Construction Business Management: What Every Construction Contractor, Builder & Subcontractor Needs to Know [Paperback]

Nick Ganaway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2006

Written by a general contractor of 25 years, Construction Business Management offers the lessons learned from both good and not-so-good decisions. Read what it takes to build all aspects of a business that’s profitable, enjoyable, and enduring:

a.. Contract Terms & Conditions (to include and to avoid) b.. Fair Allocation of Risk Between Contractor and Owner c.. How to Make Sure You’re Paid What You're Owed d.. Critical Dos and Don'ts of Mechanics Liens e.. How to Select, Hire, and Keep Golden Employees f.. How to Choose Accountants, Lawyers & Insurance Agents g.. How to Target, Check out, Land, & Retain Profitable Customers h.. Effective Marketing Even the Smallest Contractor Can Afford i.. The Required Success Characteristics of a Contractor j.. Avoiding the 57% Four-Year Contractor Failure Rate k.. Opportunities & Requirements of Retail Construction l.. The Importance of the “Human Factor” And much more that will pay off now and throughout your career.
Written for contractors, key employees, subcontractors, students, and facility executives. Check out the Table of Contents for more detail.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In this book, the author, Nick B. Ganaway,, shares what he has learned — sometimes the hard way — to help contractors, builders, and subcontractors minimize the pain and risk of operating a construction business — especially in their first few (riskier) years. While not every risk can be eliminated in construction, or any field, it can be managed if its elements are identified and understood.

Throughout the chapters, Nick speaks directly to the construction business owner as an equal, using his own experience to show the risks in various situations and how to avoid them. His message is, "based on my own

25 years' experience as a general contractor, this is what I believe you must know and do if you are going to survive in this business for the long term." From the construction company owner's role, to finding and retaining the right key employees, to marketing the company, there is strong emphasis on the "human factor" so crucial to success in construction.

The book also makes the case for

specialization, or niche contracting, a strategy that allows a contractor to become more knowledgeable in a field, be seen as an insider, become sought after, and achieve a more profitable business.

From the Back Cover

Only 43% of construction firms remain in business after four years. Help your company not only survive, but thrive — with guidance from a pro with 25 years' experience as a successful commercial general contractor. Find out what it takes to build all aspects of a business that's profitable, enjoyable, and enduring.

Here are just a few of the things you'll learn from this book:

• The duties of the owner of a successful construction business.

• Essential terms and conditions to include and exclude in contracts.

• Commandments to follow to ensure you're paid what you're owed, including step-by-step change-order procedures to avoid disputes and non-payment.

• Strict dos and don'ts of mechanics' liens — including when an owner goes bankrupt.

• What must be done administratively before breaking ground on every project.

• How to select, hire, and keep "golden" employees.

• Ways you can target, check out, land, and retain profitable customers.

• Effective marketing even the smallest contractor can afford.

• How to identify the accountants, lawyers, and insurance agents who are right for you.

• The What, When, Where, and Why of licensing and registration.

• The advantages of specializing, including the opportunities in chain store construction.

• More than 40 construction, government, and other valuable online resources.

Whether you're a contractor, a key employee, a subcontractor, a student, or a facility executive, you'll find many ideas you can immediately add to your management and leadership toolbox. Adopting even a single one of them will pay dividends now and throughout your career.

About the publisher: RSMeans is the foremost source of construction cost information in North America, with 27 annual cost data products, a nationwide seminar program, and consulting services. RSMeans also offers a library of reference books on construction estimating, project management, and many other topics.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: RSMeans; 1 edition (October 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876298250
• ISBN-13: 978-0876298251
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A testimony to the principles of this text, February 13, 2007

By 

Mark Collins "Building Construction Program, ... (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Construction Business Management: What Every Construction Contractor, Builder & Subcontractor Needs to Know (Paperback)

Upon graduation from Georgia Tech's building construction program in 1982, I went to work for Nick Ganaway. One of the many reasons I selected his company was his obvious knowledge of business. Even more, I appreciated the motivation he placed in us (and himself) to always become better as contractors and as businessmen. We met frequently to "log in" new discoveries, efficiencies, risks, and methods of profitability that he had wisely accumulated for us. As I "ventured out" into the world and developed my own business with very little experience, I quickly noticed that although I was a "great" project manager that running a construction company was an entirely different issue. For example, do you understand the unique requirements of the construction firm owner? Terms in the project owner's construction agreement that can unfairly shift major risk onto your plate and what to do about them? How to ensure that you get paid for change orders? What to do when hard times suddenly strike (and they will)? After 25 years of experience in operating a commercial construction company, Mr. Ganaway explains chapter-by-chapter these and every other risk area you must manage if you are going to survive in construction. I know these explanations well as they ring in my mind from discussions with Mr. Ganaway concerning my very first projects and through calling for help with running my own construction business. You will feel like you're having these same discussions with him as you read this book. Every contractor, project manager, and construction student should read it. Today I use this very text to teach our students at Georgia Tech's building construction program how to run a business, as well as consulting in the same area. His principles work!

An added bonus to this text is the final chapter, where Mr. Ganaway makes the case for specializing in chain store construction. To "outsiders" who have not reviewed this market segment, I think you will be surprised at the benefits. If you are not already specializing in a niche market, this chapter is sure to start you thinking about it.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 31, 2007

By 

Thomas C. Schleifer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Construction Business Management: What Every Construction Contractor, Builder & Subcontractor Needs to Know (Paperback)

This is the first straightforward, down-to-earth book on how to run a construction business that I have come across. A realistic account of what it takes to start an enterprise and what it's like to be a contractor. Anyone contemplating starting their own construction company should read this before attempting it and every contractor already working at it should study Nick's work to learn how to do it better and to realize that they are not alone when they discover just how challenging and difficult the struggle for success can be. Everyone associated with the construction industry should read this book to gain an understanding of how the business really works.



Thomas, C. Schleifer, Ph.D.

Visiting Eminent Scholar
Del E. Webb School of Construction
Arizona State University

Author, Construction Contractors' Survival Guide

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Information for New Contractors, April 10, 2007

By 

L. DeVoe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Construction Business Management: What Every Construction Contractor, Builder & Subcontractor Needs to Know (Paperback)

If you are a person that is just starting out in the Construction industry, this book can help guide you in the right direction. Many mistakes that I have made in the past 10 years are covered in these pages. I wish I would have had this book back then. It would have made our company grow and prosper without the glitches. I highly recommend this book.