Tag: florida contractor license

Start Your New Year Off with a Contractor’s License

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Can you believe it’s 2019 all ready? Happy New Year! Where did the time go? What’s your new year’s resolution this year? Have you been putting off getting your contractor’s license? Now is a better time than any to get it done! Remember, in the state of Florida, you can not work as a contractor legally without a Florida contractor’s license.

You’ve probably thought to yourself, “getting a contractor’s license is a lot of work,” which is probably why you’ve been putting it off. Well, it doesn’t have to be hard!

As a contractor licensing company in Florida, it is our job to help you get licensed. Below, we’ve detailed some steps that you need to take to get licensed.

  1. Figure out what license you are applying for. General contractor’s license? Electrical? Plumbing? HVAC?
  2. If a test is necessary for this license, sign up for a prep class and take the test.
  3. Figure out what requirements are necessary for the license. You want to make sure you have enough experience and education for you to be approved.
  4. Look at what fees you need to pay.
  5. Send in your application to the state so the Contractor Licensing Board can review your application.

Now, many people send in their applications with errors or missing information. It can be overwhelming to send in a “perfect” application – there is a lot to account for. As a contractor licensing company, we do all this work for you. We know what the Board is looking for. We know how to write/phrase items in your application. We know what qualifications, tests, and fees you need. We make sure we have everything before we mail out the application. We do all the heavy lifting, which makes getting a contractor license easy-as-pie for you.

Let us help you get licensed. Kick off your new year on the right foot.

 

As a Florida contractor licensing company, we will work with you to get your contractor license application approved by the Board. Leave it up to us to get the paperwork filed correctly! To get your contractor license, click Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

 

Why You Should Hire A Contracting Team Over One General Contractor  

On: By: admin

A general contractor is skilled. Often, he/she is skilled in many ways, but that does not mean he/she knows everything. Projects can be complex and require the expertise of someone else or you need more than one person to handle the job.

One contractor cannot easily handle a residential or commercial project alone. Sure, if you’re toilet is broken, one plumber could easily come over and fix the problem. But when it comes to residential and commercial construction, it can be nearly impossible for a single person to do everything that needs to get done by themselves, within budget, and on schedule.

Planning. Buying. Organizing. Invoicing. Budgeting. Doing the job. These are a lot of tasks. Therefore, it makes much more sense to hire a team. A general contracting business made up of many employees and subcontractors tend to have better success in projects and reviews.

When a contractor works with a team, he works together with differently professionals who specialize in a different part of the project. From designers and electricians to foreman and managers, everyone has a different but important role to play. The number of people working on a project will depend on the size and complexity of the project.

If you hire a single contractor, he must do all the work on his own. If it’s a complicated job, it will take him much longer than if he had help.

A contractor has to meet with you, come up with a plan, show you the plan, execute the plan, buy supplies, put in the work, and deliver the project on time. Sure, many teams have hit bumps in the road and projects are delivered late, but a team project tends to go much faster than one person working alone.

Looking to get a contractor’s license? Or, do you need to get one of your employees or subcontractors licensed? We can help you get your license.

We are a Florida contractor licensing company and can help you get your license in all 50 states. We will talk to you over the phone and by email to get your application approved by the Board. We make the process easy, fast, and stress-free. To get your contractor license, click our Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

How to Have A Good Contracting Business

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If you’re a licensed contractor who wants to start his/her own business, there are certain things you should do, have, or think about that will likely guarantee you will grow your business or create a business that can last long.

  • Get the right systems in place to run your business efficiently. From invoicing and scheduling to bookkeeping, use a system that helps you and your employees be efficient and effective.
  • Look for customer referrals.
  • How are people reviewing or rating you? Try to get positive customer reviews, especially publicly.
  • Do you have a high or low turnover rate? If people keep leaving, ask yourself why, or find out.
  • Focus on areas you need to improve your business before expanding your business in any way. Stay small to keep your cash flow higher if your profits are not going up. If your profits increase, then you can justify hiring more people for your team.
  • Work on communication skills and customer service.
  • Hire skilled, intelligent, independent workers who you don’t have to worry about.
  • Be available to your clients/customers.
  • Always pay attention to your finances so you don’t come up short in the end. Be prepared for all scenarios.
  • Join an industry association where you can network and work on forming and developing better skills.
  • Market your business on a website, social media, through email, and more. Go to networking events in your local area.
  • Work with or have someone with more experience than you to guide you.
  • Go above-and-beyond for customers so they will call you back and become repeat customers and refer you to others.
  • Make your business stand out. Choose a specialty to master.

