The doctor will see you now...

Is estimating giving you a headache? Do you wish there was a cure for over work and under pay? Would love an easy to use construction estimating software that you can download for these ailments?

Every builder at some point gets sick – to the back teeth – of the business end of construction work. In fact, joking apart, it can literally make you unwell and often does. Marc our New Business Team Managerhas years of experience discussing the estimating problems builders face when running a building business whether it’s renovation work, extensions or new builds. Here he shares some of the symptoms described to him and the remedies he recommends.

The pressure’s just too great – I end up dropping my prices

Symptoms: I find myself reducing my costs in order to win the job and keep everyone working. I can’t risk my best subbies jumping ship to work for another builder. My heart tells me one thing, my head another. I know it’s a dangerous game and I’m not sure I can keep this up.

Remedy: It’s not surprising. And that way of life is never going to do you any good. With EstimatorXpressyou can be proud of your prices. The numbers are 100% accurate. The numbers are what they are. Your estimate will give you the courage of your convictions and the knowledge that anything less risks you making a loss. OK you could reduce your profit margin but stop there!

Prognosis: The professional quote, with as much detail as you want to share with the customer, will leave them in no doubt that you’ve thought of everything. A lower price from a competitor should fill them with doubt!

Estimating is a real headache – there’s no relief from it

Symptoms: Estimating takes too much time and on top of that, I end up making mistakes. It’s effecting my home life – I miss out on doing things with family and friends. What’s the cure?

Remedy: Working an 8-5 day and then late into the night on quotes is not much fun, it’s a wonder how anyone copes. There’s good news. It’s time to take a chill pill, and let EstimatorXpress speed up the estimating process. It really cuts through the time it takes to produce a comprehensive and accurate quote. And no more trying to hold loads of information in your head, which is only going to add to the pain.

Prognosis: You’ll be amazed by how quickly you produce your estimates and even beat the competition to the job.

The profit is so up and down I can’t make sense of it

Symptoms: I can’t keep track. I can’t see where the money is going and what’s causing the drop in profit. In fact there are times when I’m only breaking even. But I can’t work out where I’m losing out. Is it my subbie costs? Have materials gone up in price and which ones am I under-pricing? If my projects are running over, I can’t work out what stages of the job are taking too long. What can I do?

Remedy: That’s enough to give anyone palpitations. What you need is EstimatorXpress. It addresses all these issues and more. Once your project has been accurately costed in EstimatorXpress it will automatically give you a whole range of valuable reports. It’ll give you a cost breakdown, material schedules (with up-to-date material prices from national suppliers), cutting lists, cashflow information and close on 80 more documents. From that day forward you’ll be accurately quoting and properly managing the jobs you win.

Prognosis: Because of the detail in the quote you give the customer they can’t try on the ‘ah but I thought it was included in the price’ line. So no more absorbing their ‘extras’ – you’ll make the profit you deserve thanks to accurate calculations and detailed information. Profit leaks will be a thing of the past.

It feels like no one’s listening to the smaller building firms

Symptoms: I feel pretty lonely at times. When you’re a small business there’s not always anyone else on your wavelength to talk to or share the ups and downs. Mind you, sometimes I can’t hear myself think with so much going on.

Remedy: You heard it here first. HBXL is listening! Founder Adrian Wild and the whole team are on a mission to be a voice for hard-working building firms up and down the country. Your well-being matters! We listen to builders over the phone, via email, at webinars, demo days and shows. That’s how we hone our software to meet the needs of today’s building firms. And we don’t stop listening once when the software’s been bought. Far from it – the updates we make to our products are often on the back of suggestions provided by users who are putting the software through its paces day in day out.

Prognosis: If HBXL software is right for you we’ll tell you. If it isn’t we’ll tell you. When you have the software we’re here to help you every step of the way – not just in the first week, but every week.

To find out more about software that’s good for your health, the ‘surgery is open 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday. You can leave a message out of hours on the phone on 0117 916 7898 or via the website.