Visit Dr. Schleifer’s Business of Construction Library
Learn about the Manual of Construction Practice, Construction Tools, and more!
Profit
Last week we settled on this definition of business which bears repeating: Business is the purposeful pursuit of profit through the commercial activity of satisfying customer needs at a cost that is less than the selling price. To be classified as a business, an...
When Construction Activity Becomes Commercial Activity
This week we will be discussing the distinction between construction activity and commercial activity. Many contractors start their careers working with the tools and because of the unique nature of the construction financial transaction (contracting for one new job...
Reputation
We are discussing how unexamined beliefs about the nature and structure of the construction business transaction have had a corrosive effect on contractor profit margins for the past 50 years. The resulting standard business practices followed by all construction...
Contractor’s Proper Role
I have been haranguing the industry for years about what is wrong with the contracting business model. Many of you agree with my discomfort but ask, "How do we change the long-held structure of the standard construction financial transaction?" Let's start at the...
A Contractor Speaks Out
Contractors are either selling finished buildings (highways, bridges, etc.) to ultimate owners or they are providing owners with construction services. Not both. The legal structure of construction contracts holds the contractor responsible not only for erecting a...
Belief Busting
I closed last week's blog with a plea to the industry to join me in my 2026 mission to double the construction industry's net profit margins. Let's begin by looking back at the double-digit profit margins that the industry enjoyed during the era immediately following...
OUR PARTNERS
