Built to Build: Blog

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 these from potential customers cause contractors to lose confidence in…
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The #1 reason why construction companies fail is underbidding future jobs to make up for losses from past jobs. If you can relate, check out this webinar, More Than Survival. John Meibers and Shawn will cover how you can take back control of your profitability so you can focus more…
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In Episode 36 of Building Optimal Radio, Shawn covers a few random topics from common bad advice he hears when preparing for the next recession. Listen and learn: The worst advice Shawn hears What Shawn preaches that he doesn’t hear anyone else preaching Shawn’s advice for weathering a downturn.

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 waste a lot of time designing projects that homeowners can’t afford. This is…
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In Episode 35 of Building Optimal Radio, Shawn outlines a plan to help you get paid for your pre-con work. If you’re not doing it already, this is worth a listen! And if you are, well Shawn may have a few ways to enhance your program. Listen and learn: Why…
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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 great people, doing exciting things, who…
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Shawn joins Jared Gossett on Episode 34 of the Building Optimal Podcast to discuss recruitment strategies for construction companies. Listen and learn: Where you should be looking to find your next hire The cost of a bad hire. The percentage of people who actually hate their jobs and what to…
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Are you looking for leadership strategies to build a profitable company prepared for sustainable growth? Episode 238 of the EntreArchitect podcast is: How to Find Skilled Employees You Need as a Small Firm Architect. To hear more about finding high-quality employees to join your small firm, listen to the podcast!

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 and what not to ask your contractor once they have started your…
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CHARGING FOR PROPOSALS SERVES YOUR CUSTOMERS Many residential contractors waste their time by running around giving out free estimates to customers who never intend on hiring them.  This practice increases the cost of a project because someone has to pay for that wasted time.  If a contractor doesn’t recover those…
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On the Tile Money Podcast, Shawn joins Luke Miller to talk about managing your money. Listen and learn: How to sell with questions How to calculate your price The difference between markup and margin The best way to manage your money

  A SIMPLE PLAN IN Q3 & Q4 FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS It’s the beginning of July and it’s one of my favorite times of the year. The reason is because half of the year’s already over. The first half of the year told you exactly what you need to…
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Construction business owners have to trust in their employees if they want to grow their businesses.  It’s frustrating when your employees don’t do what they say they will do.  When they don’t follow through with the duties and responsibilities of their jobs, you have to hold them accountable. Here are…
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Running a construction business is no cakewalk. On Episode 11 of the Time Limit Podcast, Shawn digs in to the many highs and lows of running a construction business. It’s a wide-ranging conversation that touches on a lot of points that will resonate for you, no matter your industry or…
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THE ONLY PATH TO A GOOD JOB Most high school students want to pursue an education that leads to a successful career. In order to do that, they need confidence in choosing the right path for their postsecondary education – any education after high school such as college, trade school,…
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  CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS CASH FLOW The phrase “Time is money” may be cliche, but it is true. A plan for money is called a budget. A budget for time is called a schedule. Therefore: SCHEDULE = BUDGET FOR TIME = BUDGET FOR MONEY I once heard Dave Ramsey say, “If…
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WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO HEAR HOW TO F* UP A BOOK LAUNCH ENTREPRENEURSHIP ELEVATED PODCAST with Mike Michalowicz Check out Episode 247 of the Entrepreneurship Elevated Podcast with Mike Michalowicz. Mike and Shawn discuss the ins and outs of Profit First for Contractors, and how Shawn totally f’d up…
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WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW. TOUGH LOVE FOR MY CLIENT Here’s a few minutes of a coaching call with one of my clients, BJ. When you focus on the right things, then you get results. You might get stressed when you start to see the cash in your bank accounts build…
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Growing a profitable construction business requires more than just increasing the top-line revenue. In fact, selling more work at the wrong price to the wrong customers will ensure that yours never grows in a sustainable manner. Edward Abbey, an American author and essayist, said, “Growth for the sake of growth…
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The old way of getting projects is broken. Architects design projects without knowing the real costs involved. This creates a problem for the architect and the homeowner and frustrates the contractors bidding on the work. The design, bid, build process is broken. There is a better way that serves all…
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LEADERSHIP IN CONSTRUCTION   Peter Drucker famously said: “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” If you own or manage a construction business, then you are busy doing a lot of things.  But are those things leading you in the right direction? The problem for many…
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THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PROBLEM FOR CONTRACTORS Many construction companies claim to offer the best service and they market these services in the same way.  They plaster beautiful pictures all over social media of their process, their projects and their products. The problem is your customers don’t care about you,…
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PRIORITIZE YOUR TIME The problem with most construction business owners is that they don’t prioritize their time. This causes stress for you (the owner) and damages relationships with the most important people in your life – your family. Learn what happened with my client, Victor Martinez, when he came home…
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On this episode of the Remodelers on the Rise Podcast, Shawn joins Kyle Hunt to discuss how to make profit in your construction business using the Profit First Framework. Listen and learn: How to make sense of your financial statements Why you must understand your numbers How Profit First for…
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WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW. General contractors push trade contractors to “just get started.” But many times the general contractor is not 100% ready for the trade contractor to start. This pressure “to start” causes confusion, inefficiencies, and mistake to happen. HOW TO TRAIN A CONTRACTOR Instead of reacting to the…
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