Nice to hear there is good news for a change.

But first the bad news.

And you don't have to go far to look for it: you're hearing it every day.

Currently, things are not looking too hot for the construction industry. Housing starts and property valuations are down big time. Inventories are piling up. And clients are having challenges getting credit to pay for the product you offer.

Here's the kicker - BuildIT is achieving record revenues this fall (read: good news for us, yours is coming). What gives!?

Our theory is this: in boom times, contractors can make great profits, and many times, by accident. They're so busy, you'll often hear them say "I don't have time for this or that" - like investing in their business, tools, improving business processes etc. You've seen some of your old competitors operate this way and wondered how they stayed in business.

So where are they today!? They're either making some serious adjustments to their business plans, or they're history.

The ones that are left standing in an economic downturn realize that there is still business to be had. However, it takes more effort (or "cleverness" as Peter Pan would say) to close, and more attention to details in order to maximize profits on a reduced volume of projects.

And that's where efficiency tools like BuildIT come in. We come along side you and help get your business organized, your schedules buttoned up, and your communications systems tweaked so a) fewer costly mistakes are made, b) you're better organized to secure higher profits on those jobs that do come your way, and c) you have something to offer your clients your competitors don't. 

Ah, that would be the good news for you !!

Surprisingly (perhaps not!), most of our customers are going strong, have a respectable number of jobs on the go, and are making BuildIT a big part of their success equation.

We invite you to see what it is they have their hands on, and where the win may be for you.

Just like in franchises, "systems are the secret". Those that take the advice of business gurus like Michael Gerber in his best seller "E-Myth" will go from "working in their businesses" to "working on their businesses" - and there's a big difference... especially in the results down the road. We would encourage you to pick up a copy of this book and do your business a favor.

No one has a crystal ball, but if history is an indicator, we'll ride out this business cycle and be that much stronger when the tide turns. In the meantime, let us be your partner in profit - let's get to work and get the job done... better than before.

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

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

And for those that have been on board with BuildIT for a while, their "ounce of prevention" is their monthly subscription to our service, allowing them to be more organized, more in control of their schedules, and better able to communicate changes and share critical information with those they do business with.

But what about those folks looking for a quick fix to their immediate problem (ah, that would be "cure") - well, we're here for you too.

You've come looking for a schedule, a "construction timeline", to satisfy someone (an owner, the engineer, the bank, city official) and you don't have time to sit in class and learn some complicated, bloated construction software package with big bad software manuals. As a matter of fact, you're probably thinking that even though BuildIT seems pretty simple based on your quick look as you run through your free test drive, you fear that it may take more time than you have to solve your problem.

Relax. The answer is simple:

Get us to do the work for you.

That's right.

We'll take the information from wherever it happens to be - in your head, a faxed preliminary schedule, some tasks listed on an Excel spreadsheet, or chicken scratch on a piece of paper - and get you started with a schedule. In fact, we may even finish it together depending on what you bring to the table and how "fleshed out" your existing information is.

In minutes, you'll see the schedule right on your computer screen display, while we're talking.

If you need it printed off, in colour, we can help with that too, creating a PDF that you can print, or email, to those that are breathing down your neck waiting for it.

So here's the deal if you just need a schedule, fast - and you're not sure if you're going to stick around to become a BuildIT phenom.

Just tell us you want a schedule, period.

Our "Quick Schedule Turnaround Package" includes:

>> BuildIT access for 1 month (1 user account)

>> Setup and configuration of your BuildIT account

>> Our expertise to help you create, and complete, a schedule

You'll then be placed on our monthly subscription program until you decide you are no longer getting value from the service.

Wow, that's better than the deal your getting on your cell phone!

So, make that call and let's get that schedule started. We guarantee we'll solve your scheduling issues ... and if not, we'll put on our sad face, and refund your subscription.

Scott Hutchinson (schedule creator extraordinaire)
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

Need I say more?

Talked to a customer the other day paying over $5.40 a gallon (for you Canadians, just take your price per litre and multiply by 4, you'll get the idea). It's the price you pay to get your rig to the jobsite. It's part of your costs of doing business. And those costs are only increasing, with no end or relief in sight.

So what does this have to do with BuildIT?

Lots.

