Category Archives: Construction

Going out for vacation? Whom you can handover the business?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Entrepreneurs work hard to manage and operate the entire business. Due to which they run a risk of burnout. They should take vacation to keep a work-life balance and stay refreshed. Taking time for relaxation will make them better decision makers. However, it is not easy for them to get away from the daily routine job which is very demanding. They should bear in mind that the company can run without them too for some days so taking a vacation will be helpful activity.

The following are some of the tips which may be useful to follow when boss plans to take a vacation.

1.Advanced preparations

He boss should communicate to the employees the dates of vacation. This will allow the employees to complete the necessary projects or approve of deliverables before vacation.

In case of individual clients and direct customers they should be informed early about the absence period. This allows prioritizing projects to be completed and the tasks to be delegated to be completed later.

The boss should take important contacts and their phone numbers on computer, mobile phone and on a piece of paper. Having this list readily available will save time in case of need to contact any of these people to handle an emergency while on vacation.

 

2.Type of communication

One or two people should only be allowed to contact the boss during the vacation period. Especially for updating about projects, when immediate attention is required or a new client has joined. The communication should take place via emails or text messages and only if needed then by phone calls.

 

3.Avoid working on big or major projects

Even when boss takes a vacation, the projects will be going. However any live or major projects should not be started during this period. Since there can be initial problems and project may not get completed thus may ruin the mood of vacation.

 

4.Prepare and train the employees

Make a list with employees so that know how to handle various problems and emergencies Though this responsibility would be delegated to only one employee, others should be also aware of how to handle the situation.

 

5.Every project should have a designated leader

While the boss is on vacation, every project should have a designated chief who ensures that deadlines are met and quality is maintained.

 

7.Do not hand over the reins of company

Although the teams may be running the projects successfully, the project leaders should never be allowed to take any major company decisions in absence of the boss.

8.Handover the projects

The boss should set up a meeting with the person/s who will be handling his project. Hand over the document which lists the important points regarding the project in terms of source of information, main deliverables, main risks/issues, stakeholder and sponsor’s contact details. This allows the work is completed within the given time.

 

9.Built a dynamic and dedicated team

This ensures that the work does not suffer and is completed within the required time frame.

 

Thus with careful planning, putting systems in place and by trusting the team, vacation time of the boss would be spent with enjoyment and relaxation.

 

Success in construction business is dependent on your foresightedness

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Things do not always move in one particular direction. You will see a lot of changes in things from what it is now and what it was in the past. Changes are bound to happen and when it does happen, it turns out to be good for some section of the population and bad for the rest. There is probably the third section which is not affected by it at all. The one who manages to taste success are the ones who are able to make right estimates at the right time. So the people whom you see at the top of various industries have managed to reach to that position by laying down their strategies after taking some very accurate estimates. Now the estimates are not something that is taken on air but are in fact made on the basis of precise information, some general calculation and most importantly foreseeing opportunities and threats.

One such industry that requires its men to be highly foresighted in order to become successful is the construction sector. This particular sector is indeed dependent on various other sectors and any rise or fall in the prices of the associated sectors can have a major impact on the overall construction sector. So a person who can foresee a challenge or an opportunity will take decisions accordingly and will keep his company safeguarded from any market threats.

Likewise he also will be able to make good money for his company in the same manner. This does not imply that a person who is foresighted never makes an error. Nobody is able to read the market correctly. They can all make some very close estimates but that does not mean that they will be correct at all times. There are also chances that they will end up making a mistake in calculating some facts or taking some accounts into consideration and which will cost them big chunk of capital. There are many instances where construction companies have taken incorrect judgments which have cost them dearly. But these are parts and parcels of the business. If the business owner hits the right note, he makes a bounty but if he somehow fails to get it right, he should be ready to face the music as well.

Strategy makers are ideally people who knows the in and out of the construction segment and therefore they are in a position to foresee things which others can’t. They are considered to be the highest paid in the industry and many even open their business as they do not see any reason not to have a business of their own. If they generate the quality to foresee things as it comes their way, they are able to take better decisions and this can really pay him off well in the construction business or any business that is linked with the construction sector.

Foresightedness has always been considered to be a virtue and people who possess this quality never have to look back at things. They only aim for bigger aspirations in life.