If you’re just starting out and need a contractor’s license or if one of your employees does, let us help you get licensed. Unlicensed contracting work is illegal in Florida and many other states. As a Florida contractor licensing company, we will work with you to get your application approved by the Board. The application process can be tricky, so leave it up to us to get the job done! To get your contractor license, click Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

Reasons You Should Join a Contractor or Trade Association

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If you are a contractor with a business, whether big or small, you should think about joining a contractor/trade association (or more than one).

As a contractor licensing company, we wanted to share reasons with you as to why you should join these associations.

  • These associations help promote the industry through collaborative efforts. For example, you can go to local high schools and promote a certain trade.
  • These associations will keep you up-to-date on code and licensing changes.
  • There is strength in numbers. As an association, you can go up against the city or state in decisions or votes that are going to hurt your trade.
  • An association can help pay for training or offer less expensive training for people.
  • Associations often bring in great speakers for meetings. These speakers are good at what they do and can motivate you to do things you may have never done before.
  • You belong to a group doing the same work as you and having similar problems as you. These people can become friends and a great support system to you.
  • You can find people to buy or sell a business to through the association.
  • Your customers will find you more credible if you belong to an association.
  • You can choose what level association you want to be a part of to save on costs.

Here are just a few associations for you to possibly join:

  • American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)
  • American Subcontractors Association, Inc. (ASA)
  • Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC)
  • The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
  • National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)
  • National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

Looking to get your contractor’s license or know someone who needs one? We’ve got you covered. We are a Florida contractor licensing company and can help contractors in all 50 states get their licenses. We will talk to you over the phone and by email to get your application approved by the Board. We know what the Board needs to get you approved the first time, and fast!  To get your contractor license, click Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

Why You Should Not Hire an Unlicensed Contractor

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In the state of Florida, it is illegal to practice contractor work without a contractor license. Do you really want someone working on your home illegally? Sure, maybe this unlicensed contractor’s fees are a lot less than other contractors, but is it worth the risk?

As a contractor licensing company, we have helped thousands of contractors get their licenses across many states. For this article, we wanted to share with you reasons why you should hire or work with an unlicensed contractor, even if they are the most affordable option.

  • An unlicensed contractor can take your money and disappear.
  • Licensed contractors must go through a lot of work to be licensed, so it shows they have a higher work ethic and values.
  • An unlicensed contractor likely doesn’t carry any type of insurance, which means he/she can go after you if they get hurt on your property.
  • If you work with an unlicensed contractor, there’s a good chance some of the warranties on the products he/she installed will be void.
  • Your contract with an unlicensed contractor may not have any legal backing, so if something goes wrong, you can’t go after them legally in the what you would like.
  • If the unlicensed contractor makes a mistake and ruins other things in your home by accident, he isn’t obligate to fix or replace any damaged areas. He cannot pay you for the loss, and it will be nearly impossible for you to sue him for damages.
  • Your unlicensed contractor likely will not know the proper codes or permits, which means you must investigate this information. If not, you will get fined.
  • If the work the contractor does on the home causes future damage or defects, you will be liable not the unlicensed contractor. In this scenario, your homeowner’s insurance likely will not help you either because you chose to work with an unlicensed contractor.

Every year, homeowners hire unlicensed contractors who make promises and appear to be trustworthy and legit; however, in many of these scenarios, the contractor starts to make up lies and disappears with the homeowners’ down payment. Don’t let this be you. Don’t let a small home job turn into thousands of dollars lawsuit against you.

It’s worth hiring and paying more money for a licensed contractor. You know with a licensed contractor that he/she is insured, experienced, and legally responsible to get the job done for you.

If you’re looking to get your own contractor’s license, we can help you. Please do not work illegally. The state of Florida can fine you if you’re caught.

We are a Florida contractor licensing company and can help you get your license no matter what state you live in. We will talk to you over the phone and by email to get your application approved by the Board. We make the process easy and less stressful for you. To get your contractor license, click our Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

Information on Business License Services

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As a contractor licensing company, we don’t just help our clients get their contractor’s license, we also help people form their business and run their business.

What services do we offer?

