Hue & Cry Closed For Thanksgiving – Safe Shopping Tips For Black Friday

The business offices of Hue & Cry Security Systems will be closed November 24-25 for Thanksgiving.

Our Central Alarm Monitoring Center and Security and Fire System Repair Service will remain open as usual.  If you have any questions for our business office, feel free to contact us on our contact page.  We will be back open at normal business hours on Monday, November 28.

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving with family and friends!  For those of you doing some holiday shopping this week, here are some important shopping safety tips.

9 Black Friday Safety Tips

If you plan on doing any shopping on Black Friday or this weekend, be sure to follow the consumer safety advice below.

1. Shop with Family and Friends – You’re safer in numbers and less likely to be a target for thieves.

2. Keep Your Shopping Bags Near You – Whether you’re in a store, at lunch or in a restroom, keep your shopping back near you at all times.

3. Keep Shopping Bags Out of Sight in Vehicle – If possible, drop shopping bags off at home before visiting another store.  At the very least, keep items out of sight in your vehicle.

4. Lock Your Vehicle – During the holidays, double check to make sure that you have locked your vehicle’s doors and enabled the car alarm.

5. Watch Your Purse/Wallet – Keep your purse zipped up and near you at all times.  For men, keep your wallet in an inside coat pocket or in a font pocket.

6. Avoid Help from Strangers – It’s better to get help from store representatives or family and friends.  Some “helpful” strangers may turn out to be thieves.

7. Don’t Carry Large Amounts of Cash – Limit the amount of cash in your purse or wallet.  Also be very discrete when counting money.

8. Pay Attention to Surroundings – Don’t get too distracted while shopping.  Always pay attention to your surroundings.

9. Leave the Kids at Home with Family – It’s better to leave the kids at home with family or friends.  If you take the kids out shopping, have a plan in place in case you get separated.

5 Online Shopping Safety Tips

If you’re considering doing any online shopping, you’ll want to make sure you follow these safety tips.

1. Shop at Reputable Websites – Shop at familiar websites and online stores.  Always make sure the website starts with HTTPS:// when you’re making a purchase.

2. Pay with Credit Cards – Avoid paying with a debit/check card.  This will help to protect your checking account.  The safest bet is using pre-paid credit cards.

3. Shop on Your Computer – Don’t shop on a public computer at a coffee shop or at a library.  You never know who could be watching you.

4. Never Store Credit Card Information – Many online stores allow you to store credit card information for easy access.  This is not safe.  You never know when someone can hack into the account.

5. Avoid Deals Too Good to be True – Be on the look out for email scams and other online cons.  Don’t respond to any suspicious emails with deals that seem to good to be true.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

While it’s important to be safe this holiday season, remember to also enjoy your time with family and friends.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’re a family owned and operated business.  We understand what’s important to families.

For more great security tips, read these other posts on the Hue & Cry Security Blog.

The Top Five Holiday Travel Tips For Airports

Holiday Driving Safety Tips That Will Keep Your Family Safe

Homeowners: Be On The Lookout for Door-to-Door Scam Artists

Why Buy From A Local Alarm Company?

There are lots of important reasons to shop and buy from locally owned businesses.

When it comes to your home and business security needs, here are some important reasons that you should buy local. 

1. Better Service – With a local alarm company, you get better service.  It’s because a local alarm company is part of your community.  They aren’t worried about selling alarms in some state far across the country.  They’re more interested in providing the best service possible in their own backyard.

2. Local Job Growth – The people installing your alarm as well as the high-level managers and owners live in your community.  That means more jobs for the local economy.  Considering the high unemployment rate, the best way to grow jobs in your area is by buying local.

3. Keep Money In Community – When you buy from large, national alarm companies, that money leaves your community.  When you buy local, the money stays in your community.  This helps to create more jobs and improve your quality of life in your town.

4. Great Prices – Local businesses such as alarm companies help to stimulate competition.  More competition means better prices for you.  Without local businesses, you’ll have to pay more for security monitoring, home security alarms and other security services.  No national company should have a monopoly over any security services.

