Standing Up Against Big Competition and Winning Business

Small and medium-sized contractors face a unique set of challenges when competing against larger companies. It seems like every issue the construction industry is facing today is magnified for smaller businesses when compared to their direct larger competitors. With labor and material shortages as well as inflation and price increases it can be easy to feel like you can’t compete.

Fortunately, that isn’t the case. In this episode of the Mobile Workforce Podcast, we welcome Melissa Kastle, Office Manager at Executive Elevator, a multigenerational construction company providing routine monthly service, repairs, and modernization to electric or hydraulic elevators, onto the show for her second interview to share the importance of digitization as an equalizer, how to best differentiate yourself from your competitors and how to fight back against big businesses in your industry.

Key Takeaways:

1. Digitization levels the playing field for all contractors. Brute manpower used to be the strength of larger contractors that could throw a large workforce at a project and force it to completion. Today’s hardware and software diminish the power that larger companies had by replacing the value of brute strength with processes and tech that streamline a smaller business into achieving the same results.
2. Make sure your software fits your process. Finding the right software can be tricky but one simple red flag to avoid is having to change how you do business to accommodate how your new program works. If you are being forced to change to fit the software it isn’t the right solution for your company.
3. Service is still king. Knowing the stigmas your industry has and the complaints that your larger competitors have against them can go a long way to set yourself apart. If their contracts are impossible and take advantage of their clients make simple and easy-to-use contracts, if they use proprietary parts and components do the opposite. On top of everything else give exceptional service and keep your clients because they are happy and respected, not because they don’t have another choice.