Tool Title:

The Foundation Modules

The focus of the FOUNDATION series is on YOU — your dreams, obligations, expectations, and rewards for going into business. In the Builder Academy, you’ll find companion courses which introduce the important parts of starting up and running a business, marketing, estimating, selling, managing clients and associates, managing projects, and construction finance.

But this FOUNDATION course is just about YOU. And your worldview. And how that worldview will be reflected in your business. As you proceed with the foundation modules, you will create a list of unique business commandments that will shape the culture of your enterprise and be a guidepost for your future important decisions. These Commandments will be based on the information you provide throughout these survey exercises.

Starting a business is a great adventure… and a lot of work….and the most fun you will ever have.

And the better you know yourself going into the quest, the greater your prospect for success.

Join in on the experience now, and get started with the free first module, “It Starts With You”.

Course Information

The Foundation

$29.00

IT STARTS WITH YOU

You Start From Where You Are

This is the first survey in this course. Brutal honesty is the best policy.

Are You Ready to Do This?

You need to be ready to take on the responsibilities of managing a business as well as building a project. This survey will help you identify your strengths as well as some areas where you will need to become stronger.

DayDream Construction, Inc.

Think of your dreams for where you want your construction business will be 5-10 years from now. Respond to the following questions as though your business were “all grown up”.

Your Personal Values

Your personal values will mold the vision you have for your business. In this survey, you will begin to define what those values are, and how important they are to you. There is no preaching going on here. Your values are your values. What is important is that you recognize that your values are going to impact your business. This survey is an effort to help you consider the implications.

Your Values Set Your Company Vision

You can’t help it. Your personal values will impact the very essence of your Construction Business. Here is an opportunity to plan which of your personal values your business will be built on.

Your First Commandment(s)

Review the Surveys you have completed in this course and then compose your first commandments. You are going to rely on the commandments you develop in this series to guide you in your business decisions, so take the time to create a meaningful guidepost for the future of your business.

START-UP

Knowing What Your Market Values

How can you build what the market wants until you have asked them? This survey asks the questions you need to answer to demonstrate your company’s affinity with its market segment.

The One-Page Business Plan

Can you put all the procedural, organizational and financial information about your business on one page? Only if you write very small. But you can illustrate that you have considered and answered questions about these nine important areas of enterprise planning.

The Unique Value Proposition

You’ve got about seven seconds and seven words to capture the attention of your market segment. They had better be the right seven words!

Develop Commandments for Company Start-Up

Write down the commandments that came to mind while thinking about starting your business.

ORGANIZATION

Your Organization Strategy Guide

An organizational chart that works for me, an opportunity to create your own organization chart, and a sample Position Description.

Your Organizational Strategy

Your entire organization is fundamentally a tool to deliver on the promise you make to your market segment. Here is more on basic organizational theory.

Organizing for Efficiency

More on setting up your organization, and the ultimate goal of your organizational structure.

The Position Description

If you don’t know what they will be adding to your team, why are you hiring them? Use the Position Description to inform new hires about the role they will play in your company.

Develop Commandments for the Organization

Write down the commandments that came to mind while thinking about your business operations.

MARKETING

Defining Your Market Segment

I love them, I love them not.
A step-by-step process for selecting your most valuable market segment.

Your Most Probable Buyer

They love me, they love me not.
How to make certain that your selected market segment knows about you and thinks of your company when they start looking for a builder.

Differentiating Your Product

We’ve already agreed upon the importance of a differentiation strategy to gain a foothold in your market. This lesson helps you identify the WHAT and WHO of that strategy.

The Estimate Is An Important Marketing Tool

The ESTIMATE is usually the first formal document that you provide to a Prospect. Make certain that it accurately reflects all the work you have put in building a vehicle that can deliver on the promise you are about to make to the potential Buyer. The estimate must be TIMELY, ACCURATE, and CONCISE. It can also be your most powerful marketing document.

Develop Commandments for Marketing

Write down the commandments that came to mind while thinking about marketing your company,

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Production Resources

This survey takes a look at the equipment resources and internal documents necessary in controlling risk and maintaining quality on a jobsite.

Project Management Paperwork

“If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen”. For a bunch of legal, financial, and relationship reasons, you have to document what happens on a project.

Develop Commandments for Project Management

Write down the Commandments that came to mind while you were thinking about your company’s projects.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Core Financial Planning

You are going to be making some important financial decisions in your business. Set up now to provide the information you will require.

Develop Commandments for Financial Management

Write down the commandments that came to you while you were thinking about the finances of your business enterprise.