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What Are the Top 7 Challenges Commercial Engineering Companies Are Facing Today?

October 30, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Running a brick and mortar business in today’s predominantly digital world can be challenging. Consumers today want immediate contact and answers and almost as fast results. This makes it difficult for just about any business, but when you are involved in commercial engineering – an industry where it takes time to plan safe, accurate structures – it creates extra obstacles.

Commercial engineering is a term that encompasses all industries from industrial to recreational engineering. If a building is being constructed or renovated, a commercial engineer is required. Engineering also covers addressing potential problems that may occur in the future and designing structures that will mitigate or fix those issues before they happen.

But to complete a client’s project within a budget, in the agreed upon, specified time frame, and within the requirements of commercial zoning regulations takes careful planning.

Because of these considerations, commercial engineering is one of the most challenging industries to work in today. Those in charge or and working in these companies must acknowledge and overcome many obstacles, like these 7 challenges faced in the industry today.

7 Challenges Commercial Engineering Companies Must Overcome

Although the term “commercial engineering” is used to cover a wide array of projects, it often is found hand-in-hand with the following services:

Land planning, creating plans for buildings, and anything that requires the drawing and analysis of plans
Zoning, rezoning, permit applications, applications for special exemptions or special use permits
Managing construction on and off-site, including obtaining insurance for such
Running and analyzing feasibility and environmental studies to create a macro picture of the finished product before any time, money, and effort are put in further
Surveying the property before, during, and after construction
Whole-site engineering, from the water resources to the infrastructure
Preparing documents, including permits, construction documents, and all other applications and contracts
All aspects of civil engineering, including cordoning off roadways while construction is underway, working with the city or county to construct new entryways, and abiding by all ordinances

It’s a complicated job, but somebody’s got to do it.

As all of these aspects are considered, though, there are always obstacles that keep the commercial engineer from being able to simply do their job in a manner that takes them from point A to point B directly, such as:

1. Taking the environment into consideration. Yes, the ecosystem should be a priority in every new building. However, the current climate crisis makes it extra challenging for engineers who are constantly working to predict and reduce damage from environmental stimuli before it happens.

The climate in which a commercial engineering company like Cochran Engineering is predominantly working will determine where their main focus in this area is given. With the significant damage to industrial and residential buildings in hurricane-prone areas, engineers must plan their structures in such a way that damage from floods and winds is mitigated.

Similarly, those who build in zones where wildfires are rampant must work to find ways to reduce damage from heat and fire. This same concept applies to commercial engineers in any climate with the potential for severe weather.

This often means that top engineering companies are working ahead of the current available materials and solutions to find new, improved ways to help protect the environment and their projects.

It’s why engineers must consider everything from the way their plans may cause pollution to the potential to use what they are working on to create sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy solutions.

The impact that the commercial engineer’s design may have on future generations means that ignorance is not an excuse. The engineer must stay up-to-date and ahead on environmental pollutants, damage caused by other buildings, and problems with infrastructures around the world so that they don’t make the same mistakes.

2. Water accessibility. Once commercial engineers have determined that what they are doing will not impact the environment detrimentally, they must then figure out how to make clean, fresh, sustainable water accessible throughout their structures.

This obstacle is a common one that often requires working and planning together with the county or city to access fresh water and hiring commercial plumbers to create a network of pipes that cover both drinking water and septic system access.

Ensuring that the water used meets or exceeds the quality standards set by the EPA is part of this job, as well. There are federal standards that must be adhered to, and these standards may change.

Today’s knowledge makes this aspect of engineering more important than ever in the past. With so many mistakes made in history due to ignorance of science that caused significant, widespread health conditions, it’s crucial that the water systems be clean and free of pollutants.

3. Ongoing education. Technology is in a constant state of flux. It’s ever-changing. Since commercial engineering covers such a broad range of factors, it’s crucial that those working in the industry are always staying up-to-date with the changes.

Commercial engineers must be on the forefront of every field in their industry. They should be aware or ahead of changes in protecting the environment, water stabilization and zoning regulations and laws. But they also need to stay update on computer technology and new, improved programs released that could make their work more efficient and faster.

4. Security. No one in today’s society is immune to potential cybercrimes. For those working in commercial engineering, where so much of the work is done in the shareable cloud or on networks, cybertheft is a major concern.

