Tradesmen are the salt of the earth. They are the ones who make the world a better place and allow us to live an easier life. Our company deals with the trades on a daily basis in developing mobile home parks and with good results HOWEVER, here are some hints on how it could be made better.

Communicate

• Tell us when you’re going to finish.
• Tell us if you fall behind.
• Don’t make us ask.

It’s very difficult for a small business or a dedicated tradesman to run on schedule like a large bureaucratic company does. The large companies have the layers of bureaucracy to make sure that deadlines are honored, deliverables are delivered, and variances are not exceeded.

We want to work with you, not with a big company, that’s the reason we chose you. You’re doing the work yourself, you’re a person, not a bureaucracy. We can look each other in the eye. Shake each other’s hand. Communicate!

Please don’t make promises you can’t keep, and no need to hide from the promises you’ve made. Just communicate. You would be surprised at how much slack people will give you if you just communicate early and often.