business advice in the building trade

Philip B. Wicks

Business Advice in the Building Trade

http://p-b-w.co.uk

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Example Clients:
Problems & Solutions

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I help the owner or owners of any building trade business make more money with less stress

" I help the owner(s) make more money with less stress"

Example Clients: Problems & Solutions - Example B

In this example, I outline the problem and some of the solutions for this type of client.

Small Building Firm : The Problems

The firm undertakes small extensions, loft conversions, alterations & refurbishments.

The firm is busy but some of the jobs are running over time. Sometimes it struggles to pay the wages, having to take deposits to keep afloat.

Here are typical steps to take I help you with to locate and resolve the source of the difficulty:

Make changes to the book keeping system as necessary so that we can see properly what profit is being made, and also how much profit each job makes rather then just overall.
Establish whether jobs overall make money, or whether it is very variable from one job to another
Suppose it is established that most jobs make very little profit - a bit variable but broadly consistent.
There are a number possible causes as follows: faulty estimation work badly organised (this could cover a lot of different specific reasons) slow labour incompetent labour failing to bill for extra work and so on .
The consultation with the owner would be designed to get the correct reason and permit a resolution. Sometimes the reason or reasons become apparent simply by discussion Other times we need to look at what is happening on site, or check quotes either ourselves or in extreme cases using a surveyor It could require a change in staff, or a change in organisation of different trades - my own company for example some years ago lost profit on jobs by bringing finishing trades in too early. It may require tighter supervision, or better admin on extras, or perhaps changing prices on particular types of work or a new estimation system.
But the test of whether you have found the right thing, is whether the original problem is cured.

See also:

Example A: A Plumber, working as a sole tradesman. He is doing quite well but wants to make more money
Example C: A Decorating Firm, owner was bankrupt some years ago and debts are rising again
Example D: A Joinery Shop which is doing well, but they need a book keeping system

Contact me for a free initial consultation.
Tel: (01342) 324604 - Mob: 07958 412307
enquiries@p-b-w.co.uk