The construction industry remains safer than it has been before, yet serious problems remain. A report by Unite found that construction site deaths have jumped by 25% over the past year, coinciding with a reduction in proactive construction inspections. This shows that the average construction site is not as safe and secure as perhaps it appears; for contractors, it has never been more important to build an understanding of their rights and create a personal safety strategy. Understanding your rights Union or non-union, construction workers have the same set of immutable rights when it comes to their workplace safety. Workers and employers have to meet the same rules and regulations set out by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, as the HSE asserts. These regulations have now seen prison sentences handed out for negligent employers. As an employee, being aware of these regulations and your rights are important. Knowing when to look for recourse to justice through legal means, such as a scaffold accident lawyer or solicitor assisting with personal injury from machinery, is key. Taking mitigation There are gaps in legislation, however. Lawyers at Dentons have found holes in legislative coverage on what could be very standard safety concerns; as such, the law cannot always be relied on to entirely and effectively protect health and safety on building sites. Having your own supply of PPE and other tools designed to assist your health and safety is a good idea in order to protect yourself and those around you, and should form a central part in your overall safety strategy. Challenging employers Perhaps the toughest part of understanding your personal responsibility as a contractor is your ability to challenge an employer. If you see manifestly unsafe practices at a building site or in the planning processes for a site, you have a right to challenge this. Indeed, as HM Government has noted, safety practices have evolved in a number of ways over the past year. It is the right and the role of workers to ensure that safety needs are being met. Health and safety is something that is protected by legislation and lawmaking. However, there are always unfortunate gaps in coverage that contractors must address for their own well-being. At a time of rapidly evolving health and safety considerations and an uncertain industry, this is a crucial part of any preparedness made for work.

In the past, companies offering services like construction didn’t have to do very much to market themselves. People would choose a company local to them, relying on the builders and other construction professionals they could access to do the job. This has changed in the modern world, though. There is more competition in this sort of field than ever before, with companies taking to the web and using advanced marketing methods that enable them to have their voices heard. Thankfully, you have all of the tools you need at your disposal to take advantage of this for yourself. To help you out, this post will be exploring an all-round approach to construction marketing, giving you the chance to beat the competition. Physical Marketing Physical marketing is the method that most construction companies would rely on in the past, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t have value in today’s world. In fact, many people still choose their construction companies based on marketing like this, giving you the chance to reach a surprisingly wide audience. The is great for approaching demographics who usually don’t spend much time online. Leaflets/Flyers: Paper marketing tools have long been a popular choice for construction businesses. Whether you choose to pop these through people’s doors, leave them in retail businesses, or hand them out to customers, this can be a great tool for construction companies trying to get their name out. Signs & Vehicles: Signs on scaffolding and around your construction projects will be seen by a lot of people. You can also put signs on your vehicles, providing you with a practically free marketing option that will get the word out no matter where you go. Business Cards: Business cards are another option that has been popular for a long time, offering the chance to put your name into the pockets of potential clients. Once they decide to go with your services, they will be able to get the card out and call you, rather than having to find you online. As you can see, you have plenty of options to choose from with your physical marketing. You have a great opportunity to get your business into the world when you use methods like this, and you don’t need to spend loads of time and money on it in the process. Digital Marketing While physical marketing is important, few things will be as crucial as digital marketing for your construction company. This set of options allows you to reach as many people as possible, giving you the chance to work for those who wouldn’t usually see your physical marketing efforts. The vast majority of work like this will take place online. Your Website: It’s just about essential for construction companies to have a website in the modern world. No matter what you do, you need to have somewhere for customers to find you online, and this site needs to be well-built. SEO: Search engines can provide a lot of organic traffic once you build up your SEO. This can take a long time, though you can make this easier by using tools like Google My Business. Getting yourself into searches as soon as possible can limit the need for paid advertising. Social Media: Social media has long been a great place for businesses like those in the field of construction. Not only do you get the chance to post for free, but you can also use personal accounts to spread the word to friends, family, and other local people. Directories: Online directories like Yelp have been in place for a long time. These sites are often used by people looking for businesses, and construction is no different. You can add your business to many directories for free, though you should try to use different content for each of them. Email Campaigns: Email marketing campaigns are seldom used by construction companies, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t have a place. Your website offers a good place to get people to sign up for newsletters and other email options, and this can be a good way to gain more interactions. Influencers/UGC: User-generated content has exploded in popularity over the last few years, with many social media users using the businesses that are shown on profiles that they like. Digital marketing will usually take more work than physical marketing. This is thanks to the time that it takes to keep making