– By Mark Battersby- Even as credit becomes more readily available, whether to buy or lease is a question facing many builders and contractors. While there is no one correct answer that fits every situation, nor every rural building business, compared to the simplicity of buying, leasing is far more complicated and may be...
rural builders
How to win more customers: overcoming objections in the sales process
– By Sharon Thatcher – For a lot of contractors, building a building is a lot easier than building a business. But there are tricks to selling your services. Gary Reichert, sales representative for Rural Builder has spent 30 years in the sales and marketing field, at various times as both a buyer and...
Building and roofing professionals: what is your outlook for 2016?
Rural Builder and Metal Roofing Magazine are each conducting surveys to help determine the year ahead for professional builders and roofers in the U.S. To better serve your information needs, we would like to discover what trends you are seeing in both industries. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions. The information...
Policies that could affect your bottom line
– By Mark Ward – To contractors erecting a barn or self-storage facility or church in the rural reaches of the American heartland, the world of Washington politics can seem far away. Yet Geoff Burr, vice president of government affairs for the Washington-based Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), reports, “Out of our 21,000 members,...
Survey to determine types of equipment used by rural builders
Frame Building News and Rural Builder magazines are conducting a survey to determine the types of equipment used most by our readers. This is quick, 13 question survey, and if you finish, you will be given the opportunity to win one of three VISA $50 gift cards. Please take the survey…
Surviving an OSHA inspection
– By Mark Ward Sr. – Few things strike fear in the hearts of many rural builders more than the thought of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector showing up unannounced at a job site. For a “survival guide,” Rural Builder spoke with three leading safety professionals for the post-frame building industry....
Top 10 Products for rural builders
In every issue of both Rural Builder and Frame Building News we have a section called “Product Profile”. There, we showcase products for rural builders. Information and photos are sent to us by suppliers and manufacturers for free exposure in this special section of the magazines. When our readers take the time to circle...
Something Old, Something New: Rural Builders Enhance Historic Properties
– By Sharon Thatcher – Historic restoration isn’t something most rural builders want to tackle, but there are occasional opportunities to build something new or to enhance something old in a way that preserves a property’s historic integrity. Featured are two builders who have accomplished that. Barn recovers Greiner Buildings Inc. has been doing...
Rural American builders get a government helping hand
The construction industry as a whole appears to be in recovery mode. According to the US Department of Labor, during the first quarter of 2013, 18,000 new jobs were created in the industry and construction spending was up by about 6 percent over the previous year. However, so far these improvements have only been...
Money Talk: Tool reimbursement plans
By Mark Battersby – The Internal Revenue Service is once again targeting the increasing number of employee tool and equipment plans where tax deductions benefit not only employers but so many workers who provide their own tools. Every rural building contractor and business that requires employees to provide their own tools should be aware...