# how do i write a professional business portfolio for a drywall company?



## newbee (May 18, 2010)

I currently started a new company with ten people, i have been in the construction business for a long time now. I worked under a big drywall company that made high rises but now that i gained experience i feel ready to venture out on my own. There is one problem everyone i call asks for a portfolio/coverletter and im not sure how it looks like or what to write! It would be helpful if i had a sample portfolio or outline to look at or something to start with....help!!!


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## Dean Jarvis (Jun 21, 2011)

*professional business portfolio???????????*

How about a company profile? Warning for you. just because you can hang drywall does't mean you can run a business. you started asking for help. very smart. you got a lot to learn. Do you have a business plan? Do you have a marketing plan? who do you sell too. Have you defined your companies capabilities? what is your labor burden rate? what is your companies overhead per day? what is your productive hour rate? All this must be answered to know what your doing in business. can you establish a scope of work for each job? Do you write specs. for each job. Do you think all jobs are the same? Have you documented a work or project history? Do you even have a camera? Have you operated as simple is as simple does. What is it that you want to be and how big do you want to get? Just around town or multi-state commercial projects? do you know about CFR29? Do you know what 1926 is? No its not the year your father was born! Do you have a written safety policy? Do you know what a fall protection plan is? Just some questions while you think you are going into business.


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## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

joined may 2010 and only 1 post?

A business portfolio - How about photos from before and after of jobs you have done. It will be hard to show them if your starting off and dont have any.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Dean Jarvis said:


> How about a company profile? Warning for you. just because you can hang drywall does't mean you can run a business. you started asking for help. very smart. you got a lot to learn. Do you have a business plan? Do you have a marketing plan? who do you sell too. Have you defined your companies capabilities? what is your labor burden rate? what is your companies overhead per day? what is your productive hour rate? All this must be answered to know what your doing in business. can you establish a scope of work for each job? Do you write specs. for each job. Do you think all jobs are the same? Have you documented a work or project history? Do you even have a camera? Have you operated as simple is as simple does. What is it that you want to be and how big do you want to get? Just around town or multi-state commercial projects? do you know about CFR29? Do you know what 1926 is? No its not the year your father was born! Do you have a written safety policy? Do you know what a fall protection plan is? Just some questions while you think you are going into business.


So your a teacher eh'









Bwall wants help with his drywall license :yes:


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## silverstilts (Oct 15, 2008)

:wacko::ban:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

silverstilts said:


> :wacko::ban:


Can we ban the metric system from this site too.

Please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## rhardman (Jul 7, 2009)

newbee said:


> I currently started a new company with ten people, i have been in the construction business for a long time now. I worked under a big drywall company that made high rises but now that i gained experience i feel ready to venture out on my own. There is one problem everyone i call asks for a portfolio/coverletter and im not sure how it looks like or what to write! It would be helpful if i had a sample portfolio or outline to look at or something to start with....help!!!


If you know how to save your money, then you can accomplish anything. If you spend it as fast as you get it, you're heading for tough times my friend.

In everything, don't look at it as, "What is it someone else wants?" Look at it from the standpoint of "What makes sense to me?" If someone were presenting themselves to you, what would you expect? What would impress you? Then go make it. Google will show you anything you want to find out. If you want to design your own brochures, buy a program online called Serif PagePlus x5 http://www.serif.com/pageplus/ . Then you can send them to Staples or Kinko's and they'll print them off for you after you convert them to .pdf.

I saw a guy years ago that worked for a drywall company that did the "go-fer" work. He said he was going to quit and start his own company. Everyone laughed at him...until he ended up running the largest crew in town just a few years later.

You are going to make mistakes...and that's okay...just make sure every "issue" makes the business relationship with the other person better than it was before. 

One last thing, if you can run across the border to Bellingham and attend the Small Business Administration classes with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) it would help you a lot. These are successful retired people that volunteer time to help people start and run their businesses.

http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/ can be another great resource for you.


:yes:


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

joepro0000 said:


> joined may 2010 and only 1 post?


It looks like this thread was started over a year ago - May of 2010 - and Dean resurrected it. People are posting to someone long gone.


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## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

JustMe said:


> It looks like this thread was started over a year ago - May of 2010 - and Dean resurrected it. People are posting to someone long gone.


 

:thumbup:


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## rhardman (Jul 7, 2009)

*That's funny!*

:blush::bangin::clap::lol::brows:


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

Honest mistakes. The last while I've taken to checking at times the dates of the opening posts of threads being posted to, as it seems there's quite a few old threads being resurrected.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Maybe he's a pro by now:whistling2:

I don't see any harm in opening old threads, it gives newer members a chance to state their 2 bucks worth on things, (not so much in this thread though).

To me, it's better than seeing a new thread started on a subject that's already been hammered to death, say like _ _ _ _ vs paper tape for example:furious:

It's good to see people are reading the old post, and as stated before, some of them are comical as hell.

But sometimes you don't like seeing them, especially if their yours, your like WTF was I saying there. A lot of us (me included) came to this site with that typical arrogant taper attitude of "I'm better than you" Then guys tone/settle down after a well, and start to fit right in.

It's a good site here, there's a lot of excellent information in those old post, and there is a lot of smart intelligent guys on here. I think a lot of them would be fairly cool to work with.........except for them sheep loving kiwi's:whistling2:


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuck said:


> It's a good site here, there's a lot of excellent information in those old post, and there is a lot of smart intelligent guys on here. I think a lot of them would be fairly cool to work with.........except for them sheep loving kiwi's:whistling2:


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## Dean Jarvis (Jun 21, 2011)

*Info for newbe*

Mr. Newbe of Newbe Drywall Company. I went into business in May 1975. I did not have forums like this for business discussions and collaborations. So listen carefully. Stop making excuses. number one rule. most important tool is a pencil or pen. write it down. make a list. establish an outline. think like a business person. be opportunistic and optimistic. As a trade contractor you got it easy. you know who your customers are. To find customers go where they sell drywall.
Become an associate member of contractor associations. Develop company profile of capabilities. Have a simple website of company info. work with contractors with establishing cost budgets, specifications and bid documents.
What about licenses? Licenses are about responsibilities. licenses not not assure capabilities. Promote capabilities not price. Promote project performance not price:thumbup:


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## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

Dean Jarvis said:


> Mr. Newbe of Newbe Drywall Company. I went into business in May 1975. I did not have forums like this for business discussions and collaborations. So listen carefully. Stop making excuses. number one rule. most important tool is a pencil or pen. write it down. make a list. establish an outline. think like a business person. be opportunistic and optimistic. As a trade contractor you got it easy. you know who your customers are. To find customers go where they sell drywall.
> Become an associate member of contractor associations. Develop company profile of capabilities. Have a simple website of company info. work with contractors with establishing cost budgets, specifications and bid documents.
> What about licenses? Licenses are about responsibilities. licenses not not assure capabilities. Promote capabilities not price. Promote project performance not price:thumbup:


Is that how they spelled "newbie" in 1975? Man, times sure have changed since the dinosaurs invented the wheel and stuff like that.


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## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

what anyone who wants to open up a company needs to do is take some business classes at a local community college, learn how to write a business plan, learn the basics of business law, and intern or work for a company you want to open thats simular!


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## MeatBallDryWall (Jan 9, 2010)

I always thought it was spelled n00b


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## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

MeatBallDryWall said:


> I always thought it was spelled n00b


l33t h4ck3r!


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