by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Financial Management and Risk
Russian Roulette Remember Russian roulette, the lethal game of chance found in the story, “The Fatalist”, by Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov? You take a revolver which has six empty chambers, insert a single cartridge, and then give the cylinder a good spin. When the...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Weekly Construction Message
10th Weekly Crisis-era Message to Contractors from: Dr Tom Schleifer The Construction Market: Recovery, Timing, Profit If you did the exercise recommended last week in the ninth Crisis-era Message and determined to your own satisfaction that the US economy and the...
by Simplar | Feb 12, 2026 | Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
Most construction companies start out as simple closely held operations that can be run by the seat of any rational person’s pants. A unique feature of the construction industry, however, is that mom and pop businesses can grow very quickly into large complex...
by Simplar | Sep 11, 2025 | Built Environment, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
The most crucial element in construction profitability is selecting the appropriate project. It is not “cutting the payroll” or “speeding up the work” or “stretching the concrete”, or “reducing a bid”. It is not...
by Simplar | Jul 17, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Failure, Business Failure, Business of Construction, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Managing cash flow in a construction company is a daunting task. The unique nature of the construction transaction makes it almost impossible to match cash flowing in with cash flowing out. Low bid margins are often so tight they’re insufficient to maintain ongoing...
