For Construction Pros

How to Use Social Media To Build Your Construction Company's Brand

By Kimberly Hegeman - Wednesday October 24, 2012

This blog post was written exclusively for ForConstructionPros by equipment leasing company Balboa Capital. Every construction company, regardless of its size, has a brand identity. And the vast majority of construction companies attempt to grow their brands through various marketing-related efforts. These include print advertisements, press releases, special promotions and trade shows, to name a few. While these strategies can prove to be successful, there is one that simply can’t be overlooked in today’s business world: Social media. Social media helps build brands by creating a 24/7/365 interactive experience between companies and consumers. Social media, along with your website, helps your intended audience learn about your...

Website Lets Businesses Review Customers

By Kimberly Hegeman - Wednesday October 17, 2012

Reviews are all over the Internet. Sites like Angie's List have been created just for reviews, and more are popping up all the time. As a construction contractor (and a business owner) your business is always being reviewed, and those views are being passed on whether it's over the Internet or through word of mouth. One website is turning the tables. NastyClient.com is a website designed for small business owners and allows businesses to review their customers. Started two years ago by Matt Stachel, the site was created as a resource to empower small businesses. Stachel says he hopes NastyClient.com can help change consumer's mentality when it comes to taking advantage of contractors and small businesses. On the website...

8 Steps to Prevent Construction Site Theft

By Kimberly Hegeman - Wednesday October 10, 2012

Construction equipment and material theft is big business, and it's growing. Estimates say that theft and vandalism account for $1 billion a year in losses and other costs to builders, a number that steadily rose 10 percent since 1996 and is expected to continue growing. Construction jobsite theft losses are more than just the costs of losing expensive equipment and materials. Contracts have to pay to replace or rent equipment to finish the job. There's also the costs of downtime and project overruns if the missing equipment and materials delay a project. Plus, insurance premiums may increase. According to LoJack's 12th annual Construction Equipment Theft Study , construction sites can be easy targets because: Most job sites have...

Is Mobile Technology Becoming a Foundation of Construction?

By Kimberly Hegeman - Friday October 5, 2012

Is mobile technology becoming a foundation in the construction industry? Paul Bedard, director of Global Enterprise Data Solutions for Verizon Wireless, thinks so. In a recent blog, Bedard shared his thoughts on the benefits of mobile technology as well as tips for contractors on how to choose and employ these technologies. Here are some of the highlights from Bedard's blogs. Asset tracking and management Mobile technology is more than just a smartphone or tablet with apps. Wireless technology can be incorporated into equipment and other assets to monitor use as well as track in case the assets are stolen. The benefit? Contractors can save money on maintenance and reduce the loss of valuable equipment. Increased communication...

Construction Deaths Continue Downward Path

By Kimberly Hegeman - Friday September 21, 2012

According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report , fatalities in the construction industry are continuing a downward trend. In 2011, construction workplace deaths were down 6.8 percent, dropping from 774 in 2010 to 721 in 2011. The industry's fatality rate (per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) was also down from 9.8 in 2010 to 8.9 in 2011. The report says construction fatalities rates are down for the fifth consecutive year with fatal construction injuries down nearly 42 percent since 2006. The report says that "economic conditions may explain much of this decline." However, even with the number of fatalities declining, construction still accounted for the second most fatal work injuries of any industry sector in 2011...

7 Caution Signs When Buying Used Equipment

By Kimberly Hegeman - Monday September 17, 2012

It's no surprise that over the last few years the economy has been a driving factor influencing construction equipment ownership. Many contractors have been repairing and holding onto machinery longer. Many contractors have migrated from buying new equipment to buying used. If you're in the used equipment buying (or selling) market, what should you be looking for before purchasing a used machine? Do you know what signs may indicate you proceed with caution or what might be a red flag for the purchase? Perfection Machinery, a company that has been buying and selling used assets for the last 50 years, suggest construction contractors look for these seven sign when inspecting and buying used equipment. 1. A no-start engine, or an engine...

Five Creative Ways To Market Your Construction Company

By Kimberly Hegeman - Thursday September 13, 2012

Information for this blog was written and contributed by GradeBeam . With media constantly shifting, marketing your construction company can seem like a daunting task. At the end of the day, there is no more powerful marketing tool than word-of-mouth, and most of these five tactics are just tips to make your company "buzz" around the neighborhood. Try one or all of these five ideas to get your phone ringing. 1. Picture frames After doing a job bring your customer a picture frame with before, during and after construction pictures in it. Put your company's name and contact information on the back. This will serve as a permanent reminder of the great work you did. Along with the picture frame you can bring a gift certificate to a...

Put Recycled Beer Bottles to Use - On a Building

By Kimberly Hegeman - Tuesday September 11, 2012

Realm of Design has been working for years to develop its green architectural stone GreenStone. GreenStone is made from 100 percent recycled glass aggregate and 99.8 percent renewable materials from fly ash. The first building to be built with GreenStone is Realm of Design's 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nev. The company partnered with a Las Vegas recycling company to obtain recycled beer bottles from Las Vegas Strip hotels. Here are some interesting facts about the building made from bottles: Construction of the building utilized more than 500,000 beer bottles The recycled bottles amounted to over 290,000 pounds of recycled glass for the exterior building facade Saved over 400,000 cubic yards of...

Construction Will Be One of the Best Jobs by 2020

By Kimberly Hegeman - Monday September 10, 2012

For those working in the construction industry, we're all well aware of the effect the economy has had on the industry and on business. We see the monthly spending and employment reports. An employment projection report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in March of 2012 says that construction is projected to be one of the fastest growing job sectors through 2020. Construction may also be one of the best paying jobs through 2020 as well. According to the report, goods producing industries (including construction, mining, agriculture and manufacturing) is projected to increase by 1.7 million new jobs in the ten year period of 2010 to 2020. This increase is expected to be largely driven by rapid growth in the...

How Construction Companies Can Use Pinterest to Boost Business

By Kimberly Hegeman - Wednesday August 29, 2012

On recent blog post from the Construction Marketing Association (CMA) offers some advice on why construction businesses should consider making Pinterest a part of their social media strategy . If you're not familiar, Pinterest is an online pinboard allowing users to pin interesting things they see on the web. Users can view other users' pinboards to see what they are pinning and to gain inspiration. Your customers who are on Pinterest can view the content you pin. Or, you can direct customers not on Pinterest to the site and use it as yet another tool to visually show your customers what your company can do. You can also search for inspiration you might be able to use on future projects. While Pinterest might not yet be common in...