I’ve been in the construction industry my entire life; I began estimating construction as a teenager, helping my father in his electrical contracting business. I’ve been in residential remodeling sales, spent time as a licensed plumber, and ran my own successful remodeling business for many years. I’ve made all the mistakes any business owner can make, and my passion now is to help other business owners avoid those same mistakes. Most contractors go into business because they know their trade, but no one has taught them how to price their work or run a business. My goal is to help these contractors succeed.
I’ve read and reread this book so many times I wore out two copies when they fell apart in my hands. Sales is the highest-paying hard work or the lowest-paying easy work, and in business, nothing happens until someone sells something.
Tom Hopkins takes you through the steps of the sale and includes examples from his own career. This book helped me to a successful sales career; I’ve recommended it to thousands of contractors and have yet to hear a bad word about it.
I initially read this book because I consider President Lincoln one of the key figures in American history, and he’s also one of my heroes.
The book outlines 15 principles that Lincoln used; one favorite of mine is “Set Goals and Be Results-Oriented.” Lincoln led by example and got extraordinary results from ordinary men.
I’ve followed Brian Tracy and his work for many years and all his work, including this book, helped me further my career. He’s another one of my heroes.
This book outlines 21 principles with an action list after each. My favorite principle discusses the importance of prioritizing tasks, probably because it’s results-oriented. Brian provides easy-to-follow examples.
Achieve work-life balance by conquering procrastination and get your most important work done, now with new chapters on technology and maintaining focus
The fully revised and expanded edition of the global bestseller with over 3 million copies sold world-wide
The saying goes: if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, then you’re done with the toughest thing for the day. Eating that frog means tackling your most challenging task—and it’s also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.
Productivity and time management coach Brian Tracy shows you how to organize…
As a former Boy Scout, I was drawn to the adventure story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew because of their sheer determination.
In 1914, Shackleton wanted to be the first to reach the South Pole, and his determination was evident in his unwavering focus on the goal. I appreciated the example of someone who had the determination and courage of Washington, Lincoln, and Churchill and consider the book a must-read for those looking for inspiration in their own lives.
In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. For ten months the ice-moored Endurance drifted northwest before it was finally crushed between two ice floes. With no options left, Shackleton and a skeleton crew attempted a near-impossible…
I found many pearls of wisdom between the covers of this book and discovered new ideas and things to work on after each reading.
Though the book is written by a Jewish Rabbi, it’s not a religious book. Lapin is spot on with his 10 Commandments on how to prosper. It’s a wealth of ideas on how to enrich your life and your business.
If you want to succeed in construction and run a profitable construction business, you must price your jobs to recover all labor, material, and overhead expenses and make a reasonable profit. This book explains how to do that and much more. It covers the basics of construction business management.
The principles outlined apply to general and specialty contractors. They apply whether you are remodeling or renovating, or building new construction, and they apply to both residential and commercial contractors. You’ll find tried and tested formulas that guarantee profits. There are step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow examples to help you learn how to make your business a success.
