As they say in business, you have to go where the money is. And sometimes, the money isn’t plentiful close to where you live or work. In this case, you might consider taking on a few distance projects to make you more money. Here are a few ways you can evaluate distance projects for your contracting business.
Evaluate Your Travel Options
To start out, you should get a sense for where you are willing to travel. For example, you might decide that you are willing to drive up to 200 miles, but you don’t want to go any farther than that. Your options depend on your location and other factors related to travel. In order to know where you are likely to travel, it’s wise to do some research into parts of the state with the most development potential. It’s too easy to rule out big urban areas as being already developed, but they are also ripe candidates for urban renewal. Try to get a sense for what the next few years could look like. An area with lots of development on the horizon may pose more interesting opportunities than one that is just about to conclude.
Estimate Travel Costs
Traveling to find work may be a no-brainer if you’re not finding a lot of opportunities close to home. On the other hand, if you have plenty of options in your area, you should balance out the cost and complication of travel with the benefits you can get from completing those projects. Create a detailed estimate with cost ranges for travel, including:
- Gasoline
- Wear and maintenance on vehicles
- Equipment accessibility
- Accommodations and dining
Expenses depend on the region and the time of year. However, you should be able to come up with some general ideas of what you can expect to pay for a project that lasts one week or two weeks.
Consider Climate and Weather
As you are evaluating your options, it’s important to consider climate and weather. It’s not just a matter of determining whether or not you are willing to work in excessively cold or hot temperatures. The climate based on the time of year may affect travel as well as work. For example, if you expect to travel regularly for work, you may need to factor in things like wildfire season, and have plans to be able to get to the project on time despite delays. You also have to be ready to work in the region, even if it is 115 degrees or buried in snow. It’s worth doing research into safe practices for extreme temperatures before you make a choice.
Create a Travel Plan
Once you’ve decided which scenarios would make you willing to travel, you need to make a travel plan that works for you and your employees. After all, you’re not going to make a sudden commitment to work for a week hundreds of miles away. Devise a notification system that provides enough time to prepare for travel, without compromising your existing projects. You may need to tweak it over time, but you should have a rough plan in place before you accept the first distance project.
Avoid Cutting Corners
You wouldn’t cut corners on any of your projects, whether they were local or far away. You should also avoid cutting corners in your business travel. It’s tempting to go for the cheapest accommodations and try to live off snacks to save money. But in the long run, you’ll find that this approach can make you dread the idea of travel, and make it harder to do good work while you’re there. Be reasonable about your expectations, and set a good example for your employees. As a result, you’ll find the experience more rewarding and do a better job.
Building a successful contracting business involves evaluating all your options. Getting your contractor’s license is another important step. To discover the benefits of expert exam preparation, contact CSLS today!