√ MARKET POSITION

Everyone tells you to be a one stop shop, but are you? Does it makes sense. We align your skills and ambition so you have a clear product offering that you can brand and deliver efficiently.

√ MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & FUNDING

This is such a failing for so many businesses. They invest in all the above, but neglect to put proper accounting and management support information in place. The result is a business that cannot measure its performance, share feedback accurately with staff and investors and will struggle to get business funding because the financial position is unclear and the essential systems are not in place.

√ STRATEGIC EXIT & SUCCESSION PLANNING

I can hear the gasps, we are not looking to sell! Business is about options and opportunities. An oversight that is common to many companies is to neglect the foresight of considering how you will exit your construction business. Is your management team capable of doing a management buyout? Private Equity providers won’t invest without a clear strategic exit, shouldn’t you be more savvy? It seems odd that the entry is planned in great detail, but the exit is left to chance.

√ COMPETITOR REVIEW

You will learn more about where your construction company sits in the market by looking objectively at who you compete with. Don’t try and be a business that you are not. See what works in the sector and put your own twist on it.

√ MANAGEMENT SKILLS

As the plan comes together, be realistic in your assessment of the management that are being asked to deliver it. Are they skilled enough? Do they need a leader? Are you spending enough of management training?  Do you need to recruit more staff? There may be many reasons why this is a frightening undertaking but without a strong core team, you probably will not succeed.

√ STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN

It’s no good if it’s in your head, write it down, add some forecasts, discuss with your team and get their buy in. Start off with bullet points and then fill in the detail as it goes through each new version. Don’t do it all yourself, share the load with your team. Don’t be dismissive about construction company mergers and acquisitions. Sometimes they make eminent sense as part of a growth plan. Organic growth can be painfully slow in some markets, including freight and logistics, so keep an open mind.

IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR GROWTH?

This question is often the biggest single reason for inertia. Ridgetown sit along side you and work towards an answer. Sometimes, your construction business will need to put more building blocks in place (forgive the pun) before you can start to accelerate. On other occasions, just having an experienced sounding board is all that is required. We provide the analysis and help you identify the gaps ahead of your journey so that you start off with confidence and direction.

DO YOUR AMBITIONS FIT YOUR GROWTH PLANS?

On the face of it, it might seem a strange question but many ambitious construction businesses don’t have detailed or well researched growth plans. We often map out one-page budgets for clarification and then develop the plan following. This approach will often highlight differences between intended plans and the operational means of achieving them. Few companies have all the inhouse skills to transform their businesses. So using Ridgetown to bridge the gaps makes a great deal of sense when trying to grow you freight or logistics business.

SALES GENERATION

Without sales, growth will stall. Seems obvious but it is often overlooked. Making sure that all departments work seamlessly with the sales team is a good start. Ensure the budget is big enough and don’ t reduce at the first sign of a slowdown! Marketing is typically omni-channel, so don’t neglect the public relations and exhibitions at the expense of online. Set realistic targets and deliver a consistent message that is branded and in line with your particular construction sector needs. Marketing budgets are so much easier to measure today, so ensure they are money well spent.

MARKET RESEARCH

Where do you begin? Ridgetown has access to thousands of industry reports in the construction sector that we share with our clients to make sure that they are focussed on the right growth factors and matching the best performance that the sector offers. In their absence, many companies often fool themselves that they are doing well. Why take the chance? They are expensive but for a reason, they are very valuable. Your strategic direction should be dictated by your knowledge and experience but also under-pinned by market expert consensus.

IF ONLY WE HAD THE FUNDS!

Probably the most cited reason for inaction. We cannot afford it. Finance should never be the determining factor. It is the last thing we consider. We work through your ambitions and strategy, so that we can understand what your funding requirements are. At that stage, we build the case. There is no shortage of capital (debt or equity) and we are expert at finding the ideal lenders and grants for which you are eligible. We also make sure you don’t limit your ambitions and exclude possible merger and acquisition targets in the construction sector which are fundable, if the business case makes sense. Look to the skies!