Category: Construction Business

How to Build Your Construction Business and Who to Hire for Help

How to Build Your Construction Business and Who to Hire for Help


People have been building houses since the beginning of time. In retrospect, people used to build houses manually using natural resources. You get the picture; no cranes or ready-to-build cement, just dried-up bricks from the sun.


Construction Industry as a Determining Factor in Economic Growth

The construction industry is one of the determining factors of economic growth. It opens a lot of doors for job opportunities in different sectors. For instance, mall construction offers many job opportunities for contractors, entrepreneurs, and job seekers.
How to Build Your Construction BUsiness and Who To Hire For Help

 

Construction Business in a Transformative Society

We live in a world where change is inevitable and there is a need to keep up with its demand. Old ways of building houses have transformed in a modernized way as society evolves. 

Humans need to protect themselves and build a roof above their heads. In short, it is the root activity in the construction business. The things we rely upon have to be constructed; such as houses, bridges, roads, railways, factories, churches, mines, mills, and sky tower buildings.  Hence, the construction industry plays a vital role in society.

How to Build Your Construction BUsiness and Who To Hire For Help Blog

 

At present, construction businesses are still shifting from manual labor to modern construction equipment to increase productivity. According to Ryfan Electric, despite the reports that the construction industry projects $17 trillion by 2025, it still evolves slowly. Most industry experts conclude that there is a need for the construction industry to modernize equipment and invest in technological devices. 

The goal of modernizing the process of construction leads to numerous advantages. It mainly increases production efficiency compared to manual labor. Digital transformation is beneficial to support the unemployment gap in the industry. 

The industry has decreasing skilled laborers and young adults are not interested in working in the construction industry. Modern construction equipment can lessen the work of manual workers. 

More importantly, the construction industry needed digital ways to improve communication and coordination. This way, the industry can avoid hazardous errors that may arise due to miscommunication and lack of proper coordination.

 

How do you start a Construction Business?

The revolutionary ideas in human history did not happen overnight. There is a massive amount of hard work and collaborative efforts to make an impressive contribution to society. In particular, envisioning a construction business needs constant action in drafting your coherent business plan to guide your business. 

 

Start with a Plan

In every construction business, there must be a plan that will guide everyone towards the business’ success. One must put in black and white their bombshell idea. Write an ideal and realistic business plan for your construction business start-up.

 

Be Familiarized with Legal Requirements and Taxes

Organizing the company’s corporate papers is the first thing every start-up business must straighten out. That includes getting the corresponding business permits, complying with laws and regulations, and the mandatory registrations for the company.

It is also advisable to seek professional advice for your start-up business to ensure that you are not missing out any single detail. Consult a lawyer for legal clarifications, and hire an accountant for tax requirements and documentations.

 

Ensure to be Insured 

In the construction business, it is only wise to be insured. Business owners must consult their insurance agent to discuss policies that will protect their company from unforeseen incidents.

How to Build Your Construction BUsiness and Who To Hire For Help Blog

 

Financial Liquidity

For businesses to survive, they must be financially liquid among others. The business owner must ensure your company’s operating expenses. Operating expenses include payroll, insurance, rent, marketing costs, and research costs.

 

Work on Expanding your Network

Having a solid network is one of the biggest perks in establishing your business. It is also necessary to create good credit standing with suppliers and connect with industry professionals. 

 

Invest in good marketing and construction software

One of the advantages of investing is the potential for long-term returns. As a construction business owner, you must allocate funds in good marketing for brand awareness. Additionally, investing in construction software is essential for a construction business. 

 

Full-time or Part-Time Contractors

You have to decide if you are going to hire a contractor or full-time employees. In terms of cost-efficiency, hiring a contractor is recommended for a construction business. However, you must also consider hiring full-time employees for the core positions in your construction business. 

 

Challenges in starting a Construction Business

Construction companies have practical knowledge about the hardships that come along with starting a construction business. Rationally, they will find the best team members to work for their construction company. That includes finding a contractor, project manager, customer support, and marketing or social media management team for the company. Indeed, finding the best support team is compelling in running a construction company. 

However, efficient customer support and team members cannot quickly rectify some events beyond their control. This refers to economic depression, natural calamities, a threat to safety, or a pandemic. 

Here are some of the common challenges encountered when starting a construction business.

 

Wrong classification of employees

The misconception that most business owners overlook is the wrong classification of employees. If the company misidentifies a contractor as a full-time employee or vice versa, the employer is obliged to pay for the taxes due.

 

Shortage in skilled laborers

The effect of the economic crisis that laid off almost 2 million jobs in the construction businesses is still recognized today. Indeed, most of these laid-off workers opted to find a new career in different industries, some already retired. There is a massive demand in the construction business; however, there are a few laborers to supply that demand.

