Nope, sorry.                                      

It's a question that pops up from time to time. And it sounds cool. But, do you really want what you think you'll be getting?

Two separate software companies, two separate design teams, two separate histories... and an often rickety bridge to connect the two!?

For construction software, here's the formula:

Integration = pain x frustration²

(Where "pain" is the effort you go through to figure it out, and "frustration" is that feeling you get when you slam your fist on the keyboard when it doesn't work) 

While it sounds good in theory, I'm reminded of an analogy: can your Porsche integrate with my Tractor? You're talking two different vehicles, or in the case of software, two different and distinct applications.

Keep the Tractor on the Farm, let the Porsche loose on the Super Highway (work with me on this !).

The fact is, you have one system that is primarily "back office" - your accounting system. And for most folks in the construction industry, that would be Quickbooks Contractor Edition. Accounting, payroll, some pretty sensitive information on your clients, your cashflow, etc. Do you really want that information floating through the Net !?

BuildIT recognized years ago there was a gap. Accounting software was nailed for the most part. And show me a contractor that doesn't use a spreadsheet to create estimates and manage budgets ~ most do. What about the part where tasks need to be managed, and information shared? What about the "slippery items" in your business, that if not dealt with, cost time, money and major aggravation? The gap was filled by a system to help schedule, manage information, (including spreadsheets) and augment backoffice systems already in place like your accounting software.

BuildIT fills that gap.

Your bookkeeper stays happy ~ he/she likes Quickbooks or Simple or Peachtree, what have you, and they aren't too keen on learning something new written by contractors taking a shot at the world of accounting.

You stay happy, because you spent a bunch of hours creating some nifty spreadsheets that work ~ you just need a better way to share them with your team, manage them, track changes, and store them on a job by job basis.

The gap is filled. Put away the whiteboard or legal pad, start scheduling the easy way.

And leave the "integration" thing for those with way more time on their hands.

Reminds me of a time when a friend attempted to "sync" his Salesforce.com contacts with his Outlook and then onto his Blackberry. He ended up deleting all his contacts by accident in the process. Thank heavens for Salesforce.com's "undelete" function. I was called in to save the day. After trying to follow the instructions, I realized why I had avoided making IT a profession, and appreciated BuildIT all the more.

We don't integrate, and life is easier for everyone involved. But we can import data for you (your schedules, contacts, job list) and you can export data from BuildIT into CSV (comma separated values) files. We don't hold your data hostage, you're free to come and go as you please.

Scott Hutchinson
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

Contractor Wisdom.

Some would argue that those two words shouldn't be paired. But we disagree.

Our customers are some of the wisest human beings ever to grace the world stage. They come from all 4 corners of the globe, looking for the angle, the edge, that makes them the envy of their colleagues.

Interestingly enough, if you Google: "contractor wisdom", you'll likely end up here! Wow, I guess that makes us an authority on the subject. So, wind up those motivational speaking engines, take notes, and start living the dream baby as you read the following:

1. Leadership

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The Journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. Opportunity

It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Promotion

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. You, Inc.

Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Risk Taking 

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. Self Worth

If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Seek to Understand...

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. Success

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

10. Passing the Baton

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. Investments

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

12. Honesty

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Life is Messy

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Relationships

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. Money

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. Silence

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Man's Best Friend

Duct tape is like 'The Force.' It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. Women

There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Button Your Lip

Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

20. Hard Knocks

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Mixing Meds

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Let's play a game. I'll say a phrase, and you say the first thing that comes to mind.

Ready?

OK

... sub prime mortage

... credit crunch

... unsold inventory

... forclosures

... the dreaded "R" word (uh, that would be "recession", not "revenue", sorry)

The news isn't good.  And there will be casualties. You probably could name a few yourself.

And you don't have to be one of them.

You see, this isn't new. There are boom times, when anyone with a truck and a hammer can get in the way and make money without really understanding how they're doing it. Then there are the times we're facing now, when you have to be more aware of your margins and cash flow, and have to ensure profitability on much less revenue.

In times like these, the ill prepared will vanish. There will still be business ... for those that developed systems, procedures, best practices, a modus operandi ... call it what you will ... during the busy times. If you have that magical combination of great craftsmanship or technical expertise in your trade, and a system that underwrites your business, you'll continue to win.

For about $2 per day, BuildIT could be that system for such a contractor. But even that is too much for those that are in "tighten up the purse strings, let's just ride this thing out" mode.

The excuse in slow times: we just can't justify the expenditure. Many see BuildIT and other systems as "out go" rather than a tool to preserve and grow "income".

The excuse in busy times: we're too busy in crisis management mode, putting out fires, and dealing with the attention deficit disorder of everyone we're relying on to help us get the job done.

And I'm always amazed at how many folks come through the turnstyles at BuildIT, launch a free test drive, poke around for a few seconds, then tell me either by phone or email that they're too busy to check us out. What are they saying really?

