business operations

System Implementation Vs. System Integration
Construction companies are becoming more and more complex these days, and some of the most important and complex aspects of any business are its software systems. Construction companies use their...

Preparing for a Loan or Line of Credit
One of the biggest decisions that a small construction business owner makes is when to consider a business loan or a line of credit. Sometimes the decision will be made from necessity and sometimes...

5 Reasons Construction Projects Fail
This article was originally written by Kendall Jones. Kendall Jones is the Editor in Chief at ConstructConnect. He has been writing about the construction industry for years, covering a wide range of...

How To Succeed In A Tight Labor Market
The construction industry has been blessed with an abundance of available work for the past decade. With that seemingly endless opportunity comes some challenges. Namely, difficulty in finding...

What’s So Great About Procore?
There is a lot of buzz in the construction industry these days about Procore. As Certified Procore Consultants (we currently have four of our team certified), we receive calls every week from...

Top 5 Essentials for Construction Marketing
It’s easy to hear the words “Construction Marketing” and become overwhelmed with all of the ideas, suggestions, and nonsense out there. "Marketing" has so much variety and it’s difficult to know what...

Technology in Construction
Technology in construction is here to stay. Apps, wearable technology, augmented reality, and A.I. is commonplace on most projects these days. These once futuristic applications are now proliferating...

Adam Cooper featured on The Competitive Contractor Podcast
Listen Now In this episode of The Competitive Contractor Podcast, Hosted by Shivendra Kumar, Adam discusses the topic of incentives in the construction industry. Incentives and paying staff for...

Adam Cooper featured on Unstoppable Talk Podcast
The latest episode of Unstoppable Talkhosted by Sam Schutte, features our very own Adam Cooper. The discussion centered around how Ascent Consulting works with construction companies to make them...

The Ethics of Construction Estimating
Acquiring work is arguably one of the most important functions in a construction business. Without a consistent source of revenue, there is no company. If the Estimating Department is not set up to...

COVID-19 and Construction Updates
During the COVID-19 crisis, work on active construction projects has generally been able to continue, albeit with some modified work procedures for personal safety. Other industries have experienced...

Construction Downturn Strategies - Part III: Internal Resources
In our first article on Construction Downturn Strategies we looked at External factors and how you can position your service offerings to weather a downturn. Our second article discussed financial...

Construction Downturn Strategies - Part II: Finances
In our first article we reviewed market diversification. In this second installment of our series on Construction Downturn Strategies, we will explore how you, along with help from your CFO or...

Construction Downturn Strategies - Part I: Market Focus
Do you remember the story of the grasshopper and the ant? In this ancient fable, the grasshopper spends the summer dancing and playing while the ant works hard to store food for the inevitable...

Dealing with a Bad Hire
It happens to every business owner eventually. You think you’ve found and hired a great candidate for a key role in your organization. You start out with high hopes that they'll settle in quickly and...

How To Recruit and Hire Top Performers
Owning your own construction company and outperforming your competition requires that you recruit and hire talented people. They must have technical skills for their roles and provide quality work,...

Choosing the RIGHT Benefits Partner for Your Company
Attracting and retaining employees, managing costs, and mitigating risks are key concerns for every construction business owner as they grow and develop in their industry. Navigating the...

Building Employee Loyalty
Employees are the lifeblood of every construction company. Without loyal employees, materials do not get purchased, contractors do not get hired, and buildings do not get built. We also keep hearing...

10 Key Skills of Successful Project Managers
Whether you’re evaluating the performance of your current Project Managers, or looking to hire a “Star Performer” for your construction team, how do you do it? What are the key skills, competencies,...

Rewarding Business Development & Sales: Incentive Packages Part V
Employees are the lifeblood of every construction company. No matter the size of the company, each individual serves a purpose, and their performance either helps or hinders the organization – there...

Rewarding Construction Estimators: Incentive Packages Part IV
Employees are the lifeblood of every construction company. No matter the size of the company, each individual serves a purpose, and their performance either helps or hinders the organization –...

Rewarding Construction Project Managers - Incentive Packages Part III
Employees are the lifeblood of every construction company. No matter the size of the company, each individual serves a purpose, and their performance either helps or hinders the organization – there...

Construction Bonus Structures: Incentive Packages Part II
The goal of all compensation and incentive programs is to drive desired behaviors across the organization. In our previous article, we dove into the history of performance assessments and what the...

Performance Pay History: Incentive Packages Part I
One of the more complex and complicated topics for business owners resides in motivating employees and ensuring your culture is driving the correct behaviors in the workplace. In a recent...

How do you get a construction bond?
Since the economic crash and recovery over the past decade, Owner- and Lender-required Payment and Performance (P&P) bonding for construction projects has become more prevalent across the industry....