5. Investment In Community – When you buy from a local alarm company, the taxes the company pays stay in your community.  Additionally, any charitable contributions the company makes are going to be in your community.  According to Sustainable Connections, non-profit organizations receive an average 250 percent more support from local businesses when compared to large national companies.

6. Environment Sustainability – Whether you’re buying locally grown produce or working with a local alarm company, you’re improving the environment.  Buying local reduces automobile and use, which improves air quality in your community.

7. Enhances Character of Community – Local businesses are one of many things that make a community unique.  When you buy from national chains, your community starts to look like every other city in America.  The local businesses are what give a community its unique flavor.

What Makes A Business Local?

There are many of businesses that claim to be local.  However, many are not.  Here are three important factors that make a business local.

• First Factor: The business is headquartered in the region where you live.
• Second Factor: A majority of the employees live in or around your community.
• Third Factor: The business is privately held.

These factors will help you determine if the business is a true local business.

Finding Local Businesses

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’re a family owned business that focuses on serving families and businesses in Northern California and Oregon.

To find listings of local businesses in your community, visit:

• Local San Francisco Shopping List

• Sacramento Local Business Directory

• Anderson, California Local Businesses

• Medford, Oregon Chamber of Commerce Businesses

All of these resources are great places to find other local businesses in the communities that we serve.

For questions on how we can help you with your security needs, give us a call today at 1-800-762-3196 or visit the Hue & Cry Security Systems Contact Page.

Homeowners: Be On The Lookout for Door-to-Door Scam Artists

Law enforcement officials are reporting that scam artists are going door-to-door ripping off residents with a deceptive sales pitch.

Victims say these con artists are posing as door-to-door salespeople or representatives of existing alarm companies.  The scammers convince people to pay for “upgrades” to their services.

These often expensive upgrades are actually simply a transfer of an account to the scammer’s company and results in huge undisclosed fees.

If you are suspicious that someone may be attempting to scam you, calmly collect their information and contact your local law enforcement office as soon as possible.

How to Spot a Scam Artist

Not all door-to-door salespeople are scammers and it’s important that you can tell the difference between a legitimate representative of your alarm company and a phony.

Here is how you can tell the difference:

• A legitimate company will call you for an appointment, not walk door-to-door.

• Ask For A License – All alarm company employees are required by law to have an Alarm Company Employee (ACE) license. This means that they have undergone a complete Department of Justice background check, fingerprint scan, and are required to follow a strict set of operating procedures. If you are approached by someone that does not have their license with them, it’s a good bet that they are a scammer.

• Research Their Company – If you are buying a new system or transferring your alarm monitoring, research the company the salesperson works for before buying anything. Check out their website and make sure that they are legitimate. Never be pressured into buying an alarm system or monitoring without first doing the proper research.

• Examine The Salesperson – Are they wearing the uniform from the company they claim to work for? Do they claim to be from Honeywell or GE (alarm manufacturers) instead of the actual company you have security services with? If you have any reason to doubt their credentials, contact your security company directly and ask about the person you talked to.

How to Protect Yourself

We see similar things with door-to-door magazine scams.  In both cases, don’t let a suspicious salesperson into your home.  A con artist will try their best to gain entry into your home.  Don’t fall for any tricks, flattery or deceptions.

This is especially important during any holidays.  People tend to put their guard down during holidays such as Christmas, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.

Senior Magazine Online has a number of good tips for dealing with phony door-to-door salespeople, and these tips aren’t just for senior citizens.

• Never pay for services in cash
• Never make checks out to a person. It should be to a company
• Most reputable businesses can bill you later in the mail
• Don’t be pressured into some “fantastic” deal

For other types of door-to-door scams read How to Identify Door to Door Scams.  You’ll learn about other types of scams con artists attempt on unsuspecting homeowners.

Don’t risk getting scammed. Immediately report any suspicious contact with door-to-door alarm salespeople to police and help protect your neighbors from these criminals.

