The Construction Machine

If you’ve always wanted to…

• Break into the construction industry

• Build your very own construction business from the ground up

• Escape the rat-race and blaze your own path

• Develop a sustainable and predictable business

• But unsure where to start?

…then this course is for you!

In this 32 Module Program, I’ve included everything you need to know including:

• Learn how to find your niche in this wide-open industry

• Labor management: develop an understanding of how to manage in-house employees and subcontractors

• Material management: how to connect with suppliers, perform take-offs, and get materials to the jobsite

• How to accurately estimate projects

• How to navigate paperwork (estimates, contracts, purchase orders, etc.)

• How to effectively market your business – the piece that most contractors swing and miss on

• Develop a deep understanding of customer service and retention – make ’em happy and keep ’em coming back!

• How to execute a well-oiled machine that produces consistent income!

COURSE SYLLABUS:

1. Introduction

   1. Projections

   2. Present increasing need for trades data

   3. Education vs trade (tuition costs, etc)

   4. The reality

2. Finding your niche

   1. So many trades

   2. Finding your why

   3. What’s your talent

   4. Personal choices

3. Experience

   1. Where to start?

   2. Apprenticeship

   3. Pushing yourself

   4. What employers want

   5. 10 things that require zero talent

4. Business planning

   1. Business planning

   2. Business Plan

   3. Mission Statement

   4. Company Values

5. Business Formation

   1. Sole Proprietor

   2. Limited Liability Company

   3. Corporation

   4. Articles of Incorporation

   5. Employer Identification Number

6. Funding

   1. Where are funds coming from?

   2. Self-funded

   3. Partners

   4. Private investors

   5. Business loans

      1. SBA Loans

      2. Equipment Loans

      3. Bank financing

   6. Business grants

7. Infrastructure

   1. Office

   2. Hardware

   3. Phone

      1. Vanity numbers (444-ROOF)

   4. Fax

   5. Email

   6. Website

   7. Cloud database

   8. Software

      1. Construction management software

   9. File organization

   10. Banking

   11. Business Credit

   12. Bookkeeping

8. Licensing

   1. Requirements

   2. Testing

   3. Bonds

   4. Classifications & Limitations

   5. Reciprocity and exam waivers

   6. Renewals

   7. Continuing Education

   8. Law

9. Human Resources

   1. Employees

      1. Employees

      2. Recruitment

      3. Interviewing

      4. Picture ID / License

      5. Background check

      6. Drug testing

      7. Payroll

      8. Policies

      9. Handbook

      10. Termination

      11. Paperwork

          1. IRS Form W-4

          2. IRS Form I-9

          3. Direct deposit information

          4. Signed handbook agreement

          5. Non-compete agreement

          6. Non-disclosure agreement

          7. Benefits

      12. Paid time off (PTO)

          1. Vacation

          2. Holidays

      13. Timesheets

      14. Working hours

   2. Subcontractors

      1. Independent contractor

      2. IRS Form W-9

      3. Independent Contractor Agreement

      4. 1099s

      5. 1099 Process

   3. Finding the right people

   4. Substance abuse

10. Taxes

    1. Payroll taxes

    2. Sales tax

    3. Estimated tax

    4. Lump sum tax payments

11. Insurance

    1. Worker’s Compensation

       1. Employees

       2. Uninsured warning

    2. General Liability

       1. Site coverage

       2. Automobile coverage

       3. Uninsured warning

    3. Subcontractors

       1. Requesting proof of insurance

       2. Validating proof of insurance

    4. WC & GL Audits

    5. Unemployment

    6. Disability

    7. Tools & Equipment

    8. Builder’s Risk Policy

12. Safety

    1. OSHA

    2. Safety & Health Program

    3. PPE

    4. First Aid

    5. Drug testing

    6. Emergency preparedness

13. Supplier Accounts

    1. Credit cards

    2. Suppliers & vendors

    3. Credit applications

    4. Payment Terms

    5. Supplier & vendor pricing

14. Marketing

    1. Branding

