Over thirty years ago, I set up a building company during which time I built in excess of 300 extensions and around 80 new builds. The company expanded from one manager and a handful of contractors to a team of six managers and over 40 subcontractors, with a turnover of £4-5 million per annum.
I know how difficult it is to run a small building company. Experiencing it first-hand working late nights and weekends to turn round quotes for clients! Pricing accurately is crucial for all quotes. Moreover, profit margins are thin so you can’t cut corners estimating.
My experience taught me that there was no guarantee of winning the work having spent precious time doing the quote. I was convinced there must be another way to produce estimates. So I looked for an estimating software package that was designed for my sized company – but nothing fitted the bill.
As a result I set about writing my own software to estimate jobs and manage my business.
Thus, HBXL was born. It took over 4 years of development before the first generation EstimatorXpress was launched.
I also spent lots of money on architect’s fees, spent hours sorting out my health and safety paper work, and each job involved a process to ensure the work and costs were agree contractually with customers so everyone was covered – this is where the ideas for PlansXpress, Health & Safety Xpert and ContractsXpert came from.
We’ve built on the success of EstimatorXpress and consistently maintained product development even during the recession to turn from the UK’s top estimating company to a complete building software solutions provider. From estimating and project management to CAD drawing, health and safety management and professional contracts we now have a suite of software packages that can do the lot! The aim of all the packages is to save time, reduce errors, minimise stress and ultimately improve the profitability of building companies.
Our software features a unique data sharing technology called X- Connex™. This means you only need to enter project information once into one package and it will then be transferred to the others. It’s a real time saver.
I’d like to add that all HBXL software focuses on expert building and trade knowledge. All our software undergoes rigorous testing by builders and professionals and new features are the direct result of customer feedback. You could call it “Builder-Made”.
You might also like to know we’re a family company. We now employ over 20 staff dedicated to software development, supporting your business. And making sure that our software is right for you. I ensure my team is friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and where possible each member has a construction background.
AWARDS…
We were d
elighted to have been shortlisted for the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Family Business category and we beat off some tough competition! And I am proud to have family members working with us today. All staff ideas are of value and rewarded. The team are proud to be part of a business that is helping those in the building industry embrace technology. Whilst also reaping the benefits on their own bottom line.
I’m really happy to say that HBXL is now the UK market leader in construction software for Small to Medium sized businesses. Tens of thousands of companies are using licences around the UK. We’re proud to prove it has helped builders win 230% more business and slash estimating time by more than 60%!
Whilst running HBXL I meet our customers who tell me that our systems have transformed their own businesses and many have become very successful. That makes me incredibly happy.
If you’d like to get in touch with me directly, please do at adrian@hbxl.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks for reading.
Adrian Wild