 

Related articles across the web

Need advice on the best heavy equipment for the job of clearing land of 30 acres

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Today the work of land clearing (of forests) is done efficiently and in minimal time using heavy machines instead of the earlier used hand tools. This has enabled to convert forest regions into productive agricultural practice on smooth land based nearby to the populated places.

Each land clearing or improvement project has its own characteristics. It cannot be achieved by using just a single object but encompasses a variety of tools and heavy machines. Hence, first and foremost the Land Survey is required to gauge the amount of land improvement required. The following major factors should be considered; the characteristics of the land and its size, the intended use of the land, the type of the material to be removed and the cost involved. Appropriate planning and attention to detail will help to protect water and soil resources while keeping the costs to minimum.

The work of clearing can be divided into three phases as light, intermediate and heavy clearing and each of this will require different type of equipment. Light clearing involves surface cutting, undercutting, heavy disking, chemical sprays (herbicides), and controlled burning. Surface cutting is achieved by using heavy duty sickle mowers, large rotary brush cutters and stalk cutters. While undercutting is accomplished by using different type of straight and V-shaped blades mounted on tractors and can travel 10-18 inches below the soil surface which loosens and removes the roots. Heavy disks or root rakes are used to cut and remove the material to prepare land for cultivation. Finally the land is sprayed with herbicides and subjected to burning.

 

Heavy clearing is done using different types of expensive heavy equipment each of which require different amount of horse-powers to operate. Skidders, Bulldozers, Excavators, Tractors and Backhoe are used for land clearing. Skidders are very stable and are considered to be a great tool. However, a skidder cannot dig or grade and a person has to get out of the machine to grab onto the debris. Bulldozers are powerful machines and can effectively remove the stumps and boulders. However, bulldozers generate vibrations and run into maintenance problems. The replacement parts of a bulldozer are also expensive and they results in loss of top soil. Although, Excavators are the most powerful and are very stable during working conditions, however they are slow to operate. Tractors equipped with heavy-duty rakes are used for felling, raking, and withdrawing extremely heavy material having stem diameters up to 72 inches. Backhoe are considered to be extremely versatile, they work fast, dig deep, lift high, and capable to loading very heavy things. In addition, one may have to also use pair of forks and front end loader rack onto a backhoe. However, the disadvantages are that it can get stuck, get flat tires, one has to raise and lower the flaps and move the machine a lot.

 

The selection of these heavy equipment involves learning the type, brand, model and price. In addition, one has to know the limitations of each equipment, their maintenance and how fast the replacement parts be obtained.

 

Related articles across the web

Use Social Media as a platform to grow your heavy equipment business

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Starting a business is not as difficult as growing it. You may need some amount as investment money, little know-how about the business and you can start your own business. You probably do not have to worry about making profits in the first phase of your business but as and when your business grows older and you start generating profits, making new clients, which is perhaps the time when you start thinking of expanding your business. Well, in order to reach the larger section of society, you need to use a platform that is adopted by everybody in their day to day life. Something which the mass uses quite frequently. If you are able to talk about your business in that platform, it is evident that more and more people will get the chance to look at your business and will appreciate it by becoming your client.

Today we all are highly connected with social media like Facebook, LinkedIn etc. These social media sites are used to stay connected to your closed ones who are ideally distance away from you. But you can still see them in the virtual world. You can make use of such social media websites to promote your work, to let people know the kind of business you are associated with. It can prove to be a big boon for people who have their business in the construction domain or who deals with heavy equipment.

In order to promote your heavy equipment business, it is prudent to use social media sites that are mainly used by working professionals or businessmen. Well, what you can do is create your own group and can invite people whom you know so that they all remain in your group and in this way they get to know your business from a closer angle. This will only help you to promote your business and in case if someone who is interested to buy any sort of heavy equipment will get in touch with you and place their order to you. You should try to keep your profile very professional as it attracts people’s attention and they do not take you casually. Having a casual profile will not have that high impact as a professional one can put. Remember, when you are putting up your profile in any professional social media website, it is not solely for the purpose to stay connected to the people you know but also let them know about your business and nobody will want to deal with a guy who has a very casual approach towards his work.

