Don't lose this opportunity to learn or improve YOUR pitching skills and strategies for immediate improvement.                             

Another thing to keep in mind is that skilled contractors should be spending more time on the job as John mentioned and not at Home Depot each looking for materials they should already have after doing a good assessment on the job scope.I don't necessarily suggest paying top dollar for extremely high end work in a low end area, I just don't think it is smart to go out of our way to underpay.

You've managed through your superior negotiating skills to get it under contract for $200K.  

I've been doing this for a long time, but always looking to improve my skills and game plan! 

The two good things that came out of my marriage are my children, and skills I've learned from my x.

You first need to determine what you can contribute: cash, good credit, management skills, financial skills, knowledge, etc. 

With your background in accounting and a father who is a contractor it sounds like you have some good skills starting out. 

If they are laid off, are their skills transferable to other industries.

It's not for non highly skilled workers, but you'll want to make sure you have insurance to cover those workers and not rely strictly on licensed contractor's insurance policies.

Tailor your resume to demonstrate that you have the skills required to succeed in the field - customer service, decision making, conflict resolution, budgeting, accounting, etc.Don't give up.