How To Manage Your Teen’s Online Behavior

Nearly 90 percent of America’s teens go online.  That’s more than 20 million people ages 12 to 17, according to Pew Internet.

Like teens behind the wheel of a car, teens behind the keyboard pose some serious risks such as:

• Online Predators
• Cyberbullying
• Information/Identity Theft
• Teen Obesity

To help protect your teen from these risks, here is how you can manage your teen’s online behavior.

Limit Internet Activity 

According to one teen online use report, adolescents spend as much as 31 hours online in a given week.  That’s more than a day!

That’s time they can be spending doing homework, exercising or spending time with family and friends.  It’s no secret that teen obesity is on the rise.  Limiting internet use is one way to keep your teen healthy.

But before you ban internet in your household, consider different after-school activities to eat up that time they’re spending online.  Get your teen involved in:

• Sports
• Arts/Music
• After-School Clubs
• Volunteer Work

By taking this simple step, you’ll be amazed how much less time they spend on the internet.  You also won’t be yelling at your teen to get off the computer.

Keep Internet Use in Public Areas

If you want to better monitor your teen’s online behavior, consider limiting internet use to public areas.  Don’t allow them to have online access in bedrooms or other private areas.

Obviously, this could be difficult to do if you have iPads, smartphones and other mobile devices in your home.  If this is the case, consider building a trusting relationship before you give them an iPad or a smartphone.

Start out with a computer that is located in a public area.  If your teen shows responsibility, then consider getting them the smartphone or iPad.

Discuss Cyberbullying

More than anything else, your teen may become a victim of cyberbullying.  This is when a teen is threatened, harassed or humiliated by another teen on the internet.

These kinds of actions can cause your teen to seek revenge, avoid friends or even become a cyberbully.

The National Crime Prevention Council suggests building a trusting relationship with your teen so they will feel comfortable telling you about the cyberbullying problem.  Additionally, limiting your teen’s time online can help to solve this problem.

Changing Social Network Settings to Private Isn’t Enough

As parents, we hear the horror stories of online predators lurking on social networks and other online sites.

To protect your teens, they need to understand that changing their social network settings to private isn’t enough.  In most cases, you can still pull name, location and profile pictures from “private” social media networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

That means online predators are a Google search away from finding phone numbers and addresses.

To help you adjust your teen’s privacy settings for social networks, read these posts:

• 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
• About Public and Protected Tweets
• Privacy Settings on MySpace: What You Need To Know

Like driving, you may also want to keep them off of social networks until they reach a particular age … maybe 16.

Talk with Your Teens

Most importantly, talk with your teens about online use.  When talking with your teen, consider these five important talking points from Common Sense Media:

• Never provide personal information to anyone online
• Don’t talk to people you don’t already know
• Nothing on the internet is “private”
• Don’t download things without parent’s permission
• Never share passwords

Obviously, this is easier said than done.  To help communicate with your teen, parenting experts say you should:

• Be patient
• Listen to your child
• Be honest
• Talk about it again and again

If you follow these tips, you should be on your way to building a trusting relationship with your teen.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’re a family-operated businesses that provides home security systems to families in Northern California and Oregon.  For more great security tips, read the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog.

12 Things NOT To Do On A Job Site

We all know the rules.  Yet how often are they broken on a construction job site?

More often than they should … which means decreases in productivity and wasted time.

If you want to get things done on time and on budget, you should avoid these 12 things on your construction job site.

#1 – Drag Out Meetings – Meetings will cost you some serious money on the job site, especially ones that drag on forever.  Try to do a better job at making sure meetings stay on schedule.  For more tips, read How To Run An Effective Construction Site Meeting.

#2 – Ignore Local Building Code – It’s important to follow local building code regulations.  This may not always be top of mind.  You’re asking for some serious delays if you don’t follow the codes.

