Construction: The Lost Decade   Source: Blogs    Yesterday the Department of Commerce came out with the July 2010 construction numbers and the current state of affairs is not very attractive.  The numbers represent the seasonal...

MEP Coordination: why it’s expensive to be cheap   Source: Blogs    MEP Coordination: why it’s expensive to be cheap. You’re a contractor and you have been awarded a contract to do what your good at, build a building. You assemble a team to ma...

MEP Coordination: It’s Expensive to be Cheap   Source: Blogs    MEP Coordination: It’s Expensive to be Cheap. You’re a contractor and you have been awarded a contract to do what your good at, build a building. You assemble a team to manage...

Can Contractors Change?   Source: Blogs    The past two years have been the worst global economic times in more than a generation and it is anyone's guess if we are coming out of it or if there are more challenges ahead. ...

Revit: No Place for Amateurs   Source: Blogs    Revit: No Place for Amateurs Let us look at the typical building information modeling services firm and how things are done. Typically, a CAD manager is hired to create all of...

What Makes A Good Estimate?   Source: Blogs    Construction companies stand on three (3) pillars that define good business; Get Work, Do Work, and Monitor Work.  If all three of them are done correctly and efficiently than th...

Do you have a referral program?   Source: FAQ    Do you have a referral program

Where is 2010 going?   Source: Blogs    Well 2010 is finally here.  It couldn't come quick enough with the difficulty and challenges we all had to deal with in 2009, it feels good to have a "fresh" start on a new year....

Tracking Productivity is the Key to Productivity   Source: Blogs    Productivity is defined by economists as the amount of output per unit of labor.  For example the number of light fixtures installed per labor hour worked.  As a subcontractor I ...

Be A Master in Construction   Source: Blogs    Where are the true Masters in Construction?  I am not talking about those that have ventured out to get a Masters License in their prospective trade, I mean real masters.  Americ...

Best Way to Win that Next Project   Source: Blogs    It appears as if the market is recovering (at least there are more projects out there to be bidding on), so how can you win that work to turn it from an opportunity to revenue?  ...

Is ObamaCare Good for Subcontractors?   Source: Blogs    Even though the health debate is not yet over and the full scope of health care reform is not known (or even if there will be reform), I think it is important to look at how it c...

So What Does the Project Manager Do Anyway?   Source: Blogs    At the expense of offending Project Managers as wells as the Monkey: A woman was looking at the animals on display in a pet store. A few minutes later, a man walked in and sai...

Cost Control is Construction's #2 Rule   Source: Blogs    In Construction the #1 rule is safety.  Without the principal of safety, the things we build and the people we employ will not be around once we finish.  I hope that fact is not ...

Referral Program   Source: Advertisements    Think Construction Monkey is a great solution?  Want to earn your way towards free services?  Receive a $20 credit towards your account for every company you refer for each servi...

Can The Monkey Help You?   Source: Advertisements    Construction Monkey is an innovative tool that will be able to assist you in your daily work life.  Whether you are a Project Manager, Superintendent, Field Installer, or the Own...

Boating from an Owner's Perspective   Source: Blogs    If you read the first part of this series, you have looked at the photo of two boats and hopefully gained a different perspective about the photo that has been circulating around...

Subcontractor Projecting 2010: Part 2   Source: Blogs    In Part 1, we talked about how to start coming up with a realistic look at 2010 by looking at your continual or flow work.  In this part, let's take a look at the next part of th...

Treat Construction as a Science   Source: Blogs    Construction is a massive industry and has promoted innovations in tools, equipment, products, and of course the structures that are built.  With all of that said it is not hard ...

What Can the Rig Disaster Teach a Subcontractor?   Source: Blogs    Last month a terrible accident happened aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, killing 11 workers on the platform and creating an oil leak that is still no fully contained.  The i...

Will Anti-Immigration Law Affect You?   Source: Blogs    Arizona recently took an unprecedented step in passing a law that required the state to action on a federal issue.  I am not going to get into the middle of the political ideals ...

