What were your top projects of the year?

Editor's Letter

It's that time of the year when the news is full of "best of 2007" lists - best CDs, best movies, best presidential quotes. If you're an avid reader of these lists like I am, you'll know how helpful they can be in ensuring you haven't missed a great book or new band. You'll also know these lists insight memories of things you've done or encountered over the last 12 months; things you shouldn't forget and ideas that might be useful in years to come.

To mark the end of the year and to keep useful information you've learned from disappearing with your 2007 calendars, I encourage you to make a list of your "top 10 most successful concrete projects from 2007." Write down each of these jobs and why it made your list. Maybe you took on a new decorative technique in 2007 that wowed a customer. Or maybe a foundation jobs made a little more profit than expected. A job simply might make the list because it was the first time you tried a new piece of equipment or a new product. Or you might pick a project just because you and your crew had fun working on it.

Once you have your list, think about each of these jobs and ask yourself:

  • Why was this project successful?
  • What was my relationship with the client on this job, and what made it better than relationships I have with other customers?
  • How can I take the success from this project and put it to use in my other jobs?

Distribute your list of "top 10 most successful concrete projects from 2007" to you employees - they may have comments or perspectives to add. Now you have an archive of important lessons and proven success that you can look to for inspiration and business planning for years to come.

The thing that makes a great businessperson better is his or her passion to improve. Set goals for yourself and your company. Encourage your employees to set goals and remind them throughout the year of their ambitions. And don't let the knowledge you've learned over the last year be forgotten.

If you have a top project from 2007 that you'd like to share with Concrete Contractor, I'd love to hear about it. E-mail me at [email protected] or bring photos to our booth at the World of Concrete, in the South Hall at S11208.

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