UKIAH, Calif. – Mendocino College invites those interested in the building trades to attend a free workshop on June 16 to learn how to start a successful contracting business.

With a shortage of home builders and specialty tradespeople in Lake and Mendocino counties, the Sustainable Construction and Energy Technology Program at Mendocino College aims to bridge the gap.

The free seminar titled, “Start your own Construction Business!” takes place Saturday, June 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mendocino College Room 4210, in the library on the Ukiah Campus.

The recent loss of more than 400 homes in Mendocino County and more than 6,000 homes in neighboring Sonoma and Lake counties as a result of last fall’s wildfires has created a huge demand for technical building assistance.

This compounds the housing shortage that existed before the Redwood Complex Fires. Couple this with the fact that some of the most respected builders in our region are nearing retirement, and it is easy to understand the difficulty fire survivors are facing in rebuilding their homes.

“While the charred remains of homes have been successfully removed to make way for rebuilding, for fire survivors there’s still the matter of finding the building contractor to help to accomplish the task,” said seminar coordinator Mary Anne Landis.

The workshop will present content on contracting basics, strategies for success and business skills that will help people starting their own construction business avoid pitfalls.

The morning panel of experienced, successful contractors will cover questions such as: What are key ingredients to being successful? How do you secure new clients? Should you expand? How do you buffer yourself from a downturn? How do you maintain crew morale?

After the panel discussion, a representative from the State Contractors Licensing Board will be available to describe what participants can and cannot do as a builder without a license, what it takes to get a license, what kind of contracts a contractor can engage, as well as answering general questions.

Participants need to bring a brown bag lunch. After lunch, a panel of experts from The West Co. will present the steps required to start a business in Mendocino County, a brief overview of best business practices, and how to stay organized as a self-employed contractor.