The economic landscape continues to evolve in 2025, with discussions around uncertainty persisting across nearly every sector. However, recent findings from a Sortly survey of our construction customers paint a picture of relative stability. While acknowledging the broader economic climate, these business owners express a lower level of worry about its potential impact compared to the general sentiment among business owners.
Our survey of over 300 construction professionals using Sortly reveals low levels of business disruption, despite growing economic uncertainty. When asked about the impact of external factors like supplier issues, shipping delays, and rising costs in the past 90 days, a remarkable 38% reported “No real impact,” and another 21% experienced only a “Minor impact.” This means that nearly 60% of Sortly construction customers who participated have navigated recent economic headwinds with minimal disruption to their operations. By contrast, the overall Small Business Confidence Index for Q2 2025 showed a decline to 51 (down from 56 in the previous quarter).
Furthermore, when asked which external pressures they are actively planning for, a substantial 42.1% of our Sortly users selected “None of the above.” While vendor price increases were a concern for 36.8%, the significant portion feeling no immediate pressure underscores a sense of preparedness and control that seems to buck broader trends.
Why this divergence? We believe a key factor lies in the proactive approach these businesses take to managing their resources, empowered by tools like Sortly. Construction, by its very nature, demands meticulous organization and cost control. Sortly empowers these businesses to achieve just that, providing a centralized platform for tracking inventory, managing costs, and gaining real-time insights into the value of their assets.
Think about it: in an uncertain economy, knowing exactly what materials you have on hand, their current value, and where they are located is a powerful advantage. Sortly allows construction businesses to:
- Track material costs accurately: By logging purchase prices and quantities, businesses can understand their true cost of goods sold and identify areas for potential savings. This detailed cost tracking provides a clear financial picture, eliminating the risky guesswork that can be damaging in a precarious economy.
- Monitor inventory value in real time: Fluctuations in material prices can significantly impact profitability. Sortly allows business owners to track the total value of their inventory in real time, enabling informed decisions about purchasing and pricing strategies. This visibility mitigates the risk of being caught off guard by market changes.
- Optimize inventory management: Knowing precisely what materials are available prevents overstocking (tying up valuable capital) and understocking (causing costly project delays). Efficient inventory management directly contributes to a healthier bottom line, bolstering confidence during economic headwinds.
- Improve project costing: By accurately allocating material costs to specific projects, businesses gain a clearer understanding of project profitability. This detailed insight allows for more accurate bidding and better control over project budgets.
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- 2025 outlook for commercial, residential, and industrial construction.
- Top construction industry challenges.
- Technology’s role in construction.
The proactive stance of Sortly’s construction customers is further emphasized by their approach to improving operational flexibility. A significant 44.4% reported “No urgency — no changes needed” when asked how urgently they were looking for ways to improve sourcing resilience or operational flexibility—and only 8% of respondents said they were urgently seeking solutions.. This suggests a strong existing foundation and a feeling of being well-positioned to handle potential challenges, a sentiment that contrasts with reports of increasing concerns among other small business owners.
While the broader economic outlook may present uncertainties for many, Sortly’s construction customers are building a foundation of stability through meticulous management. By leveraging the power of organized inventory and cost tracking, they are facing the future with a sense of preparedness and confidence—one meticulously tracked item at a time.
About Sortly
Sortly is an inventory management solution that helps you track, manage, and organize your inventory from any device, in any location. We’re an easy-to-use inventory software that’s perfect for large or small businesses. Sortly builds inventory tracking seamlessly into your workday so you can save time and money, satisfy your customers, and help your business succeed.
With Sortly, you can track inventory, supplies, parts, tools, assets like equipment and machinery, and anything else that matters to your business. It comes equipped with smart features like barcoding & QR coding, low stock alerts, customizable folders, data-rich reporting, and much more. Best of all, you can update inventory right from your smartphone, whether you’re on the job, in the warehouse, or on the go.
Whether you’re just getting started with inventory management or you’re an expert looking for a more efficient solution, we can transform how your company manages inventory—so you can focus on building your business. That’s why over 15,000 businesses globally trust us as their inventory management solution.
Start your two-week free trial of Sortly today.
