In a still uneasy economy, clients and even subcontractors are often tempted to bypass working with a general contractor and negotiate the project on their own. Although this is something that general contractors should be aware of, there are ways to ensure that clients and subcontractors do not bypass working with your general contracting business.

Below are some tips to help manage both your clients and subcontractors in order to secure their business and keep your projects running smoothly and efficiently.

1. Communicate and follow up on a regular basis. It is much easier for clients and subcontractors to be reluctant to work with a general contractor if they never hear from the general contractor. But if you make an effort to talk to them and make them feel like a valuable part of the project, it will be much easier to work with your clients and subcontractors throughout the process. It is also important to follow up after each phase of the project to make sure everything went smoothly and to get feedback from you clients and subcontractors.

2. Keep your marketing information up to date. One of the best ways to generate business is through marketing, and many clients and subcontractors will decide whether they want to work with you or not based on things like your website. By making sure that all of the information on your website is up to date and thorough, you will be much more likely to attract clients and subcontractors. This especially includes listing the projects you have worked on and keeping an updated portfolio.

3. Make sure everyone’s roles in the process are clear. Sometimes, clients may not see the point of working with a general contractor when they could just hire subcontractors directly instead. However, it is important that general contractors clearly convey to their clients why their role is critical to the success of a commercial construction project. By demonstrating to clients that general contractors manage the details of the project so that subcontractors can concentrate on the actual construction, clients will be less likely to bypass working with a general contractor.

4. Ensure that you are the connection between the client and the subcontractor. Subcontractors sometimes try to bypass general contractors by talking too much directly to the client. This is something that general contractors should keep an eye out for. Make sure that you, as the general contractor, remain the go-between through the project by ensuring that all communication goes through you. This will require you to be diligent about talking to the clients and the subcontractors throughout the project, but it is an important way to make sure that subcontractors do not bypass your business.

General contractors play a crucial role in commercial construction projects, so it is very important that they are aware of the potential for clients and subcontractors to bypass their business and that they take affirmative steps to prevent this.