by Simplar | Apr 17, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
As I pointed out last week, the construction industry is populated largely by entrepreneurial firms. Confidence and independence are the traits that cause entrepreneurs to start their own business. However, when construction firms grow into mid-size or larger...
by Simplar | Apr 3, 2025 | Business Failure, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
The First Projects “How recruiting and training begins.” After a contracting company gets underway, the founder rarely works on the job site. In the startup stage, the founder is usually involved in procuring materials and looking around the market for the next...
by Simplar | Mar 27, 2025 | Leadership, Leadership, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
The construction industry is a significant part of the U.S. economy with total construction spending reaching $2.1 trillion in 2024, produced by over a million individual construction companies. To get a clearer picture of how this vast industry works, and how these...
by Simplar | Feb 6, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Development, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Organizational Change Management, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Contracting is a risky business that works because contractors are risk takers. Every time we acquire a new project we are leaping into the unknown. No one has ever built this next project, and no one can predict its uncertain outcome. Is there uncertainty that the...
by Simplar | Jan 30, 2025 | Business Development, Business Failure, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Leadership, Leadership, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
Don’t let the project pick you. In other words, don’t be tempted to take any project that comes along. Too many contractors scour the marketplace for any project they might be able to snag. They fashion a bid that they think will be competitive but often...
by Simplar | Dec 12, 2024 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
A leader, as opposed to a manager or “boss”, has a formidable responsibility to not only manage the current business, which generates significant revenue and needs continual incremental innovation to hit short-term success targets, but also to champion...
