The summer months are often tricky. You’d think more daylight hours and better weather would mean more building activity, but that’s not always the case.
Not everyone was making hay while the sun shone…
- Customers are away
- Subbies are either on holiday or go AWOL when the sun comes out
- Or they find richer pickings with another building firm…
- The work is backing up
- And the bills keep coming in.
I’ll stop there. You’ve read enough. Anyway the summer’s pretty much over – it’s all about now and the UK’s fast-approaching exit from Europe.
How to respond…
One of our sales consultants, tongue-in-cheek, said to me the other day, ‘It’s amazing… the harder I work the luckier I get’. You know the score, put in the graft and you’ll reap the rewards.
What’s really, really important right now…
You need to keep turning the quoting wheel. Even if your order book is full for the next 6-9 months – quote, quote and quote again – otherwise you could find yourself seriously short of work next Spring/Summer.
- Consider the type of projects that make you money
- Go after them with estimates that you present in good time
- Estimate on the heavier side if you can’t wait for subbies to give you a price (if ever)
- And follow up on the quotes
- Draw up a clear plan for managing your projects
- Keep your subbies on-side by showing your projections – let them know you’re worth sticking around for
- In fact keep everyone happy. Reward people for putting in the effort.
American Bobby Unser the famous racing driver from the ‘60s and ‘70s is quoted as saying ‘Success is where preparation and opportunity meet’.
Professional estimates to propel forward-thinking building firms
So if you really want to prepare well, then start by asking HBXL Estimating Service to give you a price for producing your quotes. And it could be an extension, renovation or new build. Even a block of apartments. We just need your plans and specification notes.
You’ll have accurate, professional-looking quotes that help win the work and make you the profit you deserve.
Send us your plans
Give us a call on 0117 916 7894 to get the ball rolling or upload your plans here. It’s a very straightforward process!
If you need any more motivation about the next few months, read Camilla’s article on ‘September is the new January’ on our sister company’s website, HBXL Building Software. You’ll be going after every business goal you’ve ever dreamt up!
Adrian Wild is the founder and MD of the HBXL Group. He was previously a builder and developer for 20+ years and built 80 new homes and 300 extensions/conversions.
