If I could have earned a dollar for every time I heard the plea, “I can’t find decent guys”, I would be a wealthy man. There is no doubt that the building booms in Auckland and Christchurch have lead to a major shortage of skilled staff and the years of low or no activity in…
Tomorrow is ANZAC Day. I will be taking my 96 year , WWII veteran father to the 11am parade and service at Silverdale RSA, as I have done for many years. The service will be predictable and even a bit boring, but it does serve to remind me of the sacrifice that many servicemen and…
An overlooked tool in your marketing toolbox is likely to be industry awards or business awards marketing. Marketing consists of many techniques and channels, from advertising and direct response, to radio and trade shows. Entering an award and becoming a finalist, or possibly even a winner, can be a powerful addition to your marketing activities…
I was talking to new client not so long ago on the subject of his order book and what the next year was looking like. “Not good”, was the response. I was a bit shocked because he gave the outwards signs of being a pretty successful builder and had not raised the issue of marketing…
Most people run their businesses the way they always have. That may be the right way or not, but right or wrong it’s “comfortable” to do it that way. Even if the results are not what you want or need, sometimes it’s just too uncomfortable to make the necessary changes. Sometimes changes may be forced…
I stumbled across this Oct 2015 blog post from receivers and insolvency experts, McDonald Vague regarding the failure rate of building companies over the past couple of years. Thought it was worth forwarding to you. They make some good points and all builders should take note. “An increasing number of building firms “went bust” in…
I love lists and I use them to help keep my mind free of clutter and to help plan out the big projects I want to implement in my business. I have long term lists, mid term lists and “this week” lists. I figure once I have an idea and write it down, it will…
New into business ownership or thinking or starting out on your own? Congratulations! The world needs more entrepreneurs like you; that’s what drives innovation and growth. But just deciding on starting your own business is not a guarantee of success. Far from it. Most new businesses do not survive the first few years of life…
As owner of the company you should have a handful of “smart numbers” that give you insight into how your company is doing, and more importantly what it’s likely to do in the future. Commonly referred to as KPI’s, or Key Performance Indicators. They are numbers that are objectively calculated (not opinion based) and can…