Contractors Are Dealing With Labor & Material Shortages – The news has covered the stories of the labor and materials shortages that have impacted every industry and business. Costs of goods and labor are higher than ever and people are having a hard time finding quality help. To make things even more challenging, people are also having difficulty finding the materials they need to do their jobs. This has been especially difficult on the construction industry where contractors have the work, they just do not have the people and materials to get the job done.
Contractors are dealing with labor & material shortages
- Subcontractors: One of the things that have literally saved contractors throughout the year has been subcontractors. Their work has covered labor and even material shortages on projects, allowing the work to remain on schedule and ensure that deadlines are meant. For example, a crane rental company may not accommodate additional needs like welding, machine repair or something else.
- Ordering early: One way to combat delays is to order a head of time. While this isn’t an option for everything, when it comes to subcontractors or materials, there are advantages to ordering as early as possible. In fact, some contractors have found that ordering materials months in advance allows them to get higher discounts on larger orders or simply not having to do rush delivery.
- Smarter planning: Planning is the key to everything, especially in business. Do you know where your crew will be working tomorrow? Does that require the entire crew for the entire day? Would it be possible to get those tasks completed if you had two fewer people? If so, then use the extra labor to either get more done on that job site or use their time elsewhere so that you can get things knocked off your list faster as well.
- New technology: Another helpful option for many contractors is the advancement in technology that has replaced labor or materials. For example, concrete is hard to get but there are new options that can not only create a durable and secure structure, but they are more affordable and also include environmentally friendly features. They are also easier to install so you literally save on costs and labor.
When it comes to managing your business, you have to do make sure that you are dedicating time to being creative and figuring out how to minimize problems before they even occur. These tips show you what other contractors are doing to get around these obstacles and some of them may help you as well.
