You’re a new residential construction business. You have the manpower, the expertise and some prospective clients, but you need to win contracts. What you’re looking for are the tools and services that could give you an edge in the market, and help your business succeed.  Luckily for you, there is a wealth of options available to new construction companies, many of which will be alien to your more entrenched competitors. By being open to new ideas and ways of working, you can adopt these tools successfully, and benefit from the efficiencies they provide.  1. Sustainability forecasting One area in which your business can overtake others is the adoption of sustainable practices. While sustainability has been a tenet of new builds for some time, the focus is often on the building itself, and not on the process of building it. With action against climate change, pollution and other environmental damage accelerating, many clients are likely to seek assurances about the impact of your projects, and the carbon footprints they accrue. With so many different aspects of a project to assess – including tools, labour, materials and transport – this can be an intensive and time-consuming endeavour. Yet without doing it, you will increasingly be missing out on business, and increase your own costs. The increasing urgency of climate change is likely to see a rise in audits for things like waste transfer, which could lead to expensive penalties. Thankfully, tech companies are beginning to step into the breach, and provide all-in-one solutions for sustainability forecasting. Apps such as Qflow allow you to automate the environmental data collection process, and predict how your actions on site may affect your environmental impact. As well as telling you what’s wrong, it also advises you on how to fix it, helping engineers to implement improvements. Using both an app and browser interface, Qflow gives you a holistic view of the sustainability of your project. While the data is being analysed on desktops, operatives on site can use the app to log information, and ensure that they comply with building and safety regulations. Other apps such as Fieldwire show promise in offering simple digitisation of worksites, and address the more fundamental issues of management and communication. Online estimating One of the biggest timesinks for new residential construction businesses – and one of the easiest ways to slip up – is planning your costs and build times. These aspects of construction are critical in order for you to deliver results on time for your clients, and not lose money in the process, or be caught short through a lack of resources. This planning isn’t for everyone, though, and can easily become muddled as a project develops. The other aspect of estimating and planning a build is communication with the client. You want to deliver on time for them, but you also want them to be involved in the process, and to maintain full transparency about what you’re planning and what you build. This can be difficult to manage in the middle of a project, and presents a logistical and administrative burden, as you try to marry what happens on site with what happens in your offices. For residential construction businesses looking to outsource this process, online estimating may be the best option. Services such as ProQuant Estimating combine expertise with in-house software to deliver precise estimates, costing everything from materials to plant and labour. Each quote is timed and priced using regional rates, which are constantly updated to give you the best value for money. Such online estimating tools are extremely valuable for reducing your costs, allowing you to invest in other areas and grow more quickly. They will also increase the trust between you and your clients, and drive repeat business. The ability to accurately cost a project, provide a more competitive price and give an accurate completion date are all aspects that will improve your product, and help your business get a leg up on others. Safety training As much as you may want to get out there and get stuck in, modern construction gives you a lot of hoops to jump through. One of these is health & safety, and making sure that all operatives on site are kept safe, along with anyone else in proximity to the site. This means not only meeting the minimum standards for training (e.g. through the CSCS Green Card), but also instilling a positive safety culture in your organisation. Operatives on your site will likely have completed some site safety training as a basic prerequisite, but this is something you need to be mindful of when hiring. Taking safety seriously will also start your business off on the right foot, and ensure you have a safety culture at the heart of your business, which grows and adapts along with you. This is something you can then evidence to clients, and turn into a key part of your tenders. Safety training may not be at the top of many construction companies’ priorities, particularly given the lingering fears about the coronavirus. However, the training industry has gone to great strides to increase accessibility, and make training available remotely. In many cases, this has lowered the cost of delivering courses – making this a great time to improve your safety practices, and protect your business and your employees. Course providers including NEBOSH, IOSH, the CITB and Qualsafe have all made courses available for remote learning, which often takes place over Zoom calls. These are delivered live by qualified trainers, with materials emailed or physically sent out to accompany them, depending on the complexity of the course. In some cases, you can also then take the test or tests online, allowing your employees to qualify entirely from home. Bolstering your employees’ safety credentials has several benefits. By helping them spot risks and deal appropriately with hazards, you’ll improve your reporting and avoid any costly fines or injuries. You’ll also provide peace of mind to operatives, and a sense that you care

