When I started my remodeling business 22 years ago, I knew there was more to it than just rounding up some jobs and banging nails. But I have been surprised by the variety of skills I have needed to be successful. Good people skills, for instance, are as basic to this line of work as the ability to work with tools and wood. You can't sell your business without them, and they're essential to maintaining good relationships with your clients. But perhaps most important, and most foreign to many contractors, are the administrative abilities necessary to keep the business side running smoothly. People who start businesses are notoriously negligent about tracking the day-to-day administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, correspondence, and