The vision of BuildIT from Day 1 was the idea of a mobile office. Giving construction professionals access to their business information, scheduling, and communications "grand central" from their truck, the jobsite, or wherever they happen to be.

Take a trip to the local buider supply yard to meet with the salesperson there, or a trip back to the office to pick up some paperwork... multiply these needless trips by x $$ that it costs you in time, lost productivity, gas/diesel, extra miles on your lease - and you've bought a subscription to BuildIT many times over (and that's just the first month!)

Construction folks are looking for ways to save, now more than ever. And time is money, no matter how you slice it.

BuildIT saves you time, by giving you your office at your fingertips. Make timely decisions on your job scheduling right from the site, send out instructions to your subs and vendors by email/text msg or web fax, and keep track of all those slippery items from one central location. Take care of matters as they happen, avoid the costly screw-ups that happen because you waited too long, and didn't get the right information to the right person at the right time.

There is a big difference between now, and "right now" – having a web based system on your side allows you to take care of things "right now", so you don't waste time and money dealing with them "later", when you're back at the office, or back home. Imagine what you'll accomplish in the same amount of time?

Not to mention the fewer gallons you'll be burning doing things the way your competition does!

BuildIT retails for $85 per month – put that in your tank and see how far you'll go in a week. It's a no brainer – with your savings, you'll have more $$ to fill up the boat or ATV's on the weekend.

Try BuildIT for a month, and if you're not satisfied, I'll give you your $85 back and you can go "fill 'er up".

Scott Hutchinson (ex gas station attendant in my early years!)
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

OK, time for us to jump on this bandwagon.

Even my kids are taking about the environment, polar bears on the endangered species list, and the Toyota Prius.

So where does BuildIT factor into all this?

Consider that:

1. We are web based - no software to install, therefore no diskettes or CD's, boxes, packaging, printed manuals (that nobody reads anyways), shipping to your door by UPS. That'll make Al Gore happy.
2. Our product is "information" (code; ones and zeros) put together in a way that gives you what you need most, when you need it. So, there is no offgassing, harmful emissions, ozone or rainforest depletion caused by our progress (although we have been known to "burn the midnight oil" occasionally).
3. Our prinicpals and contractors work together as a virtual team, so none of us clog up the arteries at rush hour - we put all our time and effort into making BuildIT better for you.
4. BuildIT by virtue of being web based, allows our customers to access their accounts from virtually anywhere, saving them needless trips to the office, or contractor supply yard. They get done more in less time, and burn less fuel in their trucks.
5. We have geothermal companies that use or have invested in BuildIT - geothermal is all the rage now... get the heat from the earth in the winter, take it out of your home in the summer. They're obviously on to something, and so are we.
6. When our customers use the system to share information, like files and schedules, there is less reliance on the old fashioned paper chase, copying of blueprints, snail mail, etc. We may never become totally "paperless", but we sure can reduce in that area, and save a tree at the same time.

OK, it may be a stretch, but as a customer, you can attest to the above "green advantages" and feel good about your subscription to BuildIT, not to mention the outstanding return on investment you'll realize.

Just to see if you're reading this, prove to me that you own either an energy efficient heating system (geothermal, solar) or hybrid automobile and I'll give you your first month subscription free, an $85 value - just tell me you want the "BuildIT Green discount".

Scott Hutchinson (can you guess my favorite colour?)
scott@builditsystems.com
1 866 585 5050 ext 1

If you're a construction professional, and you're using Outlook for email, this article is for you, big time. 

I admit it. I was an Outlook user ("was" being the operative word). 

Then it happened.

I won the "bad sector on hard drive" lottery, and my Outlook email file was gone forever, along with a few critical files on my hard drive. Essentially my hard drive packed it in, and I lost all my personal email.

Bummer. I was ticked. Like the girl in the photo (BTW, she's not related to me, and she doesn't work for BuildIT).

For you non techies, a hard drive is that part of your computer that stores your files, the stuff you create with applications like Word, Excel... important documents, contracts, photos, templates that you've spent hours creating. Over time, the magnetic surface of a hard drive can deteriorate, wreaking havoc for those like me who use computers as a tool only, and aren't at home "under the hood" doing surgery on our own PC's.

