Starting a concrete business

2018-02-28T03:46:27Z

JacquiBAA: Created page with "Once you’ve become a qualified concreter, taking the leap into self-employment is a solid next step. But starting a successful small business requires more than just having on-..."

Once you’ve become a qualified concreter, taking the leap into self-employment is a solid next step. But starting a successful small business requires more than just having on-site skills and experience.

From financial know how and marketing prowess, to identifying your niche and obtaining the right licenses, you need to have a solid concrete business plan in place before you begin.

To help you get started, follow these tips.

Get licensed and insured

Depending on where you live and what kind of concreting work you’re intending to do, you’ll likely need to obtain the proper concreting qualifications and [https://buildersacademy.com.au/can-get-builders-licence/ building license] to work. On top of this, you’ll also need to get a business license from your local city, county or state.

Essentially, you need to determine what kind of business you’re running, how and where to register your business name, what your taxation and legal requirements are, and the types of insurance you’ll need. This might include:

* General liability insurance
* Property insurance
* Worker’s compensation
* Commercial auto insurance

While there is a lot of background work involved, understanding the finer details and setting up your business through the right channels – and in the right way – will save you a lot of financial and emotional headaches down the track,

Find your market

[https://buildersacademy.com.au/learn-about-different-jobs-in-building-and-construction/ T][https://buildersacademy.com.au/learn-about-different-jobs-in-building-and-construction/ he concreting sector is competitive], so what will make your business stand out from the crowd? Before you begin operations, define the market you want to target. Will you work on commercial or residential sites? Will you work with homeowners directly? Are you more interested in working on decorative concrete projects?

On the other hand, perhaps it’s best to hone your business skills by subcontracting with general contractors, pouring sidewalks, constructions slabs, and other large jobs. Whatever you decide to do, make a plan of attack before you set out.

Don’t undersell yourself

If you have no experience on how to start a concrete business, it can be easy to undersell yourself when you’re just starting out. Setting the prices for your services can be a challenge, but if you’re unsure what to do, simply plan for profit.

This means factoring in the actual costs of each job, including the materials, supplies, equipment rentals, hired labourer wages, and travel costs. When you know how much a job will realistically cost, you can determine the amount of profit you desire to make.

Settling on the perfect hourly or fixed rates might take a little trial and error. However, once you’ve nailed down your prices, you’ll find it easier to not only quote jobs, but also start bringing in decent money.

Equipment and supplies

The backbone of any good concrete business is a truck or van – a vehicle to cart around the equipment, supplies, materials and protective gear. This is one of the bigger purchases that you will need to factor into your concrete business plan. You’ll also need to consider smaller purchases such as a computer, telephone, and general office supplies.

What about your cement supplies? For smaller jobs, purchasing bags of cement that are premixed with gravel and sand might do the trick. However, larger jobs might require renting a motorized mixer or getting ready-mix concrete delivered to the job site in a truck.

The start-up costs of a new business aren’t cheap. That’s why it’s important to make a realistic estimate of the total funds needed to buy or rent equipment, and figure out where all this money is coming from – savings, bank loans, credit cards, or investors?

Until the money starts flowing, it’s important to make sure you have a plan to keep the business afloat.

Invest in marketing

To get your concrete business off the ground, people need to know about you. There’s a variety of ways to get the word out – from placing classified ads in local newspapers, to printing out flyers, to relying on referrals and contacts within the industry.

However, one of the simplest ways to get seen is to create a website. There are plenty of easy-to-use and inexpensive platforms you can use, such as Squarespace, WordPress and Wix. If you don’t have the time or skills to create a website, it’s worth investing in a professional who can do it for you.

You should also consider creating a separate social media account for your business on a platform like Facebook. This widens your reach and gives potential customers another way to experience your company and get in touch.

The Building Blocks

You don’t need a huge amount of people or capital to begin a concreting business, but you do need a solid understanding of your financial and business goals.

When developing a concrete business plan, focus on the above suggestions. Starting your own business is equal parts nerve-racking and exciting, but if you stick at it and make the right moves, you’ll find the rewards are definitely worth it.

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Author Bio

Jacqui Martin works for [http://buildersacademy.com.au Builders Academy Australia], she is passionate providing learning opportunities for building and construction workers and students.

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Starting a concrete business