Your construction company survives and thrives on project tenders provided by client organisations. Contractors need these jobs to keep their business growing.
Fortunately, there is plenty of work to go around.
The construction industry is worth £110 billion — 7% of the UK’s total GDP. Thousands of new construction projects are put into development every year, with big-ticket clients eager to bring on the best contractors available to complete their builds.
But how do you find this work for your construction company and take home a slice of that mouth-watering industry evaluation?
Build Your Construction Industry Network
Contractors will find the majority of their jobs come from network connections and client contacts. Your construction company can and should invest ample resources in developing a rich and diverse network of client relationships that can lead to being offered jobs or the opportunity to bid on a tender.
It’s a decidedly simple concept: A client sets forward plans for a construction job and knows they will need to source contractors to fulfil their build requirements. The first place they are going to look is into their network of contractors.
By building your network, you can also search for opportunities by reaching out to contacts and gathering information on upcoming projects you may be suitable for. Without a solid list of contacts, you’re missing out on some of the biggest opportunities for finding construction jobs.
Search For Projects That Are Right For Your Construction Business
If contractors build their networks in the wrong places and hunt for jobs within the wrong frameworks, they’ll soon find that — while they might have a powerful list of contacts and a profound awareness of many available jobs — they aren’t going to win any bids because the jobs they know about aren’t a good fit for them.
Construction company limitations can vary from budgets and service quality to available workforce and project scale. Contractors can only work on jobs within their range of expertise and resource access. Even when hiring out subcontractors, there can be limitations in who you can get to work with you, and therefore, what you can offer your client. Part of building your network is making smart choices and investing your time in connecting with clients who have the potential to offer you contracts that you are capable of accepting.
Your search for clients should acknowledge your job capacities and aim to identify the best relationships based on what they can offer you and what you can offer them.
Wondering how you’ll start building your network? CHAS helps connect clients and contractors through our membership program. We make it easy for you to build powerful and relevant business relationships.
Talk To The Project Manager And Project Consultant
Face-to-face conservations.
There is something to be said for visiting project managers and consultants working in the construction industry — to do nothing but introduce yourself, your construction company and the services you are currently able to provide.
You cannot and should not expect this to always result in a deal secured or even just an invitation to bid on a project tender. But, when combined with the above points of building networks and seeking the right clients for your construction company, simple conversations can be a powerful tool for finding work. Meeting people, getting to know them on a personal level — knowing what they need and how you can fit into that — is an excellent way of building professional relationships. This will make your construction company more memorable and also invite the potential for referral business.
Don’t Underestimate Social Media
If you’re going to travel around and meet people, make sure you’re ready to share your company’s social media details. Make sure your social media badges are visible on your company car, letterheads and other marketing materials.
It’s also a good idea to prepare a QR code that potential clients can scan quickly and be instantly redirected to your website or social media accounts — this is particularly useful in a post-pandemic world, where many people have grown accustomed to scanning QR codes before entering establishments.
Achieve the Industry’s highest recognised accreditation, backed by Build UK & CECA with CHAS Elite
The Common Assessment Standard streamlines the construction supply chain and makes it easier for companies to achieve compliance and gain accreditation.
Make Your Construction Company ‘Findable’
Much of our advice so far has been about investing your time and energy in finding jobs and projects. But, we should not ignore the idea that the clients themselves are actively looking for your services. While it may seem like it’s always up to you and your team to contact clients about potential jobs, there are plenty of client businesses out there doing the same thing.
It’s not uncommon for project managers to search around for contractors, looking for construction companies that they can invite to bid on their upcoming project tenders. If you want to attract this kind of business, you must make sure people can find you to offer you potential jobs.
We’ve already discussed networking to solve this, but is there anything else you can do?
Leverage Social Proof
A digital presence has never been more important for finding jobs and work for your construction company. Putting together a good quality website, developing your social media profiles and investing in search engine advertising are essential steps for anyone who wants to succeed in the construction industry.
But you should also take advantage of opportunities right under your nose. For example, you can maximise your visibility by negotiating to have your company logo to appear on your clients’ websites/portals. This vote of confidence in your business taps into social proof — where people copy the actions of others to get the same results.
Sign up with CHAS today and get your contractor business listed in our services database. We have thousands of clients actively using our roster of accredited contractors to find suitable construction companies for their projects and jobs. Featuring a business profile that includes your certifications, areas of expertise, location and experience, your CHAS membership helps clients find you.
Give Clients A Reason To Hire You
Being “findable” may be important, but it’s also vital that your construction company considers its perception in the eyes of clients. It’s no good having easy-to-find services if said services don’t provide a prospective client with what they are looking for.
What Are Clients Looking For?
Many clients will have a distinct set of criteria to adhere to when considering contractors for their projects.
To win jobs, you need to meet and exceed these criteria. It’s easier than you might think to get your head around what exactly you’re up against here. There are a handful of standard documents used by clients when designing a project. The Construction Playbook, for example, is a free resource preferred by public organisations that offers instruction on how to source construction companies for jobs. Crucial elements of The Construction Playbook include using contractor services that meet strict compliance and governance policy, offer a diverse value proposition, have considered all elements of risk management and health and safety, and provide evidence of transparent working practice with accurate record keeping.
Being able to offer these attributes can make your construction company a serious contender for winning jobs.
Work with CHAS to achieve the Common Assessment Standard. Recognised industry-wide as the gold standard of accreditation and certification, the Common Assessment Standard demonstrates your commitment to risk assessments, ethical working practice, health and safety and many other factors essential for meeting client project criteria and winning tenders.
Follow Up On Contract Interest
No business, least of all those working in the construction industry looking to secure high-value tenders and contracts, should be forgetting to follow up with parties that have shown an interest in bringing them onto current or future projects.
Only 2% of leads are secured during the initial meeting process. It can often take a good deal of time and energy to win a project tender, and that means contractors must be prepared to put in the extra legwork.
Design a robust yet non-invasive follow-up schedule for your prospective projects.
Utilise all lines of contact, from emails and phone calls to face-to-face visits, and develop a strategy that stops your construction business from fading out of the client’s consciousness. You do not want to be calling daily, sending emails constantly and turning up regularly to see if they are ready to bring you onto the project yet. But conversely, if you make no further efforts beyond an initial offer or discussion, the chances are your offer will be usurped by another contractor with a more aggressive marketing process.
Try to strike a balance.
Create an open and active dialogue, and make sure that when the time comes for a client to make a decision on moving ahead with project tenders, they haven’t forgotten who you are or what you offer.
Quick Content Breakdown: How To Find Work For My Construction Company
Finding jobs for your construction company requires plenty of effort and time. But, with the right resources and strategies, contractors can find plenty of opportunities.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the number of businesses entering the construction industry is only increasing as market value continues its upward trajectory. ONS data also shows that the average income from contractors is well above the national average.
In short, there is plenty of money and plenty of work.
Finding those jobs, though, comes down largely to putting your business in the right places. Whether that’s developing networks and reaching out to clients to start relationships or making sure your construction company is listed on the best platforms while making the right promises, the winning strategy for finding work in construction is often down to proactivity and productivity.
This is not a ground-breaking discovery, but it’s nevertheless important to remind ourselves of best practices. When looking to develop your client list, keep this guide from CHAS in mind, follow the simple but effective steps, and you’ll be well on your way to securing new jobs.
The CHAS membership program is designed to help your contractor business find new opportunities. Connect with thousands of clients, make it easy for opportunities to come to you and achieve high standards of certifications and accreditations coveted by major clients through the Common Assessment Standard.
