Category Archives: Construction

Two Ways to Differentiate Your Service Contracting Business from the Competition

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

As the Information Technology has made the service contracting business reach the mass at a rapid rate, it has become very important for every owner of service contracting business to stand out in the competition. Only providing top-notch quality service is not enough, one has to become a good learner of the market strategies to globalise his service contracting business.  The two most important ways to differentiate your service contracting business from the competition is to use the social media like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In and listen to your customer with great care.

This article will define the above said two points to improve your service contracting business.

  • Use of Social Media:- Social media is the best source to reach the people. By using social media you can share the views of your customers and also tell them about the services which your company offer. You can use this media to inform the people about your service contracting business and why should they opt for you. A survey on the number of users of social media shows that nearly 1.7 million people use Facebook (leaving aside the surveys on other social media). Social media sites give opportunity to the users to communicate with other such service contracting business owners. And if the owners add you in their circles then you can also get some latest information about how they are trying to satisfy the customers by delivering services. This will definitely help you a lot. Account with more number of likes always attracts more traffic. If you have more number of likes, then people will visit your website and if they require any kind of service they will contact you either through email or phone. The increase in the number of likes in a social media makes the customer believe that it is trust worthy.
  • Carefully listen to your customer: In order to attain success in service contracting business, you have to listen carefully to your customer. Find out in which field they need your service. Ask them the deadline of delivering that service. Don’t delay in providing customer service and try to give them some offers or discounts to attract the customer. Try to give the customer quality service. If you give them quality service and that too within an affordable price the customer will definitely stay with you in the long run. Give good training to the customer service provider personnel isn’t a bad idea. If they are properly trained then they will make no faults while servicing. Even when your contract period with the customer is over, call them (though less frequently) to know the condition of the product. And if they make any complaints regarding the service then try to fix it and assure them that it will not happen again in future and you are really feeling very sorry for it.

 

Apart from this building an attractive website, giving online and offline ads, and an arrangement of weekly fun staff meeting where you can discuss about various steps required to take your service contracting business to the top are some other points which cannot be ignored.

 

 

Keeping your cards close to your heart is the thumb rule to success in the construction industry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Every businessman has some or the other secrets that is the reason of his success in any industry. Especially in the construction industry, people need to be very shrewd about what they are telling to others. In no way they can utter a single line of their success mantra and people who write books claiming that they have written all the secrets to become successful in life are not so true. They may just give a glimpse of the entire mantra and elaborate it extensively to make it look like they have written everything in the book. However, that’s not the fact. A businessman would always want to keep his cards close to his chest and would hardly or never reveal his business secrets to anybody.

We would be discussing why one should not speak more about his achievements and the way he managed to attain success in public especially when he is dealing with men in the construction industry.

Your business model is unique:-

We all follow very distinctive business model and if it works we start reaping fruits. We add few things from it and deduct any unwanted elements which ultimately make it a model that many would like to follow. But the sad part of the story is that you can’t allow your business model to go public. Construction business is a highly competitive business and everybody wants to grow as quickly as they can. In this situation, if you make your model public and easily accessible to the general public, then there will be no stopping for people who will use your model and claim it to be theirs. You have only unnecessarily grown problems for yourself. Therefore, just keep the stuff with you without letting others have the slightest hint on what model you follow and how you work that you make such good profits.

Integrity is key:-

Integrity is a big business requirement and it is hard to get people who know what integrity is all about. It is absolutely important to hire the right set of people who understand the importance of honesty and integrity. People of strong character and principles should be the one you want them to be a part of your company. Once you are sure that you have found the right set of people on whom you can trust, you can share your business model with them and can work on it to take your business to new heights.

Avoid being a part of excessive limelight:-

We all like to become famous. But becoming famous at what cost would be an interesting question. It is fine to know people in your business circles and is also great being known to them. Having good connections always help you in your business but coming into excessive limelight can become a problem. Unknowingly, you may give people the chance to take undue advantage. Too much of anything is not good and definitely for your business.

 

Related articles across the web

Hire an expert to design the website of your construction company

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

In today’s competitive world, in order to become a successful businessman, one needs to ensure that he pervades the name of his business to the edge of the world leaving no countries where he can provide his services. It is important that he make his business known to others which will in turn help him to get more businesses from others. This is possible only if he can spread the word like a fire in the jungle. He can make use of internet to reach out to millions who can avail his services and in turn he can make good money out of the deal.