       1. Picking a name

       2. Logos

       3. Colors

       4. Taglines

       5. Vehicles (magnets & wraps)

       6. Apparel

       7. Paperwork

       8. Email

       9. Business Cards

       10. Free stuff

    2. Digital Footprint

       1. Social Media Pages

          1. Facebook

          2. Instagram

          3. Linkedin

       2. Search engine listings

       3. Better Business Bureau

       4. Angie’s List & HomeAdvisor

    3. Inbound Channels

       1. Referrals

          1. Friends & family

          2. Clients

          3. Realtors

          4. Business affiliates

       2. Facebooks Ads

       3. Facebook groups

       4. Pay per click

       5. Website / SEO

       6. Paid leads

       7. Craigslist

       8. Yard Signs

       9. Office Phone

       10. Radio

       11. Television

    4. Outbound Channels

       1. Direct Mail

       2. Door knocking

       3. Email

       4. Cold calling

    5. Salespeople

15. Competition

    1. What do they have to offer?

    2. How do they position themselves?

    3. Strength and weakness

    4. Pricing

    5. Lowball bids

    6. Your competitive advantage

16. Appointments

    1. What to bring

    2. Dressing the part

    3. Arrival

    4. Intro

    5. Building rapport

    6. Mirroring the client

    7. Pain points

17. Negotiation

    1. Everything’s negotiable

       1. Customers

       2. Suppliers

       3. Subcontractors

    2. Emphasis

    3. Negotiable Terms

    4. Boxing the objection

    5. Give and take

    6. Negotiation lines

    7. Listening lines

    8. Presentation

    9. Talking numbers

18. Pricing Jobs

    1. Market rates

    2. Cost calculation

       1. Labor

       2. Materials

       3. Turnkey

       4. Rental

       5. Taxes

       6. Overhead

       7. Permitting

       8. Contingency

       9. Profit Margin

    3. Pricing techniques

    4. Attention to detail

    5. Walkthroughs

    6. Reading Plans

    7. Accurate measurements

    8. Accurate scope of work

    9. Subcontractor estimates

    10. Supplier estimates

    11. Understanding demand

        1. Material pricing fluctuation

        2. Subcontractor price hikes

    12. Software

19. Customer Service

    1. Statistics

    2. The Customer Experience

    3. Answering the phone

    4. Showing up on time

    5. Good communication

       1. Follow-ups

       2. Providing updates

       3. Don’t leave them hanging

    6. Your product

       1. The power of walkthroughs

       2. Making it right

    7. Freebies

    8. Referrals & Repeat Business

20. Paperwork

    1. Estimates

       1. Content

          1. Scope of work

             1. What’s included

             2. What’s not included

          2. Time limits

          3. Contingencies for unknowns

    2. Contracts

       1. Contract types

          1. Cost Plus

          2. Lump Sum

       2. Scope of work

          1. What’s included

          2. What’s not included

       3. Change order procedure

    3. Purchase Orders

    4. Change Orders

    5. Invoices

    6. Certificate of Completion

       1. Insurance companies

21. Winning the Bid

    1. Communication

    2. Being prepared

    3. Pitch your bid

    4. Objections

    5. Decision-maker buy-in

    6. Providing value

    7. Apples to Apples

    8. Timing

    9. Getting contract signed

22. Scheduling

    1. Schedule development

    2. Your role

    3. Customer inputs

    4. Labor inputs

    5. Materials inputs

    6. Rental inputs

    7. Inspection inputs

    8. Delays

    9. Improvement

23. Permitting

    1. When is a permit required?

    2. What do you need?

    3. Plan reviews

    4. Building to code

    5. Inspections

       1. Getting started

       2. Requesting inspections

       3. Being prepared

          1. Scheduling

          2. Handling inspectors

          3. Logistics

       4. Results

       5. Document submittals

       6. Pass & fail rates

24. Execution: Labor Management

    1. Leading by example

    2. What do employees want?

    3. Tools for success

    4. Morale

       1. Improvement

       2. Correction

