That’s quite a resume. Given your background and knowledge I’m inclined to say that you should start with electrical jobs and then, if you feel compelled, you can branch out to become a full-blown GC down the road. You could launch the business, hire electricians to perform the labor, and focus your efforts on management, estimates, and customers. You’d probably feel right at home, given your experience. If it feel right you can always branch out later. Best of luck to you.

Since you have little experience, it probably would be best to take some courses or learn the ropes as an apprentice first. The best option would be to work for somebody else who is willing to teach you carpentry. That way you’re getting paid to learn. School is the other option but it can be pricey sometimes. Then, once you have some skills under your belt you can go for the license. You’re probably right that in your situation it would be best to get some experience before starting your own business. Good luck to you.

Sure, there are plenty of schools out there that will take your money (a Google search will show you the way), but it sounds like you already have some substantial experience on your own. If you feel up to it, why not just get your license and get the ball rolling? Some people are able to learn on the fly, while others seem to require classroom study. Try to figure out which category you fall into and go from that starting point. Good luck.

Those are some pretty specific questions, and I’m not familiar with all the rules in California. Every state is different as far as license requirements. I would suggest directly contacting someone at the state level who can clarify these issues for you. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

Good questions, and soon I plan on devoting a whole post to the subject of estimating. There are estimating software programs that can be very helpful with this kind of thing, so you might want to research those a bit. You need to start with what sort of income you hope to make per hour and everything else trickles down from there. Say you want to make $50 per hour, and you want your assistant to make $15 per hour. You estimate that a job will take 40 hours to complete. Add up all the material costs, travel costs, etc. Then add to that number $2000 (50 times 40) for your take and $600 for your helper. That will give you a solid number that you can present to a potential customer. Now, this grossly oversimplifies the process, but in a future post I will try to flesh it out a bit more. You have to take into account other costs as well, like insurance, taxes, etc. Good luck out there, and remember that jobs will usually take longer than you might initially anticipate.

As for your first question, you’re right that it depends on your state/location. Some states are more “loose” about it than others. As for question number two, I think the better situation for a marketer like yourself would probably be to find a contractor who has his own team in place so that you can focus on what you do best (marketing and lead generation). The margins will be smaller but I bet the overall volume would be better to more than make up for it. Thanks and good luck.

No, I’ve not taken any business classes to speak of…what I know comes from the school of hard knocks, from my own experiences, and from my unending willingness to teach MYSELF the things that need to be learned (this often means hours of research on the net). I have never heard of the course that you mention but it sounds like a good one. Some people need a classroom to learn these things, and that’s fine. As for me, I’ve always just preferred the “self-taught” route to things.

Taking over an existing business…well, that’s a huge topic. That’s a good idea for a future post though. I’ll try to get around to writing that soon. In general, though, I guess I’ll offer some common sense advice: get a lawyer to look over the deal first, scour the accounting records and hire a pro to translate them for you, know what you’re getting into as far as potential liabilities or past obligations that have never been fulfilled, etc. Taking over somebody else’s business is a whole different animal and I would just take it slow and make sure you know what you’re getting into before you make the leap. Best of luck to you.

I also have a desire to start a business in construction, and i would like to ask your opinion on direction. I have a masters degree in electrical engineering, a masters in tech management, and a professional engineers license in two states. I understand that being a good engineer does not necessarily make me knowledgable in construction. My last job introduced me to electrical design for commercial projects, and also involved dealing with project managers, contractors, and customers. The job lasted 4 years. I have no physical construction experience except fixing minor things around the house. A few childhood friends of mine have careers in construction which I can refer questions to.

I am really not interested in doing any physical construction work myself. I would be interested in the design, or the management of jobs. With no construction experience, and limited exposure to physical construction details, I am not sure what route I should take to get started as an entrepreneur. Should I focus on electrical jobs, and hire electricians? Would starting as a GC make sense if I do not yet understand the ins and outs of the other disciplines? Should my limited experience in construction steer me away from construction for now. I have felt driven towards construction for some time and I would like to start a career that will excite me a bit. Working for someone else is starting to drive me nuts.

Any input is much appreciated. Thanks!