WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:06.000 The Carpenter Show with Robin Clevitt, powered by Festal's new innovative eighteen volt cordless 2 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:11.039 range from drills to sours including dust extraction, all powered by eighteen volt batteries. 3 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:18.039 Discover more at festal dot co dot UK. This is the Carpentry Show 4 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:22.079 with Festal on fixed Radio and I'm your host, Robin Clevitt. On today's 5 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:26.079 show, I'll be joined by a top builder and a good friend of mine, 6 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:31.199 Jack our letter. Jack has a huge limited construction company in the domestic 7 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:36.840 market and designs and builds some amazing properties. I've asked Jack to join us 8 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:41.359 to give us some advice on how we as carpenters can work better with general 9 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:45.039 builders. So in the last week I've been trying out a new material and 10 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:49.920 material that I could not wait to get my hands on because it's to replace 11 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.560 birch ply, which is as you know as carpenters, has become a real 12 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:58.719 problem since the issues in Ukraine. The supply of this material has dwindled down, 13 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:00.759 the prices have risen, so there's been a big gap in the market 14 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:07.560 for something which we can find which will be as good as hopefully as birch 15 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.719 Ply. Now we use birch ply for everything, especially furniture makers. It's 16 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:15.480 a very stable, reliable material. So I did some research and found a 17 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:19.840 product which has a strange name. It's called street Tech, and on the 18 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:23.640 face of it it looks very much like birch ply. It's got very good 19 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.799 plies all the way through it, hardly any core voids. That means when 20 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:32.519 you cut through you get those gaps in the layers of ply. And I'm 21 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:38.000 making a slatted wall which turns into a slatted screen which lets light through but 22 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.879 also disguises a room, so there's a hidden door. And it's been a 23 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:47.959 very interesting thing to get my head round because when I'm using products like MDF 24 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:49.879 for example, stuff like that, you know, I have my techniques the 25 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:53.040 ways of cutting things. But when you're talking about plies, you know you've 26 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.560 got to make sure you've got the right blades. You don't want anything on 27 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:59.319 the bottom of the salt to scratch it because it's going to be the finished 28 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.480 item. But anyway, that's been going pretty well. So it's been full 29 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:07.280 on carpentry and joinery, doing all kinds of other bits and pieces. There's 30 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.759 been lots of jobs to price all the normal sort of stuff we get bogged 31 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:15.599 down with fixed radio time to crack on. I'm Robin Clevertt and joining me 32 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:20.400 on the Carpentry Show. Now is Jack our letter a builder with a large 33 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:23.439 limited company in the domestic market. Jack, tell us how long you've been 34 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.639 in the building trade now, and give us a scale of how big your 35 00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:30.159 firm is. Oh wow, I've got to be in the building trade for 36 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:37.639 about thirty five years now. I mean we run it's very kind of a 37 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:43.159 large building company. We run a small to medium construction company in a very 38 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:49.080 small umbrella of Mole Valley, and I've got certain ten employees. And you 39 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.840 know, over the years of thirty five years, it's grown for me being 40 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:58.240 in a van with a laborer to having ten guys who offices, a commercial 41 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:06.039 premises where we store and create things excavators, dumpers, a fleet of vehicle, 42 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:09.319 fleet of ten vehicles and so on. Really, so, yes, 43 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:14.680 yes, it's been an exciting time. It's been a good song and I'm 44 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:16.639 still enjoying it. Yeah. Well, as I say, I've got to 45 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:21.520 know you over the last few years personally, but prior to that, because 46 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.919 as you say, moul Valley, it's Minecker the words as well. I 47 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:28.439 see all of your amazing vehicles. It's always beautifully presented. And even before, 48 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:30.439 even before I knew you, I thought, this guy is definitely going 49 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:35.000 about things in the right kind of way, and he's stuck his neck out. 50 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:38.560 He's trying to get above the sort of normal kind of standard that you 51 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:43.599 see of not dissing any small building firms, don't get me wrong, but 52 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:49.000 m and then I've obviously met, we became neighbors, and we met, 53 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.080 and I think that I was absolutely blown away that not only just the appearance 54 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.759 of the firm, but the work that you do is phenomenal as well, 55 00:03:55.800 --> 00:04:00.360 and the standards and all of the types of jobs there, huge complicated jobs 56 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:02.840 that you seem to turn around in a fairly quick time. So one of 57 00:04:02.840 --> 00:04:08.199 the reasons I've asked you on the show today is because carpenters work with builders, 58 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:11.319 Okay, as do other trades people, and there can sometimes be a 59 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:15.280 disconnect between the two. I mean, so you've hired every kind of trade. 60 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:23.319 So what's your experience, what's your experience in hiring carpenters. I've got 61 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.560 I've got four carpenters that work for me full time, two of them being 62 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:31.360 apprentices. And without my chippies, you know, we wouldn't have a building 63 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:36.519 company. I mean that, you know chippies are They have this ability to 64 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:40.800 come on site, create things, get me to an area where I need 65 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:43.680 to be, and then get to the finishes. You know, you can't 66 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.360 complete you can't complete the trouble at a chippy. Of course, you need 67 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:48.720 the other trades like the decorators and nutrition, and they're just as important. 