Every business owner should have goals not only for their business but also for what they intend to do with the profits they earn from the business as you start to improve your income. However, when you start to think about these goals, it’s easy to see how they can start to become a jumble and it can be hard to think about which ones are better worth pursuing. Stability comes first First of all, if it’s looking like you’re about to lose your car or your home, or you’re in enough debt that it can start to affect your ability to run the business, that’s where you should be aiming the bulk of your expendable income from your profits. Get out of debt and get some stability in your life so you can start looking at other goals. If it’s looking like you’re not recovering from your losses, it might be time to consider filing for bankruptcy. By doing so, you can pay a portion of the original debt and have the rest permanently disregarded. While it may come with consequences, it is a good way to sort out your finances and to start with a clean slate. What happens when you file for bankruptcy? Many online articles can help you understand the process. Just remember that this should be your last resort in saving yourself from further financial casualty. Contribute to the long-term No matter what else you do, you should always ensure that at least some of your cash is heading for your retirement. The sooner you start putting aside some cash, even a little, the easier it can be to meet your eventual retirement goals. If you’ve reached your thirties without anything set aside, you need to dive into a retirement checklist and make it an active goal to make sure you’re sorted for the future. It’s going to become harder the longer you leave it. Have some emergency savings It’s never easy to tell when you’re going to need a little extra cash, but without any sort of buffer, it’s too easy to go raiding the savings every time a sudden expense hits. It’s a good idea to have some form of emergency savings set aside so that you’re not either going into your savings or building up needless unplanned debt. Investing it back You can invest some of your own earnings back into your business but you should already have money set aside from the overall profits to do just that. Rather, if you have expendable income after meeting your primary needs, it’s a good idea, in general, to start building an investment portfolio. At a minimum, it can help boost your retirement plans, but it can also help you generate real wealth. Rank, divide, and achieve When you have worked out what your financial needs are, you might find you have several. Depending on which is the most urgent and has the highest priority, think of a hypothetical division for each. For instance, 50% towards paying off debt, 20% towards retirement, 20% towards emergency funds, and 10% towards investments. Pay yourself first, setting aside a portion of every paycheck that is designed to meet your financial goals, and split that portion along the ratio you decide on. The truth is that all of the goals mentioned above are worth considering, but there’s no single answer as to which is your priority. However, by outlining your existing financial needs, for yourself and the business, present, and future, it becomes easier to see where you should be putting your profits.

Buying business equipment is something the majority of business owners will need to do at some point – unless this business is one that can run with nothing but an internet connection, although that is rare.  Since you are thinking about buying business equipment now (or you wouldn’t be reading this post), we have a few things you can do to ensure that you get it right. You’ll end up with the equipment you need and you won’t burn through your budget – read on to find out what to do.  Consider Whether You Should Rent (or Borrow) The Equipment Instead  Before you buy any piece of equipment outright, consider whether you should rent or borrow the equipment first. Doing this will give you a better idea of how much you’re truly going to use and need the equipment, and whether you could do without it. Renting for a short period could be cheaper than buying outright if you discover that you don’t actually need this piece of equipment fulltime. If you’re lucky enough to know somebody who could lend you the equipment, you’ll save a fortune to begin with.  2. Set Your Budget For Equipment Knowing your business equipment budget will help you to ensure your cash flow does not suffer and that you’re not going to run into financial trouble shortly after purchasing your equipment. A budget is essential in business, and knowing what percentage of that budget you’re going to spend on certain things is key. It’ll stop you from overspending and you can come up with a plan to buy what you need to buy. Make sure you come up with your budget carefully and even go over your numbers with a pro if you can.  3. Identify What Needs To Be Outsourced  Identifying what needs to be outsourced will have many benefits. You won’t end up hiring too many people and have too many permanent mouths to feed, and you can cut back on equipment costs.  4. Ensure You Have Accurate Measurements  Assuming you have a business premises, you need to know your measurements before purchasing equipment to ensure everything fits. Carefully measure each area where equipment will be placed and note the ideal dimensions you’ll need. You can use space planning tools to get a better idea of what this will look like and stop you from making expensive mistakes. Don’t cut corners when it comes to finding these numbers or you might regret it.  5. Decide Whether You Need New Or Used Equipment If you have a limited budget, you’re likely going to benefit from buying used equipment rather than new equipment. This will not only end up better for your budget, but better for the planet. You don’t always need to buy new equipment, and refurbished equipment can be just as good.  6. Prepare To Spend More On Your Essential Items  If an item is truly essential, then you should be willing to fork out for it. Don’t scrimp on items that you know you will use a lot, such as an air cooled chiller for your food and beverage business. If you know something is a must, then buy it without guilt. There’s a big difference between equipment you’re going to use to grow your business each day, and equipment that makes very little difference. Spending a fortune on computer chairs, for example, is not a good idea, but a half decent computer could be a worthwhile purchase!  