It’s not unusual for new CSLS graduates to tell us that working on construction projects is the easy part of being a self-employed contractor in California. What’s tough is managing everything else – staying on top of budgets, marketing, and staff members.
In fact, it’s the management aspect of the job that many find particularly challenging.
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For most new CSLS graduates who are beginning life as self-employed contractors, plans for the future looks something like this: start a business, grow and hire other construction workers, and finally enjoy the freedom and stability that comes with earning lots of money and being your own boss.
That can certainly happen, especially if you’re smart about the way you plan your future. One thing that often gets overlooked, however – and that every new contractor should remember – is that you’re going to make mistakes along the way.
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More and more, CSLS graduates are taking advantage of our corporation setup services to get their new businesses registered, legal, and up and running. Part of this undoubtedly has to do with convenience. Over the years, we’ve streamlined the filing and paperwork process so that it’s virtually “hands-off” for new contractors.
Another reason for this trend, though, has to do with the fact that more and more contractors are starting to understand the benefits of incorporating their companies. If you haven’t considered it yourself – or just haven’t gone through with it yet – here are three good reasons to talk to our team about incorporating your business right away:
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One of the greatest things about becoming a licensed contractor through CSLS is that we have learning options for virtually any schedule or budget. Regardless of where you’re at in your construction career, and what else might be going on in your life, our team of counselors can help you find a way to reach your dream of being a self-employed professional.
But, the question that comes up from time to time is: “Do I need to take a classroom course, or can I just learn online or through self-study?”
The short answer is that most students certainly can do just fine with online classes or at-home materials. Still, even though those options are generally more convenient, there are a few advantages to getting the full CSLS classroom experience:
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It’s an unfortunate part of life as a self-employed contractor, but occasionally you’re going to come across customers who either pay very slowly for their work, or don’t want to pay you at all after you’re finished. What should you do in that situation?
The first step is to assess the problem and find out why. If it’s because your work wasn’t up to the customer’s standards, or because there was a minor (but understandable) misunderstanding about the terms, you can probably fix things pretty quickly.
In other instances, though, more serious measures will have to be considered. Then you’re looking at dealing with lawyers and other collections professionals who are going to charge you a pretty hefty fee, and might not even recover all of your money. As any experienced contractor can tell you from experience, it’s best not to be in that situation in the first place.
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For a lot of CSLS graduates, the toughest part about being a brand-new contractor isn’t passing their exams or getting their business up and running… it’s marketing that brand-new business to potential construction customers.
Not only can marketing be a challenge, it’s often an expensive one. Running print advertisements in newspapers or magazines can get expensive quick, and promoting your new company through other avenues (like television) can be downright impossible when you’re just starting out. For that reason, a lot of new contractors try photocopied flyers, going door-to-door, and advertising in “penny saver” types of publications.
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In just about every industry, construction included, there are lots of best practices and accepted notions,
but most of these can be ignored from time to time or in certain situations. In other words, a lot of the
best advice you’ll ever get is flexible and pertains to most, but not all, situations.
There is, however, one absolutely unbreakable rule of contracting that we’d like to pass along: do great
work.
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To a brand-new CSLS graduate, or someone who is hoping to earn their California contractor license
soon, having too much work can seem like a wonderful problem. In fact, your mind might start to drift
to fantasies about what you would do with all that cash, rather than focusing on the problem of being
committed to more hours than you have available.
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When new students come to CSLS, it’s because they want the very best in construction industry
education, and that’s what we give them. What many don’t realize, though, is there are actually two
types of lessons you get at our school…
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Generally speaking, there are two kinds of construction contractors you’ll find in California: generalists, who can build or repair just about anything (or take on lots of different jobs), and specialists, who might focus on a particular type of building or situation. There is an almost endless number of specialties, from solar construction to electrical, industrial, and so on.
If you’re just starting out in the industry, should you specialize your contracting business?
That answer is going to depend a great deal on your own goals and preferences. Here are a few things to keep in mind, though:
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A lot of new and prospective CSLS students assume that the hardest part of becoming a successful California contractor is passing their licensing exam. And while it’s true that some people do end up spending a few extra hours on studying, our 99.9% pass rate is proof that anyone who has the will and desire (along with the required work experience) can achieve their goal of self-employment.
