When you think procrastination, laziness is definitely adjacent. Procrastination is a big problem in the construction industry, but for entirely different reasons. Most builders learn quickly that outright laziness is not an option in an industry driven by deadlines, high production standards and shifting customer demand. Instead, procrastination in construction is a bit more complex.
We all know that planning ahead is always wise. Yet in the homebuilding industry, many find themselves in a last minute December scramble.
In a time where you should be discussing next year, drafting a budget and coasting into the holidays, you instead find yourself crushed under deadlines in an effort to save your bottom line. Here at Continuum Advisory Group, we call this the Q4 Fire Drill.
Centers of excellence should be a catalyst for developing a process-driven culture that is focused on delivering world-class results.
At Continuum, we get a little excited when baseball starts. We love the game, and of course the weather that comes along with it. If you’re in the same boat, our recent Big Builder article is for you. We see a big opportunity for builders to transition their strategy to a “small ball” approach, one that has seemed to work well for MLB teams in the post-steroid era (see the San Francisco Giants).
A strong estimator that is trained to accurately estimate a house and understands material management at the field level can be a home-run hire for any homebuilder. Unfortunately, in-house estimating functions were largely eliminated during the downturn. Most builders outsourced their estimating needs, allowed the trades or suppliers to do their own estimates, or transitioned from direct-buy to turnkey. Choosing to recreate an estimating function and finding space for it in your budget may seem unrealistic. But would $83,000 in direct savings change your mind?
Banks are re-entering the market and are looking for new customers. Funds have been raised and investors are looking for opportunities to achieve strong returns. The question is how builders will handle the situation.
Here is the latest installment of Continuum Advisory Group’s Survivor or Victim series, published on Hanley Wood’s BuilderOnline.com, Turning the Tables: Get Capital Sources to Compete to Work With You.
How well do you know the supply base in your market or markets? Are you controlling the best resources or are you taking second or third best as compared to your competitors? As demand recovers, the ability to control the best trades and crews within those trades is a significant competitive advantage. How will you take advantage of this opportunity and how will you mitigate your exposure to this threat?
Part 1 of Continuum Advisory Group’s Survivor or Victim series, published on Hanley Wood’s BuilderOnline.com, addresses these questions. Read the full post here.
I’m pleased to announce that Continuum Advisory Group’s Survivor or Victim series is now being published on Hanley Wood’s Builder Online under the Big Builder marquee. The series introduction on how to excel in a resource constrained environment, originally posted on the Continuum Advisory Group blog, kicked off the guest blog series today. Stay tuned for Part 1 of the series in just a few weeks.
For the full Big Builder, Survivor or Victim series introduction, click here.