Rise of the building entrepreneur

The country’s leading software developer for small to medium building firms is reporting a significant upturn in the number of new entrepreneurs entering the construction sector as a direct result of the recession.

As the downturn took hold and the build sector bore the brunt of the faltering economy, many involved in construction and building either found themselves out of work or with more time on their hands as the enquiries dried up.

The result meant that people started to adapt and find new revenue streams in order to make ends meet.

News on the rise of the build sector entrepreneur comes from HBXL which has taken more and more enquiries from those looking to either enter the sector or broaden their current area of expertise.

Examples of this new wave of diversification include an IT lecturer who, with a sound knowledge of computer software has now adapted his skills to offer estimating, a fully qualified electrician who now provides loft and conversion work and a builder who just did extensions but now offers new build work.

Bosses at the software company are saying this branching out is further evidence that the economy is getting better but is also an indication of how things have changed since the mid-2000s.

Joanna Mulgrew, sales and marketing director at HBXL said: “The downturn has created plethora of entrepreneurs in the sector and is great news considering the battering it had to take.

“It’s been well recorded that the recent recession sparked a wave of new entrepreneurs looking to create a new product or service. The reason we know there is a new band of building business people is based on feedback and enquiries for our products

“Taking EstimatorXpress as a prime example, by using products designed specifically for the build sector, users can extend their own skill set. Estimating is often seen as the greatest time burner for many in the sector however our software not only speeds up this process and frees up extra time to get on with the job but provides a step-by-step overview of what’s needed on any project ensuring nothing is missed.

“As it’s so easy to use it has opened up the eyes of current as well as previous non-users. They have seen the power of the software and as a result has created new channels of business.

“New opportunities have arisen due to the need to adapt and change with the times and ideas people had and launched in their spare time have now grown into something more permanent.

“It’s great to see and 2015 we believe is really going to see further improvement in the economy and build sector not only for those offering traditional build services but for those looking to adapt, evolve and provide something completely new.”