If you have never run your own business, you might not be sure how to get started. Although there are tons of guides online designed to help you get your business off the ground, it’s not as obvious how to make success easier to achieve. Here are five things you can do.

Don’t Make Hasty Decisions
If you talk to anyone who has run a successful business for many years, they may tell you that there were certain points where the success of the business hung on a single important decision. When you are first running a business, you may not know which decisions will make the difference between success and failure. That’s why you should invest the time to think through all your options, and avoid deciding on a whim. Give yourself at least a few hours, if not a day or two to make a big choice. Even if you feel like none of your options are good, the investment will help you to feel that you have done everything you can.

Do Your Homework
Learning your trade requires a lot of practice and a decent amount of homework. You’ll find that it is just the beginning of the work that you will do for your contracting business. Every aspect of your business requires research, and you’ll make better decisions if you put in the time before you determine:

• How to hire reliable employees
• The best suppliers in the area
• Quality business services to outsource marketing, payroll and more
• Which products and equipment to buy

Being a well-rounded business consumer sets you up to avoid pitfalls and get the most for your money.

Grow Sustainable
In the first couple of years of your business, you may have periods of time when you have too many work opportunities to complete with the time you have. This can be a great time for business growth, but you need to make sure that you can do it sustainably. Growing too quickly may make it harder to run your business, requiring you to expand administrative services in order to accommodate new employees, complicated equipment inventory and more. You need to make sure that you can keep up with it. Adding layers of complication to your business gradually allows you to make changes as needed and avoid increasing costs too rapidly.

Work With People You Trust
Life is too short to spend your time surrounded by people that you do not trust or respect. While you might not always have the best choices for employees, subcontractors or suppliers, there’s definitely something to be said for being selective. Spend time searching for people who do good work and are easy to work with, then focus on cultivating those relationships. Listen to your instincts when you get the feeling that someone isn’t on the level. And don’t forget to invest in building these relationships from your end, as well. Work hard to establish yourself as a business owner worthy of trust and respect.

Outsource When Necessary
As a business owner, you will probably have more work that has to be done than time you have available to do it. You might be able to get on for a short time by doing most of it yourself, but you may need to consider outsourcing services on occasion. Outsourcing can be expensive, which is difficult to justify when your income isn’t predictable. But there’s a lot of benefit to be had in knowing that the work will be done, even if you don’t have the time to do it. Making a judicious choice to outsource something like accounting could help keep your business’s finances going from day to day.

Running a business is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but there are ways to make it better. For more tips on what you’ll need to become a licensed contractor, contact CSLS today!

If you’re in the construction business and work on residential or commercial properties, then you may need to be licensed as a class “C” contractor. 

This guide will help you understand what kind of work requires a Class C license, the time it takes to get your license, what kind of projects you can work on, and how much it costs to get a Class C contractor license.

Types of Contractor’s Licenses

A contractor license is designed for construction professionals who only perform certain specified tasks within the state of California. The following types of licenses are available:

• General Building Contractor License (Class “B”)
• Residential Remodeling Contractor License (Class “B-2”)
• Specialty Contractor License (Class “C”)

General Contractor License

A general contractor license is required to perform any type of construction work. If you plan on completing any of the following tasks, then you must have a general contractor license:

• Building new structures from the ground up
• Renovating or remodeling existing buildings
• Repairing roofs and other exterior structures
• Installing pool decks or retaining walls

General contractors are responsible for the entire project and must hire subcontractors to complete specific tasks. For example, if your job involves building a garage addition onto an existing house, you will need to find a skilled carpenter who can build the framing and other components that make up this structure.

Specialty Contractor License

The Speciality Contractor License in California – also known as a Class “C” license – is for specialized contractors working in specific trades in the construction industry.

If you work as, or plan to work as, a professional in one of the following industries, you need a specialty contractor license:

• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
• Plumbing 
• Electrical work
• Boiler, hot-water heating and steam-fitting
• Insulation and acoustical
• Concrete
• Drywall
• Elevator
• Demolition
• Masonry
• Lathing and plastering
• Refrigeration
• Solar
• Well drilling
• Welding

This is just a small sample of the types of specialized tradework that requires a Class C license – the CSLB has over 60 classifications of construction work that requires a Class C license! 

In effect, you will need a Class C license if you are doing any work on a home where you are not a general contractor or engineer, or if you are doing any remodeling work. Any specialized construction trade requires you to have a Class C license.

How Do I Get A Class C Contractor’s License?

Getting your Class C Contractor’s License from the CSLB is a straightforward process. 

You must have 4 years experience in your specific line of work, pass the CSLB examinations, post your $25,000 Contractor’s Bond and pay the fees associated with the Class C license.

Once you receive your license, you’re now legally able to perform work in your trade on any job site, so long as you are performing only the type of work you are licensed to perform.

When does my Class C Contractor’s License expire?

Like every other CSLB license, your Class C license will expire 2 years from the date of issuance.

No need to worry about remembering to renew your license – the CSLB will send you a renewal reminder 60 days before your license is set to expire.

Need help getting your Class C license? CSLS has all the resources you need to get your Class C contractor’s license as quickly and painlessly as possible. Sign up for our courses today and get your license as soon as possible!