As a commercial engineer, it’s not only important to secure your own company’s access to sensitive data, but it might even be on the agenda to design and create software programs that use new technology to prevent cybercrime yourself.

5. Increasing supply costs. Online shopping makes it easy to price-check and many consumers want the lowest price without taking into consideration quality. To attract customers, commercial engineering companies may bid low after looking into current rates for the raw materials necessary to complete the project.

The problem arises when, by the time the client signs the contract and the labor begins, the raw material prices have escalated significantly. Unless you have specifically stipulated that the client must pay the difference in materials, which is often what scares away the consumer, you will have to eat that cost yourself, cutting into your profit.

Big commercial engineering companies are able to get better prices by buying in bulk, but small companies stuck in this same predicament are financially impacted when raw material prices skyrocket.

6. Irrational deadlines. Contemporary society lives in a constant state of immediate gratification. Many clients will expect deadlines that are not feasible and will threaten to go elsewhere if they are not met.

Some companies will turn those clients away, choosing safety and careful planning over a potentially turbulent client. But other companies will strive to meet those impossible deadlines, especially smaller companies who need the business and word-of-mouth advertising.

The problem with irrational deadlines, aside from the added stress and safety concerns when planning is rushed, is that you can’t control the zoning and permits. Clients who are given a timeframe when an aspect of the project will be met are usually unhappy when that date is delayed, even when it’s not your fault.

Permits require time and reliance on people you have no control over, so if you agree to irrational deadlines, be sure to warn your client ahead on the areas that may delay the project and include those areas on your contract.

7. Insurance. Commercial engineering companies are responsible for obtaining insurance coverage for multiple aspects.

If you have employees, you most likely have to offer them the minimum coverage required by federal law. This can get expensive, even if they are paying their share. Health insurance premiums on average go up 6% every year, with the employer compensating for at least part of this increase.

Additionally, you may have to have general liability coverage for any construction delay or defect, coverage for accidents that happen during your project, and worker’s compensation insurance.

The insurance premiums alone can put a small commercial engineering company out of business if they are not careful with their planning or if a major incident occurs.

Engineering is a Tough Field, But It’s Rewarding

Commercial engineering is extremely difficult, even with all of the computer software designed to make it simpler. For those who have the calling and skill to work in this industry, it’s a rewarding career.

Not everyone can handle the multitasking, higher level thinking, and micro and macro planning required to work in commercial engineering. These aspects alone make it difficult to find competent employees or business owners, but adding in the other 7 challenges faced in the industry today makes it even harder.

The extreme difficulty commercial engineers face, though, means that they are in high demand. Even with all of these obstacles, having a reputable commercial engineer working on a project with you means that your final outcome will be done right and last for the long-term.

How Your Business Can Bounce Back From A Cyber-Attack

October 29, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

A lot of small business owners assume that most cyber-criminals will target the big companies because they hold more data and they have a lot more money. But in reality, it’s the smaller businesses that are the biggest target. A big business has the capital to invest huge amounts of money in cyber-security, which means that they’re a much harder target for criminals. But smaller businesses often lack the funds or maybe they just neglect security because they don’t think that they’re a likely target, which means that hackers will go for them. Even if you have security measures in place, there is always the risk of a data breach, so it’s important that you have a plan in place to deal with it. Here’s what you need to do if you are the victim of a cyber-attack.

Secure Your Systems

The first thing that you need to do is secure your systems so no more data can be taken. The sooner you can identify how somebody gained access to your data and plug that gap, the more data you can save. A quick response here can limit the damage in a big way and you may not lose too much sensitive data if you are lucky.

Assess The Damage

Once you have secured your systems, you need to start rebuilding things. A cyber-attack can impact your business in a lot of different ways, and you need to work out the full extent of the damage. It’s important that you know exactly what data has been stolen because if you have lost customer data, they will need to know. An attack could also be used as a way to shut down your website as well, so check that everything is still online. Once you know exactly what damage has been done, you can start repairing it.

Restore Files

If you have lost files in the attack, they need to be restored so you can get things up and running and the business can continue operating as normal. It’s important that you have everything backed up properly so it’s simple to restore. If you don’t already have a backup, you need to find out more about setting one up from your IT services. Without a backup, your files will be lost for good and that will cause you no end of problems in the future.

