PODCAST · business
Solution Building
by Mark Eastman
Helping construction contractors and customers FIND SOLUTIONS for building dreams with better business systems, quality construction projects and life lessons through coaching, consulting and constructing.
Episodes
-
Routines Are an Important Part of Being Productive
Routines are an important part of being productive, but they can also become roadblocks. It’s easy to get comfortable doing things the same way we always have, even when there might be a better way. From getting a new smartphone to learning to use a pneumatic nail gun, sometimes change takes…
more -
How Do You Decide What's Most Important?
Unexpected things have a way of changing our plans and taking up time we had set aside for something else. Knowing what to do first means understanding what matters most and deciding what deserves our attention. Being flexibly rigid helps us adjust when plans change without losing sight of our...
-
Building a Business Is Like Getting a New Smartphone
Most of us don’t like change. We get comfortable doing things the way we’ve always done them, even when we know there is a better way. I recently realized I was doing this with my smartphone, and it got me thinking about how easy it is to do the same thing in our businesses. Sometimes making a...
-
Deciding What To Do First Is Hard
Knowing what to do first can be one of the hardest parts of running a construction business. Priorities change, unexpected problems pop up, and the biggest fire isn’t always the most important thing that needs your attention. Learning to be flexibly rigid means knowing what can move and what…
more -
Life Is a Series of Choices
Every minute of every day, we are making choices. Some are simple and seemingly insignificant, while others can change the direction of our lives and businesses. Learning to prioritize those decisions, recognize what really matters, and act when the time comes can make all the difference. “Would...
-
Why Are Builders So Bullheaded?
Builders are often known for being bullheaded, stubborn, and resistant to change. But those traits aren’t necessarily bad. A strong will, resilience, determination, passion, and a good work ethic are all qualities that can help a builder succeed. The real challenge is knowing when to stand firm…
more -
What Causes Construction Projects to Fall Apart?
Why do some construction projects become a great experience while others turn into a nightmare? Many of the problems customers face can be traced back to a lack of clarity before construction even begins. Poor communication, low-quality workmanship, and a lack of honesty and integrity can create...
-
How To Do Construction Project Progress Payments
Large construction projects can make billing complicated, especially when you want payments to be fair to both you and your customer. A payment application gives you a clear way to show what work and materials are being billed, what has already been paid, and what remains. Follow along as John...
-
A Payment Application Will Help You With Your Cash Flow
You’re a contractor, not a bank, so you shouldn’t have to finance your customer’s project while waiting to get paid. Gene has a signed proposal from Burford’s, but now he needs to figure out how to set up a payment plan. John walks him through the Payment Application, starting with the project...
-
Building a Successful Business Requires The Right Tools
Knowing how to build a house, remodel a kitchen, pour concrete, or install HVAC doesn’t automatically mean you know how to run a successful construction business. A group of contractors discovered they were facing many of the same challenges on the business side, and one thing became clear: they...
-
Your Job Is Construction, Not Banking
If you’re constantly waiting on customers to pay while you’re already paying for labor, materials, and everything else that goes into a project, you may be doing more banking than building. Progress payments can provide more consistent cash flow, help identify payment problems early, and give...
-
Change Can Be a Good Thing
Business systems should grow with your company, but that doesn't always mean making them bigger. Sometimes the smartest improvement is simplifying a system so each tool has one clear purpose. Learn why separating one system into two created clearer information, better organization, and a simpler...
-
Sometimes Things Can Outgrow Their Intended Purpose
Growth is a good thing, but sometimes the tools that helped get you there start trying to do too much. Small improvements made over time can cause a simple system to outgrow its original purpose without you even realizing it. Knowing when to simplify can be just as important as knowing when to…
more -
What a Project Number Should Tell You
Every business has systems, whether they're intentional or not. Sometimes the simplest tools end up making the biggest difference. What started as a basic spreadsheet to assign project numbers eventually became the foundation for a much larger system. Great systems don't have to be complicated....
-
Community is Important to Our Well-Being
Life has a way of interrupting even the best made plans. When that happens, it's easy to feel like we're inconveniencing everyone around us or that we should be able to handle it all on our own. But we weren't meant to live or work that way. Community isn't just about being surrounded by people,...
-
Happy 250th and Why We Celebrate
This year marks 250 years of American independence, it's a time to remember the sacrifices that secured our nation's freedom and to appreciate the opportunities those freedoms provide. As business owners, have a responsibility to use our opportunities wisely, to work with integrity, to treat…
more -
Building Takes a Lot of Tools
Every builder knows the importance of having the right tool for the job, but the same mindset doesn't always carry over to running the business. Sales, production, and administration all have to work together to keep a business strong and growing. When each area is supported with the right…
more -
The Next Step in the Hiring Process
Hiring isn't just about finding the right people, but giving them the tools and expectations they need to succeed. Without clear policies, job descriptions, and accountability, even good employees can struggle. Taking the time to define expectations up front helps eliminate confusion, improve...
