Make this tool work for you

By Chris Thompson
Editor at large

Chris Thompson Editor at Large

This magazine might not fit into your tool belt. It could be too unwieldy for your toolbox. And you certainly shouldn't read it while operating heavy machinery. But somehow, someway you need to find the time to take a look at this.

You can roll it up as tightly as you can, and it still won't pound in a nail. But if you open it up, you'll see a story that charts the economic outlook for the industry. It'll also give you some helpful hints from members of your own community on how to identify an economic downswing and come out the other end with your business intact.

You can take this magazine and scrape it back and forth over a piece of wood, and, apart from a little friction burn, you won't accomplish a thing. But spread it open during lunch, and you'll come across an article by Editor Candy Doyle that takes a look at the trials and triumphs of running a family-owned business. It's not easy, but if you do it right, a family-run company can offer the best of both worlds.

It's possible you could use this section as a straight edge, but you already have tools that work far better. What you might not have, however, is Jeremy Harrell's report in this section that details how to make your money talk in the political arena. We know you're careful about how you spend, but, as Harrell discovered, your money directed to the right political cause can pay huge future dividends.

This Contractor's Handbook isn't a tool in the traditional sense, but it is a tool nonetheless. It's here to give you some new ideas about how to make your real tools work for you. If it helps you through some tough times or makes the good times better, we'll rest assured that we did our job.

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