by Simplar | Jan 25, 2024 | Project Selection, Project Selection, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
I have railed against low bid contracting for many years as the root cause of shrinking contractor profit margins and increasing contractor failure. In principle, it is an insane way to do business (selling a product for the lowest price rather than the highest price...
by Simplar | Jan 18, 2024 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Contracting Methods, Weekly Construction Message
In the dance between customer and branding or reputation, current business marketing theory breaks down the experience into three stages – before, during, and after – purchase. Research shows the advantages of considering the customer journey more...
by Simplar | Jan 11, 2024 | Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
The title of this blog is our theme for 2024. It is too hard to make good money in our industry these days. Contractors risk their own capital taking on enormous and highly complex projects that require expert knowledge and execution and often last for years. But,...
by Simplar | Dec 14, 2023 | Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Every bet has a winner and a loser. The bookie always wins a little, but the bettor often loses a lot. What’s the difference? The Recognition and Management of Risk. Risk Recognition Both the bookie and the bettor recognize that every bet has a winner and a loser....
by Simplar | Dec 7, 2023 | Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Weekly Construction Message
Over my career as a contractor, educator, and consultant to the construction industry I have worked with hundreds of different contractors that were as dissimilar as chalk and cheese. They were short or tall, large or trim, but they were all self-confident. No one...
by Simplar | Nov 30, 2023 | Business of Construction, Growth, Growth, Weekly Construction Message
What is clear after 50 years of research into the business of construction is that construction professionals make business decisions based on their beliefs. Beliefs are firmly held convictions that go largely unexamined but nonetheless strongly influence our...
