Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and the best of everything this holiday season to all my friends. I am thinking all things peace this year, thinking that if we bring peace to ourselves and to those around us, the little things such as acceptance and forgiveness will simply fall in place…and the world will be better. So, Peace is the PEOPLE word for 2017.

Our next PEOPLE meeting will be Tuesday, Feb 13, at the offices of Hillsdale Fabricators, 2150 Kienlen (former world headquarters of Alberici) from 4:00 to 5:30. If you have a 2018 calendar and are still like me and use a real paper calendar on your desk, write it down. Punching in on your phone is also most acceptable. Additional notices will be send after the clock turns 2018. This meeting will mark the beginning of our fifth year of PEOPLE meetings–how time flies. Personally, I feel we have become a credible “non” organization and still have many good things to do.

Our future plans include a grand spring meeting at the offices of SM Wilson in March of next year—date and time and details to be announced. You will not want to miss this one. For now, mark down March 13th, second Tuesday in March.

For now, let’s keep talking, learning, bidding, gathering contacts and contracts and growing our lives and our companies. For those that do not have a copy of my book GUIDE TO BETTER BUSINESS, they are available at MOKAN, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on South Grand, Cross Rhodes office on Macklind and simply be e mailing me at PEOPLEofconstruction@gmail.com. The books are free but I ask for a $10.00 donation to help defray the cost of printing. The book offers some helpful hints on how to write a business plan; accounting; marketing; business development; project management; cost control; legal; bonding; insurance and all things pertinent to growing a small commercial construction business. You will not get all the answers in this book but hopefully it will give you a great start and motivate you to learn more.

The book includes a RESOURCES section with the names and contact information of everyone you need to know. In addition there are names of people and organizations ready and willing to help you in areas of accounting, estimating, marketing, business development, insurance, bonding, legal and business consulting. You should really have a copy of this book on your desk. My goal is to get a copy in the hands of every small, struggling entrepreneur entering the commercial construction business–be they minority or otherwise.

That’s it for now–see everyone in February. Remember to seek out and hug your family and help your friends in need this Christmas season…and keep and spread the peace.

Ron