new content and the monitoring that goes into it. A good digital marketing agency can help you with work like this, providing you with the means to push your marketing further than ever before. Options like this can be great for construction teams that don’t have the time to spend on their marketing efforts. Indirect Marketing Indirect marketing isn’t an area that you have to put any work into, as long as you treat your customers well and give them quality construction services. Word of mouth is a great example of this, with many construction companies being able to gain most of their customers through the words that their old ones use. Of course, though, you can’t rely on this alone in the modern age. Alongside word of mouth, reviews have also become a popular way for people to choose the companies that they work with. Google reviews are very good for this, and you can encourage the clients that have successful products to leave reviews so that you can build a good platform. You can even show off your reviews on the website that you use. As you can see, construction companies have a lot of marketing options available to them in the modern world. You can use all of these methods to find success, but it can also be worth exploring different ideas to make sure that you have every possible avenue covered. The more work you do on your marketing, the higher your chances of success will be down the line, which is well worth the work.

Are you out of ideas for your upcoming business meetings? Don’t worry; there is always something you can discuss with the rest of your team. Whether it’s securing your business, finding new sources of income, or increasing your customer base, there are many topics you can bring to the table. By focusing on one topic at a time, you will give your employees a chance to speak up and comment on the current situation. More importantly, you will create an environment where every voice is heard and valued. Without further ado, here are some topics of conversations that you should use for your next couple of meetings: How to Reach the Company Goals Goals are set for a reason. They direct your company to where it needs to go in order to be successful. Whether you own a startup or a small business, goals should be created and followed no matter what. At the beginning of every quarter, discuss your goals with employees. For larger companies, it is recommended that you hold quarterly meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. If you manage a company that has multiple branches or stations, you can hold a yearly meeting where the goal-setting process takes place. Remember to give your employees the possibility to ask questions and express their concerns, whether you talk about the benefits of a managed SIEM or hiring a new cleaning company. This way, you show them that you care about their opinions. Developing New Sources of Income If you want to reach all of your company goals, you need to find new sources of income. In the end, if there is no money to cover the costs, your business won’t be able to grow. Although most companies depend on regular customers, they don’t really care where those come from. But every customer is valuable since they help sustain your business. Instead of trying to replace those that are leaving, it would be better to find new customers. At a business meeting, discuss new ways of finding clients and keeping them loyal to the company.   Improving Current Products Your company is only as good as your products are. If the products aren’t up to par, then your business won’t last long. If you want to remain competitive in the market, you need to improve your products or create new ones altogether. Improving current products can take more than one form. For example, if you have a line of clothing items, you can add a few new designs or make the materials stronger so they last longer. If you have a food brand, you can change the recipe to make the product tastier or add more nutritious ingredients to give it more value. Your employees can help you brainstorm and create new ideas for development.   Determining Which Product Ideas Are Worth Pursuing You might have heard about several product ideas that were too good to be true – so much so that they never made it past the drawing board stage. Nowadays, there are so many products out there that it can be challenging to determine which ones should and shouldn’t be sold on the market. The solution? Holding meetings where you can decide which product ideas have real potential and which ones should be cast aside entirely. Have a brainstorming session or ask your employees or colleagues some questions about the products via Google forms. This can save you both time and money. Improving Productivity at Work One of the hardest things about managing a team is getting it motivated enough to work hard on a daily basis. However, improving productivity is not an easy task, as there can be many causes for your employees’ decreased enthusiasm. Too many or too few tasks, short-term objectives with no career vision, lack of flexibility, feeling undervalued – these are just a few. To learn how you can improve your workers’ productivity, ask them about that. Take an interest in what they do and do not like about the job, and figure out together how you can improve the overall experience.   Getting Feedback from Employees If you want to make sure that your employees are happy, you need to ask them for feedback. This is important regardless of the type of company you manage – whether it’s a large corporation or a small business. The truth is that if employees feel like they can voice their opinions, they will be more willing to give their all to the company. More importantly, you should show your employees that their opinions matter to you. Even if you disagree with what they have to say, you should still listen to them as long as it’s constructive criticism. However, you don’t have to bear the complaints if they lack any confirmation.   Conclusion Business meetings can seem senseless, especially if you don’t know what to discuss. In that case, not only will you lose precious time, but your employees will also lack respect for you. After all, both you and they could have done something productive, but instead, you have spent half an hour in one room trying not to fall asleep. However, there is always something to talk about when it comes to business meetings. Reaching company goals, getting feedback, improving productivity, brainstorming new product ideas – these are just a few things that you can discuss. To make the most of your time, choose one or two topics, invite your employees to a business meeting, and spend some quality time together.

