# Wanna know who your competition is going to be?



## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I think he has it all figured out, what do you think?



> I exited the corporate world a year ago to enter the construction world as a residential general contractor. My goal is to grow an organization so successful, I’ll be able to pack up a work crew and head to a needy area in another country for a few months to build schools, churches, orphanages and to teach the local workforce some trade skills. I learned how to grow a company working in the corporate world for twenty-three years. My education included all best practices; most of which are perfectly aligned with all of your articles that I’ve read over the past year in Construction Business Owner magazine.
> 
> My greatest challenge is getting started with hiring a workforce. I have the ability to do everything from pounding nails; to designing and engineering homes; to sales, accounting and project management. You name it, I can do it. But I lack one simple thing: time. Well, actually I lack one other thing: money. I’m down to my last $20,000 and have overspent on technology (because that’s what I know) and tools (because I like to play with laser levels and cordless nail guns, you know, the cool stuff). So, I’m past my stupidity phase of overspending on things that just don’t have real ROI.
> My questions comes down to: What position should I hire first—a full-time accounting manager, full-time project or construction manager or full-time handyman? How can I fund the total recurring cost associated with personnel? And do you think it’s too risky to fast track by hiring entire groups of trades, like a full set of masons?
> ...


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## Nigel S. Shorts (Jul 21, 2007)

I wish I could find me some of those rose colored glasses he's got. The view sounds incredible...


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

state your sources finley..
just wondering when reality, will slam into theory.....

ray


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## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

overspending on technology
workshops 
stock options



:laughing::laughing::laughing:


yeah, no corporate influence there:laughing:


in all seriousness ... one thing disturbing ... he did not mention ONCE how he was going to get customers.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I'm betting he's got the nicest tools, the latest of everything, he's probably got a straight framing nailer, a back up straight framing nailer, an angled one, a coiled one, a cordless one and all of them look like they just came out of the boxes.

I lover this one:


> I would sub-out teams to other builders and expect to get the reputation of having the best work crews in the business as our team is motivated, focused and cross-trained


and this one



> I would then take a personnel manager and have them “cherry pick” the best high school candidates (they have the most malleable minds and haven’t been jaded) to do trade work.


This guys got the desease that all 20 year corporation retires seem to have - 20 years of SMTNH (Spending Money That Is Not His)


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## L. B. Condulet (Aug 23, 2007)

These dopes watch all these home improvement TV shows and think they can quit their office jobs and get into construction. Obviously this guy is a moron of extraordinary magnitude, but it just shows how little people think about our industry. People think anyone can do it.


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## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

sound like anyone we know?:whistling


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## tnt specialty (Apr 19, 2007)

Nigel said it.......


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## PressurePros (Jul 3, 2006)

Nothing wrong with dreaming and vision..altruism at its best. Ray nailed it though. There is going to be a loud bang when he has everything "managed" and the phone doesn't ring for months. I'm thinking this type of person is more suited to be a third world missionary.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

In all fairness he did read Construction Business magazine for a year. Add the "SECRET" video and you to can cherry pick the high school standout and provide steady income for guys who are to old do physical work! HAHAHAHAHA


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## A.W.Davis (Oct 17, 2006)

Ive seen that all over in my area, especially since I live fairly close to the Silicon Valley.......there was a large boom in the tech field roughly 6 years ago then the market lost momentum and a lot of "techies" and corporate big wigs where out of a job.

I know because trained a handfull of them that my boss at the time hired.....they just couldnt cut it and had to be let go. One guy we hired on was an ex-supervisor that worked for a technology based company......he had all of the bells and whistles in his work van....cabinet hoists, digital angle finders, table saws, scmsaws, and any small tool one could dream of this guy had!!


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## Giftcard (Dec 28, 2006)

It’s like a lawyer becoming a power washer or a intellectual speaker from the fine institution ……becoming a deck finisher, talking about great accomplishments they made ………..where they are in a field that pays a accomplished individual well. Now they are in the land of sore backs and busted knuckles, singing a song I don’t want to hear, over time the record gets scratched.


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

The condo project I was on this last winter, the business owner came up to me and said "I'm doing such and such this last weekend and did fine, until I got to crown. How the hell do you cut this stuff? I mean, I've got all these tools and understand it's a 45 degree angle, but the crown is some funky angle" LOL


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## BT006 (Jun 22, 2007)

Well if he could increase his working capital by two orders of magnitude he might have a chance - but I doubt it. I feel sorry for him but hey on the positive side having the crap kicked out of you frequently builds character.


