Spinning Your Web

In the old days, internet-based leads that came into Bowen Family Homes' Web site would go to Internet director Kelly Kenton Fink, who would parcel them out to the on-site sales agents.... Read More

Smart Sense

New marketing and sales techniques with proven results.... Read More

U.S. Construction Forecast Tables — Issued October 2007

Based on job-site activity levels through August 2007, Reed Construction Data (RCD) now expects total U.S. construction spending to be down -1.7% in 2007 versus +5.3% last year. Total residential investment will decline -4.5% in 2007 as housing starts will fall -21.2% this year. Non-residential building put-in-place investment is now expected to increase +16.6% in 2007 while non-building (heavy engineering) work will grow +11.5%. RCD's outlook for 2008 total construction spending now stands at +7.1%.... Read More

Return to Balanced Budget in California Fails to Spur Public Construction Spending

The remarkable turnabout in California state finances in the last three years has not led to the increase in public construction spending in California that was included in our forecast, forcing us to repeatedly trim our national forecast for public construction. Separately, we have had to frequently edge up the forecast for private construction spending, initially for housing and more recently for commercial buildings. Offsetting errors are always comforting to forecasters because casual for... (more)... Read More

Rights Of Employees Respecting Picket Lines

One of organized labor's "sacred cows" is the honoring of picket lines. One will rarely see a politician who desires labor's support cross a picket line. Similarly, unions will often discipline members who cross picket lines - its own or...... Read More

Evolution of the NLRA

The history and evolution of the NLRA can be very instructive in understanding how its provisions are interpreted, and particularly how they relate to construction labor law. The following is a brief outline of how the Act came to be...... Read More

10 Lead Generation (Prospecting) Tips for Sales People

Sales people often lack the support of a dedicated marketing team that is able to execute lead generation programs on their behalf. This is particularity true in small companies. Still, those sales people succeed in spite of it all. They must, in one way or another, generate their own leads to meet their revenue and sales targets that’s independent of corporate marketing programs. In fact, they may be obligated as a part of their role to develop and execute localized lead generation programs. And instead of calling it lead... Read More

Lead reengagement gives you more out of your investment

The year-end push is on and I know you may be wondering what else can I do to drive more revenue with little or no remaining budget?  I've found the best way is to focus on the leads you already have. Lead reengagement is one of the most powerful ROI tools marketers have available to them. Why? You're getting more out of the money you've already spent by going deeper within the opportunities you already have. It seems like common sense, but the reality is, I know of very... Read More

The right way to use the consultants!

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Top 5 Business Card Blunders

Avoid these mistakes that could ruin your branding efforts.... Read More

Legal Q&A: Professional indemnity insurance

My professional indemnity insurance policy is up for renewal. Is there anything I should be aware of?... Read More

BusinessWare Technologies Released AvailSuite Personal Software to Support Contractors

Austin, TX. Contractors need to be organized and look professional even taking the first steps toward business success. Those companies can get the powerful but affordable business management software and an easy upgrade path. BusinessWare Technologies has recently completed a significant upgrade to its AvailSuite line of field service software, with comprehensive tax reports, improved user interface, and QuickBooks synchronization.... Read More

Construction Challenge

Maintaining the infrastructure is an economic challenge. More than that, it's a construction challenge. There are simply not enough workers entering the field to support current and future needs of the construction industry. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers earlier this year announced a new program — the Construction Challenge — that uses a fun, hands-on approach to introd...... Read More

The "Wheels" in Las Vegas will Slow in 2008

The Las Vegas economy has clearly moved out of the fast lane. Over the past year-and-a-half, employment growth has slowed from +7.2% year over year (1st among the largest 50 U.S. metro areas) to +1.9% (18th). Shrinking personal wealth due to falling house prices in much of the U.S. will extend the current pattern of weak employment growth in the city's critical leisure and hospitality industry. However, the significant decline in value of the U.S. should lead to a gradual increase in foreign visitors.... Read More

Increase in U.S. Construction Costs the Lowest in Three-and-a-half Years

In July 2007, RSMeans' national construction cost index for the United States recorded its lowest year-over-year increase (+4.6%) in three-and-a-half years, dating back to January 2004 (+2.4%). During the intervening period, the largest year-over-year price jump (+10.5%) occurred in January 2005. The accompanying charts show construction cost performances, current and historical, for 49 major cities in the United States.... Read More

Lead management is far from an easy task

Companies that adopt effective lead management processes generate more revenue from their lead generation investment and have overall higher close rates on marketing generated leads than those that do not. But I've encountered very few companies that really do lead management. What is lead management? Lead management is a multistage process that manages the conversion of sales leads to customers. Some people say it's the process of going from "first contact to close." In Christopher Hosford’s BtoB Magazine article, he highlights some of the reasons why "Lead management far... Read More

Is The Skilled Labor Shortage An Advantage or a Curse In The Recruitment Market?

