Taking that first big leap on your own and launching a startup is always frightening – it’s a big risk, no matter how prepared you are.
And with Brexit looming over us amidst a disconcerting trickle of conflicting industry news, setting up a construction company feels riskier than ever.
On one hand, UK construction experienced steady growth for yet another month in February, surprising both industry leaders and economic advisors.
But that good news was also countered with continued warnings about the future effect of rising costs, skills shortages and an apparent drop in orders for houses.
Widespread crisis in construction standards
The most worrying trend of all is the increasing number of reports of inadequate construction standards.
Take, for example, the highly critical report on Edinburgh schools recently built using private finance initiatives (PFIs). After an external wall collapsed at one school, architects are now calling for all other completed PFI structures to be re-examined to ensure their safety.
With substandard construction hitting the headlines, to guarantee your startup’s success you need to develop a reputation for quality that’ll put future clients’ minds at rest.
Here are three ways you can do exactly that
#1: Enforcing high standards
You legally have to undergo inspections on your equipment, sites and completed buildings, but don’t just view these as a box you need to tick. Instead, use them to enforce high standards in your work and from your employees.
Invest in equipment and loler inspection software from the likes of Motion Software, and give your team the tools to create inspection reports quickly and efficiently.
As well as keeping everything in line with regulations, it’ll allow you to build evidence of your commitment to quality that will give clients confidence in your business.
#2: Focusing on exemplary design
Design mistakes or flaws will not only result in below par standards and builds, they’ll also cost you a fortune to recover from – both financially and in terms of the damage such issues will cause to your company’s reputation.
Assiduous planning is key to preventing this, and luckily there’s plenty of new software to help you.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) allows you to work together with architects and clients to create 3D images of a proposed building, and it’s already being used to reduce mistakes and streamline the process from design to construction.
#3: Balancing quality with cost-cutting
There are no two ways about it – prices are rising and that means you’ll face a strong temptation to cut costs by sourcing cheaper building supplies.
It’s not exactly a bad move, but to ensure your construction projects are finished to a safe standard you need to find the right balance between saving money and working with high-quality materials.
Always shop around and pay close attention to environmental factors when you do find a bargain that’s almost too good to believe. Remember that it may just cost you less because it doesn’t meet sustainability targets.
The future of the industry may be unstable, but you can give your construction startup its best shot at success by following our advice and building a reputation for quality and excellence.