    5. Communication

    6. Doing the work

       1. Planning

       2. Scheduling

       3. Oversight

       4. Quality control

       5. Errors & rework

25. Execution: Material Management

    1. Supplier delivery

       1. Inspecting upon receipt

    2. Pickup from supplier

       1. Inspecting upon receipt

    3. Material drops

       1. Drop zones

          1. Flagging drop area

          2. Meeting driver at site

          3. Property damage

       2. Phased delivery

       3. Property damage

    4. Storage

    5. Setting boundaries

    6. Debris control

26. Execution: Site Management

    1. Access

    2. Start and stop times

    3. Site Preparation

       1. Exterior

       2. Interior

    4. Clean-up

    5. Safety

    6. Theft

       1. Signage

       2. Cameras

       3. Job check in sheet

       4. Take inventory

    7. Rental

       1. Porta Jon

       2. Dumpsters

       3. Equipment

    8. Utilities

27. Managing Customers (post contract)

    1. Managing expectations

    2. Coordination

    3. Communication

       1. Updates

       2. Answering questions

       3. Client inspection

    4. Handling bird-dogs

    5. Payments

    6. Monitoring budget

    7. Monitoring schedule

    8. Monitoring scope

    9. Overruns

    10. Walkthroughs

    11. Handling errors

    12. References & reviews

28. Craftsmanship

    1. Quality

    2. Quality assurance

    3. Quality control

    4. The Right People

    5. The Right Materials

    6. Cutting corners

    7. Defect claims

    8. Rework

    9. Warranties

    10. Meeting expectations

29. Learn to Stand Out

    1. Answer the phone

    2. Be on time

    3. Learn to be likeable

    4. Have the right attitude

    5. Pay attention to detail

    6. Do the little things

    7. Keep your word

    8. Do it right the first time

    9. Keep up with the times

30. Money Management

    1. Getting Paid

       1. Customer payment

          1. Payment schedule

          2. Downpayment

          3. Draw schedule

       2. Payment types

          1. Check

          2. Cash

          3. PayPal

          4. Stripe

          5. Venmo

          6. Quickbooks

          7. Financing

       3. Financing

          1. Financing partners

          2. Construction Loans

    2. Paying Others

       1. Employees

       2. Subcontractors

       3. Payday

    3. Bookkeeping

       1. Taxes

       2. Projections

    4. Quickbooks

    5. Key financial terms

       1. Revenue

       2. Expenses

       3. Net Income

       4. Assets

       5. Liabilities

       6. Cash flow

       7. Profit & loss statement

       8. Balance sheet

    6. Reinvesting

    7. Reserves

    8. Are your accounts in good hands?

31. Business Management

    1. Building your team

       1. Call answering service

       2. Admin

       3. Sales

       4. Estimators

       5. Labor

       6. Subcontractors

       7. Construction attorney

       8. Insurance agent

       9. Material & Equipment suppliers

       10. Bookkeeper

       11. Accountant

       12. Marketing consultants

       13. Mentors

    2. Office & Shop

    3. Tools & equipment

    4. Auto Fleet

    5. Scaling

    6. Systems

    7. Delegation

32. Extra: Financial Literacy

    1. Assets vs Liabilities

    2. Cashflow Quadrant

    3. Good & Bad Debt

    4. Taxes

    5. Credit

       1. Top factors affecting your score

       2. Top negative impacts to credit

       3. General credit tips

    6. Mentality

    7. Freedom

    8. Summary

Rating Distribution

• 1 stars: 0 votes
• 2 stars: 1 votes
• 3 stars: 5 votes
• 4 stars: 8 votes
• 5 stars: 11 votes

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have access to the course materials?

You can view and review the lecture materials indefinitely, like an on-demand channel.

Can I take my courses with me wherever I go?

Definitely! If you have an internet connection, courses on Udemy are available on any device at any time. If you don’t have an internet connection, some instructors also let their students download course lectures. That’s up to the instructor though, so make sure you get on their good side!