Blog

4 Reasons to Continue Your Education with CSLS

A group of people holding a contractor license sitting at a table in a classroom.

Former students and current contractors aren’t always eager to go back to the classroom for a seminar or new training, but a quick Google search of the world’s most prominent business leaders, best-selling authors and professionals will make one thing clear: they continuously add to their skills and education. That’s why we have made a shortlist of the 4 best …
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7 Tips For Hiring New Employees For Your Contracting Business

A group of construction workers, all holding their contractor licenses, posing for a photo.
In order to take on bigger jobs or have multiple ongoing projects you will have to expand your team. It is a pivotal step in growing your business. As you already know, your employees are your representatives in your absence and their quality of work, behavior and integrity will in large part contribute to your success or failure. For these …
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How to Advertise on Company Vehicles

A blue and white truck adorned with a contractor license logo.
One of the realities of life as a working contractor is the need for spacious transportation for your team and tools. Many contractors take advantage of this by utilizing the space on their trucks and vans for advertising - increasing their visibility, adding to the appearance of professionality and attracting new business. Here are a few tips to maximize this …
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10 Tips To Generate Contracting Leads Using Door-To-Door Sales

Two contractors shaking hands in front of a house.
Door-to-door sales has gotten a bad rap. Truth be told, the idea of strangers coming into our personal space and interrupting our schedules can be an off-putting experience, but with a basic understanding of these sales techniques and your own knowledge, charisma and enthusiasm, you’ll have tapped into the single most effective location targeted sales technique available. People appreciate speaking …
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5 Affordable Marketing Tools For Contractors

A man, with a contractor license, in a hard hat working on a laptop.
Not everyone has huge, disposable income after the overhead costs of running their contractor business, but with a little budgeting and some ingenuity, marketing will become your best friend in the pursuit of your target audience, paying out hand-over-fist in relationship to its expense. The wonderful thing about guerilla marketing, or marketing techniques that are not common in your field, …
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Consistency is key in Marketing for Contractors

A man in an orange hard hat, possibly a contractor, using a laptop.
While it is probably safe to assume that it was not an abiding love of marketing which drew you to contracting, as a consumer you are already primed to understand the value of a strong, consistent branding effort. Think of any highly visible company and it is likely that you will be able to throw out a few words about …
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10 Questions for a Successful Contractor’s Business

Two men in hard hats, who appear to be contractors, are looking at a tablet.
It can difficult to be objective about the strengths and weaknesses of your own business. We have compiled a list of the top ten questions to ask for a successful contracting business so you can make an assessment of your own and implement changes that might not have made it into your top priorities yet. Read the questions below and …
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5 Tips to Communicate Better With Contracting Clients

Two men with contractor license shaking hands in a room with wood framing.
A successful contracting business relies heavily on the probability that they will win the trust and faith of their potential contracting clients on a consistent basis. Without this, there is no job, no income and no happy clients to rave about your quality work to their friends. The easiest way to ensure that you make the kind of impression that …
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How to instantly improve as a leader of your Contracting company

A group of construction workers with contractor licenses standing in front of a white background.
People aren’t born with great leadership skills, they must be nurtured and developed through practice. As a small business owner you are wearing a lot of hats, juggling marketing, sales, quickbooks, and payroll. It’s easy to get caught up in the notion that more is better when it comes to your involvement in every facet of the business, succumbing to …
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Contractor’s Business Tips : 3 Steps to Put Your Client at Ease

A construction worker with a contractor license holding a hard hat in front of a construction site.
Know what the ground rules are Communication is the single most important part of a smooth working relationship. Making sure you know what your clients’ expectations are in the daily running of the project is key to avoiding the kinds of hiccups that are so often the instigators of major conflicts. Be sure you know when you can work at …
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Spreading Awareness and Repeat Clients In Your Contracting Business

A construction worker on a cell phone near a construction site discussing contractor license requirements.
Here at CSLS we hear every day from successful contractors about what works and what doesn’t for building leads and retaining a loyal customer base and, as in all things, a few seem to stand out. Your contracting business will generate much of its income from repeat clients and the referrals they give. To encourage this behaviour from consumers, there …
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4 Tips For Marketing Your Construction Company

A construction worker with a contractor license sits on the steps of a new home.
At CSLS, we can provide you with as many certifications as you could possibly ever use in your career as a licensed contractor, however once you are credentialed you still will have to generate business. Take a look at these four simple tips to grow your business and maintain a reputation for quality service. Tell a Story. Testimonials can be …
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Two Things Your Future Self Wants You to Know

Three construction workers giving thumbs up to demonstrate their expertise and professionalism as they proudly display their contractor license.
Here at CSLS, we won’t pretend we can look into the future. However, we are pretty sure that if we could, and if we ran into your future self, he or she would want us to tell you at least two things: #1: Become a Licensed Contractor When You Can Becoming a licensed contractor isn’t difficult, but it can seem …
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Why CSLS Students Enjoy School

A group of students sitting in a classroom, engaging in contractor license training.
Many CSLS graduates will tell you that they didn’t enjoy high school or college, but liked studying with us. How can that be? We are glad you asked, because here are four reasons CSLS students enjoy school more than almost anyone else: #1: At CSLS there are no more general classes – Most people don’t like school, but do enjoy …
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The Best Reason to Become a Licensed California Contractor

A woman holding a hard hat in front of construction workers to ensure safety and compliance with contractor license.
We could give you numerous different reasons to take the plunge and become a licensed contractor in California. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities where you can make more money, open your own business legally, and even expand operations to the point where you have employees and shareholders. The best reasons to become a licensed contractor aren’t …
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How the Best Students Use Contractor’s Licensing School

A man with a contractor license wearing a pair of work gloves is making a hand gesture.
If you were to ask the average construction professional why students come to CSLS, they’d probably say “to become licensed contractors.” That’s undoubtedly true, but it’s also only part of the story. The fact of the matter is that the best students don’t use CSLS just for classes and study materials, but because we are able to springboard their careers …
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A Back-to-School Reminder From CSLS

A construction worker with a contractor license, holding a book and a hammer.
“I never thought I’d come back to school.” We’ve heard countless CSLS students utter those words over the years. And yet, construction professionals keep turning to us, year after year, because they want to become licensed contractors and get the chance to make more money while taking control of their own careers. If you’re thinking of doing the same, now …
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How to Improve Your Life and Construction Career in 15 Minutes

A man with a contractor license wearing a hard hat talking on a cell phone.

Most of the time, when someone says that you could improve your life in 15 minutes, the advice that follows just isn’t that realistic. Or, it would work, but it’s incredibly expensive or impractical.
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5 Good Contracting Business Habits

Two construction workers holding a laptop in front of a construction site, discussing their contractor license.

Success in the California contracting business – or any business – is as much about setting the right habits as it is getting the “big decisions” correct. After all, what you do day-to-day is going to determine how healthy your contracting company will be.
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How to Get the Best Part of CSLS for Free

A group of construction workers with contractor licenses giving thumbs up.

There are a lot of things construction professionals love about CSLS, including our 25 locations across California and the fact that 99.9% of our students pass their licensed contractors exam on the first try.
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