Mentoring ? A Great Way to Help Form Better Future Contractors

At some point, companies in nearly every industry experience the issues of how to find good employees and how to improve the quality of workmanship or the reliability and motivation of their workforce. A good argument can be made that contracting businesses feel this pain more than many.

It takes a special kind of person to be a contractor ? a desire for independence, a willingness to work at bringing other peoples? dreams to fruition, a hunger for facing challenges ? all part of the makeup of those who choose this career.

Many newcomers to the trades start out with a limited understanding of the necessary skills they'll need and the demands and challenges they'll face, as well as the satisfaction of seeing the finished product of their efforts.

Some of those newcomers will become hooked, while a few will get discouraged and give up. As in any trade, there are the lazy, the unmotivated and those that are simply unwilling to learn. But many are also willing to give 100%, eager to accept more responsibility and willing to learn.

Our mission is to help that latter group develop into the sort of workers that can be depended upon to always deliver, first as members of our crew ? and perhaps eventually ? running their own gang.

Mentoring as a Motivational Tool

Many businesses concentrate on the traditional motivational tools: pay, benefits, perks, recognition or promotion. These can certainly all play a role in motivating some workers, but depending on the individual, the market and a few other factors, their impact can be short-lived or simply insufficient. Their temporary nature may be the most important aspect ? They are only going to be effective until some other opportunity arises that offers them more.

Of course, most business owners want a more permanent method ? one that will increase a worker?s value to the company as time goes on, while keeping them on the team. Mentoring is the most effective ? and cost-effective ? method of achieving that.

Mentoring starts with listening. That doesn?t mean asking ?What are your goals?? Don't expect a very meaningful answer to that question.

Some of the youngest workers may not even know the answer ? those that do may be hesitant to share it. Instead, you have to get to know them. That takes a little time, but it's an essential part of the process. You need to find out what ?catnip? will attract and hold their attention. You do that by dropping bits of different things in their lap and seeing how They areact and respond.

Your protÈgÈ may have no idea of his or her natural leadership ability or they may think a particular skill is beyond them. So not surprisingly, it can sometimes be a mutual process of discovery, at least with the younger crowd.

Being an Effective Mentor

There are several characteristics of a successful mentor. Bear in mind that ?success? doesn?t necessarily mean turning an intern into a foreman. Sometimes, it just means motivating someone to be more attentive to their workmanship. Many mentoring skills are also considered leadership skills.

1. Don't Set Them Up for Failure: Tasking someone with something They are totally unprepared for seldom works out well. If they fail, they may become discouraged and unwilling to try new things. they'll blame themselves and they'll blame you.

2. Be Forgiving of Failure: When you set someone to do something new, you can?t expect them to be spectacularly successful the first time. If they stumble, let them know where, explain how they could be more successful at it, then encourage them to try it again. Shaming them or expressing disappointment will not motivate most people.

3. Be Supportive: If they ask a question that you think needn?t be asked, Don't treat them like an idiot. Wouldn?t you rather they ask, rather than just stumble along blindly, possibly making a costly mistake?

4. Don't be Judgmental: If they make a decision you think unwise, ask them if they considered the aspect that you're concerned about. Remember, They are working with a different set of skills, with less experience. Let them know what the different consequences of that decision could be and watch to see what they do. This is a great opportunity to see their potential.

5. Recognize Successes: If they do well, let them know. there's no need to make a big production out of it, but let them know that you appreciate the thought and effort they put into it.

6. Be Available: Never create a situation where they'll be hesitant to bring up a question or doubt. Let them know that you are interested in their success and that you fully expect them to have questions. An ?open door policy? implies no reprisals, just straight answers.

7. Listen: Throughout your mentoring process, be on the lookout for unspoken questions and new interests, unexpected insights or skills. you're trying to help someone develop their abilities ? if you're just looking for a Mini Me, then mentoring isn?t for you.

Mentoring others is a very rewarding experience. You can find untapped talent, help one (or more) of your team hone their skills and in the process, sharpen your own.

it's also a great feeling to watch someone achieve their goals, while knowing that you helped them do it. The sense of loyalty and gratitude a protege feels to a mentor shouldn?t be underestimated, either.

