by Simplar | May 23, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Failure, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Last week we established that the high failure rate in the construction industry comes down to a single cause – a shortage of working capital. Some blame failures on a whole variety of causes: labor unrest, natural disasters, economic stress, market shrinkage,...
by Simplar | May 15, 2025 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Last week we discussed the irony of the construction industry’s traditional low-bid acquisition system. It seems you can’t win the game of making money if you pick up all your work by being the cheapest price. On the other hand, you can’t even play...
by Simplar | May 1, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
I experienced this firsthand when my company was sent in by sureties to complete projects interrupted by a contractor’s unexpected failure. The Contractors were always shocked that they did not see it coming. The question is why didn’t anyone see it...
by Simplar | Mar 20, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
It’s tough to build something on time and exactly as specified. It is even tougher to make money doing it. It seems like the deck is stacked against us. A project in progress is like a leaky vessel that oozes money out of every crack. Cracks can appear in...
by Simplar | Feb 28, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Recognizing and assessing financial risks before you sign a construction contract is not an exercise you can ignore. Let’s take a quick look at how a regional contractor uses last week’s Probability and Impact Matrix in everyday business. Risk Factors...
by Simplar | Feb 13, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Development, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Change Management, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Labor & Labor Issues, Leadership, Leadership, Managing Subcontractors, Project Selection, Project Teams, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Designers avoid risk, owners prefer to pass it along, and contractors absorb it. Today’s construction risk environment is dramatically different than it was in the last several decades, and risk factors are mutating just enough to be almost unrecognizable. It is... 