Is PM software a Waste of Money?   Source: Blogs    Almost every construction company out there sees the value in Estimating software and utilizes some form of it.  I will agree that not every company is utilizing a specifically d...

Three Most Important Things to Being A Contractor   Source: Blogs    In retail and real estate there goes a saying that the three most important things are location, location, and location.  In construction there is a similar truth that the three ...

Want to Win Better Projects?   Source: Blogs    Given the turmoil in the marketplace over the past 2 years, I have heard repeatedly from different contractors that they are looking to move into different markets. We need to...

Why would Add A Project Only (With no Estimate)?   Source: Help System    If you have tooled around with the Pipeline tool, you have noticed that you can enter a project without an estimate.  So why would you want to do such a thing? If you are mana...

I forgot my username and/or password!   Source: Help System    No need to worry if you forgot your username and/or your password...we'll get you back to your account in no time!  Here's how: Click on the "Lost Password?" link below the si...

Being web-based, how fast is the service?   Source: FAQ    Being web-based, how fast is the service

Contract Sales: How to Understand Your Performance   Source: Blogs    Last week we bid a few jobs.  This week we bid a few jobs.  Next week we will bid a few jobs.  I am sure we all know which ones we won and which ones are lost, but do we really k...

Cap and Trade, What to Expect   Source: Blogs    With Copenhagen behind us and health care on the ropes, will Cap and Trade be on the block?  The US House of Representatives have passed a bill, but the Senate has not taken it u...

Is the Economy Affecting Your Ethics?   Source: Blogs    Contracting is a tough business.  Our industry has a reputation among the community of having little or no ethics.  That reputation is earned due to our poor communication, but d...

Revit: An Asset or a Cool Cartoon?   Source: Blogs    Revit: An Asset or a Cool Cartoon?  According to Wikipedia, Autodesk Revit is architectural building information management (BIM) software for Microsoft Windows, developed by...

Construction News U Can Use 2.10.2010   Source: Blogs    Construction related news that you might of missed and can help you in your business. Mobile Data Traffic: 3.6 Billion Gigabytes a Month by 2014 All things Digital is reporti...

Construction: My Valentine   Source: Blogs    As I sit here and package up chocolates for the wife and hope she got me that hoodie-footie I have been seeing so much on TV, I have been thinking about my 2nd love Construction....

Construction News U Can Use: 2.24.2010   Source: Blogs    Some of the more interesting news from around the Construction Industry: Margin Pressure Will Worsen for Nonresidential Contractors Reed Construction Data is reporting that ...

How to Improve Construction Productivity   Source: Blogs    pro·duc·tiv·i·ty  (prō'dŭk-tĭv'ĭ-tē, prŏd'ək-) n. The rate at which goods or services are produced especially output per unit cost of labor.  Or if you prefer how much does it c...

Life of An Estimator, Tougher than You Think   Source: Blogs    For those of us in the construction industry we know the Estimators that are more cynical than the average Joe.  They appear to be more prevalent than the fun loving young estima...

The Art of Estimating   Source: Blogs    Sun Tzu wrote the Art of War in the 6th Century BC.  Since that time military experts have considered it a complete view on how to operate a military machine and business scholar...

New Year, Let's Accomplish Something!   Source: Blogs    No matter where you sit in your organization I would like for you to take a different look at your job duties.  Over the years the titles for different positions have become pret...

Will Distributors Have A Place in Tomorrow's World   Source: Blogs    As subcontractors we buy the vast majority of our material through Distributors.  The system was established well before my time and benefited almost everyone along the supply ch...

Construction Production, What to Track   Source: Blogs    In my last blog, I discussed the need to track productivity to increase the performance of the company which now comes up with the natural question: What do we track?  It is actu...

This Bonus Sucks!   Source: Blogs    Bonus programs can really suck.  Whether you want to call them bonus or incentive programs almost every company has them, but if they are not administered properly they can reall...

