This book is based on Dr. Schleifer's 45 years experience, a combination of practical, hands-on work as a contractor and his work assisting financially distressed companies. This has given Dr. Schleifer a unique perspective on the causes of business failure and how to avoid them. His no-nonsense philosophy is: We cannot control the market, but we can control our response to it.Part one of each chapter focuses on potential causes of contractor failure and how to avoid them. Schleifer's methods are largely based on data from his 8 years as a surety consultant in the construction industry as he assisted in the resolution or salvage of hundreds of distressed or failed construction firms and projects.Part two of each chapter discusses a workable management strategy, which is basically a Do to complement part one's Dont. Chapter Topics: Project size, Geographic Location, Replacing Key Personnel, Managerial Maturity, Controlled Borrowing, Accounting Proceses, Financial Analysis and Indicators, Pre-Contract Planning, and Delivery

The turnover rate for companies in the construction industry is high. This book identifies the ten key elements of contractor failure and shows how to avoid them. Each element of failure is defined, illustrated by real examples, and ways are discussed to avoid or minimize the risks involved. The final chapter shows how to bring all these elements together to develop a positive and workable management strategy. This survival guide should prove invaluable to the 1.4 million individual construction-industry businesses in this country.