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## fathersonfab (Apr 27, 2007)

OMG, thats so funny. I just finished reading this guys quote in Construction Business Owner magazine. I was thinking, Man this guy obviously hasn't talked to the guys on the forum!! And, yes, I was thinking of guys like you Finley :whistling

But you left out the best part.... the Editors reply... he said, "WOW, and all that with no money? Stop and smell the coffee? You want to change the world, or build a business? That might work in la-la land... etc. etc"


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

sounds like a burnt out "suit." who thinks six sigma principals, will light the building industry on fire.


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## GregS (Oct 1, 2006)

POOLMANinCT said:


> sounds like a burnt out "suit." who thinks six sigma principals, will light the building industry on fire.


Oh that stuff is great.. They tried to get us to do that at our office after showing us a 'training video'. The people in the video acted like cult worshippers. "Six-sigma will solve any problem! All hail six-sigma!" I told them no thanks and still ended up with a manager title.


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## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

It may read like a chapter from Want to be a contractor…..But you can not tell me that each one of those statements has not been said by each and every one of this forum’s elite. 
The words are a little over the top but the intent is true.
A mission statement at best.


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## Scott Young (Dec 23, 2005)

gotta love how corporate america thinks they can improve on trades america. i got the feeling he was going to fix everything cause us stupid tradesmen can't figure it out. he will learn there are more smarter people in the trades than there are in the business world.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Mike Finley said:


> I think he has it all figured out, what do you think?


Isn't that just about what you wrote, 5 or 6 years ago?


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## Runamuk (Aug 23, 2007)

Nigel S. Shorts said:


> I wish I could find me some of those rose colored glasses he's got. The view sounds incredible...


those glasses will hit the wall called reality very soon!



framerman said:


> The condo project I was on this last winter, the business owner came up to me and said "I'm doing such and such this last weekend and did fine, until I got to crown. How the hell do you cut this stuff? I mean, I've got all these tools and understand it's a 45 degree angle, but the crown is some funky angle" LOL


Still laughing my aspencade off!!


This guys got the desease that all 20 year corporation retires seem to have - 20 years of SMTNH (Spending Money That Is Not His) 

Could be yours/ ours if we are not careful!

Watch who you contract with!

I have a rule, never work with/for someone who makes you unconfortable, NEVER! You will almost assuredly end up screwed! Ive given up several big jobs because of this rule and I'm happy about it!!:thumbsup:

Rick


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Semi-Retirees and high-schoolers, huh??

Them ole' guys better learn to text-message so's they can get a word in edge-wise during an average 'work-day' . . . :laughing:


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

kevjob said:


> sound like anyone we know?:whistling


I think I know who you are talking about!:w00t:


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## PARA1 (Jul 18, 2007)

:no:I HAD THAT DREAM ONCE......THE REAL WORLD IS DOWN TWO BLOCK'S ON THE LEFT.:thumbsup:


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## ptnick (Sep 6, 2007)

:notworthy


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## Sonoran West (Oct 5, 2007)

*Read this letter a few months ago*

I remember this letter in the magazine. This guy sure has it all figured out. Any idiot can run a contracting company, so surely HE can create an EMPIRE right? He's from the corporate world afterall!

But seriously, this guy will either be a sad cautionary tale in a few years, or he will be another Greg Wittstock... I'm betting on sad cautionary tale, since Greg never wrote a letter like this to anyone...


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

I hope it works out for him. Sounds like he has a plan. I don't see it working but what the hell, give it a shot. There is no reason he can not grow into his dream. It'll probably take longer time than he thinks and alot more working capitol.


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

Just re-read this corproate guy's dream. First thing comes to mind: if he spent 23 years in the corporate world, and can do evrything, why does he have only 20,000 bucks? Seems to me he oughta have a tiny bit more than that.
I'd like to hear from him again in 3-4 years, when he learns what "real world" means!


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

He is *down* to his last 20K. I don't even want to know what he has spent already, I'm guessing it is over 100K

He's about as realistic as a letter to Pent House magazine.

Just read these 4 sentences :



> My questions comes down to: What position should I hire first—a full-time accounting manager, full-time project or construction manager or full-time handyman?





> do you think it’s too risky to fast track by hiring entire groups of trades, like a full set of masons?





> I’m down to my last $20,000





> How can I fund the total recurring cost associated with personnel?


This is the mindset of someone who has spent a career spending money that doesn't belong to him. He's totally disconected from the concept of profit / loss, and revenue. He's under the belief that the corporate mentality of losing money for 5 years in order to bring a product to market will work in construction.

He's the Amazon.com of construction.


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