What Does Earth Day Mean for Construction?   Source: Blogs    Yesterday was Earth Day, a yearly mark that is growing in significance around the world.  It is a time for us to understand the issues about our impact on the environment.  I am ...

News U Can Use: Feb.3.2010   Source: Blogs    In a new weekly installment, we will be scanning the news sources to find the most interesting news items for contractors and summarize what it means to them.  For our Februrary ...

Increase Profits, Minimize Risk   Source: Blogs    What is the best way for a contractor to improve their profits?  Minimize risk.  Let's face it, contracting is another form of gambling.  When we look at all of the stipulations ...

Differences Between Accounts   Source: Help System    In utilizing Construction Monkey there are two specific types of accounts: A user account, which is a unique account for each user. A company account which is a unique accoun...

Basic Site Navigation   Source: Help System    Below are some basic navigation functions of Construction Monkey. Home Screen To access your home screen at any time, just click the Construction Monkey logo in the upp...

What Are the Security Access Levels?   Source: Help System    Construction Monkey comes with the ability to provide each user who participates in a company with a specific role that will limit their ability to view and/or change information...

Project Experience Overview (Video on YouTube)   Source: Help System    See all that the Project Experience service has to offer on a short YouTube video. Click here to watch the video on YouTube now

How do I add a Pricing Item to a project?   Source: Help System    A Pricing Item can be added automatically or manually.  A Pricing Item is automatically added when you check the "Yes" box stating that RFI has a cost impact when creating or ans...

How secure is my information?   Source: FAQ    How secure is my information

How reliable is the service?   Source: FAQ    How reliable is the service

Deferred Submittal of a Cost Proposal   Source: Library Letters    was received on and is being implemented at the present time. Because of the complexity of this change, we are unable to submit a proposal for an equitable adjustment at this ...

Reserving Impact Costs   Source: Library Letters    We are in receipt of your Change Order which compensates us for the direct costs incurred in performing the extra work referred to in that change order. However, as you know, t...

What are we really selling?   Source: Blogs    As subcontractors, especially during tough economic times, sales is a tougher and tougher battle.  In the US there are approximately 800,000 specialty subcontractors, which means...

A Tale of Two Boats   Source: Blogs    By now most of us have seen the change order and contract boat image that has been circulating around the internet over the past several years.  The big boat is rightly called th...

Subcontractor: Projecting 2010 Part 4   Source: Blogs    Well, we are almost done.  We have now compiled all of our revenue and gross margin amounts for our 2010 year.  You should have a spreadsheet that has totals that mirrors the fol...

Need a Safety Program? Try a Culture First.   Source: Blogs    As one of the most dangerous industries on the planet, construction focuses significantly on safety.  Our industry is focused on the health and safety of our tradesmen and for go...

Why BIM?   Source: Blogs    So why would anyone BIM, or Building Information Modeling?  Unless you are doing a power plant or some very specialized industrial job, our guys in the field can work things out,...

Sustainable Yes! LEED be Careful   Source: Blogs    When LEED was introduced it became a revolution in the construction industry changing the way Owners, Designers, and Builders approached jobs.  The major objective was to create ...

Bid Work? Risk Taker, Price Taker!   Source: Blogs    If you are bidding work out there, you are going to be a price taker and not a price setter.  In fact throughout the construction industry whether it is bidding, negotiated, time...

Construction News U Can Use 3.24.2010   Source: Blogs    Some news that will be of interest to you: Sustainable Expansion Underway in Eleven States through January Reed Construction Data is reporting that 26 states are expanding ...

national sales director   Source: Blogs    we unveiled anew product for NYC agencies this week and had immediate sucess. we are ending walkthroughs in construction by having the jobs on line with full panoramic videos  wi...

Risk Mangement, What is Your Role?   Source: Blogs    In construction, talk to anyone about the single greatest challenge in surviving in the industry and it is risk.  "Based on the risk, add more profit to it."  "I am not goi...

Will Hiring A Safety Manager Matter?   Source: Blogs    The vast majority of subcontractors in the country do not have a dedicated Safety Manager, so will hiring one make a difference?  Short answer, yes.  The real answer is much long...

