Top 10 Thursday features 10 of the most interesting articles that I found the previous week. There is so much news and information available on the web – it’s difficult to read everything and stay up to date. As I read articles on the web – I’ll share some that I feel are important.
General Business:
Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll & Taxes
Construction
- An Analysis of Arizona’s Prompt Payment Statutes {Private and Public Works}
- San Diego has $13.4B in construction projects in the works
- Missouri DOT works to make state bridges safer
- Rochester, NY gets $100M for Interstate 390 upgrade
- New York Construction Defects Paper
- Architecture billings up, construction materials prices down
- Department of Labor {DOL} Proposes Hiring Goal for Federal Contractors to Employe Disabled Workers
- Missouri Proposes to Eliminate Prevailing Wage Requirements
Marketing & Social Media
Well, there’s our Top 10 most interesting articles for last week – do you have some interesting news that you’d like to share?
Top 10 Thursday features 10 of the most interesting articles that I found the previous week. There is so much news and information available on the web – it’s difficult to read everything and stay up to date. As I read articles on the web – I’ll share some that I feel are important.
General Business:
- Guarding Against Fraud: How to Protect Your Organization
- Business-driving technology worth considering in 2012
Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll & Taxes:
- Committee to start work on payroll-tax cut in mid-January
- Taxpayers Warned of Changes for Tax Season
Construction:
- Top 10 transportation issues for 2012, including texting and cell phone usage while driving
- Indian considers right-to-work legislation
- Understanding General Liability Insurance for Contractors
- The Science of Bidding
- New York state plans to invest $15B in infrastructure improvements
Marketing & Social Media:
Well, there’s our Top 10 most interesting articles for last week – do you have some interesting news that you’d like to share?
Top 10 Thursday features 10 of the most interesting articles that I found the previous week. There is so much news and information available on the web – it’s difficult to read everything and stay up to date. As I read articles on the web – I’ll share some that I feel are important.
General Business:
Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll & Taxes:
- Misclassifying Workers as Independent Contractors Carries a Steep Price
- New Tax Provisions for 2012
- Where Do Payroll Taxes Go?
- Tax Relief and Health Care Acts Shape 2011 Returns
Construction:
- Defense Bill Includes at $400M for Colorado
- Allowances in Construction Contracts – Avoiding Misunderstandings and Disputes
Marketing & Social Media:
- The Power of Permission in Using Email Marketing
- Using Social Bookmarking to Improve Your SEO
- How Small-Business Owners Can Cast a Social Safety Net
Well, there’s our Top 10 most interesting articles for last week – do you have some interesting news that you’d like to share?
Strategies for Making the Move to Public Works Construction Projects Seminar – American Subcontractors Association, San Diego branch, January 19, 2012
The current economic situation has dealt a serious blow to both homebuilders and commercial contractors and many are finding themselves make the move to Public Works construction and Prevailing Wage projects. Make the move to Public Works construction will require planning and quite possibly a variety of changes in the way you currently run your existing construction business.
Join industry experts; Steve Kuzmack, President of Fringe Benefit Experts and Nancy Smyth, President of Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc. for an intensive 2 hour session on January 19, 2012; on strategies for lowering labor costs and complying with certified payroll reporting requirements on Federal and/or State funded construction projects.
Learn How:
- To reduce payroll taxes and insurance premiums on your prevailing wage projects.
- “Bona Fide” benefit plans operate and how they decrease labor costs while increasing company profits and enhance employee benefit programs.
- You, the owner, can put more pre-tax money into your personal 401K.
- To smooth out the wage discrepancies between Private and Public Work.
- To save $2.00 – $4.00+ in payroll burden per man hour – based on San Diego Wage Rates.
- Supplemental Unemployment Benefit {SUB} Plans operate – and why your field workers like them.
Learn the Pros and Cons of Paying the TOTAL Hourly Prevailing Wage Rate on Payroll:
- Impact on your company
- Impact on your employees
Learn About Types of “Bona Fide” Fringe Benefit Plans:
- SUB Plan – “Field Workers Get Paid When Not Working” {Holidays, Layoffs, Reduction in Hours}
- Pension Plan – How to Increase Owner and Staff Pre-Tax Contributions
- Health Plan – Make Health Insurance Premiums not only Pre-Income Tax but Pre-Payroll Tax as well
Learn About Bookkeeping, Accounting & Payroll Procedures:
- When you pay the full fringe rate as part of employees hourly rate of pay
- When you pay the full fringe rate to one or more “bona fide” fringe benefit plans
- When you pay a portion of the fringe benefit rate to a plan and the balance in cash
Learn About Certified Payroll Reporting Requirements:
- What is a Certified Payroll Report?
- How do I complete a Certified Payroll Report?
- Are there different requirements for State and Federally funded construction projects?
If you want to get more competitive, grow your company and create more profit; then this seminar is for you.
This event will be held:
January 19, 2012 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the SMART Safety Office, 9471 Ridgehaven Ct. #C, San Diego, CA 92123. Non-member Price $60.00. Member Price $45.00. Register for the event OR download a seminar flyer.
In a conversation with a builder today, I noticed huge similarities between the construction process and running a successful business.
This design/build contractor was stating that the best way to run a construction project was to take time to strategically outline the details and then execute the plan. He was explaining how costly and frustrating it can get when his customer makes big changes half way through the job. “Once the foundation is poured”, he said, “it can be very costly to change the design. Time spent planning will always pay off down the road”.
After a while we began to discuss his business and how he moves through his day. “I am constantly putting out fires and sometimes ask myself if I should be doing something else with my time, something more productive”
It hit me that the construction process is not unlike the business process itself.
Make a plan, then work the plan
When we think strategically about our business processes, we can be more effective, more efficient, and happier because we know the tasks that need to done. With a process in place our people then execute the system. Without the clarity of knowing what really works in our business, it’s not surprising that we wander day to day throwing stuff up on the walls of our business to see what sticks.
What specific activities generate new business? What percentage of business comes from the web/social media versus word of mouth referrals? Are you constantly changing course mid-stream? What is the most profitable part of your business? What’s the most productive use of your time and talents?
As the captain of the ship your people and your customers look to you for leadership and direction. Do you know how effective you are in the leadership role? Do you know what makes a good leader?
To successfully pour a foundation, for example, a specific process is followed. A plan is drawn up, general site work takes place, a survey is conducted and stakes positioned to mark the site. People and machinery are brought in to dig the hole, set the forms, pour the concrete, remove the forms, etc.
Do you have similar procedures in place for your business? How you market, answer the phone, take a customer through the sales process, and hold employees accountable?
Most of us come to business from the technical end. We are great carpenters, accountants, photographers, etc. The challenge is when we begin to grow and change our knowledge needs to change with it. Our job description changes from “carpenter” to leader. The activities and knowledge needed by a leader are completely different from that of a technician in the field.
In order to grow your business and have a sane life outside of work it’s necessary to have a solid strategic plan. A plan for your business, a strategic marketing plan, a road map for your people to follow and the desire to change.
The desire to change is the first and most important step. Often business owners don’t make a change until they are feeling the pain. The pain of 60 plus hour work weeks, strained relationships, dwindling check book balance.
Time to face reality.
What’s working in your business? What’s not? By taking time away from the day to day operations and getting a 30,000 ft. view of your business, you will find clarity and direction. Your people, health, relationships, and business depends on it.
