- Posted by Leslie Shiner, MBA on August 24, 2010
Is business starting to pick up for you? Are you considering hiring a new employee? If so, you need to be aware of the HIRE Act. Back in March, President Obama signed the Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment Act (hence the name HIRE Act). It includes tax benefits that you just might be able to use.
If you hire an unemployed worker, your business is exempt from the employers’ share of the Social Security tax. This means that you will not have to pay the 6.2% tax on wages paid from March 19, 2010 through December 31, 2010. If you pay a worker $25 per hour, for 40 hours per week, the savings amounts to $62 per week ($25 x 40 = $1,000 x 6.2% = $62). That’s $62 per week in payroll taxes that you won’t have to pay, ever! (The employee still needs to pay into the fund, so their deductions will not change.)
What’s the catch? Well, you need to hire qualified employees; those are workers who have been unemployed (or employed for less than 40 hours) during the 60-day period, which ends on the date you hire them. Individuals who were self-employed during the 60 days prior to the date of new employment are ineligible for the HIRE act tax credit. Also, the new employee must be an additional employee, meaning that you cannot get the tax credit if you are hiring him or her to replace another employee who was laid off. In plain English, you can’t fire someone, just to hire someone else to get this tax credit.
And the benefit continues; if you keep this employee for at least year, you may be eligible for a general business tax credit in 2011.
While this may all sound like tax gobbledygook, you do not need to know all the details. Just know enough that if business is starting to improve, and you are thinking about hiring, now is the time to check with a tax professional to make sure you are getting all the benefits you can. Sometimes, there is such a thing as ‘free money.’
Leslie Shiner—author, speaker, and trainer—has more than twenty years experience as a financial and management consultant. She is the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, a consulting firm helping businesses gain financial control. As a business coach, she has worked with both small and large businesses to help them better understand their business practices and maximize their profits. She is the author of “A Simple Guide to Turning a Profit as a Contractor.” Ms Shiner is an engaging speaker with a long history of rave reviews. She continues to receive high praise for her ability to make financial management interesting, understandable, and even entertaining. www.shinergroup.com
- Posted by Michael Stone on August 20, 2010
Estimating jobs is one of the most demanding but tedious parts of construction. Doing it right makes it easier for you to profit on every job you build. Doing it wrong will cost you money.
Regardless of the type of construction work you do, you should have a basic form that you use to do a takeoff. This form should be used on every estimate you do. A takeoff form can come in many forms and shapes, but the best ones follow the simple rule of K.I.S. A sample form can be found in either of our books.
Probably the best residential reference material we have found are the series of estimating manuals produced by Craftsman Book Company. You can review what they offer at www.costbook.com. I have seen a lot of estimating books over the years, but Craftsman’s, in my opinion, is the easiest to use. Like any estimating book or software program, you must update the prices from your local subcontractors and suppliers each week.
You should be cautious when buying educational programs or software that promise to teach estimating. Look at the the course outline, make sure they teach what you need. The course should start with the basics and work up to the most complex jobs, so you learn what a good estimating process looks like and how an estimate should be conducted.
Estimating is a process, it isn’t just assembling a bunch of numbers. Doing it correctly requires discipline, and if you develop that discipline, doing the same things the same way, every time, you’ll find your estimates are accurate. If you don’t have the discipline to do estimates in a consistent manner, or if you try to guess at the numbers and aren’t consistent in your methodology, you will find your estimates are inconsistent and more likely to have errors, and those errors can cost you money.
Michael Stone of Camas, Washington, has more than four decades of experience in the building and remodeling industry. He is author of Markup and Profit; A Contractor’s Guide, published by Craftsman Book Co, and his second book, Profitable Sales, A Contractor's Guide was released in 2007. Michael offers Coaching and Consulting services for construction companies throughout the U.S., as well as products for business management, and is a frequent speaker at national and regional construction related events and will be speaking at JLC LIVE in Providence. www.markupandprofit.com
- Posted by Dennis Dixon on August 16, 2010
For those of us who have worked with insurance companies on claims repairs, the first Rule of Thumb is that any price estimate, submittal or contract must be in a format that outlines costs with the last two baselines as a 10% overhead charge, coupled with a final line calculation of a 10% profit. Mind you, those percentages are maximum submittal percentages. This actually results in a 21% netback for contractors, remodelers and renovators (Costs x 10%, then multiply that total by 10% again = 21% not 20%).