So, if passing the test isn’t as big an obstacle as you might think, what is? Believe it or not, there isn’t necessarily one hard part about becoming a successful contractor – instead, it’s about being good at lots of little things at once. Here are just a few of the things you’ll have to juggle as a self-employed licensed contractor:
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When it comes to becoming a licensed California contractor, we often see firsthand the amazing way some people overcome just about anything to achieve their dreams. In the 125,000+ graduates we have had, there have been a number who have crawled their way up from nothing, arrived from distant corners of the world, and beaten perceived disabilities or shortcomings to become successful business owners.
On the other hand, though, we also see a lot of people who hold off on trying to reach their dreams because of misconceptions they are holding on to. In fact, there are probably thousands of construction professionals who could be enjoying more freedom and income right now, if only they knew there was no reason to wait.
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One thing lots of new students ask about, as they contemplate the process of becoming a licensed contractor in California, is whether the exam they’ll have to pass is difficult.
The short answer, of course, is that it really depends on who you ask… or for that matter, who you are. Some people pick up the knowledge more easily than others, not to mention the fact that some people feel anxiety at taking tests that others don’t.
In general, though, the best question isn’t whether or not the exam is difficult; it’s how prepared you are going to be to take it. At CSLS, we have a reputation for helping our students to make sure they are ready to not only take the exam, but also pass on the first try. Here are a few things we advise them to do to make the process easier:
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There are a lot of reasons to pursue becoming a licensed contractor in California, but one of the biggest is undoubtedly to make more money. In fact, regardless of where you are in your career at the moment, you’ve probably at least thought about how much more you could be earning as a business owner or with better qualifications.
So, how much more money could you be earning as a licensed contractor? That’s tough to say – a lot will depend on your specific situation and ambition level. Here are a few things to keep in mind, though:
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Few innovations have brought as much excitement to the California construction industry as the growing trend toward solar design and installation. Does that mean you should be getting involved?
For a lot of construction professionals, the answer is a resounding “yes.” In fact, now could be the perfect time to round out your solar education and pick up skills that can help you for years (or even decades) to come.
Here are just some of the things that make solar such a good idea:
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A lot of students come to CSLS with no recent classroom experience, or a lack of good study habits that helped them back in high school or college. In fact, many are afraid that they’ll struggle with the material for their licensed contractor exam when the time comes.
One thing we teach them is that a handful of good study habits can be learned in a short amount of time. And once you have them, they can make all the difference in your preparation and stress level.
To see why that is, here are five easy-to-follow study tips for construction professionals who want to pass their licensed contractor’s exam:
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When it comes to becoming a licensed California contractor, we often see firsthand the amazing way some people overcome just about anything to achieve their dreams. In the 100,000+ graduates we have had, there have been a number who have crawled their way up from nothing, arrived from distant corners of the world, and beaten perceived disabilities or shortcomings to become successful business owners.
On the other hand, though, we also see a lot of people who hold off on trying to reach their dreams because of misconceptions they are holding on to. In fact, there are probably thousands of construction professionals who could be enjoying more freedom and income right now, if only they knew there was no reason to wait.
To give you a sense of what kinds of false limitations we are talking about, here are five things you don’t need to become a licensed California contractor:
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Because CSLS has new students from every age range and income bracket, including men and women from California and distant parts of the world, there aren’t a lot of generalizations we can make about them. It might sound cliché, but every person we meet truly is unique in thousands of different ways.
However, there is one thing that all of them have in common, and that they probably share with you: a desire to change their lives by becoming licensed California contractors.
You probably wouldn’t be reading our site, or looking at different programs, if you weren’t considering taking your construction career to the next level. And yet, some of you will fulfill this dream and go on to raise your income and enjoy a self-employed lifestyle, while others won’t. And surprisingly enough, the biggest difference won’t be found in age, financial resources, or even educational and professional backgrounds.
Instead, what will separate the first group from the second is the desire to take action.
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Let’s face it: Most people don’t think of studying for an exam as something that’s “fun” or “entertaining,” even if the outcome could lead to a new career direction and change their lives forever. Even though we make the process of preparing to become a licensed California contractor as simple and straightforward as we possibly can, it still requires a bit of work and effort.
There is one thing you can do to make it more fun, though: Get a friend, or group of friends, to join you.
It isn’t unusual for students to come to CSLS together. And we think it’s usually a great idea. Here are just a few of the best reasons why:
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