I have an INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
As you might have seen in the last newsletter, I have an instagram account! With my line of work I get to travel all over the world visiting different construction companies and I like to take pictures. There’s an instagram account for everything these days,…
Book – “Managing the Profitable Construction Business” by Thomas Schleifer …
I would recommend this book for any growing construction company that is open to learning from mistakes of other contractors. This book address the author’s experience with construction companies in financial trouble and how they got there. It also includes success stories and while not…
Foundation Software College – Accounting Training
Why did I attend a course for an accounting software I don’t use? While I train companies on how to setup and use HeavyBid, it is rare for me to see the accounting side of the equation. Foundation Software let me attend their college in…
Running Windows (and HeavyBid) on a Mac
For as amazing as HeavyBid is you can’t run it on a Mac, which is a problem for some people. My son recently came across this problem when he started working for me and here is the solution as well as some advice before adding windows…
Helicopter “Air Cranes” – And you thought your projects were tough
I love ENR (Engineering News Record ENR.com) of which I have subscribed to for many years. This is a great article on how you prepare for remote conditions in tough environments. I have trained contractors who use helicopters – when you need one there is…
Skype vs TeamViewer
I was recently preparing for a conference call/screen sharing training with a new client. Although not ideal for training, the screen sharing/conference call was enough to cover some basics and answer any of their specific questions about HeavyBid. As I was setting up for the…
Get Serious about Your War Room (Bid Review Room)
The one thing I know about about car racing at the top level is the seriousness of the support crew. They make sure every tool is available to maximize their chance of winning and they don’t compromise. Recently I trained at a company in Atlanta…
Mapping Location Tools for Non-Surveyors
For either pre construction or during construction it is a huge advantage to “trust and check” a surveyor’s work but most estimators don’t have extensive survey experience do ground checks with the today’s complicated survey equipment. Maybe a road job and you are not sure…
Equipment Costing – Part 2
This is the second blog concerning equipment estimate costing. The following are two more statements that if they occur in your company they should at least be discussed. Statement: “We can zero out equipment costs in an estimate since we own our equipment”. This is…
Equipment Costing – Part 1
If there is anything in the field of estimating that is misunderstood it is equipment costing. First it is critical to understand that the first day when the key is first turned on at the start of the equipment’s life to the final day when…
HeavyBid – Basics and Beyond is devoted to everything HCSS HeavyBid and estimating. Updated regularly with helpful insights and tools of the trade, this blog is designed to make your estimating easier and more successful.