In northern Arizona, the winter of 2009/2010 was record setting. In the metro Flagstaff area there was as much as 13 ft. of snow recorded from November 2009 through April 2010, by official weather recording stations. That record snowfall was exacerbated by drifting, ice accumulation and dramatic temperature fluctuations that caused numerous freeze thaw cycles, generating atypical snow packs and dramatically thick ice dams.
In summary, there was considerable snow and ice damage to numerous residential and commercial structures during that period. Quite a few, flat (1 to 2% minimal sloped)commercial roofs collapsed due to frozen roof drains, which generated, and accumulated weight due to ice build-up. One 20,000 Sq. ft. bookstore began sagging, and then collapsed during weekday business hours, and luckily no one was hurt!
Lots of ice dams, water damage, roof collapses, roof sags, deck implosions, concrete heaving, spalling, foundation heaves, etc. Imagine the damage and results of ice 4 ft. thick on the shady side of a roof for several months? A 50 lb. roof load (by Code) becomes inconsequential. Just a sidebar comment here: I've been installing roof and floor trusses speced at 24" on-center, at 16" to boost strength at a minimal cost, for over 20 years now, just for some un-anticipated circumstance. I also use this as a sales tool to differentiate my company vs. the competition.
The Conflict: My company examined, estimated and performed over twenty remodeling repair projects during the May through July 2010 time period. Those projects were initiated through my company being contacted by a variety of sources, including realtors, neighbors, owners and even some insurance settlement estimators.
The estimating involved, and subsequent "game" involved here, is the basis of this JLC Blog.
In every circumstance, our directives for repairs were provided by the property owners (the insured). In every case, the owners wanted the work done ASAP. "Just get it done, we'll worry about the costs later" was a common mantra of the property owners. Coupled with: "Don't worry about the insurance company, paperwork and the costs - my agent has said they will stand behind me in getting the work done". Due to my experience, I knew that the insured and the insurance company had differing motives, standards and priorities.
Assumptions: 90% of the homeowners assumed that the repair work would all be paid for and paid through the insurance company. Most thought all they had to do was contact a contractor, contact their insurance agent, and then sit back and wait for the repairs to initiate and be completed on a 24x7 schedule. Time is money and does involve inconvenience!
Wrong on all counts. Now a bullet point summary of the realities:
1. Work won't be paid for, by either owner or insurance company unless a written contract exists.
2. That written contract must completely define everything that will be done, e.g., detailed specifications: Plans, names, numbers, brands, permits, inspections, a payment schedule, code compliance,etc. "The whole shootin' match" as one of my former superintendents would say.
3. Your contract should specify the actual, party responsible for payment. This is of extreme importance. Make sure it is written out as to how, when,and where, you will receive payment. The tidbits about reimbursements, etc. is none of your concern.
4. The Estimate: In ALL cases, my repair estimate and the settlement amount named by the insurance company, were as different as night and day. One of the most extreme examples was an $1,800 repair settlement amount against a $28,342.00 worth of repair work.
5. In a majority of the projects, the owners always fell back to a negotiation to my company from the standpoint of, "Well, we're only going to pay what the insurance company approves". Don't allow this historical negotiation ploy to cause you to cave on your estimate, profit and estimated overhead. Should you be reasonable and business-like? Of course, but don't adjust your price because some pencil pushing, gets a percentage of the settlement savings. Don't adjust and let the actuary brow beat you or let the homeowner reduce you to accepting peanuts for steak.
6. In ALL cases, the owner had to push, nudge or badger their insurance agent to stand up for their rights and benefits with the parent company. This generated results in the amount of realistic repair costs in 99% of the proposed projects.
7. Tip: I implemented a $300 fee for all repair estimates to avoid being "used" to analyze a project and not receive the job. The $300 was credited against the repair cps's when the contract was signed. Oh, and a P.S. (post script on this subject): our down payment was 20% of the Contract amount to get started, prepare the plans and specs and permitting process.
8. Know Your Numbers: I know how to make money due to my estimating skills and expertise. I also know how to play the game. I can use my standard remodeling markup of 1.65 x costs and prepare my proposal to reflect 10 and 10!
