your shoes too small?
BY MARK MATTESON "Are your shoes too small?" A number of years ago, my Dad and I were playing a game of cribbage. He was stealing points from me (his...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
When are you 'substantially complete'?
SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION is a term of art in construction. Nowhere else do these two words have special legal and financial significance. The legal significance...
Low water pressure spells restroom trouble
I WAS ASKED if I would be willing to visit a commercial site where new public restrooms had been installed. The plumber said he hadn't done anything wrong...
Dealing with retained earnings and cash
DO YOU HAVE a large amount of retained earnings and excess cash in your corporation, but the double taxing power of the law has your cash locked in the...
Smallest contractors can have own Website
BY WILLIAM AND PATTI FELDMAN COMPUTER AUTHORITIES THE WEB IS POTENTIALLY a great equalizer for marketing a small company and interacting with business...
The risk of skipping pre-bid inspections
BY SUSAN LINDEN McGREEVY CONSTRUCTION ATTORNEY WHILE READING recent court decisions, I was reminded of an avoidable source of problems for contractors:...
Make direct mail a priority
BY ADAMS HUDSON SPECIAL TO CONTRACTOR Fourth in a series Enough is enough. Over the past few months, you've seen Basnett Plumbing & Heating our Marketing...
How to transfer business to sons, save estate
BY IRVING L. BLACKMAN TAX ACCOUNTANT THE FACTS, PROBLEMS and solutions of this month's column are so typical of the readers who call me for help that...
How to invest in free publicity
BY ADAMS HUDSON MARKETING CONSULTANT IF YOU'RE LOOKING for a way to stretch your marketing budget a little further, don't overlook the potential of free...
The five 'flavors' of project management leadership
BY H. KENT CRAIG MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR JUST AS THERE are five primary flavors we can taste that combine to create literally millions of potential food...
Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | Next
Reader Comments