Employees play a very important role when it comes to the success of a business. Good employees can help your business build a good reputation, have loyal customers, and earn more money. Similarly, bad employees could lead to the downfall of a business. While there are many factors to consider when hiring an employee – qualifications, education, etc. – one of the most important factors is whether or not they are trustworthy. If there isn’t trust between an employer and employee, or amongst employees, the business will likely fail. However, if you’re just starting a business, you might not always know which signs to look out for when it comes to telling if an employee is trustworthy or not. Background checks People can change, there’s no denying that. Just because someone has a criminal record doesn’t mean you should automatically not hire them. But it’s still a good idea to know what an employee’s criminal history is, and whether they have any criminal convictions. You can then make an informed decision on whether you trust them to enter your company based on what you know. If you do end up hiring them, you can offer them the support they need to stay on the right track. DBS checks will help you a lot. If you’re asking, “What are DBS checks?”, you’re not alone. To sum it up, it’s a compilation of a person’s criminal convictions. Psychometric testing Psychometric tests are incredibly popular in industries where confidentiality and integrity are of the utmost importance – such as where people work in law enforcement, or with large sums of money. Psychometric tests are tests that test the psychology of possible employees. At the end of the test, you will receive a report detailing things like integrity, level of manipulation, and a whole host of other information, depending on the test itself. This will give you a better idea of how likely an employee is to betray your trust. Reference checks When people go for interviews, they are often on their best behavior. This means that you may not always get an accurate representation of what it would be like to have them work for you. The best way to gain a deeper understanding of this is to do a reference check. Call up their past employers and ask them a few questions. Trust us, this will teach you more about the prospective employee than any interview. Follow your instinct This may sound slightly out there, but if your instinct is telling you that something is wrong, it’s probably right. What we consider instinct is often our brains picking up on a bunch of small details in a very short time. This is why we often can’t pinpoint exactly why something feels wrong, we just know that it’s wrong. We’re not saying you should only follow your instincts and ignore everything else, but it can be a helpful guide if you’re at a crossroads. Still not convinced? You can learn more about why you should trust your gut here.

For some people, working for someone else just doesn’t fit them, and it can make for a much nicer experience to run things yourself. You have multiple choices when it comes to this in the construction industry – being a freelancer, or starting your own company. While being a freelancer is great, it doesn’t open up for expansion later on, and you won’t be able to grow as much as you would if you started your own company. That said, if you’re planning on starting up your own construction company, you have a lot more to consider on a daily basis. Connections matter With any construction company, it’s the networking that matters the most. The more people who know who you are, the more business you’re going to get. You want people to know what services you offer, and the quality you offer them at. A lot of people working in the construction industry rely on recommendations and hearsay, so making sure to leave a good impression is key whenever you’re dealing with customers. Getting yourself heard Marketing is something that’s difficult to do as a construction company, as it’s not something that people are going to need every day. You need to find ways to get your name and number out there, and you can do that in a number of ways. Many people have their own business cards, which makes it much easier for your contact information to be passed around. Convenience is important when it comes to customers, and it can land you a job over your competitors. You should also consider putting your contact information online. If you can’t afford a website, there are sites like Yelp that can help you put your name on the map, and that way customers can find out more about you when they’re looking to have work done. Health and safety concerns Construction work is often considered much more dangerous than different industries, which is why it’s important to put a heavy focus on health and safety in the workplace. If you’re going to have people working under you, you’re responsible for making sure they’re safe while they’re working. This means making sure they know what they’re doing, and how to properly operate machinery, making sure they’re not acting reckless, and that the machinery itself is safe to use. If you don’t ensure that the health and safety are up to scratch, your business can face legal consequences. If there were to be any legal issues that arise, you should also be aware that there are solicitors that can help you, and are trained in that area. Proper training Due to the nature of the work, it’s very important that you make sure both you and the people that work for you receive the proper training before they’re allowed to work on the site. You can’t have people who are untrained putting them and others at risk while they’re working. If you need the training to work with certain machinery, then make sure that your employees receive that before they come into contact with it.  Without the proper training, they themselves are a health and safety risk, and they could become injured while working. It’s up to you to make sure that they’re properly trained and the rules are enforced. 