Moreover, there will be others whom you do not know but are linked to the people who are in your friend’s list and they also get to see your profile. Having a professional outlook will definitely give a good impression about your business to them. You never know when a big deal may strike and you may get chunk of orders from a new client that you have made from a social networking site.

Related articles across the web

What heavy equipment salesman could teach other salesman in different industry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Selling products of any brand can be difficult irrespective of how famous the brand is. The work of the salesman is to highlight the feature that matches with the requirement of the client and has to win his confidence that the product will last for long. Once the client is convinced with the quality of the product and how economically viable it is for him, he will go for it. But in the entire process of selling, every salesman gets to learn a lot of things out of every successful as well as unsuccessful sale. A salesman selling heavy equipment can teach a lot of things to salesman belonging to other industries. His selling techniques will be far more polished as he indulges in selling equipment that are quite expensive and people will buy those machines only if they see a dire need for it.

Intelligent selling:-

Selling is in itself an art but intelligent selling is a kind of a superior art which not many are able to master. Heavy equipment seller during his journey of selling different kinds of earth moving equipment has to choose their words carefully. They unlike salesman of different industry can’t keep on speaking to convince the client. Since they are dealing with a far more technical subject, speaking anything that is incorrect can back-fire them and they may lose the sale. Therefore they have to opt for intelligent selling where they are required to do a bit of research on the kind of work the client is into. He can pitch in his product as per the requirement of the client. This teaches salesman of other industry to follow the same pattern. Selling something just because you are given to sell it should not be your sole idea. Understanding the clients need should be the core focus area and then putting your products with his needs should be the next plan of action. If you are able to do that, selling becomes easy.

Do not be greedy after commissions:-

Salesman should not run after money. Though it means a lot to everybody but selling products that can earn them good commission should not be given preference. They can also earn commission by selling products that suit the needs of the client. Heavy equipment salesmen are required to develop a good rapport with their client and if they sell a machine with the intention of earning high commission, they may soon lose out on the client. This teaches others to follow suit and concentrate on developing a relationship with the client which will enable them to sell more products in the future and also get references of other clients.

Learn your product well before you start selling it:-

Heavy equipment salesmen are required to know their product in an out. They may not be able to capture the technicalities of the heavy equipment but are recommended to know as much as they can. This will help them to counter client’s tough questions and also win their confidence. Salesman of other industry should be open to learn as many things as they can about their product. This will help them to crack tough clients.

Modernization of heavy equipment has changed the dynamics of the construction industry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

With the advent of new technology, we also see the face of the relevant industry changing. It is pretty obvious that with new technology coming in, the method adopted by people towards their work is bound to change, which therefore impacts the overall performance of the industry. The arrival of new technology brings in a change in the attitude of people towards their work. They probably become more energetic and their aspirations rise manifolds. Though it brings in lot of positivity but there is also a fair chance of experiencing the negative side of it.

In the last few decades, the construction industry as a whole has seen a number of changes with the arrival of new technologies in this sector. Initially, there were hardly any sky touching buildings but now everybody seems to have an office in one such tall rises. This means the demand of constructing huge buildings is rising on an increasing trend and construction companies on the other hand demand for heavy equipment that are more technologically sound and highly effective in every manner. Be it building big bridges or creating an entire city under water, all seems to be possible with the help of technological advancements.

Owners of advanced technology heavy equipment get more projects:-

When you are about to give business to somebody, you will definitely check his credentials and the tools he has to complete your work. In the same fashion, when a client hunts for a construction company to complete a project, they ideally see what kind of heavy equipment does the company procures and how technologically sound are those equipment. They will be reluctant to give work to a company that lacks heavy equipment of latest technology and will look for bidders who has the potential to complete the work on time and if possible before time.

Entire township can be built in a span of few years:-

If we look back a couple of decades ago, building a township for residential purpose was very difficult as one had to construct large number of buildings in a large plot of land. This undeniably will take lot of time for the construction company to complete the work and give possession to the people who have booked the flats. Such projects may take more than 5 years to complete and if there occurs any issue with the title of the land then there are high chances that the entire work is halted for unknown period of time. These problems are quite rare these days. Firstly, it doesn’t take this long for a big construction company to construct a township and other than this they start working on the land only when the title on the property does not have any lien attached to it.

