Texas Quarterly Residential Construction Report – Q1-2020

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A review of permit data for new home construction in Texas during the first quarter of 2020

New residential construction in Texas has started out on a significant high in the first quarter of this year, with new permit data reflecting an impressive 29 percent increase in housing starts in comparison to the same time last year.  In the combined areas of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio there have been more than 21,400 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database from January through March of this year alone.  Out of the four major metro regions reviewed, Dallas and Austin have demonstrated the highest year-over-year spikes in housing starts at 34 percent each.  When looking at volume, more than 75 percent of all new permits on record for Texas for the three-month period originated from Houston (8,897 permits) and Dallas (7,168 permits).

Here is a closer look at permit data in Texas and leading counties for new residential construction since the start of this year:

Houston

Houston ranked #1 for volume of housing starts in Q1-2020 as there were nearly 8,900 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the area, reflecting a 27 percent year-over-year increase. The county with the greatest amount of new residential construction activity was Harris County (4,131 permits), followed by Fort Bend County (1,920 permits) and Montgomery County (1,868 permits).

Dallas

While new residential construction in Dallas was on a low last year (2019), since the start of this year, things appear to be looking up in the form of a 34 percent year-over-year increase in new residential construction permits.  From January through March 2020, there have been approximately 7,170 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the Dallas area, with the highest concentration of new home construction activity taking place in Tarrant County (2,305 permits).

Austin

In the first quarter of this year, new home construction in Austin has been climbing, as there has been a 34 percent increase in housing starts in comparison to the same time last year.  Since the start of this year (thru March 2020), there have been approximately 3,470 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the Austin area, and nearly all new construction activity has taken place in two counties: Travis County (1,939 permits), Williamson County (1,152 permits).

San Antonio

Through the first quarter of this year, the San Antonio area has exhibited a 15 percent year-over-year increase in new home construction, resulting in approximately 1,870 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database.  The county with the highest concentration of new construction activity is Bexar County where there have been more than 1,210 housing starts in the first quarter of the year, reflecting a 24 percent year-over-year increase in new residential construction permits.

To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Texas Swimming Pool Construction Report – March 2020

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A review of the latest new swimming pool construction permits added to the HBW database for Texas during the month of March 2020

Last month, there were approximately 830 swimming pool starts in Texas, reflecting a 38 percent month-over-month increase in new pool construction.  Out of the four major metro areas reviewed (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), Dallas held the highest concentration of new pool construction (396 permits), while Austin carried the highest average value of new swimming pool construction (average value: $64,226).

Here is a closer look at the total permits, construction values, leading counties and contractors in Texas for new swimming pool construction during the month of March 2020:

Dallas

Out of the four major metro areas reviewed, Dallas carried the highest volume of swimming pool starts, having nearly 400 new permits with a total construction value of approximately $19 million added to the HBW database last month.  The average value of new pool construction landed mid-range in comparison to other metro areas reviewed (average value: $47,673), and just over half of all new construction took place in the counties of Tarrant (102 permits) and Collin (102 permits).

Out of the more than 140 pool builders with new construction activity on record last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

Builder
1-Gold Medal Pools
2-Riverbend Pools
3-Foley Custom Pools

 

Houston

The Houston area ranked #2 for new pool construction last month, having approximately 240 pool starts with a total construction value in excess of $14.6 million.  The average value of new pool construction landed on the higher end of the spectrum in relation to other metro areas reviewed (average value: $61,768), and the bulk of new permits originated from Harris County (162 permits).

Out of the more than 120 pool contractors with starts on record last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

Builder
1-Platinum Pools
2-Anthony & Sylvan Pools
3-McKinney Custom Pools

 

Austin

Last month, there were approximately 120 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value in excess of $7.6 million on record for the Austin area. As previously mentioned, the average value of new pool construction was highest in Austin in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed (average value: $64,226), and nearly all construction activity took place in the County of Travis (89 permits).