A person doing any form of business wants to pervade it to others so that people around him knows about his work and in this process can get more businesses from them. This is how one can grow his business and plan for expansions. In order for all this to happen, it is important that the company has its website which exclusively speaks about the company and the type of work it does. Internet has the power to reach millions of people in just seconds and people who need your services will get in touch with you.

In the Construction business, it is very important to reach out to people and establish trust pertaining to your work. In order for the guy to give your business, they should first know about you and the kind of projects you have completed. Reviews also play an important role. So you should be always open to feedbacks. So the crux of the matter is you need a website that is informative as well as interactive. Something where people can post their feedback and also gain information about your business.

Designing a website is an art and not everybody can give your website the charm that it requires. This work can be done by professionals who have been working in this domain for years. Remember, creating a website for a construction company can be more difficult than creating it for some other form of business. Here the website designer needs to show your past work, your existing projects as well as a glimpse of your future plans to the mass at large. For this, he might need some good quality pictures of the projects that you have a part of and then upload them on the website. He can then give some write up next to the pictures of your project.

Hiring an expert website designer could be another challenge as not everybody who claims to be a website designers are as good as you want them to be. You are investing good chunk of money to design your website and you need real good work out from them. So it is important that you do some research and try to find out some names of ace website designers who have worked designing websites for other construction companies. This will help you a great deal in creating a niche website for your company.

Related articles across the web

Dozer Engine Specifications – How can one know more of them?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A construction site is installed with various heavy equipment. They need almost all sorts of heavy equipment to complete a project. Out of all the heavy equipment that they have on their site, a bulldozer is a must. Many big construction companies say that dozers are the most integral part of their business and they can’t dream of completing a project without the presence of highly efficient and easy to use dozers. Dozers are not only needed in big construction projects but also in projects which are not huge in nature. One can do away with any other heavy equipment which they feel can be ignored but never with a dozer. They will always feel the need of that equipment for the completion of their project.

Now we have something which is of such an importance. Have you wondered what would be the specifications of its engine which carries most of the load of the machine? An engine is said to be the heart of the machine and if that is in good shape, any external damage to the machine can be easily dealt with. However, if something goes wrong with the engine, it takes a heavy toll on the project as you may expect the machine to not to work for few days. Unless you have an alternative for the equipment, things will be harsh.

Let us now talk about the specification of the engine of a dozer. Before we go any further with the topic, please note that different companies have different makes and every make has variation in its engine. So the specification of the CAT dozer engine will be spoken in length.

The model of the CAT dozer engine is 3406 with around 315 horse power with a displacement of 590.9 cu in. The horse power that the engine gives is quite immense in comparison to models made by its competitors. Nevertheless, there are few makes manufactured by companies like John Deere, Hitachi etc that marvels many times that the CAT model.

In order to know in depth about the specifications of the dozer engine, the most reasonable way is to explore the internet. You may find unlimited search results that will help you understand the design or the pattern of the engine. Though exploring the internet is one of the best options but there are some flaws as well. Getting too much of options can sometime make things very confusing. You may not understand what to see and what to skip and especially when you are running short of time, it becomes a pain to browse the entire site just to know a simple specification of the engine.

In such a situation, it is often advised to meet a dealer or visit the dozer manufacturing company’s office and ask for a brochure which will contain all the minute information of everything. You can focus your attention to the design of the engine or can have a look at the entire brochure. You never know what might catch your attention the next minute.

Related articles across the web

Opportunities in the construction sector are endless in gulf countries

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Every industry has its own ups and downs. So when the time is good, the industry grows. However, when the industry as a whole is down, there is a state of panic in the minds of the people who are associated with that industry. Having said this, it is not necessary that the industry that is going down in your country will have the same trend in other countries as well. This means that in case you are seeing a downward trend in one particular sphere, the same industry in some other country is prospering. This gives a very good opportunity for people who do not mind moving to other countries and working there. Of course, a lot also depends upon the work visa rules of that country but if that is taken care of, then it should presumable a factor of moving from one place to other.