7. Consider The Tax Implications of Buying Equipment You are able to claim ‘Annual Investment Allowances’ on capital expenditure on new items of plant or machinery. A capital allowance is a sum of money that can be taken aware from the amount of tax that a business needs to pay. If you purchase an asset through hire purchase, you can claim back the VAT, and there are further capital allowances available. Make sure you research the tax implications of certain purchases in depth.  8. What About Your Growth Plans & Usage? How well is this machinery going to fit in with your growth plans? Do you have enough work to make sure that the machinery will be used regularly? External economic factors might impact on the demand for your services, so make sure you think about this aspect of things, too. However, outside of that, it is very important that you ensure the purchase will improve the performance of the company and generate increased output to cover the additional financial output the purchase will cause.  9. What Are The Running Costs of The Equipment? Considering the running costs of equipment is just as important as anything else. There are many aspects to consider, and of course, this will depend on the type of equipment you are buying. Aspects include fuel costs, maintenance costs, repair costs, manpower, and anything else you can think of. Will the benefits of the piece of equipment justify the amount it is going to cost you to buy it and run it?  10. Can You Outline What The Transition Period Looks Like? Buying equipment should increase your productivity, lower your costs, and increase your profitability. Initially, however, you should expect a slowdown while people get used to the equipment and how it fits in with their everyday work life. You should also have a budget for the training required, so take this into consideration. Many businesses expect an instant increase in productivity, but this is often not the case. If you can plan for what this might look like and what needs to happen in advance, then you won’t come up against any nasty surprises.  Buying business equipment can make or break your business, so use the advice above to make sure you get it right the first time around. Don’t rush into it and make sure you compare and consider your options carefully before you part with your cash. Do you have any advice that helped you to purchase the best possible business equipment? Leave it in

Construction can be a reliable and lucrative way to make an income, but not all people working in the industry are at the same pay grade. If you want to start making the kind of income you think you deserve, then you should work to make sure that you deserve it. Here are a few ways to increase your income as a construction worker. Choose a lucrative specialization As mentioned, not all construction workers are making the same money. Specializing in a specific kind of construction work takes a lot of time, effort, and specific education, but can often unlock the most lucrative career paths in the industry. Look here to find out more about some of the best-paying construction jobs that are currently available, such as working in inspection, elevator installation, getting an electrician license, and more. Consider your career path and how easy it might be or how long it might take to transition into one of these careers. Broaden your skill base You don’t necessarily need to become a specialist in order to engage in a more lucrative construction career, however. In fact, by becoming something of a jack of all trades, you can be a very valuable member on any construction site. If you click here, you can see a range of high-risk work licenses and qualifications that could be of major use on any site. By having a broad range of skills and qualifications, you’re more likely to be selected for more jobs, since you’re effectively turning yourself into a tool that can suit a wide range of purposes. Work with people who can give you a foot up Construction is very much an industry that works on who you know, just as much as what you know. By doing jobs and working well with contractors and managers who are consistently making good bids and getting the better jobs out there, you can secure your part as a reliable member of their team. If you’re new to the industry, you can look for those who work to nurture construction talent to help you get the experience and reputation you need to earn more as you work more. Transition into the management side of things Working in a construction site can be lucrative in and of itself, but if you start learning more about the project management and administrative side, you can transition to a career that sees you overseeing the jobs instead of working on them. This typically does require that you get some education alongside your career experience, but it is a transition that can see your salary growing considerably. Furthermore, as you get older, working on-site might lead to a greater risk of accident and injury, so making the transition eventually should be a goal for most in the industry. There is no guarantee that, even in following the tips, you will make the greater income that you desire. You have to also show the quality and consistency of work that leads to trust from clients and co-workers, which unlocks the path to further work.

