Essential Business Tools for a FL General Contractor – Part 2 of 3

business tools fl general contractorAt Contractors Reporting Services, we work hard to help with your Florida Contractor License Requirements . Answering your questions about how to become a contractor is our primary goal, but we don’t stop there.   We are here for you, throughout your career as a General Contractor licensed in FL, helping with how to set up your corporation as well as renewal requirements. And when we have the opportunity to share additional information to boost your success, we are more than happy to oblige. In our last article, we shared Part 1 of a 3-part list of some (mostly) free online/software options and essential business tools general contractor to offer a jump-start in managing some of the more tedious tasks of business start-up. Part 2 highlights some more in-depth options .

  1. Architectural and Drawing Tools

– BRL-CAD . A cross platfor m, open-source (OS) modeling system which features interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, image and signal-processing tools.

–   Archimedes . A free, OS computer-aided design (CAD) software that works with MAC or Windows . With a lightweight core and plug and play modules allowing a fully customizable experience, it can be as simple or complex as your needs demand.

– Inkscape . A free , OS illustration tool with a vector graphics drawing program that includes flexible drawing tools, broad file format capability, Bezier & spiral curves, a powerful text tool & a free-to-use clip art libr ary to enhance your drawings.

– Dia .   M akes it easy to draw diagrams, organizational charts, flowcharts, systems diagrams, and many other types of charts and figures.

– Paint.NET . A   lightweight , intuitive, and ultra fast image editing software.   Similar to Photoshop, it features layers, history, and the abil ity to add brushes and plugins .

– Gimp . A free, OS image editor. Sophisticated, professional and comprehensive software offering image retouch, channels, layers, sampling, masks, animation, and file conversion tools , PLUS .

2. Documents and Forms

– PDFCreator . Turns any file into a PDF without having Acrobat installed on your system. The program can also create image files like PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, PCX, PS and EPS files. You can protect your files with encryption; digitally sign your documents and much more.

– Wufoo . Create any kind of form you need. Take orders, administer surveys, collect payments, create event registrations and more. Data collected in each form is stored in the cloud and you can a ccess your data anywhere.

3. Online File Storage and Sharing

– Fluxiom .   A file storage & sharing option s pecifically designed for small or m id -sized businesses .

– Google Drive . P rovides 30 gigabytes of free space of cloud file storage.

– Dropbox .   A nother service that provides digital space and backup storage for critical files at a reasonable price (2 gigs free).  

With 11 more tools in your web toolbox , you are well on your way to a comprehensive array of design, editing, creation and storage   offerings, all with minimal or zero impact to your bottom line. The more services you are equipped to offer your clients, the more desirable you become as a contractor.

Your success as a contractor is directly related to the foundation you lay and maintain. At Contractors Reporting Services, we are experts at giving you the support and information you need to build a successful contracting business as we have been helping contractors dot “ i”s and cross “ t”s since 1965. If you have questions about obtaining a FL Contractors License, license renewal, corporation set-up o r anything else related to the industry,  please give us a call. We are here to help you.

Contractors Reporting Services
13795 N Nebraska Ave,
 Tampa, FL 33613
 1-800-487-2084
 https://activatemylicense.com

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