Jan 20 2013
Taking Control
Look in the mirror. Ask the person staring back at you “Am I controlling my profitability or are my clients and competition controlling it?”
Your answer reveals the likelihood of reaching your desired financial and personal goals. If you approach your business with confidence, commitment, and determination to control the profitability of the projects you choose to work on then you will in all likelihood be successful and profitable. If you believe that you have to take what is given to you, that you have to compete against under-priced competition and work for disorganized clients then you’re going to end up scraping out a living…at best.
Unfortunately, we rarely meet a contractor who believes, truly believes, that he controls his destiny. Most contractors feel that they have to accept the low-price take-it-or-leave-it offers their clients extend. They feel they have to accept the poor sequencing and never-ending hurry up and wait demands placed on their field crews by the onsite project leadership.
You don’t have to be passive. If you step up, stand your ground, push back, learn to sell, and know when to walk away from poor opportunities you can make a lot of money in the construction industry. If not, your business’ end is just as certain as death and taxes.