Inform Customers

This is the worst part of the process for you, but it’s something that you can’t avoid. If customer data has been stolen, it puts them at risk of fraud, so they need to know about it. If they don’t contact their bank quickly, they may have money stolen from their account and that is going to make things a lot worse for you. If you call up customers right away, inform them of the situation, and apologize, you may be able to salvage the relationship and retain those customers.

As long as you take these steps immediately after a cyber-attack happens, you will be able to limit the damage and rebuild your business.

Hire (or train) Cyber Security Experts

Once you’ve done all that you can to mitigate a cyber attack, the next step is to make sure it never happens again. Preventing data theft and preserving data integrity needs to be a priority moving forward. Nothing is worse or more damaging to a business than a second cyber attack. Hire an experienced cyber security expert to join your team so you can put the right safeguards, processes and procedures in place. Or, consider sending a current employee back to school so they get the training they need to properly protect your business in 2019 and beyond.

How Long Does It Take to Rank in Google?

October 21, 2019 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

The standard response to this important question is “It depends”. This is because the algorithm behind Google Rankings is a complex system with at least 200 known factors. Trying to take into account all of these factors and come up with a universal formula for all websites is pretty much impossible.

The good news is that there is a study conducted by SEO tool provider Ahrefs that may be able to offer website owners a more concrete answer after all.

The first thing that the team at Ahrefs did was to calculate the average age of top-ranked pages. They took 2 million randomly selected keywords and pulled data on the Top 10 ranking pages for each of them. As it turned out, only 22% of pages that currently rank in the Top 10 on Google were created within one year.

The study also showed that no more than 5.7% of all studied pages ranked in the Top 10 search results within 1 year for at least 1 keyword. In other words, the Ahrefs study demonstrated that “old” pages clearly dominate the search engine results pages (SERP).What does this mean for the rest of the pages that aren’t as lucky as that 5.7 %? Take a look at the infographic below by The Website Group to find out!

The Modern Business World: 5 Challenges You’ll Face as an Executive

October 16, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to become an executive in today’s modern business world, not to mention industry knowledge and networking skills. But, as any executive knows, the success ladder is forever adding rungs. There’s always one more challenge to be accomplished and variations on current problems to keep any executive ever alert.

It’s the smart executive, however, who is always on the lookout for the problems that MAY arise, the difficulties that COULD pop up and who keeps his business, not to mention his career running on a track. There is any number of issues that could pop up at any time, but following, you’ll find the top five challenges a business executive could face in today’s world.

INCREASING COMPANY REVENUE

According to most executives, the task of raising revenues for the company or non-profit is never-ending. It could be seeking out start-up capital or keeping up month to month on a consistent basis. Let’s face it, money is on everyone’s minds from the top of the ladder on down. Sole proprietors and those with very few employees increasingly view revenue growth as their primary concern. In fact, some find it helpful to seek an ActionCOACH to help them conquer the many tasks that face today’s owners and executives. Business coaches help executives and even sole business owners develop a strategy to generate income, pitch their businesses to other executives, find leads and add new clients. The bottom line is that many executives find coaches an excellent source to help them bring in the business they need.

TIME

While the Rolling Stones sang, “Time is on my side”, that’s just not the case when it comes to executives. In fact, time is increasingly one of the most important assets a person can have. Finding time to complete all the tasks on a to-do list, managing more than one commitment at a time and balancing a corporate leadership position along with building your own business are all problematic for a number of people.

BEING THE LEADER

Whether you own a private company or are building teams to work along side you, leadership is vital to success. There’s the company culture to think of, gaining approval of the shareholders and leading the firm into the new decade. Finding the right person to work on teams with you and in positions for the company is a major challenge facing executives. Whether you have a small business or are managing a global group, balancing a team of employees, or recruiting talented new faces, human resources can be a thorn in your side or a place where your firm excels.

STRATIGIZING GROWTH

No one plans to fail, but failing to plan growth can definitely lead to the failure of a business. Typically, it’s not the small, mom and pop business that is so worrisome, but rather scaling up and expanding existing companies. The problem our business experts find is preparing a company to go to the next level and expanding where needed through organic growth.

MARKETING

Money is the key to growth, but to bring in that golden dollar, executives must get the word out and make their company visible. Attracting this attention in a positive manner, creating the right exposure for the company is brand can be tough. They face the roll of being heard above the Internet’s noise and facing down the competition in a busy market. Marketing in both print and online can be expensive, and there is a great deal of stress to be told of coming in under budget.