#3 – Have Lazy Maintenance Policies – It’s important to have good maintenance and cleanup policies on site.  Messy construction sites can cause delays.  They also can pose serious safety risks.  For example, oily rags stored in a trailer could cause a construction trailer fire.  It’s happened before.

#4 – Failure to Communicate – Communication is critical on a job site.  If the lines of communication are not open, there can be some serious arguments between contractors, suppliers, etc.  Pointless arguments can grind productivity to a standstill.

#5 – Hire Unreliable Workers – This may seem like common sense, but as the old saying goes, good work is hard to find.  To ensure that you hire quality employees, check employee qualifications and do background checks.  There are lots of great online resources for background checks.

#6 – Lack of Coordination – Timing is everything on a construction site.  Building supplies and crews need to be on the site at certain days and at certain times in order to get things done.  It all goes back to point number three … you need communication if you want coordination.

#7 – Let Visitors Roam Free – You’re asking for a lawsuit if visitors are allowed on to your site without supervision.  Having a visitor management policy for construction sites is a great way to allow visitors to safely be on a construction site.

#8 – Improper Security Measures – If you don’t properly secure your job site at the end of the day, you’re asking for vandalism and theft.  Construction sites are prime targets for building material theft.  Copper and other precious metals are prime targets.

#9 – Purchase Rarely Used Construction Equipment – If you want to save money, consider renting construction equipment before purchasing it.  Calculate the hourly cost of equipment before buying and renting.  You can learn more by reading, “How to Increase the Productivity of Your Construction Equipment.”

#10 – Improper Placement of Toilets – OK we’re talking about toilets, but you would be surprised how many problems they can cause.  It’s important to keep portable toilets away from storm drains to avoid contamination.  It’s also a good idea to properly secure them to avoid vandalism.

#11 – Disregard OSHA Rules – Can there be a bigger bonehead mistake than this?  Always be on the lookout for employee safety.  Follow OSHA rules and regulations for the safety of workers and to avoid costly fines.

#12 – Ignore Environmental Regulations – You’re going to have to pay some hefty fines if your site is not in compliance with EPA regulations.  Make sure proper environmental procedures are in place on your job site.

Avoiding these tips will help a lot on your job site.  For more great tips, join the discussion on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Facebook Page.  It’s the number one spot for contractors looking for helpful advice and more!

How To Use Online Resources To Conduct Employee Background Checks

It’s estimated that up to 40 percent of job applications and resumes contain false information.

If you want to find the best workers of your next construction project, you’ll want to use the employee background check resources below.

These resources are easy to use and will help you sort the good applicants from the bad applicants.

Online Searches

One of the first things that you’ll want to do is actually confirm the applicant’s identity.  An easy way to do this is by doing a White Pages search on the internet.  Websites such as Whitepages.com and Yahoo! People Search are great online resources to confirm an applicant’s identity.

There is of course Google.  But typing a person’s name into the search engine isn’t going to get you much information.  You’ll need to include location into the search to pull more results.

Use Social Media 

If you want to learn more about a potential job applicant, consider checking to see if they have any public social media profiles.  Good social media sites to check are Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Social media background checks are becoming quite popular.  You can find out:

• Attitude and Ethics
• Personal Background
• A Real Representation of the Applicant

You can compare the person’s application to their social media profiles to make sure that things match up.  You’ll also get a snapshot of the applicant’s personality and more via pictures and posts.

Check with Clerk of Courts

If you want to check to see if the applicant has any recent criminal issues, check in with your local clerk of courts website.  Most county clerk of courts websites has a search by name function.

When searching, make sure you properly crosscheck the information with the person’s name, address, date of birth, etc.  It’s important to check your state laws when examining past criminal information.

Important Credit Report Information

Before getting a credit report, you must obtain an employee’s written consent under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)  If you decide to not hire an applicant because of credit history, the law states you must supply the applicant with a copy of the credit report.  They have the right to challenge the report under the FCRA.

Also don’t live and die with credit reports.  In today’s economy, it’s likely there are going to be a few blemishes on credit reports.

