Things To Do In SW Florida

What comes to mind when you think of a contractor? Hard hats? Hammers? Utility belts? Construction sites? Heavy machinery? Ladders? How about a blog? Yup, that’s right – a blog. In this day and age, it can be very beneficial for a contractor to have a blog (only if you have the time for it though). Your workload and projects come before crafting articles for the internet.

Why a blog? Well, a blog can help a contractor get new business. By blogging regularly, over time, the blog can help generate business, and you won’t have to spend as much money in marketing your company in other ways.

What should your write about? Well, you can write, or you can vlog (video blog), or do both. Blog whatever way you feel comfortable with that you think will truly engage readers and bring in potential clients.

As a contractor, what should a blog discuss? Here are some ideas: answer frequently asked questions; describe your company; introduce team members; create a DIY or how-to video or tutorial; do product reviews; take video at a job site; share before/after photos. read more

Construction sites are filled with hustle and bustle – there’s always a lot going on. It can be a very demanding job managing all the moving parts of a site. Between workers and equipment, there’s a lot to keep track of. Thankfully, just like every other industry these days, the contractor world has plenty of mobile apps that can actually make life more efficient at a job site. Whether it’s a smartphone or a tablet, contractors are able to change the way they work as they begin to rely on mobile devices for help with tasks throughout the day. For this article, we wanted to focus on some apps that can help out contractors in a construction site.

iBlueprint –  ($.99) With this app, users can create and export custom blueprints right at their fingertips! The app will store all the blueprints in one place, safely in your phone. You won’t have to worry about misplacing them, accidently throwing them away, spilling things on them, etc.

Builder’s Helper ($14.99) – This is a construction calculator app, calculating simple equations to more difficult formulas dealing with square or cubic measurements. You can save these calculations and even print them out. This is a highly advanced app that is easy to use. read more

The holiday season is here! Now is the perfect time to get your favorite contractor (family member or friend) or yourself a great gift that helps them with their train. Contractors need lots of tools, equipment and gadgets in their day to day jobs.  If the contractor you’re buying for owns his own company or is part of a tiny company or is self-employed, they could use a gift, because they most likely don’t have a company supplying tools for them to use.

It’s important to note what kind of contractor you’re buying for, since each specialty of contracting does and requires different things.  You need to buy them things they will actually use depending on their role, and try not to purchase items he or she already has, unless of course, it’s a special personalized item. As a contractor licensing company, we wanted to share some great products for you to get for a contractor you know this holiday season.

• Bosch GLM 10 – This is a laser measure that is small, precise and simple. It is a reliable device that takes instant measurements up to 35 feet. It is portable and fits easily in one hand or a pocket. It is easy to use. All you do to measure is press one button!
• SOG PowerAssist Multi-Tool B66N-CP — This device is a muti-tool solution in one compact form. It has 6 tools in one device. There is a blade, pliers, file, crimpers, a can opener, bottle opener, a v-cutter, screwdrivers, and a ruler.
• Stanley 7qt Heritage Cooler – This cooler comes with a 1-quart vacuum bottle that can keep drinks hot or cold for 24 hours and iced for 120 hours. It is made from stainless steel.
• Snap-On Rolling tool bag – This tool bag is built to last and is water resistant. It has a heavy-duty handle and oversized wheels, which makes it easy to bring everywhere.
• Magnetic wrist bands – These wrist bands are perfect for holding screws, nails, scissors, bolts, and more when you have too much to carry and need another set of hands.

These are just a few gift ideas! There’s a lot out there a contractor friend of yours will love to receive this holiday season. read more

The heat is no fun to work in. That hot sun mixed with concrete and humidity – sounds like a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately for those contractors in the Sunshine State, there is rarely a break from the hot weather. Even Florida’s cooler days are extremely hot for workers to spend hours working in. Contractors wear heavy clothing and equipment which can make them even hotter. Hot temperatures combined with strenuous activity could potentially lead to head exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be extremely scary, but also force the worker to be out of work for a bit while he or she recovers. In fact, since 2003, 30 workers have died each year on the job due to heat stroke.

Below, we wanted to share with you some items and ways to keep cool at the work site, so you won’t experience dizzy spells or get sick from those hot days on the job.

• If you’re at a job site, try and have a trailer with AC for workers to come to throughout the day for breaks and to reset before heading back out on the job.
• Wear sweatbands. These products will help absorb the sweat and keep you from sweating all over the place.
• Keep hydrated, which may be the most important thing any person can do to keep heat-related illnesses away. Workers should aim to drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes on hot days.
• Like sweatbands, there are also products that provide a cooling effect through evaporation. The company Grainger makes a lot of these products. They make headbands, wristbands, vests, and neckbands that can be used over and over again. They provide around 10 hours of cooling.
• Purchase hard hats with wider brims to block the sun from hitting more spots on your body and eyes.
• Shift the work day to reflect the temperatures. In the summer, it’s best to start earlier in the morning when the air is still cool.
• Try to provide or make ways for shade in the work site as spaces for rest and reprieve for the workers. Weather it’s a small tent or an umbrella, this will help keep workers cool during those scorching hot days.
• Put on sunscreen to prevent burns.
• Eat lighter meals so your body doesn’t have to work hard to break down heavy foods.
• Splash cold water onto yourself throughout the day or a cold, damp towel on your neck.
• Use fans (if you can).

Looking to become a Florida contractor? Or a contractor in any other state? We can help you through the license applicant process. You’ll give us information and we will pull everything together and file it properly and timely for you to get you licensed fast. To contact our Florida contractor licensing company, click here or call 239-777-1028. read more

If you own your own contractor business or manage a lot within the company you work for, you may deal with site inventory. In this position, you take charge of the purchasing and managing of the inventory for the company in order for the company to complete current jobs and land new owns.

When you’re in charge of inventory, you have to be concerned with forecasting, purchasing orders, deliveries, stock levels, fill rates, back orders, and more. You may even have to provide inventory reports on a regular basis to a superior or owner of the company. This position, as you can probably gather, is extremely important.

Being in 2017, there’s a lot of technology out there now that can really help manage job site inventory better. If a job site’s inventory isn’t managed properly, it can cost the company a lot of money, or it can potentially make the company lose clients.

It’s important to keep track of every machine, tool, piece of equipment and other items on the job site. As you move from site to site, it’s always important to double check the equipment and numbers so the chance of loss or things missing gets lowered. read more