Construction
Business Basics

Tuesdays, 3:00-4:30pm EST
15 weeks
March 11th - June 17th, 2025

With a focus on planet- and people-forward businesses, HELM’s Construction Business Basics will help you make your construction business more efficient, productive, and profitable.

Operating and developing a resilient residential construction business requires a wide variety of business skills. We developed Construction Business Basics as an introduction to the most frequently asked questions we get from our consulting clients, in a format that allows us to share the knowledge and resources we’ve gained over the years with multiple companies simultaneously.

This course is ideal for small business owners and members of your management team who are looking for a solid grounding in the basics of running a successful construction business.

Construction Business Basics is made up of three consecutive modules:

Module 1: Financial Tools (4 sessions) - 3/11-4/1

Module 2: Purpose-Driven Sales (4 sessions) - 4/8-4/29

Module 3: Pre-Construction and Project Management (7 sessions) - 5/6-6/17

Sign up for individual modules or register for the whole bundle at a discounted rate of $2,000 per person (normally $2,300 if purchased separately).

“Construction Business Basics was key to building my understanding of how to run a profitable, sustainable, and socially responsible business.”
— Jenna Oien, Rocko Handy Services

What to expect

Sessions will be held weekly via Zoom, every Tuesday from March 11th through June 17th from 3:00-4:30 pm. We ask that all participants plan to join the Zoom session 5 minutes before the scheduled start time so we can begin promptly.

Each session will be 90 minutes long, with a combination of presentation, small group discussion, and Q&A. Each weekly Zoom session is paired with a homework assignment to help you apply what you are learning to your own business and develop your vision and action plan.

At the end of the 15-week Basics series you will have:

  • A strong foundation in financials, sales and how to run a construction project.

  • A 2025 operating budget to calculate the target gross profit margin for your business.

  • Access to the HELM Resource Library, with articles specifically curated for construction business owners and templates to help you manage your business more efficiently and effectively.

  • Recordings and presentation materials from the Basics sessions for future reference.

Format

Online via Zoom. Sessions are recorded and available for review, but attending all sessions in real-time is required.

Registration

$2,000 per person

Tia Garcia

Tia has 30 years of construction experience, with over 20 years as supervisor, self-employed general contractor, and project manager. She is a Passive House U.S. Certified Builder and is a Certified Integrative Life Coach through Integrative Wellness Academy.

Kate Stephenson

Kate is a co-Founder of HELM, and has worked with 100+ businesses to achieve triple bottom line metrics. She helped to develop NESEA’s Building Energy Bottom Lines program, is a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program, a member of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee, and serves on the Boards of NESEA and the Studio for High Performance Design and Construction.

Paul Eldrenkamp

Paul founded Byggmeister, Inc, a design-build remodeling firm in 1983. He was a member of the first Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) training in 2008, and a founding member of the Passive House MA board in 2010. In 2014, he co-founded NESEA’s Bottom Lines peer review networks. He has served on NESEA’s board and as chair of the Building Energy 13 conference.

  • Accessibility: We offer closed-captioning and simultaneous interpretation upon request. Please email us if you need any accommodations to participate fully in the course.

    Refunds: We offer a 100% refund up to 72 hours prior to course start time. After that no refunds are available; we will credit your registration fee towards another HELM course.

  • Solidarity Scholarships

    Scholarships available to participants from businesses owned by Black and Indigenous people, People of Color, Immigrants, LGBTQIA folks, and Women. Apply Now.

    State programs

    In Massachusetts: 100% Tuition reimbursement is available for MA-based companies through the Workforce Training Fund Express Program.

    In Vermont: 50% Tuition reimbursement is available for VT-based companies through the Vermont Training Program.

    In other states: Check our Workforce Training Funds page for more details.

Presenters