The start of a project will always have jitters and nerves of the expected outcome. The numerous what-ifs that bug your mind and plunge you into doubts will most likely put you on edge, thus creating uncomfortable and unsure moments. Challenges that arise from the business and operations will also not do you any favors since they will cast more doubts in your abilities.  The emphasis on technical and business success in construction projects can often overwhelm you and stir confusion within your team. It would be best if you were persistent and steady in your plans to achieve your desired success. Balancing your business and technical departments can be challenging; you need to ensure a seamless understanding between the two departments.  Construction, specifically, presents a difficult challenge as you need to have an able task force with up-to-date equipment giving brilliant results. It is due to the specialization of the experts, thus creating a vacuum in the management, which can make the project vulnerable. It would be best to acquire the relevant expertise, tools, equipment, and material to ensure your project is a success.  Here are some of the tips you need to use to make your project a success: Have a Plan Before Starting Your Project The most significant construction works are typically contractual agreements. The bureaucratic procedure of tendering and getting these contracts can sometimes take a toll on you. You need to understand how best you can market your company for you to get the contract. It is about the services you can offer and the expected result. You need to ensure that you highlight your strengths to help you stand out among the many applications.  You will need to submit a plan and budget for your construction works. These documents will depend on the type of machinery, equipment, and expertise you will need for the project. Consider every step of the project from designing, prototyping, constructing, and the finishes you will need for the whole project.  Ensure you correctly estimate the prices to avoid giving substandard services or results. Remember, your plan is the foundation of your entire project. Therefore, you should spend quality time and present a mind-blowing result. Take into account what is in the market and try to make your product unique.  If you are a new brand in the market, it may not be easy to break through. Even though patience in business can be frustrating, you need to trust the process. Be creative enough to make your brand name known in the market. Find yourself a mentor who will hold your hand while navigating through your journey. Ensure you network enough to create new opportunities for your business. Take up the contracts that may come your way to build your portfolio for greater rewards.  You should use the period after tendering and before approval to finalise and ascertain the plans. Check on your documentation, both technical and legal, to ensure everything is in place for the project. Detail every process with its timings and expectations to ensure that your plan is clear and concise. It goes a long way in ensuring the project comes to completion, especially if there will be a change in the management during the project.  Ensure You Stick to Your Plan Once you have a plan, you need to have measures to help you stick to your plan.  Even though you might add a little tweak or change some of the elements to fit the recommendations by the client, you should maintain the basic framework of your plan. Having a flexible plan may also prove useful to your operations as it will be easier to incorporate any unexpected change.   You also need to have competent and disciplined employees who will help you keep your plan’s framework. It will only be possible if you make appropriate and reasonable hires. Be keen on how you compose your team.  Ensure they complement each other to create a formidable team that will uphold your plan’s purpose and values. Your team spirit is also important as it will affect the synergy in the team. Ensure you are quick to identify any vibes that may break the team spirit and cause distractions in your bid to achieve the goals.  Be transparent and honest in your transactions for accountability purposes.  Do not compromise on what you value most, like quality or transparency.  Financial constraints or your efforts to maximise profits might cause you to alter your plans and, in turn, will affect your overall performance and quality.   Monitor Your Project’s Progress The bulk of project success will depend on how you keep in touch with your plan.  