Out of the 60 active pool contractors in the Austin area last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits on record with HBW:

Builder
1-Cody Pools
2-Anthony & Sylvan Pools
3-Texas Pools & Patios

 

San Antonio

From San Antonio, there were 77 new swimming pool permits with a total construction value of nearly $2.5 million added to the HBW database last month.  The average value of new pool construction was lowest in San Antonio in comparison to other metro areas reviewed (average value: $31,829), and the majority of new construction activity took place in Bexar County (53 permits).

Out of the 25 pool builders with new construction activity on record last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

Builder
1-Keith Zars Pools
2-Cody Pools
3-Blue Haven Pools

 

To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Texas Top Home Builders – March 2020

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A review of the leading home builders in the Lone Star State based on total new residential construction permits on file with HBW during the month of March 2020

Earlier this week, we reported on new residential construction activity in Texas, where we identified and revealed a 40 percent month-over-month increase in new home construction throughout the combined four major metro areas of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.  As published in the post, this remarkable boost in new home construction resulted in approximately 8,620 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for Texas during the one-month period.

Today, we are taking a closer look behind the figures to recognize the leading companies driving the latest monthly surge in new home construction. Across the state, D.R. Horton (~1,210 permits) and Lennar Homes (~600 permits) continue to be the front-runners in the residential construction market, with both mega builders landing at the top of the leaderboard in Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Here is a breakdown, by metro area, of the top home builders based on total new residential construction permits added to the HBW database last month:

Houston

In Houston, there were nearly 370 active contractors with new residential construction permits on file with HBW during the month of March 2020, and the following ranked as top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder Total Permits
D.R. Horton 430
Lennar Homes 278
K Hovnanian Homes 206
Perry Homes 189
LGI Homes 143

 

Dallas

Last month, there were more than 270 home builders in the Dallas area with new home construction activity on record with HBW, and the following ranked as the top five for total new residential construction permits:

Builder Total Permits
D.R. Horton 587
Highland Homes 113
Lennar Homes 97
First Texas Homes 94
Pulte Homes 91

 

Austin

In Austin, there were more than 125 active home builders with new residential construction activity on record last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder Total Permits
D.R. Horton 191
Lennar Homes 170
Pulte Homes 106
KB Homes 103
Pacesetter Homes 78

 

San Antonio

Last month, there were 125 home builders with new construction permits on record with HBW for the San Antonio area, and the following ranked as the top five for highest volume of new permits:

Builder Total Permits
Continental Homes of Texas 56
Fieldstone Communities SA 54
Lennar Homes 53
Meritage Homes 42
KB Homes 41

 

To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Texas Residential Construction Review – March 2020

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An HBW report of the latest residential construction permit data for Texas during the month of March 2020

During the month of March, Texas exhibited a 40 percent month-over-month increase in new residential construction, resulting in approximately 8,620 new residential construction permits with a total construction value in excess of $2 billion.  Out of the four major metro areas reviewed (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio), Houston ranked #1 for greatest volume of housing starts (3,583 permits), while Dallas continued to carry the highest average value of new home construction (average value: $270,315).

To gain better insight on these figures and new home construction activity in each metro area, here is a breakdown of the total permits, construction value and leading counties in Texas last month:

Houston

As previously noted, Houston ranked #1 for total housing starts in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed. Last month, there were approximately 3,585 new residential construction permits with a total value in excess of $730.5 million on record for the Houston area. The average value of new home construction was lowest in Houston in comparison to other areas reviewed (average value: $203,900), and more than half of all new permits originated from Harris County (1,866 permits).

Dallas

In Dallas, there were approximately 2,890 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $780 million last month. The average value of construction was highest in Dallas in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed (average value: $270,315), and the majority of all new permits originated from the counties of Tarrant (900 permits) and Collin (713 permits).

Austin

Last month, there were more than 1,570 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $399 million in the Austin area. The average value of new home construction was $253,967, and nearly all of the new permits on record with HBW for the one-month period originated from the counties of Travis (856 permits) and Williamson (586 permits).

