While growing up in Construction and Farming I often heard my father make the suggestion, “Someday contractors will be king because people will avoid hard work and go away from the skilled trades”.  I always figured that there would always be plenty of people involved in the trades but at this point in my career I’m actually beginning to see what my father predicted so many years ago actually taking place.  Even though there are many construction workers today, few are actually skilled tradesmen.  As a drywall repair guy I often run into clients who are very interested in and  impressed by the work that I perform, they often share that they didn’t even know what we do is possible.  The fact that people appreciate the trades as much as they do tells me that the trades are becoming a “lost art”.  Recognizing that this is the case, I actually see a big demand for professional tradesmen, in my particular market there is a huge shortage.  My career started while attending a university with the goal of becoming involved in some facet of Business, it started out as a short term plan to get me through school and 27 years later I’m still thoroughly enjoying what I do.  Along the way I’ve learned some valuable ideas for those of you who just might be interested in your own business in the trades:

  •  One trick to making money in the construction field is to find a “niche” market, don’t choose markets that are over-saturated.
  • Whatever you choose to do, be the best at it.  When I moved to my current market I was assured that there will always be work for skilled tradesmen and that has definitely been true.
  • A big decision is whether to be a “one man show” or to take on employees.  I have chosen to cover my niche without employees but I’ve watched people find success both ways.  To have employees definitely requires the right personality.
  • There are several principles accepted as “Construction norms”, often these come in the form of preset parameters that you have to work within.  Growing up I was told that a man is only worth so much per hour and that is still prevalent in the construction field today.  Success comes from those who change the parameters instead of accepting them.

My purpose in creating Drywallinstruction.com is to teach a trade that I’ve come to enjoy.  My next phase or project is to create a Business Plan that will share the knowledge and experience I’ve gained during my career accompanied by a library of training videos of all drywall repair scenarios.  My goal is to help as many people as possible to find the same satisfaction that I’ve found running their own successful business.  If you’re interested you can contact me at info@drywallinstruction.com.