 

Lack of Development in Productivity Levels

The shortage of skilled laborers can impact the productivity level of every construction project. Relative to this are factors such as disorganized planning and calendar management for the projects, poor communication and collaboration, and wasted time in waiting for construction materials. 

 

Worker’s Safety

Above all reasons, health and safety have been everybody’s business nowadays since the pandemic made its appearance in March 2020. Health and safety concerns contributed to another significant safety issue in the construction business. 

 

Now, there are two major safety issues involved: workplace injuries and battling of COVID-19 infection. Business owners are responsible for prioritizing these, not resulting in yet another decrease in the workforce.  More importantly, prioritizing worker’s safety is essential in improving the worker’s morale. 

 

Construction Businesses in Remote Setup

Construction businesses are one of the most fast-paced industries needing full attention.

Employees working for construction business’ back office and on-site work tasks need constant checking and collaborating to deliver quality projects. Given the background of the industry as well as the additional challenge of the current pandemic situation, it is right to wonder how things are going.

Here’s what it looks like for construction businesses in the remote set-up: 

  • Construction companies make sure they are connected to everyone while embracing the new concept of remote setup.

Most people going through the new work-from-home concept could cope by using modern technological devices, primarily laptops and a stable internet connection. In addition to this, construction companies learned to use communication software such as Zoom, Skype, Slack, or WhatsApp. 

  • Construction companies make sure they do what the top priority is.

Overwhelming is an understatement in construction businesses. Construction business owners are often bombarded with emails and phone calls even when their day hasn’t started yet. There is a definite solution to this and one is to know what the top priority is. This way, fundamental matters are being addressed firsthand to avoid consecutive errors.

  • Construction companies make sure they delegate tasks.

Jessica Jackley, an American businesswoman, once said that, “deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” 

This is true in terms of the workload of start-up construction business owners. They have the tendency to act as the head of every department or unintentionally micromanage. 

Business owners need to reflect on their tasks. It is natural to oversee your business as long as you don’t dread doing everything at once. While there is comfort in knowing about every aspect of your business, there is also satisfaction in growing your business without sacrificing much energy.

Sometimes, the convenience we long for also depends on our actions. Learning how to delegate and take away unnecessary administrative tasks can be the first step. In simpler terms, hire a virtual assistant to help you. 

It is pivotal when you have the best virtual assistant to help your business grow.

Business owners can set aside their worries on where to find the best VA to support your start-up construction business. At Live Free Virtual Services, we can assist you with your technical, administrative, live call, creative, and online business management services. We are here to find your perfect VA who can help you support your business and you can focus on doing what you love.

How to Build Your Construction BUsiness and Who To Hire For Help Blog
How to Build Your Construction BUsiness and Who To Hire For Help Blog

 

We coined the term TALCO as an acronym for our services!

 

Technical Services 

LFVS acknowledged the importance of having a systematic approach to your business processes. We can provide you with a strong team consisting of well-trained and experienced technical support virtual assistants.

 

Administrative Services 

Managing administrative tasks while doing sales calls can be overwhelming at times. LFVS can pair you with a virtual assistant to handle your paperwork and other general administrative tasks. No need to worry about the back office and you can focus on looking for business opportunities.

 

Live Call Services

At LFVS, we feel that providing our customers with accessible customer support through live chat and phone calls is vital. We have a professional team to handle customer inquiries including chat support for answering and making calls to clients, vendors, and supply stores. Ultimately, our goal is to assist you so that you’re not distracted at the job site.       

 

Creative Services 

LFVS is constantly doing research and observing market trends. We aspire to provide our clients well presented and curated marketing strategies to enhance their business and brand awareness. 

 

Online Business Management 

LFVS aims to help business owners achieve their goals. We offer to help business owners manage projects, operations, metrics, and people to get their jobs done efficiently. 

 

What are the benefits of hiring a VA for Construction Start-ups? 

Hiring virtual assistants for construction start-ups is one of the most efficient moves a business owner can make. It can cut operating costs as your assistant is working remotely at home. There will be no rental fee for office space, electricity, internet, and even office supply bills. 

Learning how to delegate your tasks to your assistant is also a concept in hiring a VA. Delegating tasks can make you more productive while focusing on doing the work to explore more business opportunities. 

The delegation will lead to having more time for yourself. You don’t need to stress yourself finding the time of the day to do the tasks a VA can help with. Lastly, hiring a VA will reduce your stress. 

 

How LFVS Can Help?

At LFVS, we elevate small trades business owners’ profitable growth by pairing them with a Rockstar Virtual Assistant (VA) that perfectly matches their needs. 