San Antonio

In San Antonio, there were 575 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $138 million last month. The average value of new home construction landed mid-range in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed (average value: $240,173), and the bulk of all new construction activity took place in Bexar County (443 permits).

To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Atlanta Swimming Pool Construction Report – Q1-2020

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A review of the quarterly construction permit data on record with HBW for new swimming pool construction in the Metro Atlanta area from January through March 2020

Earlier this week, we reviewed the quarterly figures for new residential construction in the Metro Atlanta area, which reflected a 10 percent increase in housing starts in comparison to the same time last year.  And while the 10 percent increase reflects a strong start for new homes in the Atlanta area this year, new swimming pool construction is off to an even more impressive start.

Since the start of this year (thru March 2020), there has been a 28 percent year-over-year increase in new swimming pool construction throughout the Metro Atlanta area, resulting in more than 550 new permits on record with HBW. Out of the 24 counties reviewed, the top three for total new swimming pool permits include Fulton County, Cobb County and Cherokee County, all of which have demonstrated year-over-year spikes in pool starts ranging from 28 percent to 81 percent.

In Fulton County, there were nearly 100 new swimming pool permits added to the HBW database for Q1-2020, reflecting a 44 percent year-over-year increase. Considering the dip that new pool construction took in Fulton County last year (-8%), this increase in new pools could be a sign of things to come, especially in Q2 and Q3 when new swimming pool construction has customarily been at its highest.

Another Metro Atlanta area county that is proving to be “one to watch” when it comes to new pool construction is Cobb County. Last year, Cobb County exhibited a 6 percent year-over-year increase in new pool construction, and this year the area is ahead of Q1-2019 figures by 28 percent. Since the start of this year (thru March 2020), there have been 95 new swimming pool construction permits added to the HBW database for Cobb County, ranking it #2 for new pool construction based on volume in comparison to the other counties reviewed.

Finally, Cherokee County ranked #3 in the first quarter of this year for total new swimming pool permits on record. The county has demonstrated an 81 percent increase in new pool construction during Q1-2020 (vs. Q1-2019), resulting in 65 new pool permits added to the HBW database. Just as with the other counties reviewed, it is still too early in the year to determine if this increase is indicative of an overall and upcoming  annual increase in new swimming pool construction in the Metro Atlanta area, but HBW will continue to monitor patterns, add new permits as they are available and offer subscribers immediate access to the latest construction permit data available.

Information utilized for the above listed figures for Metro Atlanta swimming pool construction was directly derived from HBW construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

Metro Atlanta Residential Construction Quarterly Review: Q1-2020

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A review of permit data based on the latest HBW building activity trend report for new home construction in the Metro Atlanta area

ATL Top 5 Counties for New Residential Construction Permits Q1-2020

For the first time since 2017, the Atlanta area is demonstrating year-over-year increases in new home construction during the first quarter of the year.  Based on the latest HBW “Building Activity Trend Report” for new residential construction in the Metro Atlanta area, there has been a 10 percent year-over-year increase in housing starts in Q1-2020, resulting in 5,825 new residential construction permits on record with HBW for the three-month period.

When reviewing the report to identify where the bulk of new home construction is taking place, the top three counties for highest volume of new permits are Gwinnett County (906 permits), Cherokee County (580 permits) and Cobb County (561 permits).  All three counties have demonstrated a strong start to 2020, reflecting year-over-year increases in new residential construction ranging from 14 percent to a whopping 65 percent.

While current conditions and limitations posed by the pandemic will most likely affect new construction figures going forward, Gwinnett County is certainly exhibiting growth in the residential construction market.  Not since 2017 has the area exhibited annual increases in housing starts, but if the first quarter of 2020 is at all a foreshadowing of things to come, new home construction in Gwinnett County will be back on the rise.  From January through March 2020, there has been a 34 percent year-over-year increase in housing starts in Gwinnett County, resulting in the highest volume of new residential construction permits (906 permits) out of all Metro Atlanta area counties reviewed.

