Episode 115: Expand The Reach of Your Contracting Company: Rachel Doty of Contractor Training Center

Episode 115: Expand The Market Reach of Your Contracting Company with Rachel Doty of Contractor Training Center

Today Brad speaks with Rachel Doty, Director of Course Development at the Contractor Trainer Center and VP and contractor at Blevens Construction.

From material and labor shortages to delays in sourcing and delivering materials, contractors today are finding themselves having to adapt quickly to challenges unique to this moment in history. Rachel explains how they stay proactive in the face of countless uncertainties in today’s construction industry.

Contractors need to take note of legal issues that arise on account of construction defects and accidents. Further, they need to make sure they are rigidly compliant when it comes to lien waivers. It is important to take their state’s code into account to provide context for the crafting of their performance standards.

Regarding new contractors who have just started their business, Rachel says that they should be clear on the expertise they currently have and what they intend to practice in their new venture, in addition to having their financials sorted out.

Finally, Rachel does a deep dive into the critical importance of insurance and why, in such a high-risk industry as construction, contractors must never overlook the importance of protecting their assets should the slightest cause for liability take place.

Get 15% off all courses and services offered by Contractor Trainer Center on their website by using the code “AFT-15” at checkout

This episode is brought to you by Pella Windows & Doors: https://www.pella.com/

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
[02:14] Issues and trends present in the construction industry today
[05:00] How contractors are dealing with legal issues today (ex. around price increases)
[12:26] Considerations around liens
[16:45] Consulting in different states according to their respective codes
[21:48] Required contract provisions
[30:05] Where contractors should focus on when starting a business
[36:36] The startup manual created by Contractor Training Center for new contractors
[39:07] What is a “construction bond”?
[44:48] How a contractor can ensure that they are properly insured
[51:45] Should owners always have builder’s risk insurance?
[53:47] Rachel’s custom residential design-build construction business in Florida
[56:56] How Rachel got involved with Contractor Trainer Center
[58:29] Resources available on the Contractor Trainer Center website
[01:01:40] The best advice Rachel has ever been given and what’s next for her

Connect with Guest:
Website: https://contractortrainingcenter.com/
LinkedIn (Rachel Doty): https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-doty-26844420
LinkedIn (Contractor Training Center) https://www.linkedin.com/company/contractortraining
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contractortraining
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_5LeZU1L4FtfT-ni6UHkcQ

Connect with Brad Leavitt:
Website - https://www.aftconstructionpodcast.com/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/aft_construction
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aftconstruction
Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/aft-construction/aft-construction
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ph/AFT_CONSTRUCTION/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzB4R_DHPVV1SPh7RUfR5jg

Key Quotes by Rachel:
There are a lot of things to consider when [a contractor] is first starting out. If they haven’t already set up a business, there are a lot of things that they’re going to need to know and figure out before they jump into it: what type of work they’ve been doing and what type of work they want to do.
As contractors, we have the duty to make sure that our subs and everyone underneath us are operating to our standards, and also to make sure that they have the insurance limits that will cover us.