How to Close Up for Your Contracting Business

When you’re a contracting business owner, you are often the one responsible for finishing work for the day. There are a few last-minute tasks, and you need to make sure that everything is ready to go for tomorrow. Here are a few things to keep in mind, to help you with productivity when you return to the job site.

Clean Up the Workspaces
The first thing you need to do is ensure that each workspace is clean. Ideally, people who work on the task will clean it up and put equipment away when they are done for the day. If you’re a business of one, that may be you. Take a moment to look at the equipment and confirm that it is in good condition and ready for use the next day. Sweep away debris, and bag or box it up. If you need to return rental equipment, give it a good cleaning and put it in a place where you will not forget to take it with you. Once each station is generally clean, you may want to sweep walkways and high-touch points like light switches.

Check on Project Status
If you have been working on part of a project for most of the day, now is a good time to see where you are at by the end of the day. Take a look at your project schedule, and mark off all items that are now complete. If you are running behind schedule for any reason, assess how far behind you are and form a plan to keep progressing. Make a note of any unexpected concerns or delays, giving appropriate details so that anyone working on the project tomorrow will have the benefit of your information.

Make a To-Do List for Tomorrow
The next step is to make a to-do list for tomorrow, particularly in the morning. Ideally, you will have a to-do list for each project that you work on. However, if you have projects that last less than a day, you may need to plan them out daily, instead of a weekly basis. Don’t forget administrative tasks:

  • Emails
  • Payments for services
  • Invoicing
  • Ordering supplies and equipment

It is really easy to let these items slip while you are focused on a single project. But if you want to make sure that you have everything that you need for the next project, you should make them a priority. Plan to do them at the beginning of the day, so that you’re not tempted to push them off.

Follow Up With Clients and Employees
Your communication style may dictate how you respond to emails, text messages and phone calls. If you’re the type of person who lets all of it sit while you work on a task, you’ll need to set aside time to attend to it. Without it, you may lose out on lucrative projects and fail to keep your clients informed. Start by going through all the new messages and responding to each one that requires it. If you are waiting on documentation from employees, subcontractors or clients, now is a good time to reach out to them to make sure that they understand what you expect.

Attend to Security
One of the last things you should do before you leave the job site is attend to security. If it is your own workspace, you might have comprehensive knowledge of the alarms, monitoring, and sensor systems in use. On a client job site, you may have to go with other conventions. If you’re the last one to leave, you should plan to lock the gate, ensure that doors and windows are closed, and obscure expensive equipment and materials from view when possible. Activating the alarm system on your way out gives you a better assurance that if something happens, you’ll have a record of it.

 

Closing up the job site for the day can take time, but it is worth the investment. To learn more about how expert exam preparation can help you get the most out of your investment as a licensed contractor, visit CSLS today!

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About CSLS

Contractors State License Service (CSLS) is the largest school in California devoted to the Construction professional. For over 23 years, CSLS has helped its students pass the exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California, licensing more students than any other school. From our main offices in Southern California, CSLS operates over 25 locations with full-service support and classrooms. We have grown to this extent by providing quality, professional services. In comparison, this provides 7 times the number of convenient locations than the second largest contractor school. Contractors State License Services is one of the only contractor schools in the state that is run by educators, not lawyers or people mostly interested in the bonding and insurance business. Contractors State License Services formerly operated under the oversight of the State of California's Bureau for Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education. As of January 1 2010, the new Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) came into existence replacing the BPPVE. CSLS now operates under the provisions of the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (CPPEA), Article 4 Section 94874(f). Our Mission is simple; We can help you pass your California Contractors License Exam. Celebrating our 25th year, CSLS has helped over 120,000 students pass the California contractor licensing exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California. Additionally, we offer complete home study and online contractor’s license programs to help you pass your California contractors license exam. CSLS offers licensing classes for all types of contractor licenses, including General Engineering Contractor, General Building Contractor, Specialty Contractor, Insulation and Acoustical Contractor, Framing and Rough Carpentry Contractor, Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry Contractor, Concrete Contractor, Drywall Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Elevator Contractor, Landscaping Contractor, Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor, and many others. For a complete list of contractor licenses, visit www.MakeMeAContractor.com and tuned for more informative posts.