Success is Not Final and Failure is Not Fatal

The construction business is TOUGH!

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There will be years that go by where it seems you are on top of the world.  There will be “perfect storms” where you have a bad project, a dip in the economy, lose a critical member of your team and your banker wants to meet with you on Friday to “talk”.  

Quote: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill.

There are many variables that you can control but there are many more that you can’t.  You will make many great decisions and you will also make bad ones.  

Accept all these as facts.  Realize that ALL businesses are tough in their own ways.  Life is TOUGH!

Don’t fall in love with the summit of the mountain; you have to love the challenge of being on the mountain and improving every day.

Realize that as you climb the mountain you can’t do it alone and that each stage will require different skills and gear.

Realize that it is discipline and not motivation that will carry the day. 




Customer Ranking and Selection: Your First Strategic Decision
The first thing a contractor needs is a customer. With growth, the need to better define an "Ideal Customer" grows in importance - as does the need to say "NO" to bad customers.
Helen Keller - Blind vs Vision
As a contracting business grows it becomes more important the team is aligned around a common vision and culture. It becomes even more critical if the company has more than one geographic location.
Change Order Profit Improvement
A 10% improvement in change order pricing for a $50M per year contractor will add $500K to their bottom line. This is not about simply marking up the change more, but rather, including the many costs that are typically missed or undervalued.