After years of consulting with contractors, I am confident many do not fully understand their costs and use arbitrary markups to recover overhead and profit. Some of these markups are based on previous employer practices, others on competition, and some are based on outdated budgets. Costs for roofing contractors have fluctuated a great deal in the last year.

As human beings, we generally know what is good or bad for us, but temptation may win out. I know that piece of holiday pie or that extra helping of bread is not good for me, but what the heck. As the market slows and job opportunities shrink, contractors tend to chase risky jobs like a junkyard dog going after a bone.

Unless you are trying to make the country western singing circuit, singing the winter blues isn’t going to help you. Staring at four walls and worrying about the recession just makes things worse. Even in good times winter can be a troubling season.

I  am not a talking head you see on the news or someone from academia who has now declared a recession. Determining what caused the bank crisis and why the stock market took such a hit and the ability to project our future economic situation are well beyond my pay grade.

There is no question that the marketplace is changing and becoming more competitive. For the past few months, I have been writing articles about this subject and how roofing contractors might succeed. I run an active networking group for a select group of roofing contractors. I took a moment to call some of our customers.

Our nation was founded on Thomas Jefferson‘s famous words regarding our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This was a new concept 232 years ago and it revolutionized the way people think of government and its role in our day-to-day lives.

I bet you have had a customer tell you, “Your price is too high.” It is probably one of the most common objections contractors hear. Almost all the contractors I speak with tell me they are one of the highest-priced contractors in their area.

Managing people is always a challenge, and most business owners and middle managers learn by trial and error. Unfortunately, this is not always the most efficient method of learning new skills.

There is nothing like having a few payday bucks in your pocket to make you feel good. Such a feeling cuts to the core of what a job is all about. Five o’clock Friday, payday in our pocket and cash for the weekend equals life is good.

With a slower market, more contractors are calling me asking for advice. Having been in the business a while and having gone through several slowdowns, I would like to offer answers to some of the common questions that contractors ask and issues they might face.