by Simplar | Apr 16, 2026 | Business of Construction, Weekly Construction Message
This week we will be discussing the distinction between construction activity and commercial activity. Many contractors start their careers working with the tools and because of the unique nature of the construction financial transaction (contracting for one new job...
by Simplar | Apr 23, 2026 | Business of Construction, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Financial Management and Risk
Last week we settled on this definition of business which bears repeating: Business is the purposeful pursuit of profit through the commercial activity of satisfying customer needs at a cost that is less than the selling price. To be classified as a business, an...
by Simplar | Jan 10, 2026 | Built Environment, Business Development, Business Development, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Labor & Labor Issues, Leadership, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
Even as the New Year has dawned, I offer these final thoughts on the year just passed. If I could sum up this past year’s dialogue into one overall theme I would say, “Managing a construction business is a completely different activity from managing a...
by Simplar | Sep 1, 2022 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Facility Management, Organization Transformation, Procurement, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
The Next Normal Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Long term “trends”, not temporary disruptions, are reshaping the construction industry. Last week we cited research that identified 15 construction industry long-term trends. Let’s examine four of them more closely: ...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Weekly Construction Message
4th Crisis-era Message to Contractors from: Dr Tom Schleifer Time is Not on Our Side Last week in this crisis message series I said time is not on our side. Three weeks back I said that prudence suggests a reduction in overhead sooner rather than later. Unfortunately,...