Ranking second for volume of housing starts is Cherokee County.  Through the third quarter of this year, there have been 580 housing starts in Cherokee County, reflecting a 14 percent increase in new permitting activity in comparison to Q1-2019.

Not far behind Cherokee County is Cobb County with more than 560 housing starts from January through March of this year.  While Cobb County had experienced a significant annual dip (-23%) in new home construction last year (2019), the county is off to a major upward trajectory in the first quarter of this year, with a 65 percent increase in housing starts in comparison to the same time last year.

Other Metro Atlanta area counties that held higher concentrations of new residential construction permits in the first quarter of this year include: Henry County (443 permits); Forsyth County (441 permits); and Fulton County (431 permits).

Information utilized for the above listed figures for Metro Atlanta residential construction was directly derived from HBW construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.

“Spring Cleaning” for Your Marketing Strategy

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If you are like most businesses right now, you are in a holding pattern of some sort, surviving through and waiting for this pandemic to pass.  This is most likely opening space in your schedule to focus on some of the items you have not had time to get to in the past.  Much like spring cleaning in a home, down time (or springtime) in a business can provide an opportunity to “clean up” and tighten some action items that have made their way to the lower priority bin.

More specifically, marketing efforts may need a little “tidying up” and focus.  For this reason, here are few areas to review in order to tighten your game so that you can be ready to hit the ground running when business begins picking back up again:

  1. Competition – Have you checked on your competition lately? Assess their market share, branding, as well as their positioning and approach to the market.  This is a great time to gather intelligence and see if your competitive advantages remain intact.
  2. Sales – While weekly, monthly and quarterly sales reports have most likely been defining your efforts up to this point, it can be beneficial to use this down time to review your lead sources to ensure that you are receiving new reports and refreshing leads regularly; services like HBW provide the latest data and reports for construction permits, so make sure you have accessed the cloud and/or downloaded the latest to your CRM platform.
  3. Website – Have you reviewed your traffic statistics (Google Analytics, host stats) lately? While closer monitoring of such data is important during your campaigns, it is also important to review stats over time to get an overall picture of the ebb and flow of traffic patterns.
  4. Product & Service Review – Have your services or primary products been evolving/changing over time? The answer is most likely “yes” but there is a chance that your promotions and customer initiatives could be outdated and not inclusive of the products and services that are in highest demand.  Take the time to review and place new products and services front and center of existing and perhaps new markets.
  5. Branding – Between brochures and flyers to websites and social media profiles, you have probably had a few different hands touching the face of your brand. For this reason, it is important to review your brand and online presence to ensure that all of your marketing materials and representation are in sync and reflecting the same image and voice of your company.
  6. Online Review – The online world is far from a perfect world, so it is worth cutting away some extra time to ensure that your websites, landing pages, social media profiles, links and videos are up-to-date and functioning. Few things are as frustrating as clicking on a link and receiving an error message or being directed to the wrong website or page.
  7. Advertising – Which advertising efforts are providing significant ROI, and which ones are on their way out? By reviewing your media, print, online (banners, directories, pay-per-click) and broadcast (TV, radio) advertising initiatives, you can identify what should stay, and what should go.

Although this down time can be challenging for businesses that are ready to get back to their usual operations, you can still be productive by using it to review and improve the marketing efforts you have in place so that you can be stronger than ever when your doors open again.

For more information on construction business and marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Resources for Safety and Social Distancing on the Job

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Ways to ensure that crews are maintaining social distancing and following CDC guidelines on the job site

There is no way around it… The way that we live and work is changing due to the coronavirus pandemic.  While such changes in our day-to-day activities and business operations can cause delays both off and on the job site, it is important to begin putting the appropriate measures in place to ensure that you and your crews are following guidelines as per the Center for Disease Control.