They use the latest machineries to plan the project and execute them. They understand that any delay will only cost them money and therefore they make use of advanced heavy equipment to complete the project as soon as they can.

Performance plays a vital role in establishing the goodwill of a construction company

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A construction company requires businesses to survive and they get their businesses from the reputation they have earned for the last many years working with different clients. In the construction industry earning a goodwill is extremely difficult and it is more difficult to maintain it. One mistake (you do not know if the mistake is big or small) can tarnish your reputation and has the potential to bring down your business to a new low. If a thing like this happens, you will have a real hard time to survive and bring it up again. This sector has less friends and more foes.

Animosity in this industry is quick to happen and can turn real severe with bad results. It is very imperative to have cordial relations with your business clients, with your competitors and with people who want to get associated with you in your business but you want to stay some distance away from them. Oh yes, you definitely want to stay away from some people as you may see them to pose possible complications in your business. However, you still can’t manage to upset anybody or else you seem to be in a position where you would be inviting problems.

We will be talking in length about what one needs to do to establish a good reputation and keep the good name to continue getting more businesses.

Company should have a vision:-

You will get clients when you show them that you are a company with a vision. You need to have the right set of heavy equipment, operators and workers that knows their work well. A good strategy is always important to put things on the right track. The better you lay down the strategy, more are the chances that you end up getting good businesses. If you have your things organized, people will take that as a sign of a serious businessman and someone who is in this trade to become really big.

Track your plans and ensure that they are acted upon in a timely manner:-

Creating a strategy isn’t enough but you got to follow it religiously. If you act upon your plans and implement them, you are getting yourself closer to creating a goodwill that will eventually draw upon more businesses making your company a highly profitable one. There are instances when you see the need to amend your plans. You should be quite flexible with any kind of changes that comes up your way at any point in time. At times, you have to change a part of the plan completely. You should be ready for all the challenges. If you are able to keep a control on these few things, you will see your business is completely in your grasp and your clients will have the confidence to invest their money in your company by giving projects to you.

Take work that requires a sense of responsibility:-

If you take up projects that requires you to show some responsibility and you succeed in completing it in time, you manage to set up a very good reputation for your company. Work like these will take you a long way ahead in life and will help you to establish the goodwill that many companies have only dreamt of making.

 

Check your finances before you make any expansion plans

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

If you belong from the construction industry, you will experience many instances when you are unable to implement a plan due to shortage of finance. If you do not have sufficient money, it will be very hard for you to grow as a businessman. Many people who were not able to hold their businesses got drowned, few lucky ones made it but the one who has managed his finances well made it to the top. This industry offers a lot to those men who really deserves it and punishes those who are not organized and do not know to play wisely with their money.

Though the requirement of finance is all throughout the life of the business but you may feel its need more when you seek for an expansion. This is when you will see the need to turn up to people whom you feel can lend you money. As a matter of fact, it will be hard for you to find anyone who would be ready to lend you the much needed money. Financial institutions may want some collateral and most possibly you got to keep your business as a collateral with them.

Few important pointers that one must take into consideration before they finally decide to expand their construction business.

Expanding your business to a new city:-

When you think of setting up your business in a new city, you first need to be sure that you will be able to control it remotely. Since you will not be present always, you need to place someone who can manage things in your absence and keeps you in loop for the slightest of things. You also need to make sure if you will be able to cope up with the infrastructural costs involved to set up an office in a different city. There should not be a huge influx of funds from your existing business to your new business or it may result in a chaotic condition where you have to end up in churning either of your business.

Taking too many projects:-

Getting enough projects is always a good sign but taking too many projects that you find difficult to handle should be avoided. Alternatively, for every new project that you take, you have to allocate some funds to take care of the expenses. If you have too many projects in hand and not enough money to meet the expenses, it will lead to a disaster. You may eventually have to give away few projects after incurring good deal of loses. Other than that, it will also hit you hard on the relationship aspect that you hold with your clients. The losses will be manifolds. It will be prudent to inspect your finances before you commit on a project.

A sound financial strategy often helps:-

Running a successful business requires a lot of planning to be done. Understanding the needs of the project and comparing it with the resources you have in hand can help you prepare a better plan. A sound and down to earth strategy will often turn out to be helpful.

