Issue 9 of 9: Low Barriers to Entry

Construction Ownership Transition Issue 9 of 9: There are Few Barriers to Entry for New Contractors.

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Succession: Ownership Transition Issues - Number 9 Barrier to Entry. Don't Let an Ownership Transition Create Another Construction Contractor to Compete With You.

About 500 construction contractors start up each day.  

  • Many of those are just people having an “entrepreneurial seizure,” as Michael Gerber describes in The E-Myth Contractor.  
  • A few of these will have the grit and skills to build the ENR Top 400/600 contractors of tomorrow.  
  • Others are experienced construction executives who will go on to build substantial construction businesses relatively quickly.  
  • In most cases, a new contractor starting up will cause a serious talent drain on the contractor they leave, as well as changing the competitive landscape.

Make sure that your ownership transition plans don’t create another competitor.  


Issue 9 of 9: Low Barriers to Entry
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Issue 9 of 9: Low Barriers to Entry
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Internal Promotions and External Recruits (Target Ratios)
Having the right ratio of internal promotions and external recruits at different levels of the company is critical for growth and succession. Use these target ratios, rationale, and qualifiers to evaluate your Talent Value Stream (TVS).
Selling an Efficient Project
Doubling the pretax net margin for contractors requires both effective selling AND operational excellence. The majority of of people in construction contracting businesses are operationally focused on building the work.
Balancing Short-Term Crisis Management with the Mid and Longer-Term
A recession post-COVID is a likely enough scenario that it must be planned for. Recessions reorder the market and competitive landscape; ensure you earn the place you want.