Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run a Successful Construction Business

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 09/11/2018, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run a Successful Construction Business — Photo © construction-firm.jpg

Next up in our ‘day in the life’ series is ‘what it takes to run a successful construction business’. By the end of this article, you should have a better idea of what’s involved and whether it’s the right business opportunity for you.

Construction is big business in the UK. If you’re considering starting a franchise in the industry but aren’t sure what you’ll be doing day to day, this is the article for you. Construction businesses offer employment to approximately 10 percent of the country’s workforce and are collectively worth an estimated £110 billion a year. The sheer size of the construction industry makes it an attractive sector in which to launch your own business.

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A day in the life of a construction business owner

Let’s start by saying there’s no typical day for a construction business owner, as what you do can vary significantly. But to give you an idea, here are some typical tasks that can you expect to take on:

Getting up bright and early
The planning, organisation and scheduling of projects – determining the labour requirements and sending out workers to different construction sites
Managing employees
Travelling back and forth to different projects
Making sure all machinery is working well
Working with architects and engineers to improve the final product
Managing cash flow – preparing and submitting budgets
Inspecting and reviewing projects to monitor compliance with building safety codes and environmental regulations
Maximising both material and human resources
Arranging the delivery of supplies and equipment
Making sure the business complies with local construction laws
Pitching new business – negotiating contracts and representing the company at meetings
Hiring staff
Maintaining peace in the workplace and solving any problems that arise
Making sure projects are on track to be completed on time

Your day will most likely be split between planning, meetings, filling out documents and having an uplifting and motivating presence on the job site. In order to be a successful construction company owner, it’s important to balance this ability to inspire your team with the analytic ability to make sure all projects run efficiently and smoothly.

Get ready for early starts

Once your construction business is up and running, you should have more flexibility with the hours you choose to work. At the end of the day, that is one of the main perks of being your own boss – being able to fit your work around your personal commitment and family life. But in the early stages, you’ll probably have to be a bit of an early bird. A lot of construction business owners will be up and out by the crack of dawn.

Standard site hours are between 8am and 5pm, and it’s important to make sure all core materials arrive at the site in time. Weekend work is also common, and it might even mean working some evenings if a project has fallen behind. One of the main reasons why construction workers start so early is because if they get lots of their work done first thing, they can avoid more tiring work later in the day when the temperature increases. Of course, you can delegate different responsibilities to your employees, but it’s important to bear this mind.

According to Doug Zuzic, the Information Systems Manager for Richard Crookes Constructions:

The 2020 construction manager – how they will differ is that they will be more informed. They’ll have more access to real-time information, whereas in the past a lot of paperwork was just filed away and wasn’t ever used.

Advantages of starting a construction franchise

Making a difference in local community
Good job security
Keeps you active
Can see direct results of work

Challenges of starting a construction franchise

Can be risky for labourers.

Construction does carry a certain amount of risk, with workers sometimes labouring in dangerous situations and getting hurt because of carelessness, equipment malfunction or hazardous work conditions. To make sure this doesn’t happen, it’s important that all of your employees are highly skilled and you have made sure the working environment and equipment is safe before use.

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Become a construction business owner

There are two principal ways in which you can start your construction business. Firstly, you can go it alone and work your way up – starting as a sole trader, then gradually growing to employ a single employee, then another and another.

This ‘organic’ growth is slow and steady, and there's no real guarantee of success. The other option is franchising. Partnering with a franchise gives you a proven business model to follow and a dedicated support network to guide you through the process of growing your business.

There’s an almost endless number of ways to start a business in this sector. With all of the added perks – from brand recognition to established contacts – franchising is the best route to take.

What’s more, construction franchises tend to not demand industry experience from franchise candidates. In a lot of cases, you will just need to be able to demonstrate a can-do attitude and a willingness to graft. That makes them some of the most accessible business opportunities in franchising.

Start a construction franchise today

If you’ve been reassured that investing in a construction franchise is the right business move for you, see our top investment opportunities in the UK. Or, if you still need some convincing, check out the eight advantages of owning a construction business. We have lots of other interesting articles in the ‘day in the life’ series; you can pick one from the list below: