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HOW SCAFFOLDING CONTRACTORS CAN SCALE-UP IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC Business owner and entrepreneur, Greg Wilkes, who with over 20 years’ experience running construction companies from the ground up, tells us businesses can not only survive in 2021, but also grow
B
y now, we are all sick of talking and hearing about coronavirus. While we all welcome the roll-out of the vaccine so we can get back to ‘normal’, in reality, we know for most it will not be ‘business as usual’ for a very long time ahead. How about the scaffolding industry? What does 2021 have in store? How can your business not only survive this year, but rapidly scale-up? In this article, we will look at seven ways that you can scale-up your scaffolding business. THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
What does the current and near future look like for the construction industry? You will be pleased to know that things are still looking very bright. Unlike other industries, like hospitality and aviation, that have been hit really hard, the construction industry is still thriving and that is expected to continue throughout 2021. At the time of writing, construction sites are not affected by the current lockdowns. Also, the housing market is still strong. While people continue to move, they will still want to renovate and extend their new homes, which means there is plenty of
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work for smaller scaffolding firms. Combine that with Boris Johnson’s commitment to “build, build, build” announced last year during the pandemic, and you can clearly see that the government wants to ensure construction infrastructure increases, rather than deceases. New home developments are still going strong and, as a result, main contractors will be busy providing great opportunities for scaffolders. In summary, there is a large demand for scaffolding currently and in the foreseeable future. This is great news. However, not all businesses feel the same. They are anxious about what the future holds for their business and are reluctant to scale-up, or unsure how to. To follow are seven ways you can scale your business in the midst of a pandemic: 1. IF YOU’RE NOT GROWING YOU’RE GOING BACKWARDS
Many scaffolding business owners will be fearful and will start to scale back. Not because they have seen something that suggests the construction industry is going to take a hit, but because of the general fear in the population. They are worried that this industry will be next, so they err on the side of caution. Hence they go backwards.
This climate gives you the chance to get the jump on those who are fearful and scaling back. If the work is there, take it and don’t be fearful of expanding. 2. TAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Competitors with high overheads/debt may be going bust – this will give opportunities to snap up good staff and contracts. Always keep an eye on your competitors and what they are up to. Find out who your target customers are using for their contracts and be sure they know who you are so that you are waiting in the wings as soon as the company either goes bust or isn’t meeting their expected standards of service. If a company does go bust and you are looking for good staff, get in contact with the owner, offer your condolences and honestly tell them you are looking for good-quality staff, can he give you the contacts for the ones he has had to let go? Most decent bosses would be delighted to find their hardworking, loyal team members a new job as letting go of your staff is one of the most painful parts of your business going bust. 3. ENVIRONMENT
Something we will hear about non-stop