Background Check Services

If you don’t have time to do a background check on your own, there are plenty of reliable online services that will charge for a complete background check.

Top 10 Reviews provides an excellent database of the top background check services.  The database provides information on ease of use, pricing, criminal information covered in report, public information records and criminal information.

Pricing on these services varies.  Some are as low as $10.  Others cost as much as $100.

Use Caution When Using Online Resources

It’s important to use caution when using online resources for background checks.  You’ll want to make sure that you are not violating any state hiring laws when using online resources.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has some important tips and guidance that will help with any background checks.   Their website covers credit reports, criminal records, medical records, bankruptcies, military service and more.  It’s a must read before you conduct any background checks.

Get More Tips For Contractors On Facebook

If you’re looking to get more tips and best practices specifically for contractors, head over to the Hue & Cry Security Systems Facebook Page.  There, you’ll join in on some great discussions with other contractors.

The Top 20 iPad Apps For Contractors & Small Business Owners

There are tons of great iPad apps for small businesses.

Intuit, Small Biz Trends and Business Insider are just a few sites that have lists of the top iPad apps for small business owners.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we wanted to create a list of iPad apps for small business owners in the construction industry.

The 20 apps below will help you on the job site, in the construction trailer and at home.  These apps reduce stress, increase productivity and help you meet your goals!

For The Construction Trailer

1. Todo for iPad – Keep track of your daily tasks with this easy to use task manager for the iPad.  This app features drag and drop sorting and more. $4.99.
2. Numbers – Create easy-to-use spreadsheets on your iPad.  This app includes more than 250 functions to help you create impressive charts and tables. $9.99.
3. iTalk Recorder – Record meetings and more with this iPad app.  Manage all of your recordings with a single fingertip.  It’s very easy to use. Free.
4. Evernote – Take important notes on the go with Evernote.  With the iPad, you can take text and audio notes as well as view existing content from your computer. Free.
5. Calendars – Manage your meetings online and offline with this iPad app.  With Calendars, you can easily move events by dragging and dropping them on your calendar. $6.99.
6. Alarmed – Get pop-up reminders sent to your iPad.  It’s easy to create lots of customizable reminders that will keep you on track. Free.
7. FingerCAD – Create quick CAD drawings on your iPad.  You can easily send any drawings via email to be printed.  $5.99.
8. Pages – With this app, you can type memos and other documents from your iPad.  We recommend purchasing a keyboard if you’re doing a lot of typing. $9.99.

In The Field 

9. E-Calc – Calculate many formulas based on the electrical code with this app.  It includes load amperage formulas and more.  $9.99.
10. Concrete Calculator – Calculate the cost for concrete on the job with this calculator for the iPad and iPhone.  You’ll get the required cubic yards of concrete as well as total cost.  $0.99.
11. Project Quote Estimate – Figure out costs for lumber, drywall, asphalt and more with this construction field estimator.  $4.99.
12. iBlue Print – View blueprints from your iPad with this app.  iBlue Print allows you to pinch-zoom on any part of a blueprint. Free.
13. iHandy Level – Turn your iPad as well as your iPhone into a level on the job site.  It works great when you need to quickly check if something is level. Free.
14. Contract Maker Pro – Don’t have time to go back into the trailer for a contract?  Create one on your iPad with Contract Maker Pro. $4.99.

At Home 

15. Stress Check– Monitor your stress levels with this app for the iPad.  Save your scores to see if you’re doing a good job keeping your stress in check.  Free.
16. Easy Relax – After a hard day on the job, use the Easy Relax to reduce stress levels.  Create custom sounds that will calm you down.  It’s great to listen to before sleeping. $0.99.
17. Diet & Food Tracker – A healthy diet makes success a lot easier.  Use this app to track what you’re eating at home and on the job.
18. Morning Motivation – Wake up on the right side of the bed with Morning Motivation.  This app asks you five questions to remind you of the great things in your life. $1.99.
19. Happiness Tips – Find inspiration with this app.  Happiness Tips provides you with hundreds of tips to find happiness at home and at work.  Free.
20. LEED Green – Study to become LEED certified with this app.  It’s great for preparing for the LEED Green Associates exam.  $8.99.