As far as the construction industry goes, it is moving at a steady pace in the United States. A lot needs to be done in the sphere of oil and gas sector which remains unexploited and companies are trying to check everything in their possibility to get the resources out from the earth’s crust and utilize them in the best possible manner. However, there are countries that are hugely dependent on the construction sector for the development of their country’s economy. Countries in the gulf are investing good deal of money in the construction business and are asking people from various countries to come and work there. They are also paying fat package to guys who are experienced in the construction sector and could be an asset to the company.

Skilled laborers in the United States can take advantage of this opportunity and move to such countries that are ready to pay them the money they demand. The only thing that they need in return is their experience, effort and hard work to make their dream come true. Americans are given high respect in many of the gulf nations and they can work safely sending back enough for their families to live a comfortable life.

In order to get hold of one such job, you can check newspapers that give advertisements of different construction companies all over the globe seeking for skilled and unskilled laborers. They also give their email address on the advertisement. You got to send your Resume to them and wait for their reply. They do not take long to reply and things will be clarified to you in that email. You may ask for a phone number in case you want to talk to them. An interview is anyways going to happen where you can understand what they are look for and if you are ready to sign up for that.

Another way to search for a job in the gulf countries is by checking the opportunities on Google. You hit the kind of job you are looking for it will throw everything it has. This will make your search easier and you will have more control over things. The construction sector in indeed booming in the Gulf nations and this is the time to earn good dime there.

Related articles across the web

Small contractors should pay more attention to the quality of work than their profitability

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

 

Profitability plays a very important role in the survival of any form of business. If there are no profits, people would not be into business. It is not just the sheer will that drives people to form a company or do any small or big time business but the main component or for that matter the primary reason behind forming a business is the capability to earn more money than what one can presumably make in a salaried job. Now, not everybody has the potential to start a business even they have the best of the minds to run one. They have to simply stick to a job. However, if somebody manages to start a business, for the initial few years, he has to work in a no profit no-loss environment. It is only after the break even period that he will be able to witness some profits from his business. However, till that time he got to manage to stick to his business and be determined that no matter what, he will not give it up.

It has primarily been seen with small contractors that during their initial phase they start looking for profits in their business and in this process they take up multiple work and are forced to compromise on the quality. They are able to make profits for the time being but the days are numbered. They belong to the lot of people who are not able to take their business for long. Earning profits should not mean that you have to compromise on the quality. Your client will never want you to do so. It is understood that as long you do not have a brand name, people will be reluctant to pay good sum of money but you create your brand with the good work that you do.

Quality is something that you just can’t afford to compromise upon. If you do so, then you are only creating trouble for yourself. No sooner than you realize that things are going out of your hand and eventually you get to know that you are finding hard to get clients as they are moving to guys who can give them quality work. So the thumb rule should be that while you have set up your construction business, try to get some client and generate trust in their minds by doing good work. It will take time and will not happen in a day. Reach out to as many people as you can.

Creating contacts is the most important thing while you are running a construction company. People do not know you. You don’t have a brand name that will help you to get work. You got to build that. So rather than looking to make profits you should be looking for excellence. Give some time to your company to grow. Don’t be in haste as you will get nothing if you hurry. Things take time to happen and it will happen if you have it enough time. So follow the rule of not running behind profits and paying more attention to give excellent work.

Know the Fundamentals while Operating a Motor Grader

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A motor grader is a construction vehicle which is used for creating a flat surface at the time of grading. It has a long blade and also comprises of axles with engine and cab on top of the rear axles. The motor grader finds application for various construction purposes such as maintaining roads, landscaping. It is very important and versatile earthmoving heavy equipment but operating it can be quite complex as compared to other heavy construction vehicles.

Factors to keep in mind before Operating a Motor Grader

It will be advisable to use small graders if you intend to use ait for maintaining roads and building landscapes.

Consider the ground conditions before operating it. Ground conditions should be the first criteria before selecting the type and size of the motor grader. This is an important factor to consider before operating it because some ground conditions tremendous pressure from the blades while some other motor graders take advantage from lower pressure borne by the ground.

Use a heavy motor grader in case if you are operating it in those sites which are full of rocks and gravels because such rocky conditions can take a great toll on the machine pins and basic structures.

