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 | May 29, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” As most of my readers I am sure will testify, I don’t often quote Shakespeare. But the confusion around the word profit in the construction industry has driven me to desperate measures. What do we mean...
by Simplar | Jan 9, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Development, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Profit is Our Theme for 2025 Construction industry profit margins are too low. The financial risk we take is too high. Too many competent contractors fail without warning. We need to improve our business management practices this year to improve margins and reduce...
by Simplar | Nov 4, 2021 | Business Development, Business Development, Business Development, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, Prospering Cyclical Market, Weekly Construction Message
Stable Markets: Where All Profits Reside Two weeks ago, I ended the message by expounding Schleifer’s First Law: Contractors Thrive During Stable Markets Today, I begin with Schleifer’s Second Law of Market Dynamics: There is No Such Thing as a Stable...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Business Development
Flexibility = Profitability I have been talking for years about “Flexible Overhead” as a fundamental management tool in the construction industry. By Flexible OverheadI mean the ability to expand or contract overhead with the same speed as the construction market...