While construction is not deemed an essential business in some areas, in many parts of the country construction is allowed and job sites are active.  Here are some resources to ensure that your crews are following the recommended guidelines and adhering to regulations in place as related to the coronavirus pandemic:

Is construction allowed at this time?  There are certainly strong arguments from various parties that are for or against construction at this time.  On behalf of the construction industry, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), an industry group that represents over 27,000 construction firms, is lobbying for all forms of construction to be allowed during the pandemic. That being stated, the types of construction allowed (if any) can vary widely from state to state, as well as by county and city.  The Department of Homeland Security designates construction as an “essential critical infrastructure workforce,” but this guidance does not supersede state or local orders.  A good place to start is a construction status tracker or list to locate your state and determine whether or not your crews are allowed to be on the job site.  If so, you will also want to communicate this to your clients and publish information about availability and operations on your website/social media so that everyone is aware that you are “open for business”.

Call-In Sick – While it is a given that sick employees should stay home, now is the time to reinforce the rule.  Although coronavirus is spreading through individuals who are asymptomatic, you should still screen and work on keeping anyone with symptoms at home.  From a cough and fever to simple “sniffles”, be sure to send employees home with any signs of illness.  To reinforce it further and provide your clients with peace of mind, you may choose to have crew members take their temperature on the job site every morning.

Sanitizing, Social Distancing and other Precautions – IUPAT and the Associated General Contractors of America are advocating for extra precautions on job sites to help stop the spread of COVID-19: social distancing and the proper use of personal protective equipment.

Sanitizing is the easiest part of the safety plan to implement, as Purell (or similar sanitizers) and/or washing stations with soap and water can meet the need.  When it comes to social distancing and protective equipment, there can be some hurdles to overcome.

To begin with, most crews are not accustomed to spacing of 6 feet (minimum) between each other.  By placing markers for sections of the job or assigning each team member to separate sections, you can mitigate risks of close interaction.  There are also new apps/technology that can assist with keeping team members at appropriate distances such as Vinnie, a new app developed by Smarvid.io, that is able to determine when workers on construction sites have not been practicing social distancing.  Additionally, your teams should adhere to the guidelines of having no more than 10 people within the same work space/job site.  Yes, this will slow progress on many projects, but it is better than the alternative of suspending work or shutting the job down.

Finally, safety equipment can be a challenge at this time for a variety of reasons.  Obviously, the well-known N95 and similar masks that are required for healthcare workers should be reserved for and used only by those in the healthcare field.  Although N95 masks are one of the only masks on the market that have proven to be effective in protecting healthy individuals, there are other masks that can reduce transmission if “everyone” is wearing them.  In other words, you will need to approach safety as if everyone is infected so that when everyone wears a mask, nobody is able to transmit the virus through breathing, talking, sneezing, etc.  The CDC has referred to them as “face coverings” and noted that they may be fashioned from cotton or other cloth.

To access resources available for businesses to plan, prepare and respond to the coronavirus pandemic, visit the CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers here.  For more information on construction business and marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Funding Sources for Small Businesses and Contractors

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Financial support and resources for businesses impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic

It is no secret that the U.S. (and other nations) economy is slated to take a major hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.  And while many businesses (especially small businesses) and employees are already feeling the strain caused by closures and shelter-in-place orders, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates 47 million Americans could lose their jobs (32% unemployment rate) by the time the U.S. economy gets a chance to begin the recovery process. For this reason, we are listing sources for support and financial assistance to provide relief during this challenging time:

To begin, let’s take a look at the largest sources of coronavirus related funding available through the Federal government.  On Friday, March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the CARES Act, which contains $376 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses.  In addition to traditional SBA funding programs, the CARES Act established several new temporary programs to address the COVID-19 outbreak including Paycheck Protection Program, EIDL Loan Advance, SBA Express Bridge Loans and SBA Debt Relief.  Details and links to the above listed federally funded programs can be accessed here.  Additionally, it is worth reviewing other options including the Economic Injury Disaster Loans which offer up to $2 million in assistance to small businesses, as well as the Main Street Business Lending Program which is designed to provide loans to SMBs facing temporary financial difficulties.