What Financial Reform Means for Construction   Source: Blogs    The current Congress has passed the 2,300 page Financial Reform Bill which will have major impacts to the construction industry.  After the 2008 elections there were three bills ...

Are Trade Shows a Waste?   Source: Blogs    As spring approaches so does one of the two trade show seasons.  With the economy difficult, it begs the question: Should we spend money on attending a trade show?  Just a busine...

What Makes a Specialty Contractor so Special?   Source: Blogs    In construction there are the general trades and then the infamous specialty subcontractors.  Ever think what is so special about the specialty trades?  The construction industry...

Construction News U Can Use 4.20.2010   Source: Blogs    Some of the more important news for subcontractors for the week of April 20, 2010 Commodity prices are on the march again Reed Construction Data is reporting that commodity p...

Interesting News 7.27.2010   Source: Blogs    Some of the news over the past few days that we found interesting:Report: UnitedHealth nears $1.5B acquisitionOn Tuesday, July 27, 2010 National Business News - Local Business Ne...

How to Create More Construction Jobs   Source: Blogs    The biggest single thing on the minds of the American public is jobs.  With unemployment over 10% and the possibility of that rising to 12% this year, it is a very real concern. ...

Best and Final Offer, Are They Ethical?   Source: Blogs    If you have been involved in bidding work you have probably at one point in time been apart of the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) routine.  In private work it is typically called "s...

Where Have the Good Craftsmen Gone?   Source: Blogs    One of the largest complaints I hear is "the quality of the workforce is not what it used to be".  Whether I am talking to union or non-union, family owned or large business, the...

What Does The Monkey Offer?   Source: Advertisements    Looking to better your edge in your market or industry?  Give Construction Monkey a try! Construction Monkey was created to fill the void of having preconstruction, sales, and p...

Project Experience Wins New Work   Source: Advertisements     How important is it to track and know your past project experience?  Many projects are awarded based upon your knowledge of the type of project you are bidding on.  You...

Electrical & Other Calculations   Source: Advertisements     Do you need to do some calculations and want a simple tool to make that possible?  Construction Monkey has the calculation tools you are looking for.  From calculating the size...

Need a Document Template?   Source: Advertisements     Are you in need of some templates to make your business run more efficiently?  Are you searching for the correct language for a letter to a client or vendor?  Constructio...

Task Management   Source: Advertisements    As contractors, you have so much to do that it becomes a challenge staying on top of all of the tasks you have to accomplish.  Construction Monkey has an integrated task manageme...

Why Do I Need The Project Experience Service?   Source: Advertisements    Do you ever need to find your company's similar project experience for a project you are proposing on?  For most of us this is a manual event that takes hours of cutting and past...

What Does Your 2010 Look Like?   Source: Advertisements    What does your 2010 look like? This was a very typical question at the end of 2009 that sent most managers in a company scrambling to work on a spreadsheet to develop the busine...

FREE Tickets to the Electric West Show in Vegas!   Source: Advertisements      Dear Construction Monkey Users,  The Construction Monkey team would like to invite you to Register for the Exhibit Hall FREE (a $55 value) at the Electric Wes...

Referral Program   Source: Advertisements     Think Construction Monkey is a great solution?  Want to earn your way towards free services?  Receive a $20 credit towards your account for every company you refer for ea...

Twitter   Source: Advertisements    new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 3, interval: 6000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#61544b', color: ...

Reports   Source: Advertisements     A slew of reports to help manage your subcontracting business:         Bid List View just the projects that are upcoming or potential bids! Filter the data by: Team ...

Overview   Source: Advertisements     As contractors, you have so much to do that it becomes a challenge staying on top of all the tasks you have to accomplish.  Construction Monkey has integrated a task mana...

Overview   Source: Advertisements     Do you need to do some calculations and want a simple tool to make that possible?  Construction Monkey has the calculation tools you are looking for!  From calculating th...

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