-
What Makes Someone an Ideal Hire?
Why do some employees thrive while others struggle, even when they have similar skills and experience? The answer is that the best team members consistently demonstrate humility, hunger, and people smarts. These three qualities are what create stronger teams and better workplace environments....
-
How Do You Hire the Right People?
When projects are piling up and help is needed, it's tempting to hire the first person who walks through the door. But great teams aren't built by chance. They are built through intentional hiring, asking the right questions, and finding people who align with the values and vision of the…
more -
Scheduling Will Help You Get Control
Running a construction business can feel like trying to control a runaway train. Priorities and planning are important, but scheduling is what turns good intentions into action. Creating a schedule, setting deadlines, and consistently reviewing your plans can help bring order to the chaos and…
more -
Deciding What To Do First
Running a business means constantly deciding what deserves your attention first. With so many responsibilities competing for priority, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and reactive. Having clear values, systems, and priorities in place ahead of time helps you make better decisions when pressure…
more -
Taking Control of the Big List
Running a business can feel overwhelming when everything demands your attention at once. The key to making progress is breaking big challenges down into smaller, manageable steps and simply starting somewhere. Just like building a wall one brick at a time, success in business comes from…
more -
Too Many Things To Do
Running a business starts with knowing who you are and what matters most. Core values matter because they influence your decisions, leadership, relationships, and priorities. Identifying your values takes intentional effort, but it gives you clarity, direction, and stability when challenges come....
-
Being Too Busy Is a Choice
Feeling “too busy” is something most people deal with, especially in construction, but it’s not something we’re stuck with. Whether you're running a construction business or juggling life responsibilities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done. When you learn how to...
-
Building a Successful Business Isn't Easy
Running a construction business is more than just doing the work, it’s managing everything behind the scenes that keeps it alive. Many contractors start out focused on construction, but overlook the systems and processes needed to stay profitable and sustainable as a business. Through hard…
more -
Why the Savings Transfer Matters (And What You Do Next)
If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ve probably felt this before: You stay busy, work is getting done, and the money comes in. But when it’s time to sit down and look at the numbers…there’s not as much there as you expected. If you’ve ever felt the pressure of tax season, tight cash flow,...
-
Don't Gamble With Your Business
Over the past three weeks, I’ve shared how Gene struggled with money problems…He wasn’t getting paid, he couldn’t fix his truck, and he didn’t have the money to pay his taxes. Sound familiar? We’ve all been in situations where we needed money that we didn’t have. Because in construction, it’s…
more -
Successful Business is More Than Earning a Lot of Money
Gene’s first year in business brings in solid work and decent profits, but his lack of financial planning catches up with him. When he files his taxes for the first time as a business owner, he’s hit with a $17,000 bill he can’t afford to pay. With no savings set aside, he’s forced into a…
more -
I Don't Have Enough Money for That
A broken truck. A $3,800 repair. No cash to cover it. Gene’s story shows how quickly one unexpected expense can throw your entire business and home life into chaos when there’s no financial cushion in place.
-
Have You Had Money Problems?
Irregular income is one of the biggest struggles for self-employed construction business owners. Add in a customer who doesn’t pay on time, and things can get even more stressful. In this podcast, we follow Gene, a contractor who finishes a project only to run into a payment disagreement with his...
-
What is Needed for Success?
Success is often defined by external achievements, but true success goes deeper. It includes personal growth, relationships, purpose, and building something meaningful in both business and life. Many contractors fall into the trap of working harder and longer, believing it will lead to success,...
-
Scheduling is Pretty Simple...
Scheduling often feels overwhelming because people try to fit more into their days than time allows. When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to spend the day putting out fires instead of focusing on what truly matters. The key to better scheduling isn’t finding more time, but gaining clarity…
more -
Prioritizing Is a Big Part of Scheduling
Missed timelines don’t just cost money, it costs trust. Schedules fall behind for many reasons. The difference between a satisfied customer and an angry one often comes down to how expectations were set and how communication is handled when things shift. Professionalism in construction isn’t just...
-
DIY Business Building Isn't a Good Plan
DIY business building is even more common than DIY construction. Some lessons in construction and business are expensive. Learning on the fly isn’t the most reliable way to build anything. Construction skills are often passed down through experience, but business lessons usually aren’t. The…
more -
Building a Better Business Isn't Easy, But It's Worth It
Another Saturday morning. More coffee. More builders around the table. This week, they gather to tackle more issues behind their business struggles: pricing, communication, and lost profit. What begins as a discussion turns into a turns into a challenge. Stay in the rut, or take intentional…
more -
Wouldn't You Like to Know How to Build a Better Business?
