Minnesota contractors need a diverse range of skills and abilities if they want to achieve success in this industry. Whether you’re just starting out in the field or coming up on your tenth anniversary as a contractor, it’s important to develop these four essential skills.
1. Financial Skills
Minnesota contractors must know how to create project budgets, manage cash flow, and generate accurate estimates.
While Minnesota contractors might spend most of their time in the field, overseeing projects and evaluating progress, they must also have a head for numbers. Contractors are responsible for creating, managing, and directing budgets for construction projects, whether they’re building a structure from whole cloth or renovating an existing building.
You don’t need an accounting degree or a Mensa-level I.Q. to develop this skill. You’ll learn financial prowess on the job, but it’s also necessary to take your continuing education classes and keep abreast of the latest financial standards and practices in the construction industry.
2. Delegation Skills
Minnesota contractors must also know how to manage human assets. Your employees and subcontractors depend on you to assign them to tasks that align with their own skills and talents. The more you learn about leadership and delegation, the easier your job will become — both on the job site and off.
It’s also a good idea to learn how to build teams from the ground up. If you can inspire your crew to work together for the greater good of the company, you’ll hit your budgetary and time estimates on every project. Your work quality will increase because your crew cares about the job and about each other.
3. Critical Thinking Skills
For many Minnesota contractors, every project becomes an exercise in problem solving. From weather hiccups to supply chain issues, you’ll encounter problems on every job that require immediate and practical solutions. Devote time to developing your critical thinking skills so that you can approach each problem with an open and discerning mind.
Many problems have multiple solutions. It falls to you to compare different options and select the one that will work best for your business, your crew, and your client. It’s also important to know how to explain your reasoning to others.
4. Time Management Skills
Most Minnesota contractors wish, at one time or another, for infinite hours in the day. Unfortunately, that wish is unlikely to come true, so you’ll do the next best thing: You’ll learn how to manage your time (and your crew’s time) more effectively. If you can maximize every hour of the workday, you’ll deliver projects to your clients on time, which will lead to a positive reputation in the community.
In some ways, time management skills develop over time. When you first start your career as a contractor, you don’t have the experience to know exactly how long certain tasks will take. However, if you keep detailed records and pay careful attention, these skills will develop quickly.
Minnesota contractors have infinite opportunities to grow and thrive in this industry. If you need to brush up on your skills (and comply with the state’s continuing education requirements), start your course now.