0121: Pressures of Life, Family Operating Your Unique Construction Company

This Podcast Is Episode Number 0121 And It Will Be About Pressures of Life, Family Operating Your Unique Construction Company This Podcast Is From An Article Written By Sharie DeHart

Sharie is voice on the other end of the phone when you call us at 206-361-3950
Calls come from Construction Contractors, Wives, Mothers, Bookkeepers, Advisors and others all wanting to find someone to reassure them that they are not crazy and what they expect and what’s expected from them is not unreasonable.

On rare occasions there unreasonable expectations from all sides.

Sharie will chat about your business, challenges, employees and spillover of personal stuff.

Discuss The How’s Do I? (fill in the blank), What About’s, What’s Next, Can You Help?    

Starting Point is with whoever calls in or emails asking her to call them. Chat may be from 10 minutes to over an hour as needed. It’s confidential – you are talking privately about your life and your concerns.

Sharie is an impartial observer, for that special “Moment In Time” hopefully the voice of reason.

She does her best to give support – even if it does not lead to immediate request for our services.

It’s OK to end of the conversation by saying you are not ready yet or it is not a good fit. She asks that you please continue to read blogs, listen to podcasts.

Sharie welcomes an email from you once in a while just to Say Hi – with a Quick Update……because she thinks about your from time to time and hope all is well.

Life with a contractor can feel like being out of control for both sides.  
When life gets that way – contractors turn to their most trusted team mate.
From The Contactor – she hears: My wife is so good at keeping track of things – I need her help.

From Your Wife See Hears:  He is so fantastic about the work, but I need help with the paperwork.

Need Stuff: I can’t do a good job on bookkeeping with what I don’t have; or I don’t know how to do.  

Challenge is taking a moment to remember How far the contractor has come from the beginning.

This is easier when the decision to become a contactor was a planned, joint decision made by equal partners.  Wives who have a full time job (with benefits) want to help but not as a Second Full Time Job; expected to Quit Their Job to do the construction bookkeeping (guilt trip) usually are less understanding

Contractor Husbands reach out to their wife who their most trusted partner and Team Mate.

It’s a compliment when the contractor asks for help from their wives. Remember back to that Magic Moment – When he asked Honey, Will You Marry Me?  - It was a leap of faith that you would say Yes.

Did he or you know all of the challenges, life’s ups and downs your marriage would take? The answer is no.  

By the nature of good husbands, they gather inner strength and step up when their wife says: Hey, Honey we are having a baby (again), Hey Honey – that illness is kinda serious (Cancer), Hey Honey, - My parents (your parents) need a Honey Do Project.  Finally the children are all grown up….quality “us time”

Hey Honey – We need to provide physical or financial support to parents or other extended family members.  Seems like an endless circle where the “Us Time” and connection gets lost.

Somewhere in between all these life challenges the Contractor tries to remember why he started his construction company. And he wants to have the wife chose to grow old with be there to meet him at the door, over dinner, be there at the end of the day to hold hands and recharge for the next day’s battle.  

#1 Being a contractor is what they really want to do.  
#2 Career Change due layoff from job (example:  recent downturn in the economy)
#3 Career Change as a planned event for next stage of a working career
#4 Employee with a seizure – My boss is an idiot and I can do a better job
#5 Wife wants a better future and sees the benefit of a successful contractor as the path
#6 Side work turned to full time work and need to get legitimate (with or without employees)
#7 Want to be the boss and grow the business  

Being in a Construction Contracting Company is hard on a marriage. Pressures of running a Construction Company are huge. Today it takes more than seeing the local Yellow Page Rep, designing the biggest ad you can’t afford to make the phone ring. Incoming Money is usually unknown. Expenses are Fixed and Due Now!  

#1 Multiple Customers types exist in every phase of Construction Contracting.  
#2 Clients Want Best workmanship and willing to pay for it.
#3 Clients Want Better workmanship at the reasonable price
#4 Clients Want Good workmanship at a Fair Price.
#5 Customers Want Free, Perfect, Now (Better yet, you pay them!)

One of Keys to a Happy Life – Happy Wife is also true for a Happy Husband.
Each know your strengths and each other’s strength (husband and wife’s)
Be willing to take the time for each other (children grow up / parents grow old and need help)

Be willing to be open to new ideas as new challenges arise (adapt as some are out of your control)

Patience – That young adult didn’t start out driving the car – they started out as baby learning to crawl.

Same is true about running a construction contracting business – improvement is steady steps.

Think of it as the Tortoise and The Hare story – With a plan the Tortoise avoided distractions and Won!  

And to my Husband (Randal) that I don’t say it often enough – Thanks!
(while we have been talking - Randal has been planning, fixing, doing, and more)

About The Author:
Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/sharie-dehart/ Check out our Contractor Success Map Podcast on iTunes

Editors Comment:
Sharie as many of you know is the co-founder of Business Consulting and Accounting and its subsidiary Fast Easy Accounting. We specialize in Contractors Bookkeeping Services, mentoring and back office support for construction contractors and related companies all across the USA including Alaska and Hawaii.

Sharie is a very nice, person who is easy to talk to and actually listens to you. We met in High School and married shortly after graduation in 1973. She has extensive experience as a tax accountant, co-owner of several of our construction companies including a mid-sized Plumbing firm with over 20 employees.

We opened our contractor bookkeeping firm in 1991 and kept it small until we sold our last construction company in 2000 and put all our attention on helping contractors, homebuilders, trade contractors, handymen, and handywomen like you achieve your financial dreams.

And yes, it all starts with good solid reliable financial and job costing reports. Good solid bookkeeping is the cornerstone upon which every profitable contracting company is built.

I trust this podcast helps you understand that outsourcing your contractors bookkeeping services to us is about more than just “doing the bookkeeping”; it is about taking holistic approach to your entire construction company and helping support you as a contractor and as a person.

We understand the good, bad and the ugly about owning and operating construction companies because we have had several of them and we sincerely care about you and your construction company!

That is all I have for now and if you have listened this far please do me the honor of commenting and rating podcast www.FastEasyAccounting.com/podcast Tell me what you liked, did not like, tell it as you see it because your feedback is crucial and I thank you in advance.

I trust this will be of value to you and your feedback is always welcome at www.FastEasyAccounting.com/podcast

This is one more example of how Fast Easy Accounting is helping construction company owners across the USA including Alaska and Hawaii put more money in the bank to operate and grow your construction company. Construction accounting is not rocket science; it is a lot harder than that and a lot more valuable to construction contractors like you so stop missing out and call Sharie 206-361-3950 or email sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

Thinking About Outsourcing Your Contractors Bookkeeping Services?

Click On The Link Below:

www.FastEasyAccounting.com/hs

Need Help Now?

Call Sharie 206-361-3950

sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

In closing, I want to caution you that we may or may not be a good fit for your contracting company. This guide will help you learn what to look for in outsourced construction accounting.

Thank you very much and I hope you understand we really do care about you and all contractors regardless of whether or not you ever hire our services.
Bye for now until our next episode here on the Contractors Success MAP Podcast.

Warm Regards,

Randal DeHart | Contractors Accountant