While every company is built differently, not everyone knows the ins and the outs of the construction business. At PCA, we want to help you make sure your business is thriving. In order to do so, we recommend you avoid these top 5 mistakes as a contractor.
1. Hiring the wrong workers
As any good business owner knows, your business is only as good as what you invest into it. The same goes for its employees. Though you can’t really predict how long someone will stay with your company or how good they will be at their job, there’s a good chance that hiring on the spot or on a whim is not always the best idea. Since openings can’t always be planned (2 weeks notice is probably the most you’ll get), it’s very common for companies to hire in a state of panic to prevent money being lost on the work that needs to be done.
Instead, take the time to make sure you’re certain about your hiring choices. You will most likely see an improvement in your business if you focus more of your efforts on the hiring process.
2. Incorrect Plans and/or Estimations
While mistakes happen, you don’t want a bad reputation following you in your business. Even more so if you’re just starting up with few customers to vouch for you. Underestimate and you either ask for more funds halfway through the project, leave the customer unsatisfied, or lose money and accept defeat.
On the other hand, if you overestimate, you may not even get hired to do the job in the first place. Plans and estimations are tricky, and it is always advised you know your stuff or contact a professional, like those of us at PCA, to help ensure you’re maximizing earning potential and keeping customers happy.
3. Not Scaling Growth
While every contractor or company should be happy about growth, it’s important not to wear yourself thin. If you don’t account your time correctly, you may find yourself pushing back dates, missing deadlines, and disappointing customers because you took on too much work for the crew or didn’t have the right equipment, materials, etc. that you had.
When you don’t properly plan, you set yourself up for failure. Additionally, you put more pressure on yourself and the crew, who can only do so much at a time.
4. Not focusing on customer service
Similar to the last point, winging customer service in the contracting world simply won’t cut it. With so many prominent construction companies in the business, you will be weeded out early on without a plan of action.
Many people can simply make a call to a friend who either has a contractor to recommend or is one. Building relationships with your clients can get you new leads, commercial and residential, and can also make the whole experience of working together much more favorable.
If you’re unsure of where to start, check out our recent blog post, The Benefits of Building Relationships with your Clients. This helps ensure you’re making connections with the community and instilling trust between you and your clients.
5. Worrying about results and overlooking the process
While providing good work is the foundation of contracting, there are many other important aspects that could make or break your business. If you continue to overlook the small details and only focus on the big picture, you won’t ensure you’re maximizing your potential.
Furthermore, if you’re not going to invest in every aspect of your business as a contractor, you’re not going to reach the results you’re striving for.
At PCA, we believe that every roofer, contractor, and construction professional has the capacity to turn what they do into a profitable, predictable revenue generator. Whether it’s marketing, bidding, or even name selection, we offer an entire suite of tools designed to help these individuals take their jobs to the next level.
For help building the business you’ve always dreamed of, contact us today.