Getting your estimate or bid accepted for a commercial general contracting project is a huge rush, but the next step is often one that makes or breaks an independent company.

However, with the right tools at hand and a good look at big behind-the-scenes deal breakers, getting your company’s bid accepted on a regular basis can be accomplished.

Written below, a few of the pieces of advice we have seen work are detailed to give you ideas about adjustments your California commercial general contractor company might need to consider.

Knowing the difference between a bid and estimate

The next time your company is wondering why a competitor is being publicized for getting a big contract, consider whether or not your company even put in a bid.

Often, potential bids are advertised in ways that are not expected, and having an office assistant with a keen eye is helpful for gleaning the local news for property development leads. For instance, commercial leads can take the form of a recent fire or a local organization that is now expanding their facilities with a non-profit grant.

Before a bid is offered for these types of projects, consider sending them an “estimate” or sample bid. When they see you are interested in their project, they will invite you to put in an official bid for ground up construction based on the size of their lot and potential construction ideas.

Getting in at the bid stage also gives your company a chance to make money from referrals for architects, landscapers, and other property development specialists.Know your audience

While your company may have a system of advertising, presentation, a sales team and a website that has worked for years, a slump in sales could be due to competitors — but it can also be due to customers that are being “educated” online about how to be tough negotiators with contractors.

For this reason, when your company is having trouble with a potential commercial construction client, consider researching from their perspective.

For example, online articles about negotiating with commercial general contract include shopping around to get least three estimates, ask for a reduced price and to research the contractor’s credentials online.

Streamlining bids with electronic programs

Especially if a language barrier is an issue you between yourself and the client, it pays to invest in computer programs that not only help you communicate with clients but also other programs that help you create a professional bid.

Either way, electronic tools should help to create an improved workflow or ability to clearly communicate with clients to make them feel assured about the information organized to create their bids.

Most companies avoid many obstacles and a great deal of money delivering paper to clients by using online construction bid computer systems.

Using these types of systems also cuts down on future ground up construction lawsuits or other types of breach of contract claims.

Competitive construction bids all have one thing in common

One of the best ways to get make a competitive construction bid is to take a moment to figure out how to get all of your costs behind-the-scenes under complete control.

The biggest expense that most California commercial general contractor companies experience is huge insurance costs.

The way to reduce the insurance costs related to commercial general contracting is by showing the insurance company that you are the least likely to be a risk for equipment theft.

One of the best ways that this can be done for a commercial general contract company is with increased work site electronic security.