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Effective (inexpensive) CRM

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BIM FORUM Drafting an Addendum to ConsensusDOCS

hThe BIM Forum meeting in Boston (see my prior post on the Forum here) was preceded by last month’s initial release of ConsensusDOCS, the standard form contract software series created through the collaboration of Associated General Contractors of America (“AGC”) along with a host of other owner, surety, contractor, and subcontractor-related trade groups. (The American Institute of Architects, which is releasing the 2007 version of its own standard form contract documents within the next few weeks, elected not to participate in the drafting of the ConsensusDOCS.) While the impact... Read More

Failure Sucks But Instructs

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Ten Minutes with Robert Luffy, CEO of American Bridge Co.

By the time CEO Robert Luffy took over as president of Pittsburgh-based American Bridge in 1993, the former powerhouse steel erector had one contract and was down to 25 employees.... Read More

Solar Energy: Turn Green into Green

To take advantage of what Arnold, Mo.-based Bates Electric. expects to be an upswing in demand for renewable energy in homes, it has begun doing pre-wires for solar energy. ... Read More

Claim on Lien Bond Rejected

The mechanics lien statute gives an Owner the option of discharging a lien against its property by purchasing a bond normally in the amount of 150% of the lien.  See RCW 60.04.161.  The Owner in this case purchased such a bond, and thereby cleared title for the sale of its property.  The lien claimant (DBM Consulting) thereafter went to trial against the Owner on its breach of contract claim and won a verdict of roughly $68,000 plus legal fees and interest.Verdict in hand, the lien claimant turned to the... Read More

Construction Labor Cost Rise Moves ahead of Materials in Latest Quarter

According to the latest measurements of construction costs calculated by RSMeans, the rise in U.S. labor rates (+2.3%) quarter to quarter in July 2007 (i.e., versus April 2007) was a little higher than it was for material inputs (+2.0%). During the latest construction cycle, material costs have almost always increased faster than the installation or labor component. The latest result suggests that contractors will have to pay more attention to labor markets in the period ahead.... Read More

Highway Funding Nears a Crisis

Highway construction will drop sharply unless Congress quickly finds more money for the Highway Trust Fund. The first cutbacks could happen latter this year. The highway funding model used for more than 50 years has collapsed under the weight of persistent energy inflation and endless bickering over how to distribute the money. The Washington consensus is that the federal Highway Trust Fund will not be able to meet its highway project funding obligations to state DOT’s in FY 200... (more)... Read More

Nearly 100 Million Square Feet of New Construction now expected in 2007

CanaData has significantly increased its forecast of total Canada non-residential building construction starts in 2007 to 99.0 million from 89.5 million in its previous forecast. By comparison, the 20 …... Read More

Can a union be sued for unlawful picketing?

Section 303 of the NLRA - part of the Taft-Hartley Act - gives an injured party the right to sue in federal court for money damages for secondary activity that violates §8(b)(4) of the NLRA. This statute provides only a...... Read More

Change order boat (more)

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Philanthropy and marketing

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We Like to See The Good Guys Win

In August I served as expert witness on a new home project. It was another situation of a homeowner deciding to wait until the job was almost complete, then start playing the “we are not going to pay you because blah, blah, blah.” This project was done in 2002 to 2004. The contractor, after trying several times to get the owner to honor the contract, gave up and pulled off the job. He sued for all his job expenses and the overhead and profit on the contract. The homeowner... Read More

Web 2.0 technology and the AEC industry

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Bad Faith by Insurer Waives Coverage Defenses

In this case handed down yesterday, the Supreme Court held that a contractor's insurer was responsible for a $1.3 million settlement because it had waived its "your work" exclusion coverage defense by engaging in bad faith conduct.The owner and insured/contractor were in a dispute and had scheduled an arbitration with the AAA.  The insurer had retained defense counsel under a reservation of rights and had filed a dec action to contest coverage.  So far, so good.On the eve of the arbitration, however, the carrier served the arbitrator with a... Read More

Going beyond the sales lead

Ultimately, the purpose of B2B marketing is to help the sales team sell. But marketers often get so wrapped up in driving activity that they seem to forget it's about driving sales conversion. For example, ask most executives and marketers what sales people need and they will say, "more leads." Your sales people don’t want more leads actually, what they want is "more effective selling time." It's not about more activity. It's about helping the sales team achieve better results. After working with hundreds of sales people and seeing... Read More

Change orders, prime consultants and relationships

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Leading Construction Lawyer Identifies Ten “Industry Transformational Trends”

Patrick J. O’Connor, Esquire, the outgoing editor of Under Construction, the newsletter of the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, wrote an interesting article in the August 2007 issue of Under Construction. In Mr. O’Connor’s view, the next ten years will be the most exciting time to practice construction law in a generation, because the industry will be undergoing transformational change.Mr. O’Connor sets out ten trends that he believes are likely to transform the industry:SustainabilityIntegrated Project DeliveryBuilding Information ModelingModularizationGlobalizationWork Force ConstraintsOrganic Dispute ResolutionLean Construction TechniquesAlliance ArrangementsRational Risk AllocationTo obtain... Read More

New Online Tool From Andersen

Bayport, Minn.-based Andersen Windows has developed a new online tool that allows users to visualize how walls will look with windows and doors.... Read More

4 Steps Homebuilders Can Use To Raise Quality Standards, Boost Profits

By setting and enforcing quality standards with your team, you can minimize warranty claims and retain more profit from the homes you sell both now and in the future.... Read More

Unwinding the Green Building Market for Construction Contractors