Free Contractor Resources & Downloads
30-Day Cash Gap Checkup
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS · Cash Flow & Payments — See when payroll, supplier bills, or a late customer payment could put cash below your minimum reserve. Forecast four periods in one Excel workbook, with a worked example and a late-payment stress test.
Free Job Profit Reality Check
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS · Pricing & Profit — Check what a completed job actually earned. Compare your estimate with actual revenue, person-hours, burdened labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors and allocated overhead to find where profit changed. Free Excel workbook with instructions, a worked example and a multi-job log.
Free Contractor Profit & Pricing Calculator
STARTING OUT · Pricing & Profit — Price your next job before you send the estimate. Enter labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors and overhead to see your break-even price, recommended selling price and target profit margin. Free Excel workbook with Quick Start instructions; also works with Google Sheets. Email access is free, and marketing emails are optional.
How to Qualify a Contractor Lead Before Scheduling an Estimate
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS · Marketing & Sales — A step-by-step pre-estimate screening process to confirm project fit, scope, budget, schedule, service area, and decision-makers before a site visit.
12 Strategies to Successfully Prevent and Handle Non-Paying Clients
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS · Cash Flow & Payments — Practical strategies to screen clients, document agreements, use payment milestones, handle overdue invoices, and reduce billing disputes across the trades.
How to Estimate a Contractor Job: Labor, Materials, Overhead & Profit
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS · Pricing & Profit — Step-by-step job-cost estimation including total person-hours, materials, overhead, labor burden, and a sample markup-versus-margin calculation.
How to Set Up Business Bank Accounts for a Contracting Company
STARTING OUT · Cash Flow & Payments — A practical walkthrough of separating business and personal banking, five Profit First cash allocation accounts, and responsible contractor cash management.
Pre-Appointment Client Screening Checklist
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS · Marketing & Sales — Qualify new contractor inquiries by project fit, service area, budget, timing, and decision-maker before scheduling an estimate. Free PDF delivered after a short signup.
Contractor Business Launch Checklist
STARTING OUT · Operations & Growth — Startup milestones, business and personal banking separation, Profit First account structure, financial planning, bookkeeping, independent insurance, networking, and a 90-day roadmap. Twelve-page free PDF.
30-Day Contractor Marketing Plan
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS · Marketing & Sales — Thirty days of marketing actions, Google Business Profile and Facebook walkthroughs, Google Sheets lead tracking, and a printable scorecard. Seven-page free PDF.
7-Day Estimate Follow-Up Guide
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS · Marketing & Sales — Phone follow-up scripts, ready-to-use emails, Gmail scheduling instructions, and an estimate tracking worksheet. Five-page free PDF.
Free Articles & Business Education
Explore practical, free articles on starting, managing, and growing a contracting business. From estimating and pricing to marketing, cash flow, customer management, and daily operations, find straightforward advice you can put to work in your business.