LFVS specializes in the trades industry, which offers a portfolio of enterprise solutions and promises to achieve successful and scalable results. We endeavor a customer-centered approach that helps to develop a winning plan for the success of your business.

At its core, that is what LFVS is all about. We ensure your businesses achieve the desired outcome with the help of our specialized virtual assistance.

Take it to the next level! Contact us now and learn how we can help you transform your business into a success.

Written By: JENEEVA BISPO

Jeneeva Bispo is a creative freelancer with a background in communication, marketing, and corporate relations. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and has been enchanted with both literature and art since the age of nine. Jeneeva views life as a labyrinth of uncertainty yet celestial through her own lens.

Being a Gemini, Jeneeva is constantly in pursuit of anything vibrant that awakens her soul. Her hobbies include meditating, writing in a journal, and she is fascinated by twenty dogs.

Jeneeva is fortunate enough that she is able to create a career out of her passion.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business?

Aug 31, 2021 by admin

Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business

Why do you need to hire a Virtual Assistant for your business? 

Almost all businesses are doing their best to survive in these challenging times. Regardless of what industry, business owners have felt the impact of the pandemic; redundancy, store closures, supply shortages, and missed partnership opportunities, to name a few.

Trade businesses, although considered essential, have also felt the result of restrictions and changes in processes because of the ongoing pandemic.

“43% of businesses had temporarily closed, and nearly all of these closures were due to COVID-19. Respondents that had temporarily closed largely pointed to reductions in demand and employee health concerns as the reasons for the closure, with disruptions in the supply chain being less of a factor.

On average, the businesses reported having reduced their active employment by 39% since January. The decline was particularly sharp in the Mid-Atlantic region (which includes New York City), where 54% of firms were closed, and employment was down by 47%.” – The impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes and expectations, The impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes and expectations | PNAS

Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business_LFVS Blogs
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business_LFVS Blogs

As business owners, it is devastating to have the fruit of your love and labor to be closed for cost and health reasons. There are some options you can try to keep your small business at least going amid these difficult times. One of which is hiring your very own Virtual Assistant.

What is a Virtual Assistant, you ask?

Virtual Assistance has been an ongoing service for quite some time but is becoming popular, especially nowadays, with almost everyone switching into a work-from-home (WFH) setup. However, many are still unaware of what it is, how the process is, and how it can help their trade business.

With all the information overload you can see on the Internet once you search for one, it is understandable that it can be daunting to delve into.

Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business_LFVS Blogs

In simplest terms, a Virtual Assistant is someone you hire and work with remotely. Their expertise ranges from administrative services to business executive services. Hiring one and delegating tasks to a Virtual Assistant can help cut the costs and make your business and personal life much better.

Some of the common skills you can outsource from a Virtual Assistant are:

This is one of the tasks that take too much time in a trade business owner’s day. Having a Virtual Assistant to make and answer phone calls frees more time to focus on core responsibilities at hand.

  • Email management

There are roughly 200 emails a business owner receives every day; seeing this at the start of your day can already feel tiring. With a Virtual Assistant sorting through these emails, organizing them to the most important, you’ll have a stress-free time to respond.

  • Social Media Management

It is crucial for every business, even trade firm, to have their social media accounts. Being in one to improve your presence and reach out to potential customers requires 24/7 attention. A Virtual Assistant is your best bet to ensure that everything in your social media profiles runs smoothly.

  • Administrative Management.

Have you ever sat down in your office chair and looked helplessly at the pile of documents and folders you need to look into and organize? Having a Virtual Assistant can ease that feeling. Aside from making sure all your documents are digitally available, a Virtual Assistant can help you look into the papers, organize and work on the ones that do not directly need your attention. 

Have You Ever Felt That You’re Juggling Too Many Hats in a Day?

Small business owners, especially those in the trade business, frequently find themselves juggling too many hats in a day. The business owners, administrative assistants, accountants, social media managers, and customer service representatives are all rolled into one.

There might have been a moment that you’ve felt you’re drowning from all these tasks, and you can’t focus on what you are good at. It can even affect your personal life; losing time with your loved ones, not doing your hobbies, traveling, or simply relaxing.

It is stressful to do all these and still have to strategize, analyze, and plan things for the growth of your trade business. This is one of the reasons why having a Virtual Assistant can be a great help for your business growth.

How Can You Benefit From Hiring a Virtual Assistant?

Having a Virtual Assistant as a part of your team can substantially impact your costs and efficiency.

Based on an article from Legit, hiring a Virtual Assistant can cut your operating costs up to 78% and add 13% productivity versus hiring an office-based employee. (5 Virtual Assistant Statistics Business Owners Need to Know | Legit Blog)

Here are some benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant:

  • Having a Virtual Assistant can cut your operating costs.

