If you haven’t read any horror stories lately, check out “The Successful Bid That Put the Contractor Out of Business.” You may need the cash flow and feel an obligation to keep good employees working, but if you don’t find the right construction projects to bid – and bid them the right way – you could be writing your own horror story. Or obituary.
Here are some ways to find construction projects to bid:
Double-Dip
“If you’re a general contractor (GC), you really should be pursuing jobs as a subcontractor,” says estimator pro Daniel Quindemil. He calls that double-dipping. He says you may not always get the job as a GC but you’ve got a good opportunity to get work through the bid-winning general contractor(s).
Get Out There and Look
You must either pound the pavement, hire your nephew, or use a lead-generation service. It is essential you get out there every week to find real-time leads. Which of your subcontractors have jobs in the pipeline? Find out what, where, and when.
Connect regularly with HOAs (homeowner associations) throughout your region. You want to be the first name they think of when renovations are needed. Some GCs calendar reminders to network with potential customers.
Fact: You should spend 80% of your time involved with sales and marketing and only 20% actually running your business.
Google It
You’d be surprised what you can learn from Monday-morning search-engine surfing. Let’s say you’re serving Marion and Hamilton counties in Indiana. You enter this search string:
New+real+estate+development+carmel+indiana+2020
Here are some leads you might generate:
- “Old Town plans 28-acre office, residential project…”
- “Indianapolis developer moves headquarters to Carmel…”
…and more.
Lead-Generation Services
There are plenty of them out there and several are good. If your time and budget for resources are limited, utilize a low-cost comprehensive local information source.
You not only want up-to-date data, but you also want access to construction industry historical trends in your area. Building permit information is key to finding the right construction projects to bid.
Let us know how we can provide topical, relevant information customized for your business. Contact Construction Monitor to learn more.