10 habits to save you time as a building firm owner
As the boss of a construction business, you no doubt have a very long to-do list: estimating, liaising with clients, booking subcontractors, supervising work on site, form-filling, health and safety compliance, ordering materials… the list goes on. Take a look at our list of 10 habits of highly productive building firm bosses - and pick up some tips to help you become more efficient.
START WITH THE HARDEST JOB
You know the job you keep putting off? The awkward, taxing or time-consuming one? Complete that task first. You’ll get a lift from ticking it off your list and everything else will feel easy by comparison.
DO ONE THING AT A TIME
It’s OK to focus on one thing at a time. When you multi-task, each task can end up taking longer and you’re more likely to make mistakes. Give each task your full attention and complete it before moving onto the next. You’ll find you make quicker progress and you’ll feel less stressed too.
REMEMBER THE “TWO-MINUTE RULE”
Been given a task that’ll take two minutes or less? Do it immediately. Don’t waste time and energy writing it down (or worse still, holding it in your head). Get the job done and forget about it.
GROUP SIMILAR TASKS
Often, getting started is the most difficult part of a task. However, if you group similar tasks together, you’ll find you get into the groove and progress through your list more quickly. For example, you could have one session per week where you complete any paperwork that needs doing.
GET ON THE PHONE
Email is great but it can make things happen more slowly. It can take days for people to respond. If you want something to be resolved in minutes, not days, make a phone call instead.
PLAN MATERIAL PURCHASES
What’s the biggest drain on your time? Chances are, it could be visits to the builders’ merchant. Many builders make almost daily trips to the merchant to collect the materials they need on site. You can make significant time savings if, at the start of the job, you make a list of what materials you need on site and when. You can then get them delivered to site as and when you need them. If you order in advance, you should be able to avoid material availability problems too. The best estimating software – such as EstimatorXpress and BuildingWorks - will automatically create a material order schedule for you off the back off your estimate. All you need to do is email the list to your merchant and call the materials off according to your schedule.
LET SOFTWARE DO THE HEAVY LIFTING
Take a moment to consider which tasks could be done more quickly and with greater accuracy using software. Perhaps you could use software to help with your health and safety documentation, contracts or estimating. Investing a few hours in learning how to use a software tool today could mean saving days or weeks in the long term. For example, estimating software such as EstimatorXpress could reduce the time you spend estimating an extension to half an hour. BuildingWorks enables you to draw building plans and estimate the project at the same time. Try to pinpoint which tasks you need to automate and look for the software which is the best match for you.
PUT YOURSELF ON “DO NOT DISTURB”
Switch your phone to “do not disturb”, put a sign on the door, close Outlook... Make yourself unavailable – even for half an hour – and you’ll be amazed what you can achieve without any interruptions.
SAY GOODBYE TO INDECISION
Indecision is another drain on our time and energy. Try to get into the habit of making quick decisions. Go with your gut instinct and try to avoid overthinking. If you think your business would benefit, go for it. When you find yourself getting stuck on a decision, discuss it with someone you trust.
PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DAY
End each day planning ahead for the next one. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve achieved today (it’s good for your morale and motivation!) and jot down a few notes to plan for tomorrow.
Being a building firm boss isn’t easy but time management is key. Even if you adopt just one of these habits, you should start to feel more productive and less stressed!