For More Great Ideas Contact Us! 

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’re the number one fire and security contractor in Northern California and Oregon.  We have lots of ideas that can help you increase productivity on the job site!

People love us because we finish jobs on time and on budget.  For great ideas and how we can help you today, give us a call at 800-762-3196 or visit the Hue & Cry Security Systems Contact Page.

Things That Kill Construction Site Productivity

Every contractor knows that productivity is the key to success.

Consistently achieving high levels of productivity is the challenge.

Below are some of the top productivity killers on construction sites.  In this post, you’ll learn some of the best ways to handle these productivity issues and get your project back on track!

Lack of Communication – Communication is very important to construction site productivity.

Without good communication, success will be difficult.  With so many moving pieces on a job site, you want to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Communication experts at Bacal & Associates suggest the following tips:

• Make sure people understand your directions: Ask them if they have any questions and if they understand the directions.

• Listen to your employees: It’s not just about barking orders … communication is a two-way street.

• Create an open environment: Employees should feel comfortable coming to you with any work-related problems or issues.

Following these tips will improve communication on your job site.  Remember, it’s very important to listen.  This will help during those times where you have to make quick decisions.

Long Meetings – Construction site meetings that run over schedule can significantly hurt your productivity levels as well as your bottom line.  Try to keep meetings short and to the point.  To do this, consider:

• Creating an agenda
• Inviting only relevant parties/stakeholders
• Picking an optimal time for everyone
• Having someone watch the time during the meeting

Following these steps will help you get the most out your next construction site meeting.  Also make sure everyone is on time and ready to go at the scheduled time.

This will ensure that your construction site meeting is a productive as possible.

Disorganized Job Sites – A disorganized job site can kill your productivity levels.  Job sites need to be kept clean and orderly.  Make sure:

• Trash is regularly removed from your site
• All work areas are kept clean and orderly
• Construction trailer is organized

Organization is key to getting things done on time, and it all starts with an organized job site.  Create a checklist for your crew to make sure that things remain clean and organized on site.  Make sure that everyone has a responsibility in the organization process.

Extended Overtime – Some construction experts believe you should cut extended overtime.  Bob Volkman of the blog, 101 Ways to Improve Construction Site Productivity says that extended overtime:

• Causes worker fatigue: Workers are working harder, so they get tired faster

• Outpaces support services: More work means more demand for building materials, engineering support, etc.

• Increases likelihood of accidents and injuries: Long hours cause more accidents 

• Results in more absenteeism and turnover: Workers need rest so they start taking days off

Extended overtime is not always the best solution for your job site.  Try to consider some creative ways to get jobs done before you extend overtime.

Make it a policy of having no extended overtime.

Building Material Delays – If you don’t have the building materials delivered at the right time, your crew is going to be doing a lot of standing around and waiting.

Make sure that you are organized.  This means scheduling building material deliveries at the right times and on the right days.  This also means keeping building materials organized on site, so it’s easy to keep track of them.

Organization is key to keeping track of building materials.

For an extra increase in productivity, consider assembling complex building materials offsite.  This will allow you to work in a controlled environment where you’ll be able to focus without distractions.

Unrealistic Goals & No Measurement – You’ll want to be sure to set realistic goals and expectations.

Unrealistic goals can drive your crew insane.  This will ultimately decrease their productivity levels.  Set realistic goals and expectations every single day.  If you do this, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in productivity.

Finally, you’ll want to measure your levels of progress every day.  Some contractors fail to do this on a regular basis.  How do you know your productivity level if you don’t measure it?

We’re Here To Help You!

Following these tips will significantly improve productivity on your next job.

If you’re looking for a fire and security contractor to get things done on time and on budget, contact Hue & Cry Security Systems.

