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Prepping for Public Work Toolkit

Preparing Your Business for Public Work

“We have to get people out of the mentality that they’re just the head of a contracting firm. They’re CEOs. Whether running a construction company or professional service firm, a successful CEO manages to and applies the same principles: execution of a vision supported by operational and financial management”

- David Cayemitte, CEO of Minority Business Development Institute and The Cayemitte Group, Inc.

The Minority Business Development Institute is an educational non-profit dedicated to removing barriers to success for diverse business owners.  We have worked with small, minority, women and veteran owned construction contractors and developers around the country since 2010 to help them to become the CEO of their business.  Many contractors do excellent work in the field, but when it comes to running their back office and setting up a strong financial presentation, they are lost! We have prepared this toolkit to help you begin to understand five areas that are key to the success of any contractor:

Business Planning – How do I get started with writing a business plan?

Many businesses don’t build a business plan because they think it needs to be perfect. A simple plan is better than no plan! In this section we provide you with guidance on how to plan for YOUR business so that YOU understand where you want your business to be going. The following links provide an overview of why and how to draft a business plan, an article on construction business planning and templates to get you started.

·         Overview of Business Planning

·         Article on Construction Business Planning

·         Business Planning and Financial Statements Templates (SCORE.org)

Strategic Planning – How am I going to get there?

·         Overview of Strategic Planning

A strategic plan helps you to weed through all of the work you do every day and get a better understanding of how you can best use your time. The following link provides a great template to get you started with strategic planning.

·         Strategic Plan Template: What to Include 

Marketing – How can I make my best business impression?

Putting your best foot forward as a business owner and creating a searchable profile of your business will build your business.  In this section, we provide a step-by-step overview of how to build some key marketing assets for low or no cost.

·         Overview of Marketing

The following links will help you create a one-page Marketing Flier:

·         Powerful Capability Statement for Government Contractors

·         Capability Statement - A Good Sample of a Strong Capability Statement

The following links will help you to secure a domain name and create a simple website and professional email address:

·         Free website builders

·         www.wix.com

·         www.web.com

·         www.weebly.com

This article will help you to select social media management tools:

·          Social Media Management Tools That Can Help Your Business Thrive 

Preparing to Bid – What do I need to consider before I bid a construction project?

Bidding a project commits you to working on the project if you have the winning bid. You want to be sure that you only bid projects that will make money and that you bid them properly.  This section provides a step-by-step checklist of items that you should review to help you bid effectively.

·         Overview to Bid Preparation

Qualifying for Surety Bonding – What do I need to do to qualify for bonding?

If you are bidding on public or large commercial projects as a prime or a subcontractor, you will eventually need to be bonded. Qualifying for bonding can take time, so it is best to start building your application as early as possible.  This section provides an overview of what you will need to do to qualify for bonding. 

·          Overview to Surety Bonding

 For more information about how to apply for bonding, including sample forms: Contractor Questionnaire, Bid Bond and Final Bond Request Forms, Contract Surety Document Requirements, as well as samples of required documents and key definitions, please visit our website:

·         Surety Forms Library

We commend you for taking this step toward growing your business – and more importantly – on becoming more than just a contractor or a business owner.  As you build your business infrastructure, you will earn the right to proudly call yourself a CEO!