Many construction professionals and companies start as small businesses run by one or two contractors. Not all small construction businesses grow into major brands or chains, but you can create long-term success with the right approach. If you’re looking to improve the processes, profits, or growth of your business, you’ll need to know how to hire a decent team and automate when possible. Establishing a high-profile construction business can take a considerable amount of time, but with an efficient strategy, you can significantly increase your profits and brand success.

For lasting success as a construction company, you will want a strong team behind you. Handling all of the tasks, from marketing to labor to finances, will only take you so far. Not only is being a one-person show a lot of work, but it will also limit your brand’s capacity. Just like a successful CEO has a solid team behind them, you’ll want to hire help to take care of customer acquisition, outreach, marketing, project management, finances, and more. Hiring help where you need it can allow you to focus on your strengths. It will also help your business stay afloat even if you need to step away temporarily.

Your construction company should get jobs done quickly and efficiently. Delays, downtime, or roadblocks in standard daily procedures can frustrate clients and lead them to choose the competition over you. You’ll need to establish standard operating procedures for common projects and jobs; there should be a clear pipeline from customer acquisition to project completion across all departments. Utilize job tracking systems to identify any delays or roadblocks before they become prevalent quickly. Ensure your team has clear workflows for timeline mapping, cost estimation, equipment repair, and other tasks. Avoid downtime by ensuring everyone has a clear role and efficient workflow. Incorporate routine equipment and vehicle maintenance, from hydraulic cylinder repair on dump trucks to fresh diesel in your bulldozer lines, to make sure every construction project is safe, efficient, and speedy. Projects should go smoothly even if you’re away from the office for a day. Establishing an automated and efficient routine, including mitigating the risk of downtime, is a smart way to foster long-term brand loyalty and trust.

You can’t create long-term business success in any field if you don’t understand what success looks like. Not knowing where to invest funds to grow or what counts as a profit can seriously hinder your business’s growth. Get to know your construction business and learn how to measure its success. Be aware of the details regarding overhead, field expenses, and labor costs. Know what your gross and net profits are, including ways you can grow these numbers. When you have the numbers on your side, strategic decision-making becomes a lot easier between you and your team.

Word of mouth marketing can be a major moneymaker for local businesses, but if you want to establish yourself anywhere, you’ll need a more thorough marketing strategy. Understand what clients are most likely to seek out your services; do you mainly deal with residential or commercial projects? Know how to tailor your content, online presence, search engine optimization, and local advertising ventures to cater to these audiences. When you’re financially able, you’ll want to pursue targeted marketing and paid advertising on places such as Google and social media. Optimize your website for long-term success and brand recognition. Marketing can put you on everyone’s radar more quickly and efficiently.

In the construction industry, laws, regulations, standards, methods, and materials are continuously changing. Construction trends can be significantly different from one year to the next. If your education stops as soon as you obtain or renew a contracting license, your scope in projects and bids will be extremely narrow. To remain competitive, you’ll want to continually update your education with the latest construction trends, laws, and regulations. Apply your new knowledge to strategically adapt and grow your business, whether that involves adding new services, expanding your customer base, including eco-friendly materials, or refining your construction methods.

The more people you network with, the more memorable your construction business will become. You’ll want to partner up with relevant audiences, figures, and leaders to market your company organically. Attend construction or real estate conferences or trade shows. Reach out to industry leaders and potential partners on social media. Sponsor or host community events, both in and outside of the construction sector. Spread your business cards anywhere you can. Partner up with local businesses and brands to offer your services. You’ll even want to donate to charities or offer “pro bono” services to help your community whenever you can. The more you reach out and support your community through networking, the more trust you build in your brand, which can last for generations.

If you want to advance from being a contractor in a small construction business to a CEO of a much larger one, you’ll need to know where to make your workflow more efficient. Hire a team to help you in areas you’re less familiar with. Create decent workflows and standard operating procedures to keep your business afloat even when you aren’t around. Network with relevant figures and leaders to establish yourself as a trustworthy presence. Know the details about your construction company’s overhead, revenue, and profits to make more efficient decisions.