Steps to Becoming a General Contractor
General contractors are the firms hired to manage and oversee the construction of a building. Most general contractors work as independent firms and hire helps as needed in their own way, but there are some who work as part of larger construction companies and have in house construction workers to work onsite when needed. .
Like most creative jobs, the first step to being a contractor is putting together your portfolio. These will be any and all contracting and constructing jobs you’ve completed, and organize them in a way that will best compliment your skills. If you are going to be looking primarily for jobs in a particular area, try your best to showcase you’ve done also in the area, if a prospective client recognizes something in your portfolio or has the ability to see it for themselves, they may be more open to hiring you. For example, Chicago remodeling contractors would be advised to showcase remodeling work they’ve done on residential homes if they are meeting with a prospective client wanting to remodel their residential home.
After you’ve built a solid résumé, the next most important aspect in becoming a general contractor is in building relationships. Networking in a job that weighs highly on freelance work demands having strong connections in order to get work. It is advisable to build up slowly from a small location. The building contractor Chicago network works because specific contractors work on specific areas. If you look at the locations or the relationships between the companies that share a contractor, you’d most likely find a very strong connection between the people being hired and the location they are working in. With this being said, it is advisable for you to start in a specific area. The more people hire you, the more their friends and neighbors will hear and witness your work and hire you yourself. Do not be discouraged if this is a slow process. Sometimes slow but steady is a blessing in disguise. If you are a new business and you get overwhelmed with work, your work ethic may take a hit, which means you’ll be risking your company’s future because you were afraid of turning prospective clients down.
The last, yet most important step in starting your own contracting business, is making sure you’ve got the business side under control. While you may not have an MBA, or be that great in accounting, you have to be able to get professional business advice and also learn the basics. You should start by developing a concrete business plan. Knowing what your financial goals are and what your expenses will be should be on the top of that list.
Once you’ve made your business plan the next step is to get insurance and take care of all the legal aspects. Whether you plan to remodel basements in Evanston or you are part of hotel construction in Chicago, it is one of the most important parts of having your own businesses, and unfortunately the expense that many fail to make. When you are going into business for yourself, protecting yourself legally is the most important precaution you can take.
If you want to be a contractor, do not be discouraged by the parts of the business that don’t come quite as naturally for you. Like most trades, it takes time to build a business and it is courageous and honorable to launch a business independently so remember these few pointers and above all enjoy it.
Whether you are looking to become a Chicago remodeling contractor, building contractor, or even hotel contractor, just remember a few steps and you will be on your way to becoming a successful contractor in Chicago. For inspiration on Chicago contracting, visit www.levelconstruction.net.
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