THE EVOLUTION OF A CONTRACTOR
I have been in the construction industry for almost 40 years and have enjoyed founding, partnering, merging and acquiring various construction related businesses over that time. In addition, I have consulted for many businesses, mostly in the construction industry, to help others achieve and improve success. Lastly, during the recession, I was fortunate enough to serve as the President and CEO of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce with all the challenges faced by Las Vegas businesses during that very difficult economic period. The take away – a keen understanding of pre and post-recession impacts, challenges, opportunities and evolutionary processes required of small businesses in one of the hardest hit areas in the Nation.
Roughly 70% of Contractors did not survive and, of the remaining 30%, many are re-tooling, adapting and evolving to meet the realities of a new economy and the realization that old business models do not work in today’s digital and technology driven world. Today, you must embrace technology and gain technology savvy to find competitive efficiency or prepare to hear the sound of taps playing in the near future.
Gone are the days of Polaroid cameras, beepers, 2-way radios, thermal fax machines and pay phones. Embracing the web, digital plans, sophisticated estimating programs, email, blogs, social media and the iPad or Android platforms are required to provide the internal efficiency gains demanded by smarter and more technology minded customers. Like Charles Darwin said “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
The same can be said about the Evolutionary process of Contractors and the Construction Industry in Las Vegas.
