The Business Development Forum Steering Committee continues to bring more BD resources and best practices to the AGC membership. A new section has been added to the Business Development Forum webpage titled Business Development Best Practices. The goal is to continue to develop this section of the website so it is your one stop for information regarding all things Business Development.

Health insurance costs continue to increase. Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance efforts are heating up. As you begin planning for your company’s 2016 health insurance renewal and want to explore ways to save money and give employees more flexibility, control and value, now is the time to explore options for building a better, more cost-effective employee benefits package that meets the compliance requirements of the ACA.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET) | Tues., February 23, 2016 Are you struggling to implement Lean on your projects? Have you had planning sessions that were not as productive as they could be? Do your teams just not "get it"? Join this webinar to learn from the experience Lean Construction coach, Dave MacNeel who has not only delivered numerous projects using Lean, but also has coached Owners, GCs, CMs, designers, and subcontractors to successfully implement Lean thinking and Lean tools. Register here.

As has been the case a few times already this year, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dipped in November. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending.

Looking for training on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts but missed AGC of America’s recent webinar on the topic? An archive of each session of the two-part webinar “Understanding Davis-Bacon Compliance and Enforcement Act” held December 10 and 15 is now available for purchase and immediate viewing from AGC’s online store. Visit http://store.agc.org/ and search for product codes WB355 and WB357. Be sure to log in to see discounted AGC-member pricing.

Teri Jones, SUNDT As a professional working in the Business Development world, you are probably acutely aware that the reason for your existence is to Develop Business and that entails more than fine dining and golf! Pre-Winning plays a large role in your company’s ability to secure the type of work, and build the type of relationships, that will produce the desired results.

Colleen Kelly, Beacon Occupational Health & Safety Services Has all of the romance drained out of your business proposals? You used to spend hours thinking about the client’s needs and wants. What would their ideal contractor look like? How could I show that we’re the perfect match? But lately, things have become stale. You’re less interested in them and would much rather talk about yourself. If your win rate is going down the tubes, now’s the time to rethink your proposal writing strategy.

Jon O'Brien, Master Builders Association LinkedIn has been called Facebook for professionals, the virtual rolodex, and the headhunter’s haven to name a few. Regardless of what you call this online network, LinkedIn can be important for business development. Before delving into LinkedIn business development advice, let’s look at why LinkedIn is beneficial for the construction industry.

Cynthia Paul, FMI Corporation Have you ever noticed that some people and companies just seem to stand out, and everywhere you turn, they are being quoted or interviewed or are consistently receiving better scores on proposals? They are not much different than others; but, like the old E.F. Hutton advertisement asserts, when they speak, people listen. So what is the difference? In a world of specialized expertise, everyone, from owners of construction projects to your company looking for new talent, wants people with deep expertise and a proven track record of generating results. Being good at what you do, however, is not enough to make you or your company shine; people need to know that you are good at what you do. If you want to stop being that hidden jewel or are looking to make your company’s proposals stand out more, try these few quick tips for getting recognized in writing.

Chuck Fenske, Knoch Corporation In order to execute a successful business development program, it is important to define what business development truly means and what steps are required to make it so. At its core, business development is the strategic manufacturing of revenue growth opportunities. While some use the term as a synonym for sales and others include mergers and acquisitions, business development actually involves a broader scope including corporate strategy, marketing, sales, and human resources. Each of these are prevalent throughout the following steps, which outline a successful business development process.