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Back office support can make or break your construction company and that’s where we come in. We can do you the most good by bringing order to your chaotic contractors bookkeeping mess! Most of our clients come to us because they believed they needed someone to straighten up their contractors bookkeeping services system, help them get current or quarterly payroll tax filings, sales tax returns and a variety of other tax issues. That is only the tip of the iceberg! 

The real value in working with us is not just getting you out of trouble now but keeping you out of trouble in the future so that you can focus your time and energy where it will do you the most good…acquiring profitable and pleasant customers and clients and satisfying their needs. 

 

Warm Regards,

Randal DeHart | Premier Contractors Accountant

 

This is one more example of how Fast Easy Accounting is helping construction company owners just like you put more money in the bank to operate and grow your construction company. Construction accounting is not rocket science; it is a lot harder than that and a lot more valuable to construction contractors like you so stop missing out and call Sharie 206-361-3950 or email sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

 

Thinking About Outsourcing Your Contractors Bookkeeping Services?

Click On The Link Below:

www.FastEasyAccounting.com/hs

Need Help Now?

Call Sharie 206-361-3950

sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

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Aug 25, 2014

This Podcast Is Episode Number 0071 And It Will Be About My Step Father's Inspiration

Why I am producing this podcast is because it occurred to me that I may be coming across as a bit stern and serious.

The reality is I am simply a Great Big Teddy Bear that loves accounting and helping contractors achieve their definition of success and anyone who has anything to do with building, remodeling or maintaining our homes and businesses.

I was raised in a construction family in Seattle Washington in a quaint little house in the Interbay neighborhood, nestled in between Queen Anne to the east and Magnolia to west.

It is also home to a railway switchyard which means in the 1960’s it was a great place for a young man to have some “Character Building Experiences” as it was a rough and tumble, tough and gritty place to hang out.

My Step Father was a Landscape Contractor and he was my inspiration for going into construction and later becoming The Contractors Accountant. This is his and my story of how it happened.

As I attend networking events and mastermind meetings, I hear a lot of information from good people with good hearts with less than favorable opinions of contractors.

These folks have not been blessed with the opportunity to really get to know contractors. Therefore, those folks are the ones I have written this article for and if you are a contractor please continue reading and everyone is welcome to leave a comment if you are so inspired.

I produced this podcast to give an insight into contractors. Perhaps as you get to know me you will understand other contractors better and really get to know the men and women who make civilization possible.

What I do and why I do it...every chance I get….but only on days that end in “y”  like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday is find ways to be of more and better service to all contractors and it does not matter if they are a client or not.

Perhaps you can relate to this story in your own life. For further insights, I have an entire section of this website devoted to Construction Psychology. You can learn more at www.FastEasyAccounting.com/cp

My stepfather was my inspiration. He was average height, weight and build born in the early 1930's and raised on a farm in the heartland of America.

He started a construction related firm offering handyman services and landscaping in the 1940's and retired in the 1990’s having owned and operated it for over 50 years.

He was a Salt of The Earth Contractor as described later in this profile because he worked practically every weekday and the occasional Saturday all of those years, only taking Sunday off as instructed.

He made sales and did the work even though he was born with severe physical handicaps. He exemplified the concept “In life you produce reasons or results, and reasons don’t count.”

I first met him shortly before he met and married my mother in 1965. Subsequently I worked in the family business and every week, and sometimes more often he would encourage me, very strongly, to go to college and if I still wanted to be involved with construction that would be O.K.

It was several years out of college before I understood the differences between regular accounting and construction accounting and had to repeat the Four Levels of Learning again.

During those years, he passed on his protestant work ethic and the importance of “keep-on-keeping-on” with a type of Winston Churchill attitude of “Never Give Up.”
He led by example by never quitting when it rained, snowed, bitter cold or blazing heat.

When the ground was so hard it required a pick & shovel, or the rocks weighed several hundred pounds and needed be moved with a long steel bar he applied more brute strength as needed. The man worked in all kinds of tough nasty conditions.

He always made enough money to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs; however, he never made a lot of money, which means I learned how to live well and be happy no matter what the income level.

He taught lessons of self-reliance and self-sufficiency by the way he lived. Even now when I read Emerson’s essay on Self Reliance I visualize him and can see the determination and strength of character in his face.

His favorite book was “The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” also known as The Holy Bible. It had a strong and positive influence on him and helped shape his views and it is my favorite book as well.