One thing that you should know, when you pay an insurance policy invoice, 30 to 50% of that amount is paid to the agent as a sales fee and/or commission. Do they work on a 10 and 10 basis? Yeah, sure they do!
Dennis A. Dixon, owner of Dixon Ventures, in Flagstaff, Arizona, is an author, speaker and general contractor, mainly focusing on combining craftsmanship with profitability in custom home building. Dennis has more than 25 years in construction, plus he is the author of Finding Hidden Profits: A Guide for Custom Builders and a columnist for Custom Home magazine. dixven@aol.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on August 9, 2010
As most of you know as the consulting business I run slowed down for the recession, I founded a remodeling/handyman company. It has been fun getting the tools out and getting back into the craft. Most importantly it has been educational to put my Lead Carpenter System to the test. Recently I have started doing service calls for a large remodeler here is Rhode Island. It is interesting to be following up on the work done by the company, in some cases 5-8 years ago and in some cases jobs that have just finished.
Some of the items that I am finding could have been solved with a little better finish up policy for the company. These are not major things but small items that may be missed. So perhaps a final completion checklist for each type of job would make sense. A checklist that includes the things that are commonly missed, as well as the items that are usually taken care of, just to make sure.
Another interesting thing is that the clients are not mad. As I said before, these are small things. They could, however, if left unattended, create more serious issues. Fortunately, a contact person from the company is in communication with the clients identifying the problem and dealing with it. This individual, does not necessarily have the knowledge to solve the problem, but he/she tracts down materials, returns calls to clients, documents the conversations, and gets help with the tech part as needed. They have a relationship with suppliers that allows them to get product free to replace broken or faulty parts. All this contributes to a scenario where when I show up with the right color caulk or the right valve, the problem gets solved.
As you might have guessed, I am very interested to know about the way the client has been treated by the company during the construction. I am proud to say that on every call I have made, the clients have been extremely happy with the way the company had done the work and n some cases were even embarrassed that they had called about that small problem.
The moral of the story - you do not have to be perfect, you just have to have a system, communicate well and deal with your problem spots quickly.
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com
- Posted by Leslie Shiner, MBA on July 28, 2010
For many of you, your financials are owned by your CPA or tax preparer. You set up your books the way he or she tells you to. Then, once a year, you print out the requested reports and send them to him. That certainly makes his job easier when it comes to tax time. But does it really help you?
Who needs to see what when? Your tax preparer needs to work with your numbers one day a year. You need to work with your number 365 days a year. So why not set them up to meet your needs, and let the tax preparer make changes once per year?
What does this mean for you? First, you might have a car loan. By accounting rules, that means you can only deduct the interest portion of the payments. But your business needs to generate enough cash each month to pay both the interest and principal. Why not deduct the full amount of the payments, and then at the end of the year, let your accountant make the adjustment to correct the books? It certainly will help you see if your gross profit is covering your total overhead, include all the loan payments.
If your company is a sole proprietorship or subchapter S corporation, the owner can pull out money as a draw or distribution. The problem with these types of transactions is that they appear on the Balance Sheet, and not as a deduction against the net profit on the Profit and Loss (P&L) Statement. For example, I saw a company that recorded a net profit of $50,000, but the owner pulled out $70,000. And then the owner wondered why there was no money left in the bank account.
Modify your P&L. Instead, create an ‘other expense’ account for money that, when pulled out of the company, typically ends up on the Balance Sheet. This includes draws/distributions, loan principal payments, income tax payments, etc. As long as it is in a section called ‘other expenses,’ your P&L will show two different net income numbers. First, there is ‘net ordinary income,’ which represents the amount that will be similar to your taxable income. Then the other expenses are deducted with a resulting net income. If your net ordinary income is positive, and your net income is negative, you may be pulling too much cash out of the business to pay down loans or for personal withdrawals.
The question is: who needs to see the numbers and how can you use them to better manage your company? Find a way to create a P&L and job cost reports that are meaningful to you. Use those numbers to manage your business and make sound financial decisions. Then, once a year, let your accounting convert them to the ‘right’ numbers for the tax return.