Try to operate a motor grader that has wider and thicker edges because they are suitable for complex construction purposes such as road maintenance and pioneering. Generally graders with thicker edges have better features such superior abrasion and collision resistance ability. Curved edges are narrow and thin in size than wider and thicker wedges, and if you prefer using curved edges then it will give you better performance in terms of superior infiltration and rolling action beneficial for fine grading and finish work.

The width of the ditch slopes should differ depending on the kind of road being built and also make sure that the soil type, ditch depth you use should be rightly available.

 

A flat-bottom ditch can tackle large amounts of rain or snowfall and can provide extra material if it is needed to lift up the road. If the enough to prevent construction site is subjected to severe rainfall, then raising the surface high is the best option to prevent water from leaking under the road. If a surface is raised then it allows to get rid of the snow from the road, reducing drifting.

 

Tips to Grade a Construction Site with the help of Motor Grader

To grade a site an operator needs to have skills to run the equipment as well as comprehensive knowledge about using latest technologies such as GPS and laser control system.

Grade the sites with those motor graders which have hydraulic engines with cooling fans to improve the cooling performance of the motor grader while operating it in hot weather. The cooling fans are important to prevent machine from getting overheated. It will be beneficial to invest in EPA Tier 2 and 3 engines as they prevent machine damage due to overheating.

Consider using less rpm to grade the construction sites, as it will be fuel-efficient and also increase the productivity of the motor grader.

To sum up grading a construction site requires some tips and procedures for the operators to follow such as the type and size of the equipment and ground conditions to operate it smoothly efficiently and get the best out of the machine.

Related articles across the web

Safety First In Construction Sites

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

The construction business is not an easy one. There are a lot of aspects that are to be considered when it comes to successfully executing a project. Among several aspects, the most important thing to be concerned with is the safety. It is to be made sure that no harm is cased to the workers or the environment at the time of the construction. At the same time, it is also to be ensured that the people who are going stay inside the building are safe. Therefore, a construction must be done with adherence to the guidelines of the government. Otherwise, legal hassles can leave a construction company completely devastated.

There have been many instances where people in charge have been slapped with extreme cases by the government due to negligence in this regard. An American project manager was sued by the government with charges of manslaughter when. He had ignored order to stop working. As a result, the construction site saw the death of an employee in the trenches. Another company had received orders to make payments of about one million dollars for the charges of terminating a foreman wrongfully along with two drivers as they raised their concerns regarding the fatigue of the drivers.

These actions taken against the company representatives have been done justly. The worker who had been fired had been compensated. However, the family of the deceased will hardly be ever able to compensate for their loss. The injustice done is not only affecting the deceased but also the friends and the family of the sufferer. Therefore, such damages are compensated easily with monetary penalties. Therefore, it is only natural to penalize the people responsible with stringent punishments for their negligence and lack of responsibility. That is why all companies are expected and ordered to stick to the construction rules stipulated by the corporation.

The occupational safety and health administration has been vested with the responsibility of inspecting the job sites, the unsafe practices in the city. They also levy fines for such activities and can also shut down projects. Some may have complaints about the apparent oversight. However, the devastating incidents are far more significant and prominent than the trivial inconveniences. Supervisors and construction workers who do not pay heed to the unsafe conditions are forced to acknowledge the responsibility by the governing body for their as well as other’s safety.

The operators of tower crane have been given the authority to get a project shut down if they feel that the safe lifts are being jeopardized by the wind speeds. In this way many visible accidents can be prevented. There has been the creation of a new group known as the Construction Equipment Safety. This group has mainly three goals. The first goal is to get all accidents highlighted due to the construction equipment so that others can avoid such unfortunate incidents. The second goal is to encourage discussion regarding the improvement of the safety in the construction sites, the finally goal is to share experiences and strategies so that new ideas could be developed.

 

 

Related articles across the web

Employ Heavy Equipment Marketing Plan to Grow your Business

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

As Seth Godin says, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers”, clears the idea that presently, marketing is the momentous factor of any sort of business. Earlier the businessmen were not required to give cold calls to their customers to enhance their products and services. Even they used to get calls from the potential shareholders for bidding or proposing their shares in high-priced. But nowadays, this scenario has been completely changed. The traders should acquire knowledge about marketing strategies in order to expand their business.

