If there's one segment we wish would embrace more custom development it is the construction business. There are so many opportunties for small and mid-sized construction companies to increase profits and efficiencies that go untouched.

We find that this is simply due to misconceptions about the cost more than anything else. We recently created a project tracking application for a construction company for less than $20,000. This was a ground up build, and was built using rapid development so the company could test as we developed and make changes on the fly. The software they were using had a subscription fee of over $40,000 per year, and didn't do everything they needed to it to do. The cost of these subscription services is so high because you're paying for modules that you never use.

Another area of great benefit to contractors and construction companies is in the web development side. Integrating your website with a customer service application can save you countless headaches, and a lot of money. The key to this is in keeping things very easy to use. This way your managers will keep stay on top of updates. When the customer wants to know the status of a project, he doesn't have to call and take a lot of your time finding the answer. He can simoply visit the website, login and see where his building is in the construction stage.

Lately we've gotten some resistance from construction companies because business is slow. Isn't this the time when you most need to maximize profits?