It’s certainly no secret that things have been slow in the economy lately. The
impact on construction, with the exception of projects fueled by the federal stimulus
program, has been quite severe. Jobs are scarce, competition is fierce, and financing
is hard to come by. In the face of this “Perfect Storm” many contractors, architects,
and engineering firms have cut staff – even sales staff – attempting to maintain
profitability. For some, things are reaching the crisis stage. But in every crisis there
is opportunity.

In this climate many construction-related companies are turning outward for
assistance. Instead of maintaining expensive, underutilized in-house capabilities,
they are retaining outside help on an ad-hoc basis. While this is not a new
phenomenon, the scale at which it is occurring is unprecedented. And it is now
happening in areas heretofore unaffected. An example is in the field of construction
sales. Traditionally, business has been developed almost exclusively by the use of in-
house sales professionals. Sure, companies occasionally paid a “finders fee” to an
outside entity for a referred job. However the accepted method was through the use
of salaried or commissioned employees, with the up front expense that entailed.

But now Carter and Cline, LLC, of Dayton, Ohio is filling the void created by
downsizing sales staff. Through a broad network of contacts, our consultants are
helping clients through the early stages of project development. The goal is to bring
a more viable customer to the construction market while simultaneously assisting
the customer through an unfamiliar process. A fee will be paid to Carter and Cline
by the contractor retained to do the project. Payment is not due until the
construction contract is signed.