Why Business Books Don’t Talk about Construction?

14264616Last week, I had a great conversation with Ted Garrison, a consultant that helps construction companies with strategic planning and operational efficiency. Part of our conversation included the need to get out of low bid contracts and get negotiated work from repeat clients. We also discussed how odd the construction industry is and both of us noted that construction companies are usually left out of all business and marketing books.

Most business experts just don’t understand the construction industry. Why? Regulations, no control over material costs, the commoditization with low bid projects, and the need to hire your competitors as subcontractors. Each of these factors makes being a construction executive near impossible, yet America has thousands of construction companies. Ted has an interesting angle on things. In his talks to construction executives, he regularly suggests they get out of the construction business. He states that the construction industry is not about building things with your hands anymore, it is about solving your client’s challenges with scheduling, expertise, and man power. Ted is dead one with this thought.

Speaking of business books:

Ted wrote Strategic Planning for Contractorsand of course, we have our book, Construction Executives’ Guide to Brand Marketing