Leslie Shiner—author, speaker, and trainer—has more than twenty years experience as a financial and management consultant. She is the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, a consulting firm helping businesses gain financial control. As a business coach, she has worked with both small and large businesses to help them better understand their business practices and maximize their profits. She is the author of “A Simple Guide to Turning a Profit as a Contractor.” Ms Shiner is an engaging speaker with a long history of rave reviews. She continues to receive high praise for her ability to make financial management interesting, understandable, and even entertaining. www.ShinerGroup.com
- Posted by Michael Stone on July 20, 2010
A friend sent a note to me asking about the mindset of construction-related business owners. He said that he’d talked to a number of consultants about contractors, and they led him to believe that small to medium sized contractors don't want to learn how to solve problems - they would rather find solutions in nice, neat little packages. He asked if I thought that was true.
At the risk of alienating those who come to us for help with their businesses, I would agree. We have found that too many contractors would rather work on jobs than work on their business. If and when they have to work on their business, their preference is to watch a video clip that tells them what to do. Some contractors just don’t want to do the hard work of thinking. They are the ones Thomas A. Edison was talking about when he said, “There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.”
Does that description fit you? Don’t get upset with me if it does. Instead, consider changing your mindset. Consider spending an hour every day reading about your business, then thinking about what you read. Even if it doesn’t directly apply to your business today, it might apply tomorrow, or maybe a version of it could be put to use.
There is nothing wrong with watching educational video clips or movies. But do they make you think? And are they about things you like or is it something that will help you with your business? I’d suggest spending your time on the business-related topics first, then reward yourself with the fun stuff. Nothing wrong with a reward, as long as you do the work first.
It takes a lot of self-discipline to be a good business person and depending on others to do your thinking won’t cut it.
Michael Stone of Camas, Washington, has more than four decades of experience in the building and remodeling industry. He is author of Markup and Profit; A Contractor’s Guide, published by Craftsman Book Co, and his second book, Profitable Sales, A Contractor's Guide was released in 2007. Michael offers Coaching and Consulting services for construction companies throughout the U.S., as well as products for business management, and is a frequent speaker at national and regional construction related events and will be speaking at JLC LIVE in Providence. www.markupandprofit.com
- Posted by Dennis Dixon on July 12, 2010
No matter the size, locale or specialty services offered by your company, one central reality has invaded every professional since the beginning of construction. It's the myth of 10% profit and that you can continually run, operate and maintain the financial health of any business through the business directive of charging ten percent over your costs. "Better not make any mistakes" as my old 3rd grade teacher would say.
I'm not sure how and when it officially started, but it has been lingering around for many years. Twenty six years ago when I was a newly licensed, bright eyed and ambitious general contractor, I met a fellow builder on a plane flight who told me about the "myth". He was about 75 years of age and had been retired for over ten years.
"I used to be able to build a magnificent 4,000 SqFt custom home in Paradise Valley for under $20,000", he said. "And guess what I charged the clients, who were glad to pay? They saw value in the home!"
"So how much was the finished price to the buyer", I quizzed. "At least $40, maybe 45 thousand". he replied. "I knew my costs, knew how to estimate and made sure my subs made money, but did not over charge me for their services." I thought to myself, "Who knew?".
"Don't ever get sucked into working for peanuts", he said."No matter what your price, there's always someone there to criticize it and vow to produce the same work or end product for a lower cost". The construction business is filled with guys that don't understand their costs. Most fellas don't fully comprehend what it costs them to produce something by the hour, day, week or month". He went on. "Contractor's are their own worst enemy because they have poor business skills coupled with haphazard sales and negotiating methods".
"So what's the answer?" I asked. "Know your costs. Know what it costs to operate your company,before you lift a finger to do some work - by the hour, day, week and month". Then he turned the tables. "Would you wash my car for $100?", he quipped. "Uh, sure, I guess so, but I'm not really a person that specializes in washing cars. I could probably spend the same amount of time and effort invested in my building skills and make more than $100 for the same amount of energy expended", I winced. "You got it, kid", he mumbled as he lightly slugged my arm.
Now I'm turning the tables on my JLC LIVE blog readers: Do you know how much money it will cost you (and your company) to talk to a potential customer over the phone, agree to a house visit and then remove and repair the screen door, dropping it off at your glass subcontractor to re-screen it and then drive back out to the house and re-install the door. Total time expended 3.75 hrs. How much can you charge? How much will it cost you just to break even? Should you or can you charge $375? If you make $50 after you pay all of the costs, have you really profited?