A site engineer has to carry a lot of responsibility on his shoulders

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A construction site is not a pleasant site as it is filled with dust and dirt all around but you will still find people working on the site just to make sure that things move smoothly. The work of the labors are tough as they have to continue their job in the scorching heat of the sun but there is someone whose job is tougher than perhaps anybody in the entire construction site. It is the job of the site engineer that is considered to be tougher than anybody else. He has to look after many things and has to ensure that they all fall in place and do not go off-track.

Though he is assisted by others as well but the frequency of assistance becomes quite limited during peak business hours. At that point in time, he needs to manage everything on his own. Right from man management to monitoring the performance of work, all falls on his shoulders and he can’t shrug it off. He has to make sure that all the work that is assigned to him is done within the timeframe.

An engineer is paid on the basis of the experience he has gained in the construction industry and what kind of responsibilities he has fulfilled till now. The package of the site engineer depends majorly on the kind of activities he can handle. So reading the plan and designs is just one of his responsibilities and he is expected to do more in order to be paid more. This means that today the engineers have to go through a lot of stress as well. This is why construction companies have started recruiting people who will work directly under the site engineer and will report him of any issues that happens on the site.

The project planning engineer is different from a site engineer though both have the capability to read and understand the plans and designs. However, the site engineer in most of the cases does not have the authority to make any amendments to the existing plan and that can be done only by the project engineer. Only if the project engineer directs the site engineer to amend the project plans, he can do that. His main work is to liaise with the project engineer, communicate his instruction to the labor and heavy equipment operator. One more important function of the site engineer is to check the availability of raw materials and in case if the materials are soon going to get over then check how soon fresh supply will pour in. This is quite a crucial job where the site engineer’s skills are tested quite often.

Site engineer with the help of his team tries to resolve issues with suppliers or of the laborers or any party who is related to the job. Since he is assisted by his team, he can assign some of his work to a trusted team member and focus on other activities on the site. But eventually he becomes answerable for anything that goes wrong and therefore has to be sure of things shaping up on the site.

 

 

Related articles across the web

Not getting buyers for heavy equipment – Try selling online

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Heavy equipment are really expensive items and not everybody has the money to buy it. For instance, a guy who wants to set his foot in the construction industry may have a pretty hard time buying different kinds of heavy equipment. Firstly it will be out of his budget as long as he does not belong from an ultra-rich family and secondly he will have a tough time to get hold of someone who can sell him used equipment. Same goes for sellers as they also experience the problem in hunting down prospective buyers for buying their machine. This issue has been diminished with the advent of internet and online stores to a larger extent.

In today’s time, internet has given both buyer and seller the platform to buy and sell the machines safely. So sellers no longer have to pay huge chunk of money to newspapers to advertise their products. All they have to do is simply list the item on the website by paying a nominal fee and rest is sorted. Buyers will go through the listing and if that interests them, they will establish the contact and may finalize the deal.

We would be focusing on few pointers that stress on what a seller can do to maximize the visibility of his listing.

Try to put sufficient pictures of the machine:-

If you list the equipment without putting sufficient pictures on your post, it is possible that your page will not receive many views from the viewers. It is quite obvious that people will lose their interest the moment they find out that there are no pictures for the listing and therefore will not be in a position to understand what the item is all about. The description at times could be misleading without the actual picture. Putting enough pictures of the machine will always help in receiving more views for the post.

Description should be in detailed format:-

When a person would be looking for your item, he would be obviously wanting to understand the in and out of the machine. Therefore, you should give every possible detail of the equipment. This information will only help the prospect to know more about your product and he may quite possibly find it to be intriguing. This will result in establishing contact with you which will bring you closer to a probable sale.

Use everything the site offers to make the listing look attractive:-

We must have heard this a thousand times. “First impression is the last impression”. This saying goes a long way as far as listing equipment online is concerned. You should make use of hyperlinks or any other feature that the site offers you to make your listing look attractive. This will increase the visibility of your listing and will pull more prospects towards it.

Pay additional fee to maximize the listing:-

Some websites may charge a nominal fee to maximize the visibility of the listing. You can avail the feature by paying that fee.

Related articles across the web