What Non-Project Supplies Does Your Contracting Business Need?

A hard hat adorned with a contractor license sticker is sitting on a desk next to pens and pencils.

With most jobs, you can pretty easily figure out which tools and supplies you need for a particular task. All the administrative stuff you must-have for a business is another matter entirely. It’s like looking around your home office for a pen, only on a much bigger scale. There are lots of tools and supplies you’ll need in the day-to-day running of your contracting business, and you’ve got to know what they are before you can shop. This checklist helps you outfit your business.

Technological Equipment
Technological devices for your business probably feel like second nature, but you’d be surprised how much they can entail. For example, you might expect that you’ll need a laptop. Plan to buy extra cables for charging and a laptop case to protect it. These days, many businesses do not rely on regular computers, preferring instead to use apps on their smartphones or tablets. In this case, it might be worth getting a full-sized keyboard and a good case for it. Keep in mind that construction sites do not tend to be very friendly to electronics, especially if there is a lot of dust or debris flying around. If you can’t find ways to protect them, you’ll have to replace them more frequently.

Communications
The way that you prefer to communicate with clients can dramatically increase or decrease the equipment you need for your business. Many companies still choose to keep a landline, especially if the coverage at the office or workspace isn’t that great. If you do have a landline or Internet access that isn’t dependent on your mobile service, you’ll need phones, a router and a modem. Keep in mind that if you choose to do without them, you’ll be more dependent on your mobile provider for every aspect of communications for your business. That might work great or be a nightmare, depending on your coverage and reception. Consider investing in a headset that will allow you to make phone calls with clients that filters out background noise.

Payment Systems
How you collect money for your business calls for tools of one form or another. If you plan to use a paper invoicing system, you’ll need software and a printer or scanner. If you’re trying to avoid this added complication, you’ll be pleased to see how many people use their smartphones or tablets to take payments from customers these days. Of course, this works better for consumers than businesses that have complicated invoicing and payment processes. But if you can get away with it, you might just need tools that you can connect to your phone to swipe credit cards.

Office Supplies
Thinking about the office supplies you should buy has changed a lot even in the past five years. You’ll want a place to sit and work, even if it’s at home. That calls for a desk, chair and good lighting. What you need after that depends on how you want to run your business.

People who wouldn’t have thought about running a paperless office do it with relative ease now. This means that you might be working mostly from your devices and storing your information in the Cloud. If you’re not, you’ll need a few things to help keep things organized, like:

You may not need to keep a stock of mailing supplies, unless you need to ship things to customers or your supply chain on a regular basis. In many cases, you may just be able to get what you need at the post office or shipping store on an as-needed basis.

If it feels like all you do for your business is buy supplies and you haven’t even started it yet, you’re not alone. Keeping the right tools and equipment allows you to focus on the projects that make you money. To learn more about preparing for the contractor licensing exam and other requirements you’ll need to start your contracting business, visit CSLS today!