We’re an experienced contractor that knows our way around a construction site.  We know how to work with contractors!

Give us a call today at 1-800-762-3196 or visit our Contractor Programs Page for more information.

How To Run An Effective Construction Site Meeting

Ineffective meetings on the job site can cost you lots of time and more importantly money.

Think about it.  If you have 20 people in a room for an hour and each one makes $15 an hour, that’s a $300 meeting.

Now imagine if you had one ever day or every other day.  That’s a lot of money!

EffectiveMeetings.com has a great meeting calculator that will calculate the cost of your meetings by week and year.

To learn how to run effective construction site meetings that save your business money, follow the tips below.  These tips are so effective you won’t even need a gavel for your meeting!

• Pick Effective Times – If you want to have a great meeting on the job site, you need to pick effective times.  This is especially true if you have job site meetings with other contractors on site.  You’ll want to pick times that work for everyone.

• Plan Ahead – Take the time to plan out an agenda for your meeting.  It doesn’t have to be very formal, but it should cover all the important topics that you want to cover.  This will help to keep you on track during the meeting.

• Take Great Notes – It’s very important that someone takes great notes during the meeting.  The notes should be easy to read.  Your notes shouldn’t be as long as a novel.  Also make sure that the notes are published and sent to all interested parties and stakeholders on the job site.

• Set Time Limits – Don’t let meetings drag on forever, especially if you’re not talking about anything.  That’s when you really start to lose serious money.  Stick to your agenda or plan.

• Stay On Track – A lot of times a meeting will veer off course.  If you’re leading the meeting, it’s your job to keep it on track.  Don’t let anyone start telling any long pointless stories.

Following these tips will help you to run an effective meeting.  BNET makes a great point that a meeting may not always be necessary.

Check ahead of time to make sure that a meeting is needed before scheduling one.  Many times, there may not be a need for a meeting.  You’ll save on a lot of time and money.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we know our way around a construction site.  Contractors turn to us for their fire and security needs because we’re fast and affordable.

For any questions, visit our contractor services page or give us a call at 800-762-3196.  Also be sure to read other posts for contractors on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog!

What It Takes To Be A Good Construction Manager

There is a lot at stake on a job site.

And it takes a good construction manager to get the job done on time and on budget.

Here are five of the most important traits every good construction manager needs.

1.     Flexibility – A good construction manager has the ability to adapt to different situations.  They know how to properly manage their time so things get done.

2.     Humility – Workers want a manger that can admit when someone else has a better idea.  In the end, it’s all about getting the project done on time.  Humility is a must on the job site.

3.     Determination  – In tough times, employees are going to look to you for guidance.  Having the resilience and true grit to get things done is a necessity on any construction site.

4.      Focus – A great manager keeps their eyes on the prize.  They don’t let the minor things weigh on you.

5.     Integrity – Employees respect a great construction manager because they are honest and trustworthy.

While each of these traits is important to your success, you should also have a good management style.

You can perfect your management style by taking the following steps:

• Step 1: Learn from Mistakes – As a manager you’re going to make some mistakes.  It’s up to you to learn from them and get better at your job.

• Step 2: Hear What Your Employees Have to Say – It’s important to get feedback from your employees.  Do they understand your directions?  Listening to your employees will help you perfect your management style.

• Step 3: Understand Your Employees – Employees are not clones of each other.  Everyone is different.  You need to understand the differences and their different work styles.

• Step 4: Keep Track of Results – Are things getting done on time?  If not, you may need to allocate more time to a project or provide the workers with extra help.  Monitoring results helps a lot in improving your management style.

• Step 5: Be Yourself – Don’t try to be someone that you are not.  A good manager accepts their personality.  However, they’re always striving to get better.

Following these tips will help you become a better construction manager.

At  Hue & Cry Security Systems, we are fire and security experts.  Contractors keep hiring us for their security and fire needs because of our ability to get the job done on time and on budget.

To learn how we can help on your next project, visit our contractor services page or give us a call at 800-762-3196.