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The most powerful piece of kit in your building business is actually your computer. In many ways, the profit doesn’t come from your work on-site. It’s what you put into your computer and what you get out of it.

The team at HBXL has put together some tips for success while sitting at a computer or laptop. If you’re a business owner/manager working in residential construction, then read on. We’ve split it into two parts:

Part I: General Computer-Based Admin Tips

Part II: Computer Help Specific to Builder Owner/Managers

Put your PC or laptop to good use, and it will help you save time, protect your mental health, improve your chances of winning decent work, and ensure you make money rather than waste it.

PART I: General Computer-Based Admin Tips

1. Give Your Day Structure: Prioritise your tasks using a calendar, schedule, or note app to list specific tasks. Whether your day will be at home, the office, or on-site, planning your day to the minute is key.
2. Keep in Touch with Prospects: Regularly email or write to prospects to show your continued interest in their project. Offer helpful suggestions on maximizing their budget or enhancing the project.

Marketing and Advertising Your Building Business

3. Keep Your Name Out There: Regularly add new material to your website, whether it’s a project update, news item, or piece of advice. If you don’t have a website, start building one. Facebook and other social media platforms also need regular updates to show that your business is active.
4. Research New Van Advertising: Look into local companies offering sign writing and ‘wrap’ services.
5. Your website: If you have a website, make sure it can get found by potential customers. Make sure you mention the work you do, and the locations you work in as a priority.
6. Ask for Testimonials: Make it standard practice after each project to ask for feedback. Use platforms like Trustpilot to gather genuine customer reviews, which can also help boost your Google rankings.

Building a Good Business Approach

6. Train Yourself on Business Management: Access straightforward, online business courses for just £35+VAT. These courses cover delegation, sick pay, disciplinary procedures, conflict resolution, data protection, and more.
7. Get a Certificate in Health and Safety: For minimal outlay, get you and your staff trained in important health and safety subjects through virtual courses.
8. Understand Basic Accounting: Learn the basics of accounting to understand your balance sheet and income statement, even if someone else manages your books.
9. Stay on Top of Cash Flow: Keep a spreadsheet to update daily, noting every receipt, expense, income, and outflow. Consider using an accounting app to make this task easier. Our software tools are available on a subscription basis to help manage cash flow better.

PART II: Computer Help Specific to Builders & Building Businesses

Your building skills are vitally important, but you can’t use those skills without pricing jobs and winning them. The good news is you can do all of this with the help of your computer.

1. Cost Your Projects Accurately: Use EstimatorXpress’s pre-populated templates to estimate project costs down to the last nail and hour of plastering. Decide what to quote the customer based on this.
2. Produce Stunning Visualizations: PlansXpress provides user-friendly tools to draw professional building plans and generate photo-realistic images, cut-throughs, and overhead shots at the touch of a button.
3. Generate ‘What to Do Next’ Paperwork: EstimatorXpress automatically provides everything you need to carry out the project, including the build program, materials list, cutting list, labour schedule, cash flow analysis, and stage payment schedules.
4. Analyse Your Projects: Use EstimatorXpress’s live dashboard to track quotes and jobs, analyse what’s working, and see how to make more money and win more work.
5. Get Relevant Health and Safety Documents: Health & Safety Xpert matches the relevant documents to the specific job, keeping you legal and safe on-site.
6. Ensure Timely Payments: ContractsXpert helps you create enforceable contracts and covering letters required by Trading Standards to ensure timely payments.
7. Manage Jobs better: BuildProjex helps you to organise your past, current and future jobs. Manage your schedules and documents, Assign tasks to your team, and communicate with them all in one app, wherever you are.

Get Support from Our Team of Business Advisors

Simon and Mark from The Better Business Group can help you charge the right amount for a job, convert enquiries into business, and get qualified/pre-vetted leads. They can even check out your competition and speak to your customers. Call us on 0117 916 7898 to get in touch with them.

Free Review of Your Customers

Provide us with the name, address, and postcode of six completed projects, and The Better Business Group will send them a survey questionnaire, analyze the findings, and provide you with a report. There are no strings attached or commitments required.

Use Your Computer to try the Software for Free, or to have a personalised demonstration

Remember, the number-crunching, form-filling, and letter-writing win the work and determine whether you make money or a loss. Put your computer to good use – get it working for you.

Talk to our team for a better understanding of how our range of business software for builders can save you hours and improve your win rate and profitability. Call us on 0117 916 7898 or request an online demonstration or simply try it right away.

Your building skills. Our building software. Together, let’s build a great business.