Markets (Benchmarks, Trends, Forecasts, and Predictions)

A starting point for the various sources of information on the markets that contractors work within.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share
The Markets Contractors Work Within - General Economy, Industry Sectors, Geographies, Project Delivery Methods, Regulations, and Financing

 

This is not meant to be a complete list but rather a starting point as you develop your own information systems both internally and externally to support strategic decisions and major resource allocations. 

General Resources - A Starting Point

 

Specifics - Localized, Industry, and Customer Specific

As you dive deeper into specific industry sectors and geographies, there are numerous other sources. Some to look into are:

  1. Following the economic development activities in the geographies you compete in through local Planning Commissions, Zoning Boards, City Council meetings, Real Estate Councils (example - Houston Real Estate Council), Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Councils (example - Greater Phoenix Economic Council), and Business Journals.
  2. Joining and actively participating in the industry associations for the project owners you build for, or want to be building for. For example, contractor organizations like AGC (Associated General Contractors) and ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) as well as organizations serving project owners like ASHE (American Society for Healthcare Engineering)
  3. County, City, and Higher Education procurement channels.
  4. Companies that track bond programs across a state.
  5. Building permit data for your area.
  6. Companies that track specific markets and have deep expertise in them. For example, in the energy infrastructure market there is C Three Group, IBISWorld (also tracks other industries), Mercom Capital, and EPRI.
  7. All of the large consulting firms like Bain & Company, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, etc. have their own analysis and market research available for a fee. Depending on what market(s) you are investigating and where your company is at in its stage of growth, these can be valuable resources.  
  8. Larger firms in insurance and surety such as Lockton have industry outlook reports and meetings. 
  9. Developing a network of people who can provide insights into the market(s) your company is involved in. The military refers to this as HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and may include people that are analysts covering various industries, RIET (Real Estate Investment Trust) executives, Think Tank (example - ISPE  International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) executives, brokers, Real Estate Attorneys, Civil Engineers, etc. Develop a systematic rhythm for connecting with them a couple times per year, what information you gather from them, and how you correlate all the information to help make decisions.  
  10. Systematically talking to your customers to understand what information they look at to make decisions for their building programs and projects. For example, how are major project owners like Marriott, Ford, or Intel forecasting their demand. 

 

Project Delivery Methods and Trends

 


We will continually update this list but it isn't practical or helpful to have an exhaustive list as it would be information overload. Please contact us to schedule time to talk about the specifics of your company, your current information decisions, and the decisions you are working to make. We will openly share anything we can to help. 



Related Training
More from D. Brown Management
Leadership and Management of Details
Building a great contracting business requires the right balance of leadership and management. While it is possible to separate them the truth is that many of the top leaders are relentlessly disciplined managers.
The Leadership Vibrancy Curve
Leaders must navigate (1) the stages of contractor growth, (2) the phases of management team development, and (3) the arc of their own career and life. Maintaining the right levels of leadership vibrancy leads to sustainable scaling and succession.
Thriving with a Difficult Manager
In the ideal situation, everyone would have a great manager - both internally and externally. In the real world, we will all have to work for someone we consider a difficult manager. Learn to thrive in these situations.