  • Corporation registration
  • Limited liability company
  • Foreign qualification

When forming and running a business, there is a lot of paperwork. We will do this paperwork for you. We can form your new business in two to three days. Our business package is tailored to the construction industry. We can form your business far cheaper than an attorney can.

What do we do? We fill out forms, acquire information, and request other needed documents. We offer foreign qualification packages and license and business maintenance services.

Here’s how we help you form a new business:

  • We research the desired company name for availability with the state
  • We fill out Corporation or LLC forms and file with the state’s Division of Corporations
  • We acquire an EIN using SS4 form from the IRS
  • We prepare a 2553 (S-corp) document
  • Professionally organized corporate documents provided electronically
  • We apply for your Workers Compensation exemption (Per person state fee is additional)
  • We fill out your Local Business Tax/Occupational License form
  • We fill out forms to Register your state license with the local municipality

 

When it comes to running your business, we will help you keep track of deadlines for your business and licenses. We don’t want you to pay late fees. Our service will provide you with a comprehensive list of all requirements, by state and county, for each of your businesses and/or licenses. We provide you with everything from when to file annual reports to when your CEU’s need to be done.

 

Throughout the year, we also offer maintenance services to make sure all your fees are taken care of and paid on time.

 

We want to make forming and running a business easy for you! We are a contractor licensing team. To learn about our business services, click Florida contractor business license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.

 

 

Read Up on the Latest Construction Trends

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Donuts. Cupcakes. Open concept homes. The color gray. Trends are a thing that happen in every industry out there, including the construction industry. It’s important for a contractor to keep up-to-date on the latest trends to not only keep up with the times, but to please, impress, and attract a clientele. Some trends stick, some go away fast, but regardless of their duration it’s good for a contractor business to be in the know of such trends. Being the end of 2017, we wanted to share with you some trends that have been emerging in the industry and will go into 2018.

 

  • Energy efficient wall systems. Commercial construction is starting to used insulating concrete blocks to be integrated into wall systems, which can improve energy efficiency in a building. They make the building stronger, better insulted, have better fire resistance, and reduces noise from the outside. This types of walls aren’t just better at conserving energy (and all the other reasons above), they also are easier to put up for contractors and don’t cost much. These types of walls also can be used in every region of the country.
  • Green design. Just like above, being efficient and “greener” is the way to go these days, especially since the world has started to see the negative effects of climate change. How can a contractor be more green in the things he or she does? Examples include: using recyclable or sustainable materials, improve air quality, better controls for lightings and temperature, more natural lightings, better insulation, etc.
  • Smart Glass. Again, just like the two trends above, this is also with the “green” trend. Smart glass is tinted/glazed in a way that improves energy efficiency. How? This glass can control glare, harsh light, and block heat from the sun’s rays. Smart glass is also known to reduce costs. Soon, people will be able to control smart glass electronically and dictate how much the glass is tinted or how much heat is should absorb. Really cool!

Right now, it seems green is the way to go in terms of trends in the construction world. As a company, it would be in your best interest to implement some of these items into your blueprints. Your clients will be excited and impressed that you offered these components into the design. These above trends not only help you keep up with other contractor businesses, but they truly help improve building design and help the environment.

 

Before you think of contractor trends, it’s important that you are legally licensed to practice contracting work. You don’t want to pay fines or get arrested. If you’re looking to get your Florida contractor’s license, we can help you get through the process fast. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To get started on the process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.

Facts About Hard Hats

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Even if you think a hard hat looks ridiculous, it’s essential. They didn’t create hard hats for nothing! Contractors have dangerous jobs, and they shouldn’t be removed because a person thinks he or she looks “silly” or that it’s too warm. A head injury can lead to a brain trauma or death. In fact, the year 2012 saw 1,020 die because of head injuries sustained on the job. Employers and managers need to enforce hardhat wearing since dangers are everywhere from falling objects to bumping one’s head.

Did you know different color hard hats mean/signify different things? For example, a manager wears a white hard hat. A visitor to a construction site wears a green hard hat. Electrical contractors often year yellow hard hats. White hard hats are also for people who work on highways. Red hard hats could be a first responder. Orange hats are for people who pick up litter. These colors can vary state to state. Often, hard hat colors are assigned so people can be easily identified by their job.