Early on a Saturday morning, a few contractors gather around pushed-together tables, coffee cups in hand. What starts as casual conversation turns into something real. "What are the biggest problems you've dealt with in your business?" "Losing money on jobs, employees not showing up, unhappy...
-
Are You Having Second Thoughts About Being in Business?
It’s 9:00 on a Saturday morning, and Gene is sitting in a booth at the local coffee shop having a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. What should be enjoyable downtime isn’t. It’s hard for him to enjoy himself when all he can think about are all the problems over the past year. He can’t quit...
-
I Need More Help, I Can’t Do Everything
I can’t do everything myself. That realization usually shows up right when momentum starts to build. There's more opportunities, more interest, which means more work. If I’m going to help construction companies build their businesses and continue doing construction… I’m going to need some more...
-
Firefighting Is Not a Good Way to Prioritize
"What should I do first?” “There are so many things to choose from.” Too often, days are spent fighting fires instead of making real progress. Firefighting feels productive, but it’s one of the worst ways to prioritize. With a limited amount of time, knowing what’s urgent, what’s important, and...
-
Planning Backward Can Help You Move Forward
I Know, This Sounds a Little Backward Most people plan by guessing how much time or effort something will take and then wonder why they’re always rushed or behind. Planning backward flips that on its head by starting with where you want to end up and mapping the steps needed to get there. Whether...
-
How My Experience Helped Me BUILD My Best Life
There are certain moments in life that split everything into before and after. For me, one of those moments came after my accident in 2012. Before then, I had concluded that my bland, ho-hum life was simply what it was. I was just trudging through life with little hope that things would ever be...
-
You Need to Prioritize If You Are Going to Accomplish Your Goals
If you’ve ever looked at your to-do list and thought, “Where do I even start?” you’re not alone. Goal setting and planning sound great… until everything feels important and nothing gets done. Progress comes down to making a choice. You can only do one thing at a time, and prioritizing helps you...
-
A Plan for Building Your Best Life
A clear plan makes all the difference when it comes to building a life and business you’re proud of. Most of us have a picture in our heads of what our dream life looks like. It can be frustrating and depressing when things don’t turn out as planned or when our expectations exceed our...
-
Small Actions Can Have Big Effects
Sometimes the biggest disruptions don’t come from major failures, but from small, everyday actions. One minor delay sets off a chain reaction of schedule changes, conversations, and adjustments for multiple people. And it's all because of something that seemed insignificant at the time. It’s a...
-
Too Much Planning Is Not Good
Find the Balance of Planning and Doing Planning feels productive… until you realize you’ve spent more time thinking about the work than actually doing it. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company. We’ve all had those moments when a simple task suddenly becomes way bigger than expected....
-
Use Some Help When Chasing Your Tail
It Helps Cut Down on the Dizzy Running your business all by yourself feels responsible until it becomes the very thing holding the business back. Sharing the load can change everything, but only if the shovels are placed in the right hands. And that’s the part most folks overlook…
-
Too Much To Do Is Self-Inflicted
Chasing Your Tail Can Make You Dizzy Getting subcontractors on the job, coordinating material deliveries, and lining out the order of operations…all while juggling other construction projects in various stages, working on new proposals, and helping customers with project designs. Add to that...
-
Tools Are Only Good If They're Used
This is Especially True for Saving Money Like anything else that’s worth doing, starting is the hard part. Saving money is no different. It’s like digging a hole. Over the last couple of weeks, we have discussed why it’s critical to save money to keep your business afloat and how having a tool…
more -
The First Step to a Successful Business is Keeping it Afloat
Most business owners don’t fail because they can’t find work. They fail because they run out of money. That's why it is so important to save intentionally, even when income isn’t consistent. That's where the Savings Transfer Sheet helps you plan ahead for big expenses, equipment replacements, and...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Helping construction contractors and customers FIND SOLUTIONS for building dreams with better business systems, quality construction projects and life lessons through coaching, consulting and constructing.
HOSTED BY
Mark Eastman
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Solution Building have?
Solution Building currently has 200 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Solution Building about?
Helping construction contractors and customers FIND SOLUTIONS for building dreams with better business systems, quality construction projects and life lessons through coaching, consulting and constructing.
How often does Solution Building release new episodes?
Solution Building publishes regularly with 200 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Solution Building?
You can listen to Solution Building on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Solution Building?
Solution Building is created and hosted by Mark Eastman.
URL copied to clipboard!