Built to Build: Blog

HOW (AND WHY) TO SELL YOUR VALUE, NOT YOUR PRICE FREE ESTIMATES ARE NOT FREE Most construction business owners spend countless hours estimating, scheduling, and planning projects for people who never intend to actually buy.  All those hours spent chasing clients add up.  Free estimates are not free at all.…
Read More

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PROFITS IN A COVID-19 WORLD ADJUSTING TO THE NEW NORMAL Mask wearing, social distancing, and zoom meetings are the new normal. These changes are minor in comparison to finding the new normal in your construction business.  How do you take care of your employees’ needs, maintain…
Read More

HOW TO CREATE PREDICTABLE REVENUE FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST Shawn Van Dyke · How to Create Predictable Revenue for Your Construction Business WHAT’S YOUR PLAN? Most construction business owners don’t have a plan when a crisis occurs or the market changes. We get so caught up…
Read More

BUILDBOOK WEB APP: COMMUNICATION SIMPLIFIED FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST POOR COMMUNICATION COSTS MONEY Poor communication is the number one reason construction businesses lose money.  It’s hard to keep track of all the calls, texts, emails, and face-to-face interactions that happen throughout each project.  Forget one detail,…
Read More

BUILT TO BUILD ACADEMY OUTTAKES DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY Nobody’s perfect. Watch the video to see what is usually “fixed in post” in our weekly videos. In the Built to Build Academy, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We save the seriousness for mentoring and creating confident construction business…
Read More

BUILT TO LEAD: HOW TO RUN YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS ON AUTOPILOT LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST THERE ISN’T ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT ALL A lot of construction businesses fail.  You might be tempted to think they fail because they ran out of money. But, running out of money is just…
Read More

BUILT TO GROW: WHY YOU NEED SYSTEMS TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST ARE YOU THE BOTTLENECK OF YOUR BUSINESS? There are four phases in managing a construction business or, what I call, the Contractor Journey: Doer, Thinker, Communicator, and Leader.  If you feel like you’re constantly stuck…
Read More

BUILT TO START: HOW TO ACTUALLY GET YOUR BUSINESS OFF THE GROUND LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST MOST CONTRACTORS ARE NOT PROFITABLE Are you really making a profit in your construction business? Can you prove it? Most of the time, when I ask that question, contractors struggle to answer. They don’t…
Read More

ENROLLMENT OPEN! THE BUILT TO BUILD ACADEMY WILL GIVE YOU YOUR LIFE BACK LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST ARE YOU CONFIDENT IN YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS? If not, then the Built to Build Academy™ is for you. And, enrollment is now open for a limited time. Watch the video below to learn…
Read More

HOW TO SUSTAIN YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES TIMES ARE UNCERTAIN, BUT YOUR BUSINESS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE You need a plan for your business now more than ever in these uncertain times. So, I’m offering you a free resource, no strings attached. Check out this group coaching session…
Read More

THE SECRET TO GROWING YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PEOPLE DON’T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU POST ON SOCIAL Most construction business owners use social media as part of their business.  They sink a ton of time trying to build their social accounts, only to realize that no…
Read More

DON’T MISS SHAWN VAN DYKE SEMINARS AT JLC LIVE NORTHEAST 2020 LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST SPEAKING SCHEDULE: DON’T MISS SHAWN VAN DYKE SEMINARS AT JLC LIVE NORTHEAST 2020 It’s that time of year again. It’s time to make your plans to attend JLC Live Northeast at the Rhode Island Convention…
Read More

THIS IS THE SIMPLE WAY TO INCREASE CONSTRUCTION PROFIT MARGINS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST OF COURSE YOU WANT TO MAKE A PROFIT, BUT… The problem most construction business owners encounter when implementing the PFC system is that they try to go too big, too soon. They get excited about finally…
Read More

HOW TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE CASH FLOW FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST ARE YOU FINANCING YOUR CLIENT’S JOB FOR THEM? If you’re like most contractors, you have financed a customer’s job at some point. You’ve spent more money on producing and managing the job than the money you…
Read More

PERCENTAGES: THE BEST WAY TO ANALYZE YOUR PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST ARE YOU UNSURE WHAT YOUR FINANCIAL REPORTS MEAN? Most construction business owners struggle to understand Profit and Loss statement analysis. They depend on their bookkeepers or CPAs to interpret what the numbers mean. Properly interpreting…
Read More

HOW TO SELL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AT THE HIGHEST PRICE POSSIBLE LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST WHY YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR CLIENTS THE TRUTH ABOUT COST Most contractors are people pleasers. Serving your clients is a priority for you. And, you may be wondering how to sell construction services in an…
Read More

THE #1 RULE YOU NEED TO HACK YOUR PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST ARE YOU SPENDING MORE THAN YOU RECIEVE? If you spend more than 100% of your income, then you are going to have problems in your construction business. I know it sounds simplistic, but many…
Read More

HOW TO INCREASE CONSTRUCTION SALES WHEN CLIENTS WANT TO SAVE MONEY LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST HOW TO RESPOND TO A CUSTOMER’S QUESTION ABOUT SAVING MONEY A problem for many construction business owners is that you believe your customers when they say they want to save money. I am not saying…
Read More

GUARANTEE PROFIT AND MANAGE CASH FLOW LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST You Must Master Cash Flow Management to Make a Profit If you don’t understand the financial side of your company, you will continually struggle to turn a profit and grow your construction business. Yet, understanding your financial statements is confusing,…
Read More

NAHB IBS 2020 SPEAKING SCHEDULE NAHB International Builders’ Show Speaking Schedule for Shawn Van Dyke   It’s that time of year to make your plan of attack for the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, NV.   If this is your first time, then my advice is:   PLAN AHEAD.…
Read More

3 WAYS BUILDERS CAN INCREASE PROFITS AND EFFICIENCIES RIGHT NOW 3 THINGS BUILDERS CAN DO TO INCREASE PROFITS AND EFFICIENCIES  Bidding against other builders is a race to the bottom.  There will always be someone cheaper than you. If you chase after these “competitive bidding” opportunities, then you will waste…
Read More

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS Has a potential client ever told you the following: “You can’t do that.” “You can’t charge for estimates.” “No one in this market does that.” Or “I’ve never heard of that before.” Statements like…
Read More

HOW TO DEAL WITH DESIGNERS AND THEIR DIFFICULT CLIENTS LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST DESIGNERS NEED HELP FROM CONTRACTORS Designers struggle just as much as contractors do when it comes to getting paid for their time and expertise. They might not admit it, or even be aware of it, but designers…
Read More

SHAWN VAN DYKE JOINS BUILDBOOK TEAM SHAWN VAN DYKE JOINS THE BUILDBOOK BOARD OF ADVISORS [PRESS RELEASE JULY 29, 2019] If you know me, you know that I’ve dedicated my career to helping construction companies grow their businesses. In my work, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a ton of…
Read More

HOMEOWNERS SHOULD NOT ASK THEIR CONTRACTORS THIS QUESTION LISTEN TO THE BLOGCAST DO NOT ASK A CONTRACTOR FOR A NOSE JOB In my previous post, I stated why homeowners should pay their contractors for proposal and why they shouldn’t expect them to work for free. This post is for homeowners…
Read More