Let me know. Think, review, share, expand and offer suggestions and opinions about the circumstance described. Do you want to do this for 10% over cash costs? ...Plus,write up the bill with all costs delineated and accompanied by receipts?
Dennis A. Dixon, owner of Dixon Ventures, in Flagstaff, Arizona, is an author, speaker and general contractor, mainly focusing on combining craftsmanship with profitability in custom home building. Dennis has more than 25 years in construction, plus he is the author of Finding Hidden Profits: A Guide for Custom Builders and a columnist for Custom Home magazine. dixven@aol.com
- Posted by Leslie Shiner, MBA on June 22, 2010
While I was speaking at the JLC LIVE Conference a participant came up to me and said he was concerned about his profit – aren’t we all! He said that when he had only a handful of employees he knew he was making good money. But as soon as he started hiring more carpenters and laborers, he stopped making a profit. While the economy was in a slump, he reduced his workforce. But now that the economy is improving, he is concerned that he needs to build his work force again. And he doesn’t want to repeat his mistakes. I assured him that this was a common lament among contractors.
It seems somewhat counterintuitive. If you hire an employee for $25/hour, and bill him out at $55/hour, doesn’t it seem like you should be making good money? Doesn’t it seem that the extra $30/hour that you make on each employee should be enough to cover your costs and put extra money in your pocket?
Consider your costs. Do you remember Pig-Pen, the character in the Peanuts cartoon strip? He was the kid who always had a cloud of dust around him. Your employees are like Pig-Pen. I’m not saying they are dirty, but wherever your employees go, a cloud of costs follow them. These added costs are called labor burden – which represents the additional burden of hiring employees. And they can be quite significant.
Most owners are aware of the standard burdens such as payroll taxes and workers compensation. Another typical burden is liability insurance. The majority of liability insurance policies are based on the total gross payroll. As your payroll grows, so does the cost of your liability policy. Even if your liability policy is based on total revenue, if your revenue grows, you’ll need to hire more employees. Therefore, liability insurance is related to your total payroll and should be considered a burden.
These costs are considered variable costs; they directly relate to your total gross payroll. If payroll goes up 10%, then each of the burdens above will also increase by 10%. But there are other types of labor burdens that are fixed costs; the costs are the same, no matter how much you pay your employees. These include such benefits as health insurance, as well as vacation and holidays.
One thing to consider when looking at these fixed costs is that the cost per hour increases when the total paid hours decrease. Most field crews do not consistently work 40 hours per week. What happens when it rains, or the crew goes home early because the inspector didn’t show up? While you only have to pay an hourly employee a wage when he works, you still have to pay health insurance when he doesn’t work.
Every burden adds to Pig-Pen’s cloud. Think of all the costs that belong to each employee. Does your carpenter have a company vehicle? Or do you reimburse for vehicle expenses if he uses a personal vehicle? Vehicle costs can be significant, including fuel, tolls, repairs, maintenance, fees, insurance and other costs that are often considered overhead. When calculating these costs, the total often falls between $3.50 and $6.00 per hour.
But we’re not done yet. Consider what other benefits you offer, such as a sick pay, dental or vision insurance, pension benefits, etc. Another way to look at this is to consider what happens if you hire another employee. Something as simple as a cell phone should be added to your burden. If you hired another employee, wouldn’t you have to increase your monthly cell phone or data package costs?
Consider efficiency. Now that the cloud of costs attached to your employees is almost as large as the employees themselves, we need to take into account the efficiency of your employees. No employee is 100% billable. While the goal of your company is to pay the crew to work in the field, consider all the time that you pay them to not work in the field. Do you have weekly production meetings? Do you pay for training? What about windshield time driving from job to job.
Look at the total number of hours you paid your employees last year. Then look at the total number of billable hours paid. Divide that into the total paid hours to determine your employee efficiency factor. With all the paid, nonproductive time, achieving even a 75% efficiency rate is difficult. Few companies in this industry are able to meet that goal.
As efficiency drops, the cost per hour increases. Even if you achieve a 75% efficiency factor, it means that for every three hours of paid billable time spent on the job, you are paying for one additional hour that is not billable.
