As a kid I loved driving nails and building things. I loved to create. Eventually I developed a love for cars and decided that I wanted to own a car dealership one day. I met a young guy in college whose dad was a teacher and he flipped houses during the summer. This was way before the term flip was created. This seemed like a great way to generate cash to get a car dealership. Eventually the love of building once again took over and with the help of my uncle and an old jack of all trades builder, I built my first spec house at age 25. Now 30 years later I feel like I have never worked a day in my life.
After saying all of that, let me give you some advice that runs counter to my experience. What is the core word in "contractor"? Contract! Building and construction is a business, not merely bunch of people practicing a trade. Being too hands on can distract you from the business side of things. Knowing the building process is vital but using a hammer isnt.
The most successful contractor might be the one that has never picked up a hammer. He will be a great organizer, planner, people manager, negotiator and money manager. He can not only build a hands on work team but build an organization and business. Learn to think like a businessman and not a carpenter.
