Owner Class One is the first of three class sets. Participation typically takes place within the first 3-6 months of joining Aspire as part of the first phase deliverables. Topics cover the 6 pillars: Marketing, Sales, Estimating, Production, Feedback, and Development, as well as integration of the Aspire Intelligence (AI) System to track and manage your business by the numbers. The content delivered at Owner Class One will provide the foundational framework to build upon over the remainder of the program and help increase knowledge on Aspire methods and strategies. These classes are offered quarterly and are available to any and all of your team as many times as needed.
> Industry Trends
Provides an overview of the issues and topics currently influencing the construction industry, including the concept of contractor culture. Learn how to identify industry shifts to adapt and protect your business.
- Provides an overview of what is currently happening in the construction industry.
- Identify shifts in the industry and how to adapt to protect your business.
- Understanding and improving the culture of our industry.
> The Important Difference Between Contractor Strategies & Tactics
Identifying the vision and goals for your construction business is critical for business success. Identify the right strategy and tactics to help reach that vision and learn the most effective path for long-term business success.
- Identify the vision of your company.
- Identify the goals of your company.
- Develop the correct strategy to achieve your vision.
- Identify the necessary tactics to achieve your company vision most effectively.
> Business Modeling – Tracking & Managing Your Numbers
Use your company’s actual Profit & Loss statement to understand how the Aspire Intelligence system tracks and manages monthly financial data to assist with increased profitability and decision making. Improve awareness of where and how to categorize line items, track Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and feel more fiscally confident.
- Effectively categorize your Profit & Loss.
- Increase understanding of how your Profit & Loss relates to AI.
- Create an increased understanding of how your business model assists with tracking numbers and managing the business.
- Set Financial goals based on your company vision and strategy.
> The Power of Contractor Marketing
Understand the different types of marketing plans and why the use of a plan is critical. Convey who you are, why you do the work, and why it matters through the use of storytelling.
- Increase your knowledge of marketing plans.
- Understanding why marketing and a marketing plan is critical to your business.
- Identify why you do what you do.
- Increase understanding of the value of storytelling.
> Logical Sales for Contractors
Increase your understanding of the relationship between marketing and the sales process. Learn how and when you should use a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) and how to track your sales process. Participate in the opportunity to practice making sales and receive live feedback from experts in the field.
- Improve your knowledge of the relationship between the marketing & the sales process.
- Increase your awareness of buying decisions, buying motives, and how they impact one another.
- Provides an understanding of the need for an early commitment using a PSA.
- Increases the understanding of how to track and manage the sales process.
- Provides an opportunity to practice the sales processes.
> Client First Impressions
Learn the importance of responding promptly to clients and how to improve your current intake process. Identify which best practices fit your business model and walk away with clear and concise action steps.
- Increase awareness as to the importance of responding to clients promptly.
- Provide information on best practices for responding to clients.
> Sales Process: Step by Step
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the Aspire Sales Process from start to finish. Learn how to prepare and conduct a successful sales meeting and effectively track and manage leads. Develop several customized tools and resources for immediate use as part of your Killer Sales Proposal (KSP).
- Learn how to conduct an effective and successful initial sales meeting.
- Develop a documented step-by-step process of how to use the KSP.
- Real tools to manage client expectations through project education.
- Increase knowledge of the importance and use of a system to manage leads.
> From a Professional Service Agreement to a Signed Contract
Identify how to manage and supervise the PSA process and know what conversations are necessary to have with clients. Understand how different buying motives and budgets factor into the sales process and learn strategies to increase the likelihood of a signed contract.
- Increase understanding of how buying motive factors into the sales process.
- Identify ways to manage and supervise the PSA process.
- Increase understanding of how the budget relates to the process.
- Increase awareness of what conversations are critical to have with clients.
> Fully Loaded Estimating
Gain the ability to further breakdown your Profit & Loss to create solid estimates. Understand how the Labor Burden Calculator, Estimating Tool, and Speed Estimator work together with your numbers through the Aspire Intelligence system. Develop an estimate during class using the tools provided.
- Review and identify highlighted areas of your P&L and determine if they go into the Labor Burden Calculator or the Estimating Tool.
- Provide an opportunity to have participants update their Labor Burden Calculator.
- Increase understanding of the relationship between a Profit & Loss, the Estimating Tool, the Labor Burden Calculator, and AI.
- Increase understanding of how to develop an estimate using the above-listed tools.
> Pre-Construction: A Road Map to Success
Develop insight into how the Cost of Goods and services can impact the production process and why tracking the production process for jobs is important. Identify your primary sources for production loss and, more importantly, strategies for reducing that loss.
- Improve awareness of how the Cost of Goods impacts the production process.
- Increase awareness of how and why to track the production process for jobs.
- Identify the primary sources of production losses.
- Provide strategies for reducing production loss.
> Trade Partner Management
Increase knowledge on identifying and recruiting the Trade Partners you want to work with and understand how they differ from an employee. Learn how to develop an annual agreement for working with Trade Partners in multiple service trades.
- Increase awareness of the differences between Trade Partners & Employees.
- Provide information on how to identify and recruit the Trade Partners you want.
- Improve knowledge on how to improve your business model using Trade Partners.
- Provide information on how to create an annual agreement for a Trade Partner.
> Proper Use of Change Orders
Learn what a Change Order is, how and why you should be using one and what the relationship is between a Change Order and a PSA is.
- Provide an overview of a proper Change Order process.
- Identify when to use a Change Order.
- Increase understanding of the relationship between Change Orders and a PSA.
- Increase awareness of the benefits of using Change Orders.
> How to use Job Costing to Improve Profitability
Refine your understanding of what Job Costing is and how it can improve the profitability of your business. Identify where your current Job Costing is and what steps are needed to reach the next level.
- Provide an understanding of what Job Costing is.
- Identify the company’s current level of Job Costing.
- Identify the steps needed to reach the next level of Job Costing.
- Be able to implement the content from today with your Coach.
> Accountability Through Feedback Loops
This class will teach you what a Feedback Loop process looks like, how to implement one for a specific item and why it matters.
- Provide an overview of the Feedback Loop process.
- Understand the importance of Feedback Loops in tracking and refining your business processes.
- Be able to successfully implement a Feedback Loop and understand what to be aware of.
> How to Manage Your Time
Understanding time management and why it is crucial for you to manage your time effectively as well as what tools and resources may be most helpful to you in the construction industry.
- Increase the understanding of why it is important to manage time.
- Identify tools and resources to better manage time.
- Practice time blocking strategies.