Bear in mind the Pig-Pen effect as you set your billing rates. Considering all the costs of employees can help you structure your pricing strategy to make sure you stay profitable as you grow. With tight margins on each job, having a billing rate that doesn’t even cover your true costs spells disaster for the future of your company. As you send your crews out into the field, remember the cloud of costs that follow them wherever they go.
(Note – to obtain a FREE simple labor burden calculator, check out my website at www.shinergroup.com)
Leslie Shiner— author, speaker, and trainer—has more than twenty years experience as a financial and management consultant. She is the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, a consulting firm helping businesses gain financial control. As a business coach, she has worked with both small and large businesses to help them better understand their business practices and maximize their profits. She is the author of “A Simple Guide to Turning a Profit as a Contractor.” Ms Shiner is an engaging speaker with a long history of rave reviews. She continues to receive high praise for her ability to make financial management interesting, understandable, and even entertaining.
- Posted by Michael Stone on June 17, 2010
Once again I have been reminded of the value of networking.
We are holding a party this summer, and we needed to spruce up our deck. Whoever built it was a classic “Hamburger Harry”, complete with one of the worst hand railing installs I have seen in years. We lived with it until now, but it was time for a change.
So I went to a local supplier and got the details on vinyl hand railing materials and lots of “advice” on how long it should take to install, what it was going to cost, what tools I would need and how “easy” it was to put it all together. Yep. And I believed him.
I’m finished with the project, except for a gate on either end to keep our dog on the deck.
All in all the project turned out nicely but this is what I learned:
1) It takes twice as long as the guy at the supply house said it would.
2) The project cost over 50 percent more than an equivalent wood railing (but at least the dog can’t chew it up)
3) The post skirts don’t line up with the edge of the deck, so I need a skirt board to camouflage the overhang.
4) The sleeves that are supposed to slip right over the existing 4” x 4” posts, don’t.
5) Our deck had settled at least 2 inches – crawling underneath to jack it back up is still as hard on my knees as it was 40 years ago when I was plumbing.
Yes, I should have talked to more people and to get better acquainted with the vinyl railing system before I decided to take that approach. That is called hindsight. I am now full of it. So, if I can pass along one little kernel of free advice, my friends, talk to the guys that do the work, not the suppliers. The difference between the stories will be like day and night.
Michael Stone of Camas, Washington, has more than four decades of experience in the building and remodeling industry. He is author of Markup and Profit; A Contractor’s Guide, published by Craftsman Book Co, and his second book, Profitable Sales, A Contractor's Guide was released in 2007. Michael offers Coaching and Consulting services for construction companies throughout the U.S., as well as products for business management, and is a frequent speaker at national and regional construction related events and will be speaking at JLC LIVE in Providence. www.markupandprofit.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on June 11, 2010
A while back Shawn McCadden wrote a blog about the RRP EPA lead rule, and I wondered if there was a need for a training the Lead Carpenter about lead. I dismissed it not knowing the extent of the law and the details of the work. The other day I received my training for the new lead rule and am convinced that this ups the ante for the skills of a Lead Carpenter.
Here are a couple of thoughts on this:
It is new. I hate change and I believe I am like many people and certainly Lead Carpenters. If I have a habit it is hard to change. This law mandates that we learn to think again about the way we disturb paint. It changes the routine and so Lead Carpenters must be flexible enough to implement the site concerns. It takes planning. Now I have been pushing job planning for many years, but again this ups the ante. Not only does the lead have to consider dust mitigation in general, they must have specialized equipment on site when needed. It also will change the routine of demo. No more just come in and tear out, but now it is lead based paint first, then clean, then demo.
This takes a plan. It involves paperwork. This is the real kicker. I used to say 4 pieces of paper is all you have to deal with. Now it is 7-8! Not only do they have to be filled out, but the implications are long ranging. A time card misplaced, my apologies to book keepers everywhere, no big deal! A lead paint inspection form misplaced, and you can have the weight of the government on you.
It takes increased communication skills. Imagine the slip up that can happen if a Lead Carpenter says the wrong thing to a client about lead paint. You think a budget question can cause a problem, this could lead to a law suit! By simply blowing off a question or not being serious enough about the issue will raise red flags for clients.
With all this in mind it is important for companies to not rely on the EPA based training, but to train your people to act and communicate the way you want them to. Train them for what to say to clients; how they turn in paperwork; who is responsible for the testing, and more. Train! Train! Train!
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com