It is known to all of us that the heavy equipment are available in the souk in an expensive price. Hence the construction and mining companies always want to avail the heavy equipment in rental basis. Loads of heavy equipment rental organizations always try to provide best services in order to attract more and more construction traders towards them. The work environment of our modern society is undoubtedly tough and competitive. This competition is same for the heavy equipment renting concerns also. The owners of these firms should require making former trades calls and executing a marketing method to maintain their incoming channel full of prospective ventures to bid. Here in the following, the businessmen will come to know about the effective marketing strategies without utilizing the process of cold calling.

Build Cognizance of Your Organization

The heavy equipment rental firms must use the trustworthy postal services to create awareness of their companies. They should remember the detailed contact address of their potential buyers. Exclusive, innovative and instructive articles, mini-brochures, postcards, guides and the checklists of the companies should be mailed to the prospective purchasers so as to grab their attention towards the concern.

Pique Clients Attention

Heavy Equipment rental organization should mail some eye-catchy advertisements and discount schemes to their potential customers in order to keep itself in the priority list. The company can also send attractive gift items to the customers for instance coffee cups with hammer shaped handles, golf ball markers, cartoons, web notepads etc. It is very important to know that the heavy equipment companies should send only those materials that are read, demanded and preserved by the customers.

Match Your Service with Customer’s Thinking

Another vital step of the heavy equipment marketing plan is informing the customers about the activities performed by the rental companies. It will help in building confidence of the customers towards the organization. When the heavy equipment renting firms informed the prospectors about their goals, services and attractive packages, this will surely works out. The companies must show their concerns for their customers by sending articles related to various topics like announcements, customer, staff maintenance, administration etc.

Scores of heavy equipment rental organizations utilize database contact software program to maintain track of their targeted punters. This software is considered as the part of the marketing plan that assists the businessmen to promote their products and services in an enhanced way. Furthermore, it helps the heavy equipment companies to find out the contact details of their desired prospective clients. The companies can also mail personalised letters to the approaching customers about their latest schemes.

Take loans to finance purchase of heavy equipment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

It was never easy to start a new business and in today’s time, it has become more difficult to give a head start to a business given the sort of competition one has to face on a daily basis. A person has to sacrifice a lot to keep his business floating. On top of it, he has to juggle well between his personal and professional life. Under all these circumstances, when one is struggling to keep his business moving, it becomes difficult to incorporate something expensive in the business. Well, business in a construction industry is all about that. You have to be ready to bring in new equipment if the business needs it. You can’t let the offer go just because you can’t afford to buy the machine. Most of the time, a person also gets business after being evaluated on the kind of machines he possesses. Therefore, he needs to have the machines that are a part of his business requirements.

For small construction companies, it may not be so simple to buy brand new equipment. They have experienced serious financial crunch during the beginning of their professional career. They may not want to invest all that they have in buying equipment and then struggle for finances to meet overhead expenses. These overhead expenses cost dearly too many companies who are not financially sound. This has also become the reason why many start-up companies are forced to shut their businesses and look for something else. Construction segment is undoubtedly the most rewarding sector; however it rewards people who have managed to stay in this sector for years and have stood firm during turbulent times.

Taking a loan to finance heavy equipment may sound like a good option but it also has its limitations. One needs to be very sure that he will be able to pay the loan in time. This will help him to keep his credit score in place and will also keep his business moving. There are many financial institutions that are ready to finance people looking for loans on heavy equipment. It would be prudent to first check the interest rates of the institution before you take the loan. Many financial institutions offer lower rate of interest but they have certain service charges that are very high. It may make no sense to you to pay that high service charge to the company just to buy low interest rate. If you look closely, you will definitely find someone who is charging the service charge defined by their governing body and the interest rates as stated in the norms. That sort of company should be the one you should be looking at. Simultaneously, also understand the terms and conditions well. For instance, the term of the loan is crucial to understand. Also, the plan should have a provision to make early or part payment whenever you have excess money without charging anything extra for that. Ideally, the heavy equipment manufacturing company will arrange financial institutions for you. But if you want to use the services of any other organization, you are free to do so.