Matt Handal, Founder of Help Everybody Every DayIn a fiercely competitive environment, as we’ve been experiencing over the past few years, small differences can play a major role in whether you win or lose a proposal competition.

If you receive a request for proposal that includes a long list of requirements, it may be an indication that you're not the prospect's vendor of choice. Other red flags include a limited response window and lack of access to the prospect company's decision-makers, writes John Boyens.
The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is conducting a new survey to gain an understanding of how the U.S. building industry has changed its use of off-site construction methods in the past three years.
The Business Development Best Practices are an ongoing effort by the AGC Business Development Forum Steering Committee to bring more BD resources and best practices to the AGC membership. Written and developed by industry experts in Business Development, these best practices cover a wide range of topics, from relationship building and sales to marketing and proposals. This month, the Business Development Forum Steering Committee highlights:
Christopher Halapy, Shook ConstructionClients’ needs and expectations relative to the services provided by their design and construction partners are evolving. Savvy clients have increased their demand for turnkey services and a higher level of detailed information far earlier in the project planning process. Beyond programming, owners are looking to understand milestone dates, disruption of ongoing operations, and a firm cost for the project, all earlier than this information is typically provided.

Construction employment increased by 24,000 jobs in November to the highest level since November 2008, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that tight margins are keeping firms from paying even more to attract hard-to-find workers, noting that efforts to cut tax rates should help lead to higher average hourly earnings for the sector.

Forty-one states added construction jobs between October 2016 and October 2017, while 26 states added construction jobs between September and October, continuing a pattern of widespread but uneven growth in industry employment, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. The association’s chief economist suggested that recent job gains would have been more widespread if enough qualified workers were available.

Jenny Grounds, BOUDREAUXThe idea of performing market research can often feel like a burden for small marketing groups. The everyday tasks already on your to-do list can easily fill up a 40-hour work week. Where do you find the time to research, compile, and analyze piles of data on top of everything else? Market research doesn’t have to be complex or require robust, expensive studies to be effective. By breaking it into small, manageable pieces, you can gather information that will directly benefit your A/E/C firm without overtasking your teams.

Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between September 2016 and September 2017, while 26 states added construction jobs between August and September as some state employment levels were impacted by recent hurricanes, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials noted that construction employment in many parts of the country would have been higher if more qualified workers were available.