 

There are three industrial-level classes of hard hats. They include:

  • Class G – General Helmet: These hats provide protection against impact and object penetration. They have up to 2,200-volt protection.
  • Class E – Electrical Helmet – This hat can handle up to 20,000 volts. They also protect against impact and penetration from falling or flying objects.
  • Class C – Conductive Helmet: This helmet is comfortable and offers lightweight impact protection, but cannot protect against electrical hazards.

Did you know you should be caring for a hard hat? Yes! If you don’t properly take care of them, they can fail you, believe it or not. Hard hats should be inspected daily for cracks, perforations and deformities. If any are found, the hat should be tossed out and replaced. Do not put labels or holes into the hat, it may compromise its protectiveness. Don’t leave hats in sunlight, because the extreme heat can damage them.

 

If you’re looking for a Florida contractor’s license, you’ve come to the right place. We are a Florida contractor licensing company who helps contractors get their licenses so they can work legally. We also help people get their license in other states. If you’d like to start the contractor license process, click here or call 239-777-1028.

Considering a Job Site Camera?

On: By: admin

Job site safety is critical, especially when there’s thousands of dollars of equipment and tools laying around. Unfortunately, it even becomes more crucial after a job site theft occurs. Whether you just had a theft or are looking to prevent one, on site cameras at the job site are not only a great way to deter thieves, but they can also help notify you about an in-progress theft or help identify the people who are stealing your equipment.

 

When buying and installing a camera for the jobsite, you want to consider its purpose. If your focus is about time-lapses, then you’ll want to install a camera that can capture the entire job site in one single shot. With that said, you need to look for a place to place this camera. If you’re using the camera to monitor smaller things, you can place the camera closer. Or, you can install both types/distances if you’re curious about both.

 

In terms of the types of camera, a fixed-position camera can only view a single area viewing between 80 and 100 degrees. Meanwhile a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera can move in any direction (360 degrees) and tilt up and down.

 

You’ll also want to choose a camera based on its zoom capabilities. Optical zoom cameras can be placed far away and capture distances while digital zoom cameras cannot.

 

Sometimes your camera preferences have to take a back seat to what your job site actually looks like. Certain camera may just not work with the distance or structures that are in the area. Depending on your site, one camera may do the trick, or you’ll need multiple cameras to capture different angles of the job site.

 

Choose a camera and program that you can easily figure out. You don’t want to be confused or overwhelmed by the software. Do your homework before even buying a camera. Figure out your budget. Figure out when you truly need video surveillance. Figure out what kind of reporting capabilities from the camera matter to you. Figure out how many updates and maintenance the cameras will need.

 

You may realize you don’t even need cameras in your job site. Maybe better security lighting? Or an alarm? Or better locks? Do some research and see if a camera is right for your site. If it is, it can be a tool to help keep your construction equipment safe.

 

Looking to get your Florida contractor’s license? Let us do the work for you! Just answer some questions and we do all the heavy lifting! We’ve helped thousands of people become licensed contractors. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To start with us today, click here of call 239-777-1028.

 

Think About Starting Your Own Contractor Blog

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What comes to mind when you think of a contractor? Hard hats? Hammers? Utility belts? Construction sites? Heavy machinery? Ladders? How about a blog? Yup, that’s right – a blog. In this day and age, it can be very beneficial for a contractor to have a blog (only if you have the time for it though). Your workload and projects come before crafting articles for the internet.

 

Why a blog? Well, a blog can help a contractor get new business. By blogging regularly, over time, the blog can help generate business, and you won’t have to spend as much money in marketing your company in other ways.

 

What should your write about? Well, you can write, or you can vlog (video blog), or do both. Blog whatever way you feel comfortable with that you think will truly engage readers and bring in potential clients.

 

As a contractor, what should a blog discuss? Here are some ideas: answer frequently asked questions; describe your company; introduce team members; create a DIY or how-to video or tutorial; do product reviews; take video at a job site; share before/after photos.

 

Show in your blog posts or videos that you’re an expert in all things contracting. You want people to turn to you or think of you when they need to get a job done. Even if your blog is read from people far away, you’ll still gain visibility and popularity which will give your credibility with the search engines.

 

A blog can make you seem human and personal to viewers. People will want to work with you if they like what they read or see. This is your chance to let your personality and skills shines.

 

If you’re interested in becoming a contractor, you’ll need to get your Florida contractor’s license to practice legally. We can help. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. We do all the necessary paperwork and filing for you. Click here or call 239-777-1028 to start the process with us today.