You can hire Virtual Assistants for specific tasks only and compensate them based on the hour and result provided. You won’t be needing added office space for an employee nor pay for electricity or equipment costs.

  • Reduced workload.

You can delegate unwanted tasks to your Virtual Assistant and focus more on what you do best. No more juggling of hats!

  • More productivity.

By offloading those unwanted tasks to your Virtual Assistant, you get to have more time and focus on doing the things you love and do best, such as finding more opportunities to scale your trade business.

  • More time.

It can be stressful doing everything in your business. You can even lose time with your family and friends. Having a Virtual Assistant gives you more quality time to spend with them. Time is a valuable investment we should be spending with our loved ones.

  • Less Stress.

Having more valuable time in your hands gives you lesser stress. Not drowning over repetitive and non-core tasks and being able to know that a trusty Virtual Assistant is taking care of it for you can indeed be freeing.

Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business_LFVS Blogs

Are you Ready to Live Free? – How To Hire A Virtual Assistant

Acknowledging and understanding your trade business needs and the benefits of having a Virtual Assistant in your team is vital in taking the next step to growth.

Before finding a Virtual Assistant, you need to list down the things you want to take off of your plate. More often than not, business owners feel guilty for having someone do something for their business; thinking it’s their job to be hands-on with everything.

Or they might be having trouble trusting somebody else to do non-core tasks, afraid that the quality of work will not be at par with their expectations. This all boils down to control.

It is daunting to hire someone, let alone remotely, and do tasks for your business. But remember that these non-core tasks that you’ve been slaving over are the ones keeping you from doing what you love and scaling your business.

If you are still feeling doubtful and unsure of what you want to offload and delegate, here is a quote to ponder on.

“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. “- Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.

Once you’ve decided on what tasks you’re willing to delegate, here are some of the next steps.

  • List down the tasks you would want to outsource and create a job description for the virtual assistant you are looking for.
  • Set your budget depending on the hours and the tasks you’d want to outsource to a Virtual Assistant.
  • Search for a Virtual Assistant agency that can help you find the best Virtual Assistant that fits your business needs. Utilizing the help and expertise of a Virtual Assistant Agency in finding your Virtual Assistant makes the process easier and quicker. This leaves you with more time to peruse the applicants’ resume and their skills.
  • Once you have found the best Virtual Assistant for you, create a workflow that can help you and your Virtual Assistant work quickly and efficiently. These include finding the right tools and applications to use in doing the tasks.

Live Free Virtual Services – your access to a pool of talented and expert Virtual Assistants

Now that you have your list of tasks to outsource and you’re ready to find the best Virtual Assistant to help you with them, it’s time to find the best Virtual Assistant Agency to help you with the recruitment and onboarding process.

Live Free Virtual Services understands how hard it is to be a small trade business owner and the usual difficulties of doing everything independently, not having enough time to finish everything within the day.

With our efficient and straightforward process of finding and recruiting the best Virtual Assistant for you, spending your valuable time with more important things is within your reach.

Get to know our 4-step Hiring Process and see how it works:

  • Learn About You. Get on Zoom with us for a one-on-one to learn more about who you are and what your company does.
  • Learn About the Business. Once you have decided that a Virtual Assistant is right for you, we get on a call to discuss your business needs.
  • Pick Your Perfect Match. This is the step wherein you interview the Virtual Assistant out of the 3-5 pre-selected candidates best suited for your business needs.
  • Get to Work. Once you’ve chosen the best Virtual Assistant fit for your business needs. They can now start with the onboarding process and work with the tasks you have delegated.
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Small Trade Business_LFVS Blogs

At Live Free Virtual Services, we elevate small trades business owners’ profitable growth by pairing them with a Rockstar Virtual Assistant (VA) that perfectly matches their needs.

Live Free Virtual Services specializes in the trades industry, which offers a portfolio of enterprise solutions and promises to achieve successful and scalable results. We endeavor a customer-centered approach that helps to develop a winning plan for the success of your business.

At its core, that is what Live Free Virtual Services is all about: we ensure your businesses achieve the desired outcome with the help of our specialized virtual Assistance.

Take it to the next level!

Contact us now and learn how we can help you transform your business into a success.

LFVS Virtual Assistant

Written By: DIANE PECAOCO

Diane is a mother of 3 who juggles doing her passion and taking care of her kids. She loves challenges that can add to her quest to always learn more. Diane is a fan of reading and hoards physical and digital books, both fiction and nonfiction. As a Social Media Assistant, she believes and finds immense opportunities in helping businesses by the use of Social Media Marketing. With a bachelor’s degree in Communication, Diane is a believer that effective communication is one of the keys to success.