{"id":1289,"date":"2018-12-28T13:13:46","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T18:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/?p=1289"},"modified":"2018-12-28T13:14:07","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T18:14:07","slug":"7-tips-to-help-get-your-construction-business-off-the-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/7-tips-to-help-get-your-construction-business-off-the-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Help Get Your Construction Business Off the Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re handy around the house, have had an apprenticeship or on the job experience, or are just looking to start a lucrative business, construction is a safe bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/topics\/974\/construction\/\">biggest construction markets<\/a> in the world, the US is poised for profit in this sector. Previously stalled projects are firing up again, and the construction industry is raking in over a billion dollars in sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a construction business is a great idea, but where to begin? Start right here&nbsp;&#8211; with our seven tips to get your business up and running!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Start With a Business Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t be tempted to skip this step. Crafting a construction business plan <a href=\"https:\/\/smallbiztrends.com\/2010\/06\/business-plan-success-twice-as-likely.html\">doubles your chances<\/a> of having a successful business venture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like you can&#8217;t build without a blueprint,  is the foundation to your success. You&#8217;re going to lay out all the important things your business needs, both tangible and intangible, to survive and thrive in a competitive market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by asking yourself questions about what you see in your company&#8217;s future and what values you want to represent. Asking things like &#8220;what is my purpose&#8221; and &#8220;how will I grow&#8221; ensure you always have your feet on the ground with your eye towards the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Understand the Legal Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a construction company requires going through more legal loopholes than usual. Legal requirements can come down to the state, county, city, or sometimes even region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the things you&#8217;ll have to consider is registering your business. The most common way to create your business entity is to start with a limited liability corporation (LLC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An LLC makes covering any personal assets a priority just in case your company has legal issues or extreme debt. It also helps simplify paying taxes on your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.&nbsp; Get Insured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When creating a general contracting company, having good insurance is a necessity. With employees working with electricity, heavy machinery, and on potentially dangerous worksites, being insured protects you both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two main kinds of insurance you&#8217;ll need: employee and business. Here&#8217;s what you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employee-related Insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Things like state disability insurance, workers&#8217; compensation, and unemployment insurance protect employees in case of an on-the-job accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Property Insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Any construction company will have expensive tools, machinery, and vehicles. Protect them with the right kind of vehicle and property insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">General Liability Insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>General liability insurance is a must-have to protect you from costly legal problems due to worksite accidents and injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you have these details hammered out before your company is up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Equipment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Any construction business needs the right tools for the right jobs. As you&#8217;re searching for a forklift, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ablesales.com.au\/industrial-diesel-generator\/\">industrial diesel generator<\/a>, or other heavy equipment, you&#8217;ll soon find they&#8217;re very expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are companies who sell and lease the equipment you need, and both options have pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pros of purchasing: you own your own equipment. Con: it&#8217;s prohibitively expensive and you&#8217;ll need deep pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pros of leasing: more affordable in the short term. Con: more expensive in the long run if you never end up owning them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decide which option is best for you. Of course, you can always change your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Getting SBA Loans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of cash, SBA loans can help a small business get off the ground. SBA loans provide startups with a variety of loan amounts and low-interest rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, there&#8217;s a guarantee of 85% on the SBA&#8217;s behalf. If your company ends up being unable to pay for any reason, the SBA will cover your costs up to 85%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s your guide to the three SBA loans you&#8217;ll want to look into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SBA CDC\/504 Loan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Best for companies with large, upfront expenses (like equipment). You can borrow up to $5.5 million and take up to 20 years to pay it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SBA 7(a) Program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With this loan, you can borrow up to $5 million but you have more flexibility in what you use it for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SBA Microloan Program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Need just a little bit of money to start your new company? The microloan program is perfect for those who need less than $50,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These loan programs might be the difference between success or failure. Keep them in mind when looking for capital for your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Hiring the Best People<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The construction industry offers several options when you&#8217;re looking for competent employees. You can hire full-time staff or contractors to staff your construction company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with everything, there are pros and cons to both options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pros of contractors: less expense up front. Cons: they might not be available when you need them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pros of full-time staff: familiarity with work practices and reliable. Cons: paying a full-time salary can take up your budget at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day, look for the employees that meet your budget and your staffing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Marketing and Advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Budgeting for marketing might not be in your plan for starting a construction company, but this bit of advice is going to give you an edge over your competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put money aside for marketing and advertising to generate awareness and leads for your companies. Things like social media can be a way to get free exposure and purchasing ads there doesn&#8217;t have to cost a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus on doing good work, make sure all the word of mouth you generate is great, but also market your company. A little effort goes a long way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips and Tricks for Your Construction Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting your construction business up and running doesn&#8217;t have to be difficult. With these tips and tricks, you&#8217;ve got a great guideline to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need more templates and forms to stay organized or just want to stay on top of business news, we&#8217;ve got you covered. We&#8217;ve got a great database of all the forms you&#8217;ll need to set up your successful business venture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, we&#8217;ve got the latest on business news for construction companies. Read  to stay on top of what&#8217;s going on in your industry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you&#8217;re handy around the house, have had an apprenticeship or on the job experience, or are just looking to start a lucrative business, construction is a safe bet. As one of the biggest construction markets in the world, the US is poised for profit in this sector. Previously stalled projects are firing up again, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1291,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289\/revisions\/1291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}