Yes, I am one of those Christians, not perfect just forgiven and I do the best I can with what I have been given. Since I have more than enough work keeping myself on the straight and narrow you can rest assured that I have no interest in influencing your beliefs.

For the record, I serve all contractors regardless of their race, creed, sexual orientation or religious beliefs because I strongly believe we need more cooperation and less competition in this world.

I take comfort knowing that in the end, everything will work out and if something has not worked out it is not the end.

While I was growing up my step father never seemed very smart or bright and in my arrogant sophomoric opinion, “he just didn’t get it.”

However, the Universe has a sense of humor and It allows me to continue my education by taking many tests and learning the lessons It has prepared for me.

Its patience is endless because It allows me to repeat the tests until I finally learned the lesson. Then a new test appears and the cycle is repeated endlessly, test, and learn, test, and learn.

A wonderful test presented Itself when I met a wonderful young lady Sharie while attending Queen Anne high school. We graduated in 1972 and were married in 1973. As of today we have been married just over 40 years; however, it feels like only 2 years.

We moved into our first apartment and the Universe presented me with a brand new test, which I named “do I understand it yet?” The arrogant sophomore in me began to grow up and understood life at a new level and I reverted to being a Freshman.

Suddenly I had to provide ALL the money to keep a roof over our heads, food on our table, and clothes on our backs.

At that moment in time my step father became the wisest man on earth and for the first time I understood he "did get it" all along and in fact he was simply waiting patiently until I got it…and I got it…real good and real fast!

A large part of what shapes my passion for providing consulting and accounting services for contractors is out of love and respect for my stepfather and how he ran his business. I will be eternally grateful to him for the lessons he passed on by the way he lived his life.

Over the years, I have been privileged to work with many contractors and have developed several observations that I call Randalisms. This one is The Three Types of Contractors:

#1 Dog And Pick-Up Truck Contractor

This is a Contractor with a pick-up truck and the dog sitting in the passenger seat hanging his head out window enjoying the fresh air while watching the world go by.

This contractor enjoys the freedom of doing what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants and does not need or want to expand and grow his or her business or be bothered with employees. Annual net profit after all expenses roughly $20K to $40K

#2 Salt Of The Earth Contractor

This Contractor wants to expand and grow their business in order to have more free time and perhaps even put money away for retirement. This contractor has three employees. They hold two of them by the throat; one in each hand, and eyeballs the third one.

This is only a “word picture” and not to be taken literally. Annual net profit after all expenses roughly $40K to $60K

#3 Professional Contractor

This Contractor has one to twenty employees, a formal documented business plan which is updated and reviewed regularly with a board of advisors as outlined on our web page Board of Advisors

They focus business resources on serving the segment of the construction market where they are most profitable. In addition, they understand what business they are in.....and I will give you a hint....it is not contracting.

They know the importance of doing what they do best and outsourcing the rest as outlined on our web page Outsourcing. Annual net profit after all expenses roughly $100K to $1,000,000+
 
In conclusion, if we ever have the pleasure of meeting at a networking event or any other occasion perhaps this short profile will offer some insight as why my passion for the construction industry and contractors is so strong.  Sharie and I love contractors and have made it our mission in life to help as many of them as possible achieve their definition of success be it Dog And Pickup Truck, Salt Of The Earth or The Professional. We love them all!

That is all I have for now and if you have listened this far please do me the honor of commenting and rating podcast www.FastEasyAccounting.com/podcast Tell me what you liked, did not like, tell it as you see it because your feedback is crucial and I thank you in advance.

You Deserve To Be Wealthy, Because You Bring Value To Other People's Lives!

I trust this will be of value to you and your feedback is always welcome at www.FastEasyAccounting.com/podcast

This is one more example of how Fast Easy Accounting is helping construction company owners across the USA including Alaska and Hawaii put more money in the bank to operate and grow your construction company. Construction accounting is not rocket science; it is a lot harder than that and a lot more valuable to construction contractors like you so stop missing out and call Sharie 206-361-3950 or email sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

Thinking About Outsourcing Your Contractors Bookkeeping Services?

Click On The Link Below:

www.FastEasyAccounting.com/hs

Need Help Now?

Call Sharie 206-361-3950

sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

In closing, I want to caution you that we may or may not be a good fit for your contracting company. This guide will help you learn what to look for in outsourced construction accounting.

Thank you very much and I hope you understand we really do care about you and all contractors regardless of whether or not you ever hire our services.
Bye for now until our next episode here on the Contractors Success MAP Podcast.

Warm Regards,

Randal DeHart | Contractors Accountant

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