The building trade is one of the key trades within our society. Without builders, there would be no homes, schools, offices, or other public buildings. To be able to make the most of your time working within the industry, you want to make sure that you are spending your time wisely and not wasting hours on menial tasks. As a manager, it is up to you to delegate tasks, both on-site and within the office.  You may have several processes in place already to ensure that work is completed promptly to set deadlines, however, there is normally room for improvement. When you consider the areas that can be sped up, without compromising on quality, you may be able to make the most of both your, and others’, working hours. Digital Asset Management Having a number of images and other valuable digital assets can become complicated for bigger businesses. Especially when you have multiple people working on one project. When it comes to communications and marketing DAM is an extremely effective way of organising and updating files. Using a Digital Asset Management system – see bynder.com – can help you to keep control over your images and other important files without needing to store them on one specific computer or digital device – the right people can access the right content when necessary.  This can allow you to search for your imagery, as well as share it with others who may be working on your marketing or communications projects. If you need this work completed, but are spending your day on-site, this system means that those who work in the office (or remotely) can access and edit these content without your presence needed.  Increasing Morale Keeping your team happy within their roles is an important factor in any business, and as building work is often down to teammates operating together collaboratively, this makes team morale even more vital. Individuals who feel content within their role, and appreciated for the work they do, are more likely to be more productive, whilst encouraging those around them. In addition to this, a happy workforce is less likely to experience high levels of staff turnover, meaning the business may also be able to save money on recruitment fees.  If people know that you are part of a company who values its staff, from the highest paid CEO to the lowest paid intern, this can help your business to flourish, simply because people may be more likely to choose a company that holds set values akin to their own. Charity Marketing Engaging with local charities can really help with your public image, and the relations you have with clients and promoters. Choosing charities associated with your work, such as those that build and provide homes for the poor either in your country, or even in the third world, alongside spending time actively engaging with this work can really help to show your company in a positive light, and as one that genuinely cares about others.  Boosting success rates for the business that you work for is not always about increasing profits. Sometimes, it can be just as important to support those that work with you and to also improve upon your current public relations. This can, of course, sometimes also have a positive effect on your clientele and, therefore, profits as well.

Big or small the key to a profitable business is efficiency and with so many great tools out there to help it can be difficult to know where to start. From Kanban boards to VoIP phones here are 7 of the best efficiency tools that you absolutely need to look at in 2021. Kaban Boards What is a Kanban board you ask? It’s a simple way of showing the status of task, projects or jobs in a simple, visual form. Think yellow sticky notes on a whiteboard but in electronic form.  Because they are hosted in the cloud it’s a bit like having that whiteboard in your pocket so you can check what’s going on at any time, anywhere. They are great for planning, collaboration and just getting your life in order.Two of the best are Trello and Asana. Both have free options that have a huge number of features and are really easy to use, learn and share. Codebook OK so we all know that we shouldn’t use the same passwords for all our apps but it’s so hard keeping up with all the codes, pins and passwords you have. Meet Codebook from Zetetic. Codebook saves all your passwords securely with one log on and then synchs across all your devices so that you always have the right password at the right time. Another free app, Codebook can even generate strong passwords so you can ditch the dreaded ‘password123’! VoIP phones If you have a mobile and a landline then you already know that whilst connectivity is great in theory, in practice it can have its downsides including dropped calls, difficulty conferencing and multiple numbers for your customers to call. Wouldn’t it be great to have a single number that a customer could call that would find you wherever you were? How much time would you save searching around for contact numbers or dealing with calls when you simply don’t have the time? VoIP phones have been around for a while now and although back in the day the call quality could be somewhat ‘inconsistent’ the availability of high-speed internet and 5G means that it’s often better than a copper landline. VoIP phones have tons of features like virtual receptionists, menu filtering and voicebox to email and for many of them, you don’t even need any special equipment. If you’re looking for the best VoIP phone services then check out this list by Neil Patel with some great suggestions. Zapier So you have all of these great apps and they are all working away in their own areas but what happens when you want to integrate and automate your tasks? Check out Zapier.  Now Zapier doesn’t do anything itself. Instead, it uses actions (called triggers) to start other actions in different apps. So for example when you receive an email, it can automatically save any attachment into your Google docs and then send you a slack message telling you there is new content. It’s a superb automation app that links all your software up and allows you to automate features and set up workflows. Zapier claims that they work seamlessly with over 2000 apps and rising, so your favourite software should have no problem integrating. Productivity checkers Do you know where you waste most of your time? Do you know which websites you really ought to be avoiding? Know when your most productive hours are? Let’s face it we’ve all disappeared down a Twitter rabbit hole or spent and hour (or two) checking out what old school friends are doing on Facebook. The first step to improving your productivity is to understand where you are losing your time and productivity checkers like Rescue Time or Toggl will show you exactly when you are most productive and thus maximise your efficient hours. Spelling and Grammar helpers If you are someone who has difficulty with spelling or grammar then you know that it can take forever to write a simple letter or email and get it just right. But help is at hand in the form of Grammarly or Hemmingway. Both of these apps will check what you re writing and highlight any problems with suggested spelling changes applied at the click of a button. Yes, they save you money but in addition, they also give you confidence that your business communications are where they need to be. Sanebox Most people have trouble managing their inboxes, so they rely on email organization apps. It’s not just spam. There are newsletters that you don’t really need just now, things you’ve been CC’d into for no reason and reports that you thought might be useful sometime. Sanebox is a method of making sure your inbox focuses on the things that are important and reduces the amount of time you spend dealing with nonsense. You can teach it what to do with specific emails based on rules you set and it will also learn what to do based on y our behaviour. The free version is great and for a small subscription, you can add on a few more productivity tools from the Sanebox stable. Let your apps take the strain With so many great productivity apps available on the market it seems crazy not to give them a go. Most of them are free in the basic versions and will save you huge amounts of time and give you control back over your working day. Why not check out our suggestions now and start saving yourself some time right away?

