Whether you’re a seasoned construction professional or an entrepreneur looking to partner with contractors and other experts, starting up a business in the construction industry is challenging. The sector is competitive and varied, with huge corporations as well as smaller outfits all vying for a cut of the potential profits.
That said, almost all of these organisations started in the same way and as a constructions startup, there are many key considerations to keep in mind both from a legal and growth standpoint. Here are some of the most important points you’ll want to consider when setting up a construction business.
Health and Safety Regulations
Construction is one of the largest industries in the world, as well as being dangerous if handled incorrectly. To combat this, governments around the globe have crafted detailed health and safety regulations which all construction organisations must abide by, including your startup.
The key to handling this properly is to research the regulations in your country or local area. Everywhere has slightly different rules surrounding slightly different occurrences, so it’s impossible to list them all here. In the UK alone there are over 25 different legal acts which impact construction health and safety, and that’s just one country.
Consult a legal expert when crafting your business’ approach to health and safety to be sure that you are abiding by the rules correctly. You may have to buy a surety bond in Canada while settling your construction business. Additionally, make sure to remember the importance of insurance for your employees and business, as this is essential for addressing any mistakes or issues that do occur.
Training
No business can operate without well-trained, expert employees. This is even more important in potentially dangerous settings like a construction site, where you want everyone to understand their role as fully as possible. Many construction organisations wonder what training they need and the answer is that it depends on your business’ specialisation and service. Construction is an extremely broad industry covering everything from installing sculptures to building skyscrapers, understanding the needs of your business is fundamental to selecting the right training for your needs.
That said, there are some training courses which all construction businesses can benefit from. As with all things in a startup environment, the challenge is in selecting the most important training courses, for now, then developing staff further with more training once the business is running and profitable.
Read More: 8 Consequences of Construction Business Mismanagement
Supply Chain
Finally, we have one of the key aspects of starting any business, understanding and harnessing a supply chain. Construction businesses often neglect the importance of keeping in touch with their supply chain, as many buy everything they need from a single merchant and assume that will be possible forever. This is a mistake and if you are setting up a construction organisation, you should avoid following this example.
Understanding where your parts and materials are coming from is key to finding the best price for the best quality goods. Plus, if suppliers are relied on too heavily and shut down, it can leave a business struggling to continue its services. These factors are only made more important when you consider how quickly demand can change – if tomorrow all of the cement stocks at a local supplier are purchased due to a wave of construction work being required, how will your business stay afloat? It’s creating a sustainable supply chain which you can track and follow which ensures business stability and success.
Hopefully, this will have highlighted some challenges you will need to keep in mind when setting up a construction business. Good luck with your endeavours and as with all things business-related, be sure to do further research to make sure you’re fully prepared and aware of what you need to succeed.
