If you think you get enough of spam email already, brace yourself.  You will get dozens of unsolicited emails every single day for bids, take offs, estimating services, SEO management, and lending.  It’s just down right annoying.  You can block every email but they just keep coming.  Never once have I engaged in these services. Why in the hell do I need someone to do my job? You can reply and ask to be removed from their email distribution list all you want.  They will just e

I bet you didn’t know it but you can get audited by the state. It was a very uncomfortable process.  I am one of those meticulous guys that pays attention to detail and has to have all of his ducks in a row.  So, if you’re not a detail-oriented person, you better become one or hire someone who is.  This will go a long way in covering your ass in down the road.  Keep detailed records on your estimates, work orders, invoices, materials receipts, profits, w-9s, and more.   Havin

There is a lot to learn so my best advice is to find an accountant who knows the industry that you want to work in.  Yes, there is a difference between an accountant whose primary customers are hospitals and healthcare versus one who’s primary customers are construction companies.  There is so much to learn.    For instance, when I created my company, I set up my LLC and I established my EIN.  Now I didn’t open doors and start my business that year.  It was the beginning of t

I am not sure how to address this but getting reviews is like pulling teeth.  You can do the best job in the world and still not get a good review or any review at all.  A customer will tell you so many wonderful things.  The work looks amazing.  The guys were amazing.  I will recommend your company to all of my friends.  They will give your guys cash tips.  They will give you food and make cookies for you.  However, when you ask for that review, you get nothing.  Absolutely

This process is a joke.  You will eventually get screwed. Meaning you will get stiffed by a customer.  You can pay the fees to take them to small claims court.  This is usually a few hundred dollars.  However, be prepared to wait a year or even two years before your day in court.   You can also piss off the customer by suing them and they end up counter suing you.  Now if they don’t show up to court you get a default judgement.  If you don’t show up, they get the default judg

You need to put as much language in your invoice as possible.  This should include payment terms, methods of acceptable payment, and consequences of nonpayment.  Cashier’s checks and money orders are better than personal checks.  Fortunately, in six years I have only had one check bounce.  The customer was very nice and immediately rectified the situation.  In today’s world there are so many different ways to accept payment.  Venmo and Zelle are both very popular.  We encoura

There is that old saying that has been around for decades: The customer is always right. Let me clarify as nicely as I can: Bullshit! My God, if you do this work long enough you will come across the absolute worst customers you can possibly think of. Too bad you can't make your customer take a psychological exam before taking them on as a customer. If you have a customer that is a contractor or states, my dad was a builder, you may want to think long and hard before takin

When you write your estimates, the goal is to make money.  Your profit margin should be reasonable.  It should cover the cost of doing business and making enough money to pay the bills and re-invest into the business.  Expenses such as business insurance, employee benefits, SBA loans, marketing fees, and cost of goods sold should all be considered when calculating your margins.    Things that can affect your margin are poorly written estimates.  Going over on time and driving

This one is always fun.  Be prepared for an onslaught of threats.  I would say about 99 percent of your firings end with threats, foul language and zero accountability.  Maybe it is a blue color mentality. I like to give a person a few chances before letting them go.  I try to coach them as much as possible.  You would think that providing feedback would encourage professional growth.  You will have issues like not coming to work on time, doing shitty work, not cleaning up,

As your business grows you will find yourself needing additional help.  Sub-contractors can provide you with the extra help you need.  These personnel usually get paid on a 1099 basis.  Now let me enlighten you what you can expect.  There are some important things you need from a subcontractor such as cleanliness, neatness, hygiene, timeliness, quality of work, and communication skills.  Good luck finding all of these attributes in one person.  Don’t be alarmed by the presenc