Today, we closed out the day with several taskers on The Principles of MESLO and an assessment report.

First, I selected three subject/ genres. In selecting these, I had to visit the BISG, the subject heading authority, and determine the top three. I chose: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Small Business; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Operations Management; TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Construction / General.

Second, I had to select 7-14 keywords that support SEO and searchability. This is different than principlesofmeslo.com and ensuring correct JSON structure— but I will end up using these keywords to support the site’s search visibility. I chose the following key words: construction estimating, job costing, operations management, small business systems, back office systems, project cost tracking, overhead allocation, service business pricing, operational workflows, risk management, business process systems, technology integration, cash flow management, and operational strategy.

Third, I spent some time crafting the retailer book description:

Most small business owners do not lose money because of bad work. They lose money because they do not know their true costs, lack operational structure, and fail to build systems that scale beyond themselves. The Principles of MESLO introduces a practical framework for estimating, pricing, operationalizing the back office, and building systems that support long-term profitability. Drawing from firsthand experience in construction, operations, government contracting, and military systems planning as a former U.S. Army Captain, David Molina presents a practical framework for estimating, operational discipline, and scalable business systems through the MESLO methodology:

  • Materials
  • Equipment
  • Subcontractors
  • Labor
  • Other Costs

Inside, business owners, estimators, contractors, and operators will learn how to:

  • Build structured and defensible estimates
  • Understand direct, indirect, and overhead costs
  • Reduce operational noise and duplicate effort
  • Improve pricing confidence and profit visibility
  • Operationalize back-office systems and workflows
  • Leverage technology to improve coordination and efficiency
  • Develop repeatable systems that reduce dependency on the owner
  • Create a scalable operational foundation for long-term growth

The principles in this book are designed to help business owners build more structured, scalable, and transferable operations over time. Part estimating framework, part operational playbook, and part systems manual, The Principles of MESLO provides a practical blueprint for business owners seeking greater clarity, structure, profitability, and operational control.

Finally, I wrapped up the day building out a client’s technical assessment report in the cloud and using a templating system to make future ones a repeatable process (and, soon automated). Something that generally takes the owner a few days to produce was crafted and tailored in a few hours. It started with an executive summary and I finished it with several supporting appendices. While the owner holds the operational knowledge, technology compresses those insights into a quality template that can be repeated, recycled, and eventually automated.