Have a leaderboard that will give you an accurate picture of your construction journey.  Utilise various methods to check on your progress against your expected result frequently. Schedule periodic meetings and performance evaluations that will elaborate on how your team is performing.  With intensive constructive works, it is sometimes difficult to have time to analyze the success of your project till its end. Regular check-ups will also help you identify any errors that you or your team may make if any.   Most people will also involve auditors and experts to maintain adherence to the work and safety requirements. You must keep tabs on your operations to ensure every activity and personnel are within the company’s stipulated rules and regulations. It builds your company a good reputation for handling its operations professionally.  Utilise different software and visual boards that will keep your team focused. Whether it is a checklist, healthy competition or achievement wins, a vision board, or an integrated software that keeps the team in check, ensure you keep your team energised, plan in motion, and your goals in place.  Take Note and Audit Your Equipment and Tools Maintaining your tools and equipment condition in your construction area will influence your quality and financial budget. You need to take note of the tools and equipment you need for your construction project. 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Betterment of employees in the construction sector, is one of the foremost concerns of every single business owner in this field. Over 81,000 people suffer from ill health and injuries a year, working in the construction sector. That means, some people have their careers cut short, some don’t want to be with aches and pains and so find other careers, and many will feel detached from their employer. The last area shall be our focus for the following recommendations. This is how you can better the lives and work culture for your employees. Injury healing  Sooner or later, one of your employees is going to get hurt. Construction is just a hazard-rich environment and rather than leave the employee to rest and recuperate on his or her own, you can make some helpful recommendations.  To relax their muscles and control stress, they could go to a massage therapist. Is this something you could offer an employee through a company policy? Offer some basic first aid tips in a leaflet. Many companies find that printing work injury leaflets with injury healing information helps their employees the most. The NHS and other health websites have some great information regarding workplace injuries.  Better site habits When employees are on the site of a project, they should be given advice to change bad habits. This might be lifting things inappropriately, and thus endangering their spine. It might also be things like stopping a bad habit like smoking. Instead, an alternative that uses vape juice uk is a better alternative. For one thing they won’t be ingesting a very harmful substance and they will also make the site more attractive. Nobody wants the site to smell like a bar with employees puffing away. Equipment training One of the most beneficial things you can do as the boss or manager of a construction company, is to give your employees proper equipment training. If you are using new equipment or perhaps equipment that is not familiar to your employees, the right training can do a number of things. Firstly, employees will be energized to learn a brand new tool and find ways to get the most out of it in their daily tasks. Secondly, employees will feel safer, as proper care and time is taken to teach employees how to use something that could potentially pose a danger. Employees will also feel more connected to their job, and more than just people who are given their marching orders. Workmen being heard Construction is such a hazard-rich sector that every employee has to rely on the camaraderie of their colleagues to feel safe and cared for. So, as the boss or manager, allow your employees to voice their opinions on the tasks they are set. If they feel that the time schedule will make them rush the job and pose more danger to them, then hear them out, understand their concerns and react in a positive manner.  Construction is a brilliant sector to work in, but it’s not without its challenges and dangers. These are just some of the things you could be doing to better employee health and job satisfaction, can you think of any more? 

