Being a construction contractor is hard work, but it can be a lucrative career if you establish a successful reputation. How do you go about establishing that successful reputation and bring in the high-paying work? In the state of Massachusetts, you must be experienced and licensed to work as a contractor, so that would take care of the need for an understanding of your craft. But there are many other skills a construction contractor needs to be successful in Massachusetts, or any other state.
To be successful, a contractor needs the right skills.
People Skills
Job owners, whether they are residential or commercial, expect their contractors to be accessible and responsible. In order to put a job owner at ease, you need to develop the types of people skills that allow you to be an effective communicator and negotiator. You will run across situations where you have to break some potentially bad news to a job owner and your ability to get a referral from that owner would depend solely on your people skills.
Honesty
Contractors that habitually lie to job owners often find themselves in court and out of business. A good contractor understands how to present information to a job owner in a way that is easy for the owner to understand. Even if the job owner does not like what the contractor has to say, the relationship can still be salvaged if the contractor has a reputation for being honest and upfront with job owners.
Organizational Skills
Organizational skills for a successful contractor fall under two categories. In order for a contractor to make sure that each project is done on time and under budget, they must be able to keep all aspects of the project organized and running smoothly. From handling vendors to staying on schedule with deliveries, a contractor must be organized at all times.
Organizational skills also apply to maintaining a productive and efficient crew that has a professional attitude and does the job right the first time. A good contractor is always interested in hiring qualified people to help make their crew more efficient.
Developing good customer skills can help your contracting business to find more work.
An Understanding Of Technology
With the rapid advances being made in construction technology, a successful contractor is one that keeps their eye on the changes and looks for ways to utilize that new technology. If a contractor can offer a higher quality service to job owners at a lower cost by utilizing new technology, then that is something that will help that contractor to succeed.
This also applies to other forms of technology such as mobile communications and computer software. If there is a better way to do business that is also cost-effective, then a good contractor will see the trends coming and decide whether or not their business would benefit from investing in that technology.
The Massachusetts Contractor Academy can help you to get your contractor career started with its approved 12-hour licensing course. Once you have your license, it is up to you to take the time to develop the rest of the skills you will need to become a successful contractor.
George N Root III is a professional freelance writer who has expertise in topics such as Internet marketing, business, advertising, and personal finance.