MARKETING IN CONSTRUCTION JOIN US ON LINKEDIN NOW and do not miss out on our latest blogs! You have probably heard the term ‘marketing’ being used severally to mean ‘selling’ or ‘advertising’ but is that all there is to marketing? Granted, these are fundamental elements of marketing, however, marketing goes beyond simply advertising to make a sale. It is a strategic plan highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of your construction business. Marketing allows you to make use of your competitive edge, pricing structure, and market demographics to drive sales. In marketing, as in most construction activities, it is crucial to plan and monitor performance. Why should you market your construction business? You have set up the perfect construction business. Your skills are top-notch, your customer service is excellent and your delivery prompt. Now all you have to do is open your doors and the sales will trickle right in, right? No. For you to make sales and achieve the desired profitability, you must put in more work to attract customers to your business. Marketing enables you to expand your market while retaining existing clients. The market is full of businesses just like yours, if not better and consumers are spoilt for choice. Developing the right marketing plan for your business is a sure way to motivate people to pick you over your competitors. Is there a specific time for marketing your construction business? The competition starts as soon as you open your business and grows every moment thereafter. This means that there is no right time for marketing. However, marketing needs vary from business to business. For example, a new business may need to market itself in order to familiarize people with its products and services while an established business may require marketing while launching a new product or service. Developing a market plan Marketing is hardly a one-size-fits-all affair as marketing needs vary from business to business. This also means that each business comes with its unique marketing budget and target market hence the need for a market plan. A good market plan is thorough, competitive and all-inclusive. It must be monitored and adjusted where necessary. The construction business is rather dynamic therefore your marketing plan must be adaptable to the changing environment. The following are the steps to developing a sound marketing plan;
- Set your goals
- SWOT analysis
- Market analysis
- Develop a budget
- The marketing mix
- Monitoring
- Social Media
- Online search engines
- Support local activities
- Create a custom logo
- Word-of-mouth
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The profession does not require candidates to undergo a specific course before entering this field, however, a relevant subject study may help a lot such as a graduate coursework in Construction, Economics, Mathematics, Geography, etc.
When you use construction estimating software, you will consistently use the same of similar processes for each new build which will ensure that your processes are both reliable and predictable.
Construction estimating software can also create and maintain a database of financial information that can be modified and updated as needed. This will assist you in avoiding expensive overruns in future builds.
Integrating estimating into project management once the project has been won makes the process far simpler. In construction, there are many grey areas in terms of what the estimator can be allowed for. Ultimately the estimator has to imagine the building getting built long before any construction team is appointed. The software can greatly help the estimating team with conveying the allowances in the tender
As with most situations, having a great team is of utmost importance. Creating a contract management team that work together on logistical issues and to successfully meet deadlines is imperative. This means that the optimal team should:
Clarity around how the team will then manage your portfolio is essential. This means identifying each person’s key strengths and assigning work accordingly, taking into consideration objectives and timeframes. Contracts are a deeply important part of business operations, proper administration on is essential for:
Using the correct technology is essential if you want to stay organised and on top of your performance. When considering tech solutions some things to consider are:
Building on your relationships with others will pay dividends in terms of business opportunities and cost, as well as a pleasant working environment of course. In marketing terms, it is cheaper to retain an existing customer than it is to gain a new one. In construction building relationships is so important. In international construction, it is important to know and understand the culture of the country you are working in. Making the effort to try and learn new languages can go a long way to nurturing relationships, as I found out on a recent trip to China.
First of all, let's look at what constitutes a contract in the construction sector. In general, Contract administrator in construction is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties.
In construction, this usually means between the main contractor and the subcontractor.A construction contract can also be between many other parties including the client and the main contractor, between a supplier and the contractor, or between a supplier and a subcontractor.
Normally, at the start of a construction project, the contract administrator will read through the contract to make sure they understand exactly what is required. An experienced contract administrator is able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the contract based on the scope of work it relates to.
The contract sets out the agreement between the parties. The clauses within the contract describe the agreement in detail to ensure that all parties are well aware of exactly what is expected of each of them at the various stages throughout the project.
For example, the contract may include a clause requiring a party to provide evidence of insurance documentation in order to access the site, stipulating that he must be done before any work can start.
These clauses comprise the set of rules the parties must adhere to if the contract is to run smoothly.
For each of these clauses, the contract lays down the exact procedure the parties must follow to ensure that the project runs smoothly. The contract administrator’s role is to see that these clauses are followed by the party they are representing in a timely and professional manner.
If the contract administrator in construction is dealing with payment matters. For example, they must follow the rules as set out in the contract. So that their parties will be paid the right amount on the due date.
In order to administer the contract correctly, the contract administrator in construction must first understand how the contract is put together. A basic and general knowledge of legal terminology is therefore essential.
An experienced contract administrator is able to see at a glance how the contract reflects both the scope of works. And the way the works have been programmed.
The contract administrator is responsible for notifying the other party of potential delays to the project. In this respect, timely notification is absolutely crucial as the other party will need to take appropriate action to avoid.
Or at least minimize – the delay and avert any possibility of a dispute arising.During the course of the project, a good contract administrator will take into careful account the contract program. The actual program on site and the effects of delays.
Assisting in the preparation of subcontract packages
As a project stakeholder, you need to be sure your construction project is on time and on the budget, and that you're getting the best quality for your money – but how do you achieve this? In a nutshell, you call in a quantity surveyor: a professional, whose job it is to ensure that you receive maximum value for your money. Quantity surveyors will help you acquire premium quality materials and labour at the most cost-effective rates. From years of experience, they know that virtually any project can at any time be subject to unexpected costs, and they are there to keep things running smoothly whatever the situation. Here’s a list of the main things a quantity surveyor would do during any construction project:
1. Quantity take-off – this is when a quantity surveyor uses drawings and designs to work out the amount of material and work items that need to be performed in order to complete a task. After measuring all the quantities, the quantity surveyor transfers them into a Bill of Quantities (BOQ). This is basically a shopping list. But instead of your groceries, it lists all the items that need to be completed in order to finish a task.
5. Risk management – another important part of the construction that involves quantity surveyors. The ability to identify risks requires experience and knowledge of the challenges that have faced former projects. Identifying risks is a challenge in itself within an industry notorious for having so many. The quantity surveyor must also understand and take steps to compensate for any impact the risk may have on the project. At the start of a project, the quantity surveyor would generally populate a risk register, which would be managed throughout the construction process. When faced with absolutely unforeseeable risks – such as a key subcontractor going out of business – arising during the project, quantity surveyors have to manage as best they can.
7. Project Management – this is where a quantity surveyor can really get a hold of a project and make sure that it runsproperly. Project management makes demands on all the quantity-surveyor skills discussed so far.
A quantity surveyor is truly one of the most valuable members you can have on your team. An experienced quantity surveyor will have all the qualities needed in order to succeed in the fields listed above. Thus making them a valuable asset to any construction team.A quantity surveyor is truly one of the most valuable members you can have on your team. An experienced quantity surveyor will have all the qualities needed in order to succeed in the fields listed above. Thus making them a valuable asset to any construction team.