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10 Sign’s You’re Playing The Game of Contractor Roulette

Posted by Shawn McCadden on Thu, Aug 29,2013 @ 06:00 AM

10 Sign’s You’re Playing The Game of Contractor Roulette

Contractor Roulette wheel

 

Most contractors are great craftsman but terrible at accounting and financial management.   Most can build a house from the ground up without any plans but have no clue how to identify and create the financial reports they need to know whether they are making or losing money. 

Building or remodeling a house without any idea of whether you are making money or not, and if you will be able to pay all the bills as they come due, is like spinning a roulette wheel at the casino.   You put money down, spin the wheel and hope to make money.  Problem is that you have no idea or control over where the wheel will stop.   If you run out of money the casino is happy to let someone else step in, lay down some money and do the spinning. 

Like most gamblers, contractors always brag when they win, but never want to talk about it when they lose.

 

Contractor Roulette Is Not A Good Gamble

If it sounds like I'm describing you and your business you are playing what I call "Contractor Roulette".   Sure, once in a while you may win, and even win big.  But remember the odds are with the casino.   How about you?  Have you been spinning and winning or has the “casino” been winning and encouraging you to keep playing?

 

My list of 10 signs you’re spinning the “Contractor Roulette Wheel”

  1. You lose sleep at night worrying about money.
  2. You have no idea what markup to use.
  3. You think margin and markup are interchangeable terms.
  4. You never know if you will have enough money to pay your bills until they're paid.  Again
  5. You guess at project payment schedule amounts and when they're due.  As a result you constantly suffer from cash flow challenges.
  6. financial mistakes contractors makeWhen a prospect asks you if you will match someone else’s price for the same job you figure if the other guy can do it for that price so can you, so you say yes.
  7. You are always putting the whip to your production employees to beat the labor allowance in your estimate because you need to make up for dropping the price of the job just so you could sell it.  Again.
  8. Even though you got price quotes for the materials before you sold the job, after you take the job you either bid the materials out to a get a lower price or beat your vendors up to sell them to you for less than they already quoted you.  Again.
  9. You do little or no marketing so you have to try to sell to everyone who contacts you, even if you have a feeling they will try to beat you out of any profit.  Again.
  10. You need to sell a job this weekend and get a deposit just so you will have enough money to meet last week’s payroll.  Again.

 

Strive to become a Big 50 Remodeler

Big 50 class of 2013If you believe in the idea of relative success, where you convince yourself you are doing pretty well if you compare your results to other contractors who are doing far worse than you, then maybe you can be happy staying where you are regarding financial management at your business.  On the other hand, if you want to measure your success against truly successful contractors, perhaps use Remodeling Magazine’s Big 50 list as your reference.  To qualify for that list you need to be making a decent net profit.

 

 

There is hope!

Financial advice for contractorsIf you have been playing Contractor Roulette here is a simple three-step plan to help you end your gambling habit:


 

  1. Admit you have a gambling problem and commit to do something about it.
  2. Get the professional help you need to help you stop gambling and eliminate the causes of your gambling addiction.
  3. Find someone you can trust to hold you accountable to doing what it will take to make the switch.

 

 

Related articles:

The Five Biggest Financial Related Mistakes Contractors Make

Remodelers: I Bet You Don’t Know Your True Burdened Labor Costs

Five Ways To Think Like A Business For Business Owners

 

Topics: Business Financials, Pop Quizes, Success Strategies, Financial Related Topics, Earning More Money, Sage Advice, Self Quizes

Self Quiz To See If A Properly Setup Financial System Can Help You:

Posted by Shawn McCadden on Thu, Dec 13,2012 @ 06:00 AM

Contractors: Try This Self Quiz To See If A Properly Setup Financial System Can Help You:

Properly Setup Financial System for remodelers

 

 

Unfortunately, the facts show that about 85% of residential construction business have no idea what it costs to be in business and cannot properly and accurately track where they are making and or losing money.  If only these contractors had and would use a properly setup financial system they would reduce a lot of the stress related to owning and running a construction or remodeling business.

 

Here are my simple questions for those of you who don’t have an adequate Financial System:

Not sleeping well due to money issues and is it affecting your ability to do your job and have a life?

Properly Setup Financial System for contractors

Would you rather go to bed at night wondering if you’re screwed, or knowing that you’re screwed?


what it costs to be in business as a contractorTake this self quiz to see if a properly set up financial system would benefit you and your business:

  • Do you know if you will make a profit this year? 
  • Do you know how much money will pass through your company at any given time?  
  • Do you always have enough money to pay monthly bills on time or meet payroll (cash flow)?  
  • Do you know whether you are buying rather than selling projects? 
  • Do you know how and when to predict increasing costs of doing business?
  • Do you know what your options are for smart business growth?
  • Are you confident about making it through the current recession?
  • Will you and your business be ready to thrive when the economy turns around and the volume of work picks up?

How did you do?

If you answered no to one or more of these questions, you are definitely not alone.  For many Construction Business Owners financial management skills are not necessarily part of their educational background.  Plus, have you ever tried to get an accountant to explain this stuff to you? 

A properly designed and setup finacial system would give you the ability to answer yes to all of the above.

 

what it costs to be in business as a contractor

 

What are you waiting for?

If you do not have the financial system you and your business needs, ask yourself why.   If you need help setting one up, get the help you need.   If you want to work with someone who can explain things to you in a simple way, help you understand your options and get your system set up; contact me today to discuss your needs.

 

Topics: Business Financials, Financial Related Topics, Earning More Money, Keeping More Money, Business Planning, Self Quizes