Also, remember that you're not just molding a new craftsman for your own workforce. you're also showing them that mentoring works and how to do it. Don't be surprised if they start doing the same when They are running their own gang.

Should You Incorporate Your Contracting Business in Canada?

At some point after starting your contracting business, you'll probably start wondering whether you should be taking steps to incorporate. Whether this is the right move for you will depend on the size of your enterprise, the amount of income you're taking in annually and whether you have personal assets you need to protect.

you're already self-employed, since you work for yourself; What's the difference if you decide to formally incorporate your contracting business in Canada?

Self-Employment

Whether you're a lone wolf or have a business partner and choose to stay as you are, you (or both of you as the case may be) are personally responsible for any debt incurred on behalf of the business.

You also have to pay taxes personally on all of the business income you're taking in. As far as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is concerned, you and your business are one and the same for tax purposes. However, you can deduct your business expenses from what you make.

Incorporation

When you make a choice to incorporate, you create a separate entity before the law and CRA. It is separate from you and anyone who owns shares in the corporation. Once you incorporate, legal liability is transferred to the corporation. As a result, your personal assets are protected, as well as those of any shareholders, if any legal action is ever taken against the corporation.

After incorporation, you'll become an employee of the company. you'll receive a salary and no longer be self-employed. The corporation is responsible for paying the employer?s share of the withholding taxes.

Where Will your Corporation Operate?

Once you make the choice to incorporate your business, you have to decide where you're going to carry on business. Determining the jurisdiction is important, since you need to decide whether you want to incorporate in one of the 13 provinces or territories, or federally.

? If you're living close to a provincial or territorial border, is it likely that you'll be conducting your business in more than one province or territory?

? Will your company name be used in more than one province or territory? Do you need federal name protection for your business?

? Does your company have an unusual name that requires protection under federal incorporation?

Federal versus Provincial Jurisdiction

Federally incorporated companies are formed under the auspices of the Canada Business Corporations Act. They can carry on business anywhere in Canada.

Corporations incorporated under provincial jurisdiction are done pursuant to each province?s applicable law. The specific provisions can vary, depending on the jurisdiction. A corporation created in this manner can only carry on business in the province or territory where it was incorporated. For example, a corporation incorporated under Ontario law can only carry on business in Ontario.

If you decide to incorporate under provincial or territorial law, you have to register an address within the province or territory of registration. Your best bet is to choose the address where you currently reside.

Extra-provincial Registration

Provincially registered corporations that wish to conduct business in a province or territory other than the one of initial registration must go through the process of registering the corporate name in each additional province or territory. If another company already has the exact name or a similar one registered, it's possible the corporation?s name could be denied even though it is being legitimately used in other parts of the country.

To avoid the possibility of this situation arising, you can incorporate the company federally from the outset. It will provide protection for the company name nationally, with the exception of Quebec. Once a corporation has registered a name, no other company can use it.

Choosing Directors and Officers

Before giving any instructions to your lawyer, you have to decide who will be the directors of the company. Depending on the jurisdiction where you decide to incorporate, you may be required to appoint a certain percentage of Canadians as officers.

Cost of Incorporating your Business

It will cost more to incorporate your business federally, since you may be required to pay both federal and provincial filing fees. Exceptions are made for businesses located in Ontario and Prince Edward Island, which do not require separate provincial filing fees for federally incorporated businesses.

You must also take the cost of legal fees into account, the preparation of a minute book and a corporate seal, as well as other costs of incorporating your business.

Before making any final decisions about whether to incorporate your contracting business in Canada, it's wise to consult with an experienced attorney who can advise you about the process and the benefits.

What to Expect on Your First Commercial Job

If you spent most of your construction career working as a residential contractor, you'll find that signing on with a commercial crew is a whole new ball game. And if you're just starting out, the thought of making your professional debut on a large commercial jobsite can be a little intimidating ? especially if the job includes multiple crews and bosses. Starting any new job can cause some apprehension, but going in with an idea of what to expect can help reduce some of the nervous tension you may feel. And remembering some general jobsite rules can help make this transition easier.