5 Cost-Effective Tips for Breaking into New Markets

October 16, 2019 by Keith Coppersmith Leave a Comment

Not every business leader dreams of expanding their brand into new markets, but that doesn’t mean that national and international expansion isn’t one of the most sought-after goals in the modern business world. After all, the global marketplace is becoming more accessible with each passing year, making it quite feasible for growth-oriented companies to expand overseas, and establish a foothold in an exciting new market with plenty of potential for long-term success.

But this doesn’t mean that expanding your business is an easy task, nor is it a guarantee that you’ll actually be able to generate a positive ROI in the months and years to follow. In reality, you need to execute a strong expansion strategy in order to prevent common pitfalls and financial hurdles, and solidify your position in a new market before the established competitors start pushing back. With all of that in mind, here are the best tips you need to implement into your strategy.

It all starts with meticulous research

As a go-getter business leader, you might want nothing more than to simply venture into a new marketplace and take the local demographic by storm, and that’s great, but you can’t hope to be successful without first tending to some diligent research. Knowledge is power in business, and obtaining valuable industry insights is especially important when you’re trying to maximize your new investment, reduce risk as much as possible, and get your foot into the proverbial door.

For these and many other important reasons, you need to research the new market, the new customer demographic, and your new competitors. The best way to do this in a way that’s manageable, clear, and concise, is to conduct a detailed SWOT analysis for each. This will allow you to discover the unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats regarding your company, the markets you plan to enter, the local demographic, and your top competitors so that you can develop your own competitive edge, drive innovation, and tailor the message to appeal to your new audience from the start.

Tailor the branding and messaging to the audience

You might have an amazing brand that your current local audience knows and loves, but out there, you’re starting from scratch, and people might not be as receptive. Not that there’s anything wrong with your current brand identity, messaging, visuals, or narrative, it’s just that different communities and cultures respond differently to these stimuli, especially if you’re an outsider they’ve never seen before. People love the brands they’re familiar with, so the moment you enter a new market, you’re at a disadvantage.

So, you need to make a big impact, and you need to make one fast. Leverage the insights you’ve gathered to refine your brand and optimize it for the new customer base, making sure that the narrative speaks to their hearts and minds, that your visuals stand out and evoke positive emotions, and that your messages carry weight while embodying values that truly matter. It’s not an easy task, but it’s nonetheless imperative if you are to capture their attention, inspire them to visit your site or your store, and develop a meaningful relationship with your brand.

Make sure the law is on your side

One of the most important elements of successful international business expansion is making sure that the law is on your side. Sometimes, the local legislature will prevent you from expanding into the local market on your own, and you might have to acquire a strategic partner. For example, real estate agencies and independent agents that want to obtain properties in other countries are often finding that the local laws prohibit them from owning land as foreigners, but that doesn’t mean that expansion is impossible.

In Indonesia, as a prime example, there are dedicated investment firms the likes of Invest Islands that specialize in giving foreign investors that are expanding overseas access to property procurement in the country, but they also simplify the process with experience and professional guidance. Following the same mindset, be sure to consider acquiring such strategic partners yourself when you’re expanding your company, in order to always stay on the right side of the law.

Strive to maintain and improve your level of service

When companies expand, the first thing that tends to go down is the quality of their service. Yes, the workload has quadrupled, and yes, you have to spread your resources across multiple fronts now, but unfortunately that is no excuse to lower your standards – because everyone will notice, especially the clients back home. Be sure to allocate enough resources to expand without jeopardizing your relationship with your existing clientele, and make sure that you have enough money and a sizable workforce to deliver and overdeliver in the new marketplace.

Build long-term relationships

And finally, always remember that long-term success in a new market depends on your ability to build long-lasting relationships. Regardless of your industry or niche, you need to build relationships with all strategic partners and relevant parties in order to elevate your brand’s reputation, get better deals and discounts with suppliers, and get the local customer demographic to trust you. Trust is the keyword you’re looking for here, and you can only achieve it by nurturing existing contacts, and networking to obtain new ones.

Final thoughts

Venturing into a new market can be exciting and exhilarating, but it can also feel quite daunting at times, simply because of the sheer number of obstacles standing between you and long-term success. Using these tips, though, you should have no problem executing a strong expansion strategy and generating a positive ROI in the first couple of years.