Like any business, roofing companies rely on marketing to bring in new customers and keep their business growing and flourishing. And these days the best way to market a business is to go online. Yes there is still a place for traditional marketing like advertising on TV, radio, billboards, and so on. But those methods are rather scattershot, whereas a digital marketing campaign is more focused and targeted to people who will actually need your services. There are many aspects to a digital marketing campaign, from designing an appealing website to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) services that get people to visit that website, but to get all of that you will need the roofing website design services of an experienced digital marketing agency. The agency will take care of all of your marketing to make sure that your online presence will help you to attract new customers and keep your business growing. Why Digital Marketing is Important For Roofing Companies It should come as no surprise that people tend to first look online to get what they need. Whether they are shopping for an item, making a reservation, or buying a plane ticket, the internet is their first destination. The same goes for when they are looking for various services, whether it is a lawyer, an electrician, or, yes, a roofing company. And as with everything, first impressions are important, which means that people will decide whether they will stay on a website or not very quickly. The decision to stay or leave could be the difference between a new customer or one that got away. So it is vital that a roofing company has a great website and that people know about that website; digital marketing is the way to achieve both of those goals. How Digital Marketing Works For Roofing Companies Digital marketing is all about the marketing you do through online channels. The roofing company website is where it gets started, which is why it is so important, but there are many other online avenues that allow you to attract and interact with customers. These include social media platforms, email marketing, blog articles, profiles on directories like Angie’s List or HomeAdvisor, video marketing, and PPC (Pay Per Click) ads. You do not need to use all of these resources, but you should at least invest in a few of them. Social media is great for giving your roofing company a more human touch since it allows you to address current and potential customers directly. Blog articles can provide visitors with useful information and help to establish you as an authority on the subject of roofing. Online directories are vital tools because customers who are serious about hiring a roofing company often look to those sites to find out more about the companies available to them. And PPC ads help to give a company a higher profile, but they have to be used carefully and judiciously otherwise they could backfire. The Process of Digital Marketing For Roofing Companies As stated earlier, it all starts with the website. The roofing company’s website needs to be attractive, easy to navigate, and it should load quickly. The website is likely to be a visitor’s first introduction to the roofing company so it needs to make a strong first impression. Great content is also a necessity because it needs to show the visitor what the roofing company has to offer and how it can help them. Naturally, one of the most important elements of a good roofing website is the ability of users to communicate with the company. That means a chat function, a prominently displayed phone number, e-mail, and online forms. Not only should it be easy for the visitor to communicate with the company, but the company should respond promptly to any communication since swift response to customers helps to build trust and confidence. Another extremely important aspect of a good website is that it should be accessible on mobile devices. This is called responsive design and it means that a website can adjust to fit and work well on any screen, whether it is a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Many people use their phone to browse the web so a roofing website needs to work just as well on those devices as it does on a PC or laptop. Attracting Visitors To the Website It does not matter how great your website is if no one visits it, which is why a big part of digital marketing is getting your website noticed by the right people. That is where SEO comes in since it is all about getting websites to rank more highly on the results pages of search engines. That gives websites more visibility among the people searching for certain search terms. In the case of a roofing website, that means getting it to be among the first to show up when people search for certain keywords related to roofing. There are other more detailed methods that are used to help websites rank more highly, such as link building and website optimization. You should speak to a representative from the digital marketing company to learn more about those methods and how they can help your website. Use Digital Marketing to Help Your Roofing Company Thrive Digital marketing is an efficient, efficacious, and cost-effective method of marketing that has a high return on investment. It can attract visitors to the roofing company’s website, which generates more leads, and can turn many of those leads into customers. There are many benefits and no disadvantages to using digital marketing, so get in touch with a digital marketing agency to learn how they can help your roofing company to thrive.