Be Prepared

Many residential contracting crews are typically small, friendly and easy-going. This is due, in part, to smaller companies often hiring friends or relatives, especially if it's a family-owned business. Large commercial projects often include more demanding schedules, more complex work procedures and little to no room for error. Commercial work crews are larger, with various levels of skills and experience. There may also be multiple levels of managers and subcontractors working with you.

Read a few recent trade journals to get a feel for What's happening in your industry and keep up with them every month. Join a few online industry chat rooms and get to know other people in the business. A lot of experienced contractors are happy to help answer a few questions.

Make the time to read over and take note of all safety procedures that are specific to the jobsite in general and the work you'll be doing. While general safety procedures rarely vary, many companies and industries develop additional, proprietary safety rules.

Make a Good Impression

First impressions are everything. You know it, your new boss knows it and the guys already on the crew know it. If you start out on the wrong foot that first day, it will take time and effort to change the opinions of your co-workers. Nervous or not, looking like you've got it together right up front is half the battle.

? Many larger companies supply tools for their workers aside from the usual tape, hammer or other smaller hand tools. Make sure whatever personal tools you do bring are clearly and covertly marked.

? Show up wearing the right work gear, including boots, gloves, a company uniform and personal safety gear (if required) and any seasonally appropriate clothes.

? Turn your cell phone off and leave it in your lunchbox or vehicle and cut that umbilical cord connecting you to your favorite beverage until breaks or lunch time.

? Listen more than you talk, Don't offer your opinion unless asked, but Don't hesitate to ask questions. These three tips never hurt ? no matter how experienced you are. Know-it-alls will be spotted a mile away and other workers will either ignore them or refuse to work with them. On any new jobsite, it's best to accept the fact that, regardless how many years you've worked in construction, for the time being, you're green.

? Know where the jobsite is and give yourself plenty of time to get there. Never show up late on your first day. Make sure you have any necessary contact information with you just in case you do get unavoidably delayed or you can?t locate your work area on the jobsite.

Moving into commercial construction can be a very profitable career change for a contractor. there's rarely any downtime, the payoff is usually better and you'll never have to deal with difficult homeowners.

Already having some level of experience in residential contracting can give you a better grasp of the demands of the new job, which means less risk and a better opportunity for fast advancement and greater profits. Maybe that?s why more and more residential contractors are showing interest in the opportunities available in commercial construction.

Website Basics: Creating a Site that Gets Noticed

In today's connected world, a business without a website is a business that?s missing out on a lot of potential leads. Modern consumers aren?t going to check the phone book when they need a contractor ? They are going to jump on their computer or pull out their smartphones and ask Google to find them one.

If you Don't have a website that?s showing up on the first page of results then you're not going to get their business. Just setting up a Facebook page for your company isn?t going to cut it.

Fortunately, you've got options. The bad news is that to get the most out of your website, you're going to have to put more work into it than just getting it hosted. But, Don't worry; it's not as bad as you think.

Why Build a Website, Anyway?

One of the biggest problems that?s come along in recent years is the belief that social media is the be-all and end-all of the online experience.

Yeah, Facebook and Twitter are great for connecting with customers, but they aren?t going to replace an actual website. Having a website makes your business seem more professional, keeps you from being overshadowed by the competition and serves as somewhat of a ?digital business card? where people wanting to hire you can find out more about your company.

You can?t just stick a website online and forget about it, though. Your site isn?t doing you any good if no one can find it and you'll miss out on your biggest audience if Google and the other search engines Don't think it's worth showing near the top of the pile. Putting a site online requires more than a bit of commitment, but that?s a good thing; not only will your commitment pay off with better search engine rankings, but it will also help you build a relationship with past, current and potential customers.

Designing the Site

First things first: you need to design your site. If you have some web design experience you can go it alone, but you Don't have to be a web guru to get a good-looking site for your company. You can use options like WordPress, eZ Publish or Microweber to create a professional-looking site using templates or other design tools that require minimal editing and scripting knowledge. If that still sounds too complicated, you can skip the hassle altogether by hiring a web developer to create the site for you.

