As the construction industry comes out of some tough times, business development is playing a larger role in the day-to-day activities of construction companies. Now that we’re seeing signs of life, contractors are moving from cost-cutting mode to “get-work” mode. But it’s not as if they can just pick up where they left off. Changes in the competitive environment as well as how companies are doing business have created a “new normal.” A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a webinar presented by FMI consultant Scott Moyer, in which he discussed the new business development environment and some key areas to focus on for success. Here is what I took away from Scott’s presentation.

When it comes to project management software, contractors have numerous options, from spreadsheets and generic applications to software designed for the construction industry. I recently read an industry survey on the subject that not only provided some interesting insight, but also confirmed the things I’ve been saying about project management software.

To paraphrase a popular phrase, “Change is the only constant.” As a company, we’ve been going through a number of changes ourselves. Last week we wrapped up our 17^th Annual Users’ Conference, and I have to admit I was a little nervous about our decision to change venues and hold the event at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. But by the end of the conference, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. So much so that I’m going to place a shameless plug in my blog – if you ever visit Seattle, consider the Fairmont as your place to stay!

I remember one of the first PCs I purchased for home use (warning: I may be dating myself in what follows). It had a whopping 20MB of hard disk storage. That’s right. 20 MILLION bytes. Almost unheard of. So of course I paid a pretty penny for this type of storage. Hundreds of dollars.

I’m not sure if you heard it this week, but CPAs across the country breathed a sigh of relief with the passing of the April 15 tax filing deadline. I know I haven’t seen many of my CPA friends since the beginning of the year as they’ve scrambled to help others file correctly and get the largest return possible. Depending on when your company’s fiscal year ends, most of you probably didn’t have to worry about corporate taxes. But the passing of the individual tax deadline got me thinking about some things you should consider – for both your personal and corporate taxes – throughout the year.