by Simplar | Oct 26, 2023 | Business Failure, Business Failure, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Weekly Construction Message
The process of estimating and preparing bids is one of our most essential management tasks, including direct and indirect costs. Professional estimators have a detailed knowledge of construction materials, specifications, techniques, codes, and pricing trends as they...
by Simplar | Oct 19, 2023 | Business of Construction, Project Delivery, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
The two major risk factors built into contracting: 1) Chronic under-capitalization  2) Highly complex transaction Chronic Under Capitalization Every contractor I have worked with over these past 40 years has been plagued by cash flow problems at one time or another....
by Simplar | Oct 12, 2023 | Business Development, Business Development, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Weekly Construction Message
Capital capacity is just a fancy way of saying having enough cash around to finance projects ongoing plus projects under consideration. The construction industry is grossly undercapitalized. This, I believe, is the primary risk factor that contractors deal with daily...
by Simplar | Oct 5, 2023 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Weekly Construction Message
If youâve been with me these past two months, you know that I have finally begun to take the lid off our industry. It is no longer any secret that I believe contractors have been gradually taken advantage of by the purchasers of construction services. Congress began...
by Simplar | Sep 21, 2023 | Business Failure, Business Failure, Risk Management, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
If you say âcontractingâ to anyone they immediately think of âconstructionâ. The âbuildingâ industry has become identified with the signing of a contract at the point of sale. âBuildersâ have become âcontractorsâ in the eyes of the public. This misidentification has...
by Simplar | Sep 20, 2023 | Business Failure, Business Failure, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Partnering, Planning, PM, Weekly Construction Message
Risk Mitigation Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Thirty-five years ago, I initiated research that resulted in ranking construction contracting #2 in business failure rate (restaurants are #1). That data inspired me to begin ongoing research into the causes of construction...