The computer fix-it guys told me it happens all the time. People come in to their store desperate to retrieve their files off a broken computer. People in tears, like the lady who lost all her wedding photos, a problem some us that grew up with a 35mm camera and bulky photo albums never had to deal with. They said it's best to just get a new hard drive and start all over again.

For those who are fortunate to have some or all of their data retrievable, that process can take hours... and it comes at a cost. Depending on the severity, data recovery can be in the $1000's for some individuals/companies.

Now for the good news - since I work for BuildIT, I have my own BuildIT account, with email and file storage. All my email, contacts, and files that I had uploaded over the years to the system were safe, accessible, ready and waiting for me. This whole event just further reinforced my opinion of web based systems - they are, as Gretzky said, "where the puck is going". They're the smart choice for construction professionals who want to sleep easier at night, not having to worry about doing data backups or hard drives crashing.

Just imagine if you are one of the lucky ones who is on board with BuildIT. You're computer crashes, falls off the hood of your truck, or worse yet, gets stolen. What do you do? Just jump on to another computer, log on to BuildIT and you're back in biz... literally, within minutes. 

Now, what's that worth to you? I'd say that's worth the price of admission right there. So if you're checking out construction software, and they're offering you a "download" or a box with some disks in it, well, I hope you have a good back up plan in place. Otherwise, take door number 2 and give BuildIT a shot at solving your problems.

Want to learn more about the advantages of web based systems for construction? Click here.

Or give me a call, and I'll share some more tales from the front lines, and what you can do to avoid the pain.

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

So you want to share some job files?

And you've found out, perhaps the hard way, that emailing attachments (especially large ones) is not the way to go.

You could subscribe to an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) service.

But here's the scoop:

FTP typically requires an FTP 'client' — meaning yet another program.  These are generally not simple to configure.  Uploading a file would be limited to those with the program and skills. So now you have to outfit all your key players (some of whom may not be high up the technology curve) with the FTP program.  Along with the client, you'll need a service (website or server) to host the files — more stuff to configure.

Downloading files would either require an FTP client again, or be handled through a web page with a simple file listing. You may have to pay someone to create this web page on your corporate website, if you have one. Now we're talking time, some technical know-how, and $$.

Now for the BuildIT advantages:

1. Easy drag and drop file uploading through Internet Explorer.
2. Our maximum file size is, well, big enough that it likely won't be a problem 99% of the time, but with some sweet talking, we can increase this if required.
3. Our display is visually appealing: thumbnails, file info. And, it's easy to understand.
4. Easy management: remove/disable files easily, see all access attempts, etc.
5. Downloading is resumable (i.e. if the file download stops for some reason, it resumes where it left off).  Many other file download services don't support this.
6. Files in BuildIT are presented logically within a task or a sharing link... in other words, there are associations with files that will make it easier for you to manage them.
7. BuildIT manages the server: so no headaches about configuration, no tech support nightmares, etc.

So, launch your free test drive, click the "files" tab, and start sharing. It's one of the many advantages you'll appreciate.

Michael Cain
BuildIT VP Development

We appreciate your trust and want to earn your lifelong business however, if you decide at any time that this system is not helping you run your business better, then:

• If you are not totally satisfied within the first 30 days, let us know, and we'll refund your entire purchase (reluctantly, but we'll do it).
• If you pay monthly, you can cancel at anytime, no penalties, no hard feelings (but we hope you feel guilty because we tried really hard to make sure you were satisified).
• If you signed up for a year or more, then you received a hefty discount because we were planning for you to be around for a while (we were counting on it). Longer term contracts help us plan so we have the capacity to serve your account. So no refunds are offered on long term plans but you can give away, transfer, or even sell the unused portion of your term.
• Whatever your reason, if you leave, you'll miss out on our slightly twisted sense of humor and all the new features that keep getting added to the system.

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Our good looking customers include:

• business owners
• office managers
• schedulers
• estimators
• site supervisors
• other positions that need to manage, organize, and communicate information

Our customers work for sharp companies including:

• general contractors
• high volume trades
• low volume trades
• home builders
• renovators
• designers
• developers
• instalation professionals
• service professionals

Our users range from one person businesses to companies with dozens of users and many millions in revenue.

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