"Hey look, I'm too busy being busy running my business the way I've always run it to spend a few minutes to see what you have that could possibly get me more organized, make me look more professional to my customers, allow me to tighten up on my project schedules, and reduce the amount of costly screwups that plague the construction industry in which I am involved."

OK, they may use different words, but you get the point.  And my all time favorite ...

"I'll call you when I'm not so busy, and we'll take another look."

Can you guess how many of those folks actually came back when they weren't busy? Nada, zippo! I smile and take the next call hoping it's someone like you that actually is clued in to what needs to happen.

Are you one of the tough guys? In the words of Jim Collins, author of "Good to Great", do you "confront the brutal facts" of your business? Do you get that if nothing changes, it will actually get worse?

So ... when the going gets tough, the tough get going ... on their systems, on improved communications, on being way more organized, on giving exceptional customer service that eliminates many of their competitors. The tough get tough on their business, and stay in business ... and their customers come out way ahead.

BuildIT isn't the silver bullet ... no software by itself is. BUT, in these days ahead, the winners understand that "systems are the secret".

BuildIT Systems ... I like that word "systems", has a nice ring to it, don't you think?!

Scott Hutchinson
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

You've check us out, you've checked our competitors out. 

You've short listed a bunch of applications, some web based, some old school desktop software. You may have even narrowed it down to BuildIT vs [fill in the blank].

Now the big question: How much does BuildIT cost... what's the price?

Answer 1: too much if (a) it's the wrong package for you, or (b) it's the right package, but you're not ready for it.

Answer 2: too little if you're Tom, Dick or Harry. Keep reading...

Tom (not his real name of course) uses BuildIT for a year, then decides to move on to sofware X. They spend $7,500 for 2 licenses. Now they find their new software isn't living up to the claims on software X's website. Tom says it's "buggy", some data even goes missing. I could hear his pain. And to add insult to injury, Tom's web browser seems to be stuck on bringing up BuildIT's login page. With a smile, I suggest to Tom that this could be a sign. We'd love to have Tom and his team back again.

Dick (you guessed it, not his real name) test drove BuildIT the other day, but decided to go with software Z. Rats -- I thought we had him. Software Z had a cool pricing structure. I asked Dick if he was aware that software Z charges per active project per month... he said yes. The per project per month rate was about $500 at the time. I asked Dick how many active projects per month he was doing. 20. You do the math. Ouch!

Harry (again, not his real name) calls me up. He's being hounded by one of the big guys, software Y. I admire software Y, and software Y's salesman. They're trying hard to push this deal through. But Harry is only doing a few projects this year, and software Y would be overkill big time, and with a price tag of $5,000 to get started, and monthly fees of $200, well that's about $7,400 for the year. Harry bought BuildIT instead for $795... and he's getting everything he needed in a scheduling system at a fraction of the cost.

So how much is BuildIT? Well, if you don't get success with the system, then you paid too much at any price. But given what's out there, it's worth a shot at $795 (1 user account, 1 year term discounted, or if cash flow is a concern, go with the $85 monthly subscription). You risk a few $$ and your biggest investment will be time... and we can help accelerate your learning curve so you waste precious little of that.

We play in the sandbox with some great software developers who are putting out some great apps. But for a tenth or less the cost of some of them, you can get the features you need in BuildIT to help you organize your business, schedule your work, share information with the folks that need it, and communicate more effectively.

Try BuildIT first. Take advantage of our 30 day full money back guarantee. If you're not satisfied, or if you really need more bells and whistles, well, software X, Y and Z are standing by !!

Scott Hutchinson
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

"This is our office management system, and helps us with scheduling, contact management and communications to our customers, vendors and subcontractors. Since coming on board with BuildIT, we have reduced our dependency on sticky notes and loose paper around the office, and are better able to track tasks and appointments. We really appreciate the ability to access job information, email, and our contact database from home, office or while on the road. We can also send text messages from the system to our subcontractors. These advantages are revolutionary for a small construction business like ours. The system also allows us to keep our subcontractors and vendors accountable - we can query the system for emails sent to a particular subcontractor and prove that we communicated to them on a particular matter if they claimed otherwise.

Our business is a million times better than it was last year since coming on board. Unlike other software companies we have spoken with, the team actually knows what they are talking about; they take time to understand our business, and when we have made suggestions for improvement, they have acted on those changes quickly. Our encouragement to others considering this system is that this is a tool, and it needs to be worked in order for you to realize the benefits. That means using it regularly, and taking the time to educate yourself on all that it has to offer.

I would just add that we have looked at much more expensive systems that have more bells and whistles. In fact I was concerned that the simplicity and cost effectiveness of this might mean that it was a substandard system. What I have found to be true is that a lot of the "bells and whistles" of other more expensive systems are not usable or affordable for a small to medium builder who does not have the resources to devote an entire employee or employees to data entry and manipulation."

Beverly Morrison, Owner
Steve Morrison Custom Homes