Whether you’ve run a contracting business for 10 years or you’re just starting out, it pays to continue your education as you navigate the confusing waters of business ownership. In March of 2015, NYC remodeling contractor Claudiu Fatu published “Starting Your Career as a Contractor: How to Build and Run a Construction Business” through Allworth Press. Consider these 5 benefits of reading Fatu’s book, then pick up a copy for yourself.
1. You Might Not Have Realistic Expectations About the Job
Are you sure you’re ready to open a contractor business? Read Fatu’s book to be sure.
Unlike many books on entrepreneurship, Fatu doesn’t gloss over difficult truths or pretend that a career as a contractor will satisfy everyone. In the first chapter of “Starting Your Career as a Contractor,” Fatu advises aspiring contractors to consider their goals, dreams, and work ethic honestly before they embark upon careers as contractors.
He emphasizes the importance of finding a career in which you can feel fulfilled, but cautions that readers should avoid career paths that might dominate or obfuscate other parts of your life. To drive home his point, he says that “only 10 percent of newly founded construction companies survive after their first couple of years.” This sobering statistic puts readers in a realistic frame of mind and encourages them to ponder their futures honestly.
2. You’ll Get Tried-and-True Advice About the Business Side of Construction
Expanding your knowledge of materials, workmanship, craftsmanship, and building codes is an important part of becoming a contractor, but you must also know how to run a business. In “Starting Your Career as a Contractor,” Fatu addresses issues like registering your business and creating a corporate bank account.
This is indispensable advice that contractors will refer to over and over again. The more you understand about your business, the more likely you become to succeed.
3. The Book Touches on Multiple Key Areas
Do you know how to bid on a job successfully? Can you create a record-keeping protocol that will keep you organized? Fatu’s book touches on each of these issues in addition to contracts and benefits planning. It’s an excellent resource because, without it, you might need multiple books to answer the same questions.
4. You’ll Learn to Lead a Crew
Taking charge of an operation as large and complex as a construction site requires a number of skills and talents. Fatu helps contractors understand what it takes to become an effective boss and shows them how to lead their crews effectively, compassionately, and safely.
If you’ve never held a supervisory position before or if you’re unfamiliar with the workflow at a construction site, this book makes it easy to understand the challenges you face. It also provides you with actionable tips to make your career flow more smoothly.
5. You’ll Avoid Critical Mistakes
Reading Fatu’s book helps you avoid mistakes that many contractors make as they start their careers.
In his review of the book, Construction Informer’s Duane Craig points out Fatu’s focus on quality workmanship. When contractors focus their energies on delivering the safest, highest-quality finished products, they earn referrals and develop positive reputations in their communities. Fatu’s book will help you hit the ground running with reasonable priorities.
You can order your copy of “Starting Your Career as a Contractor: How to Build and Run a Construction Business” at Amazon or other retailers. Keep in mind, however, that you also have to keep up with your formal continuing education to maintain your contractor’s license, so browse courses by state today.