Make a list of your potential customers. If you want to bid work for
housing developers, you’ll want to join the Building Industry
Association and attend their events, so you can meet your potential
customers. If you are a subcontractor who wants to work for General
Contractors, join at least one of their associations (ABC, AGC, EGCA)
and attend their events – and get involved on association committees,
where the real networking goes on (it doesn’t take that much of your
time, just do it). Most associations also have “liaison committees”
which meet with City Staff, the County Staff, Caltrans, the US Navy,
etc. – participate on these if it will help you meet potential
customers.If you signed up for
the City of San Diego Minor Construction Program (see
step #23),
attend the mixers and functions they arrange, so you can meet City Staff
and also potential contractors who might become customers.
Be careful not to
get deluded by “feeling busy” in these efforts. Keep your
mind on the goal: direct networking with potential clients. Every few
months, re-evaluate how you are doing at accomplishing this goal and at
least once a year do a serious evaluation of how productive your efforts
have been at getting you work – talk with your mentor and other members
in your associations to get their ideas for how you can improve your
efforts at networking with potential customers.
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