In addition to the resources available through the Federal government, there are statewide and local resources that can be accessed for business support.  Based on the service areas covered by HBW (Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas) we identified the following funding resources:

Alabama: The Birmingham Strong Small Business Loan Fund 

Florida: Emergency Bridge Loan Program

Georgia: A $7 million coronavirus emergency fund that will allocate $1.5 million to small businesses.

While government entities are rolling out financial aid programs across the country, large corporations are also reaching out and lending a hand in keeping the U.S. economy afloat.  For example, Amazon created the Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund which will provide $5 million of cash grants to small businesses with fewer than 50 people or less than $7 million in revenue. Facebook has also put a program in place in the form of $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries.  And the search engine giant Google recently announced its support for small businesses through a new $800+ million commitment to support SMBs, health organizations and health workers on the frontline of this global pandemic.

The list of support services and loan assistance programs is growing rapidly, and it is worth taking the time now to find the financial support model that is right for your business so that you can be ready to come back strong when the economy, and our communities, recover later.

For more information on construction business and marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Business Support During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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The coronavirus pandemic has gripped our country and the entire globe like nothing we have experienced before.  It seems as if everything is in constant flux – statistics, statewide and citywide regulations and related reports are changing on a daily basis, and the uncertainty is hitting everyone at home and at work.

If you are in a state that is not under a lockdown, you may still be able to operate your business under this “new normal”.  And while the new normal certainly poses more limitations and obstacles than our previous “normal”, it is not impossible to keep your business going and your teams productive.  The current situation has certainly forced business owners to make tough decisions, as well as alter how and from where they work. Here are a few resources worth reviewing as you begin to put new safety and business support measures in place as a result of COVID-19:

  1. Small Business Loan Resources – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is in place to provide more than $2 trillion in stimulus to the U.S. economy. All small business guidance and loan resources currently offered and listed by the SBA can be found here. There are several programs that are available to assist businesses with funding… The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes employees of small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.  Additionally, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000. To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, click here.
  2. Use Google to Thrive Online – The coronavirus isn’t just changing the way that we live, where and how we work – It is also changing the way that we communicate with each other and customers. The ability for a business to be accessible (and visible) online has become more important than ever since most people will be limited to their homes, computers and mobile devices for accessing the products and services they need.  Google can be a useful tool to begin building an online presence and help customers find your business through SEO, as well as sell products and services through the Google Merchant Center.  You can create a Google My Business here; if you are already active with Google My Business, make sure your business operations, hours and contact information are up-to-date.  Additionally, if you are looking to begin selling online, be sure to check out the Google Merchant Center to get started with e-commerce.
  3. Use Technology – Working from home is not common in the construction industry for most positions. Even high-level executives are accustomed to being on the move, meeting with clients, presenting proposals and attending meetings – all of which usually require some travel and face-to-face time.  With the current conditions, most team members will not and should not be in the office, let alone on the job site or at a group meeting; such gatherings are simply not possible right now.  At the same time, business and communication must continue while adapting to the new circumstances, and there are myriad of tools and technology that can enable businesses to continue operations while maintaining social distancing.  In addition to using tools like Zoom for group meetings, check out this guide for switching to remote working published by Forbes that can strengthen your team’s communications and data sharing from afar.
  4. Amp Up Communication – Communication is key in all aspects of business operations, but right now, clear and effective communication has never been more important. It is not only vital to the flow of business information, but it is crucial for the safety and health of everyone both in and outside of your business.  Once you have confirmed that your state/county has given the “green light” for performing construction in your area, the next step is to communicate with clients to ensure that they are still allowing visitors and construction teams on their property; inform them of the safety measures you and your crews are taking to keep hands clean and follow social distancing guidelines.  This will also be the time to discuss and identify guidelines for entering (access points) and exiting the property.  Crews will need to be updated regularly and receive training on how to work around the property (and each other), as well as understand safe hand washing and social distancing practices.

While being flexible and adaptable in business is essential right now, more importantly business owners should work to accommodate the needs of their employees.  By openly communicating with staff about the support that is available to them, as well as changes that may be made over the coming weeks, you can provide a sense of stability in an unstable situation.

For more information on construction business and marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.