When working in construction, building is in the company’s nature. However, the skills are attributed to bricks and mortar rather than a digital presence. In today’s climate, though, a firm simply cannot scale its intended heights without setting a good impression online. A solid website can be the foundation of success for all construction businesses, but only when it’s built with the right materials. The following cornerstones are essential. Design First impressions count for a lot in business. The two items are unlinked. Still, many clients will feel that an unprofessional site indicates an unprofessional business. The initial challenge is to ensure that landing pages set the right tone. Colour schemes and website layouts will naturally play huge roles. However, businesses are advised to invest in Magento page speed optimisation practices too. Because if it takes a website longer than 2 seconds to load, clients begin to lose patience. For similar reasons, choosing the right web host is essential. When 404 error messages are displayed, many people will never return. Visibility Even the best website is redundant if nobody knows it exists. As such, construction firms should view visibility as an essential. Search engine optimisation should be at the top of the agenda. Geographic keywords work best unless it is a global organisation. Essentially, traffic coming from Scandinavia is pointless for a company that only works in Swansea. The pursuit of brand awareness should additionally extend to social media. People will often see houses or business venues they like and then search for contractors. Besides, building a strong social media can promote the sense of professionalism and trust. Even if ‘likes’ don’t directly pay the bills. Trust Building The element of trust is essential for all businesses, particularly when the initial interactions are online. So, any opportunity to incorporate testimonials and client reviews should be grabbed with both hands. It goes a long way to calming a lead’s nerves. Their research won’t be limited to seeing what past clients have to say. They will also want to see proof of what can be achieved. A picture paints a thousand words. Sidey’s new site takes this into account with great photos of past projects. Other firms should follow suit. Celebrating qualifications, certifications, and awards is also advised. Clients only want the best for their construction projects. Contact Details Last but not least, construction firms need to appreciate the field they are in. almost all clients will want to speak with an agent and acquire a consultation before signing off on any project. So, website interactions are simply the first touchpoint. With this in mind, contact details should be easily found. Call redirection and virtual receptionists can help companies maintain a strong image even when busy. Meanwhile, Google My Business listings make it easy for users to call straight from their smartphones. Websites are great for lead generation but further contact is needed to gain conversions. The sooner this is accepted, the better.

Building people’s homes and giving them a haven to call home has been a core business for almost a century now. It has been a long and arduous journey with so many ups and downs, but homeowners and sellers have strived through and through to provide only the best. As this industry celebrates a century of home building, let’s take a look back at Barratt through the decades that the industry has come through to show you what the industry has been through, the experiences it has had, the knowledge gathered, and where it’s heading in terms of our future. Here is a brief overview of this industry for the last seven decades. The 1960s The 1960s was an interesting decade. This decade experienced a lot of firsts in terms of technological developments in various industries. For instance, the world recorded the first moon landing and the Concorde made its maiden flight. There were a lot of interesting and exciting developments in home building and interior design. Homes featured tower blocks and two-storey buildings comprising 3 to 4 people per home. Houses were mostly brightly colored with every room featuring attractive patterns with psychedelic colors. The average cost for houses at this time was around £2,500. The 1970s This decade brought about stylish cars and the rise of punk and pop music. In the building industry, there was a bit of a struggle due to the period’s economic downturn. The average cost of a small family home was around £4,057 but rose exponentially to about £20,000 by the end of the decade. People found it very challenging to own homes during this period. However, home designs and decorations still improved with wallpapers dominating the scene. Homeowners also stocked their houses with home appliances such as washing machines with the first home microwave getting sold during this decade. The 1980s Come the 1980s, the property market experienced a rebirth from the downtime it had gone through the previous decade. This is the decade the world welcomed disco and soul, with popular artists such as Michael Jackson taking the center stage. People’s disposable income nearly doubled giving them enough to buy homes and decorate with frills and patterns. It is also this time that pastel colors rose in popularity. The average cost of homes ranged between £20,268 and £30,000. Still, young individuals enjoying the economic prosperity in this decade could afford these homes. The 1990s Away from the boom in the 80s, the property market faced several challenges as a result of a recession and increasing interest rates. It became increasingly difficult for people to secure mortgages and to own homes. Home prices ranged between £58,000 and £60,000 by 1995. These homes adopted a more simplistic design as compared to their predecessors with beige being the main color and people largely adopting the concept of minimalism. The 00s, 10s and 20s The millennium brought about increased demand for housing. Buyers were focused on buying luxury and coastal properties for entertainment. These homes became very popular and pushed property markets beyond £156,000 by the year 2005. This decade marked an upsurge of entertainment with people owning oversized entertainment systems. The 10s welcomed the era of apartment buildings and more townhouses, further pushing property prices over the roof. It also saw many small units retail at very high prices as more young professionals came to being. The 20s is still in its infancy, but it promises a different story considering the recent outbreak of CoronaVirus disease.