There are most likely local web developers you can hire, allowing you to support a local business and enabling you to meet the person designing your site face-to-face. This doesn?t mean that you have to hire a local web designer, though. A quick online search will turn up a lot of other options for you, letting you compare local and online designers to find the one with the skills you need at the price you want to pay.

Worthwhile Content

Remember that part about websit's requiring commitment? That means more than just paying the hosting bill. To get the best rank on Google and other sit's, you need content that provides something worthwhile for your visitors. Search engines rank sit's based on a complex bit of math, but the gist of it is that the more relevant and up-to-date your information is, the better your ranking will be.

How do you add worthwhile content? There are a few ways. In addition to making sure that your up-to-date contact information is on the site, you can also add pictures of your work (with the permission of the owner of the work site, of course), testimonials, articles on topics that are relevant to your visitors and a blog.

The blog is especially useful, since it not only adds relevant, worthwhile content to your site on a regular basis but it also gives visitors a chance to interact with you (and maybe even gives them a reason to come back.) Of course, this means that you also have to update the blog on a regular basis.

Maintaining Your Site

Take the time to review the information on your site at least every month or so, making sure that everything is correct and noting any areas that need improvement or updating. This not only keeps your site fresh, but also prevents you from missing potential customers as a result of out-of-date contact information. You should also read through your blog posts periodically, both in order to make sure that you're giving it the attention it needs and to possibly pick up some new ideas for future posts.

While you might question whether creating a website is worth all this hassle at first, putting in the work to get a high-quality site online now will pay off with more business down the road. In the end, it's more than just a website ? it's an investment in the future of your company.

Recovering from a Bad Day on the Job: Self-Care for Contractors

Bad days happen. Some are worse than others, especially if they involve accidents or the loss of someone on your crew. Even those days when a lot of little things just seem to go wrong can weigh on you, however. Regardless of whether you're trying to work through a tragedy on the job site or you're just starting to feel the stress, there comes a point when you need to find a way to take care of yourself.

Develop a Hobby

You might think that you Don't really have time for a hobby ? but having something to channel your passions into and get your mind off work is a valuable asset. Whether you pick up golf, start building models or make a shift into woodworking, developing a hobby could go a long way toward reducing your overall stress and taking the edge off those hard days at work.

Talk Things Through

Taking the time to talk about What's bothering you is a great way to work through your stress. This doesn?t mean that you have to start seeing a psychiatrist, though that?s certainly an option; instead, this is more referring to finding a trusted friend or partner that you can talk to about What's bugging you. Make sure that you find someone who?s going to keep your secrets to themself and who isn?t going to judge. An outside perspective may help you sort through things, and more importantly you may feel a weight lifted just by talking about those things you?d otherwise hold inside.

Have That Drink

Some people enjoy relaxing with a glass of fine wine, but you might be more of a beer person. Maybe you enjoy a nice glass of bourbon. You might even shun alcohol entirely and opt instead for coffee, tea or juice. Regardless of your favorite drink, sit down and indulge yourself as you try to relax. You can even enjoy a favorite snack at the same time. Just make sure that you Don't overdo it if you do find yourself alcohol-inclined.

Make Lists

When work is really starting to get to you, sit down and start making a few lists to plan out your days. This not only gives you checklists to work from to make sure that everything runs like it's supposed to, but also engages you mentally as you have to think about the various aspects of jobs and running the office in advance. Making lists could even help your business run more efficiently, while you use the process to sort through some of the stress you're bringing home from the job.

Reorganize

If you're bearing too much stress, consider reorganizing your business a bit to delegate some of your responsibilities. Hire an accountant to cover the books, make a trusted worker a foreman over part of the crew and trust others with some of the tasks that you currently keep all to yourself. You may need to do a little bit of training to make sure that everything is done correctly, but in the end, you'll free up some of your time and cut back on a lot of the stress that comes with being a contractor.

Step Away

If things get really bad, you might need to step back even further than just doing a bit of delegation. Some contractors reach a point where they have to put down the hammer entirely, putting trusted people in charge of the crews and relegating themselves to office positions instead. You might even need to add periodic days off or take a vacation once your business is at a point where things will keep running smoothly. It might seem unthinkable to step back and let someone else run things, but if stress is tearing you apart, then you need to do whatever it takes to get back in good form.