68 00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:51.720 But you know what, people like to see chippies on site. People like 69 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.519 to see chippies creating things, making things, making covers, hanging doors, 70 00:04:56.519 --> 00:05:01.240 putting skirting boards on kitchens, elements in ooms and stuff like that. So 71 00:05:01.399 --> 00:05:04.759 chippies have got to, you know, an important role we've been within my 72 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:10.360 business. Yeah, that's why, that's why I've got form. Yeah, 73 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:15.279 it's the third of my business. It's carpentry's carpenters. Yeah, good, 74 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.079 bring bring it on, bring it on. And so so if you if 75 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:23.519 you were forgot, you've got your builder hot and you've got your employers hot 76 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:30.439 on now and you had to sort of give some carpenters advice what they need 77 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:33.279 to understand about how builders operate Okay, So let's say take to take the 78 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:38.000 example that a carpenter's done his time, he's now going out to look for 79 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:41.079 work, and he's decided to go and work for a builder. Is there 80 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:44.959 anything he'd need to sort of think about? I think, I think with 81 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.319 anyone who's going to come along and work for builder, and if I with 82 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:50.480 my employees, the first thing I said, I love my guys having their 83 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:57.279 core skill, I e. Carpentry, m but I always always always tell 84 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.879 them that they've got to look at the other elements of the phase. That 85 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:03.959 so I it's funny all my employment contracts with my guys, they're all over 86 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:08.600 time, they're all they're all detailed as one one description only and that's the 87 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.160 general builder. They've got to be able to understand all the phases. That's 88 00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:15.680 just not only laying bricks and understandable foundations, bit about electrics, bit about 89 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:19.920 plumbing, bit about heating systems, bit about av a bit about guard design. 90 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:24.319 But you know, all those sorts of all those sorted outside skills out 91 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:28.480 of what they understand. Its car. You know, a car is really 92 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.199 important for us as a business, really important. Yeah, And I honestly 93 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.800 think as part of a contract. What are great thing to put in there? 94 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.399 Because I always say this is people who regularly listen to the show. 95 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:41.920 I often say the carpenters are first on and last off because we set out 96 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:45.959 even setting stuff out for as you say, for the other trades, putting 97 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:47.360 the grounds in, getting all the sort of stud work set out, so 98 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:49.920 the sockets are going the right places, the TVs can hang on the wall. 99 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:54.160 You need to know so many other things. Next, let's talk about 100 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:59.879 the availability of builders here in the UK the Carpentry Show on fixed radio. 101 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:03.839 You're listening to the Carpentry Show with Festival. I'm Robin Clevitt talking to Jack 102 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:09.720 our letter, a builder with a sizeable company dealing in the domestic markets. 103 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:15.199 Something that anyone who's doing that knows is not straightforward, okay Jack. When 104 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.879 it comes to working with all the different trades, how do carpenters compare with 105 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:25.480 others when it comes to sort of reliability and professionalism. I think the carpenters, 106 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.360 I mean, with their skill sets. The carpenters, I know, 107 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.120 always seems to be you know, it alway seems to be presentable, They 108 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:35.839 alway seem to have they away seems to have the right tools. Um Their 109 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:43.639 understanding of their skill sets is genuinely really good. Um So. And it's 110 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.360 and that's that's quite impressive for us as as a building company because it always 111 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.040 tells me that they can hold their own. They can always under it always 112 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:55.199 makes me understand that they've got a handle on this. Yeah. So I've 113 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:58.680 always been quite impressed, even with the even my apprentices. They've always always 114 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.160 you know, I think we've had me robbing me and you've had this conversation 115 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:05.920 and these times work I go to I'm fifty four years old now, and 116 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:09.480 it's I've seen a lot of the business and always and always always chuck when 117 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:13.160 when the when the younger member of teams and the carpenters come along and just 118 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:16.839 show me something they've just they've created. Yeah, and I'm always questioned of 119 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.120 how they've done that. Yeah, capers. Yeah, I mean, you 120 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:24.040 know, like I say, it goes back to it. It cuts that 121 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:26.160 you know, they hold their own within the building trade and with a big 122 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:31.199 building project, the certainly runs that the I run anyway. Yeah, and 123 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:33.960 so talking about trades and all the rest of it and finding them okay, 124 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.279 something we hear all the time from the public. Okay, So, especially 125 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:41.200 since the pandemic is where are all the builders? You see it in the 126 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.919 newspapers? Why can't I hire a builder to come and work for me? 127 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:48.360 I mean what so, so, I know we've we've waxed lyrical about this 128 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:52.120 as well, but what are your personal thoughts on that? From a customer's 129 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.679 perspective. Do you get customers saying to you, go, we we thought, 130 00:08:54.840 --> 00:09:00.159 you know, we struggled to find anyone or not? Yeah, thing? 131 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:05.080 I mean builders, builders sometimes you know, sometimes always haven't got a 132 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:11.480 great name or a great reputation because there's a big differences between a very good 133 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:15.559 building and a very bad builder obviously. Um, and I'm not just talking 134 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.039 about quality of work to some of how they present themselves within the business, 135 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:22.399 and how they talk to clients, and how they come across with their with 136 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.519 their estimates and possible ending, you know, going through the fruition of creating 137 00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:30.320 something is their snagging as well, which is just as important. I struggle 138 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.480 with. I struggle with, you know, my my biggest thing within my 139 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:39.039 business is finding general builders. Ignore the fact that I've created these my world 140 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:43.159 of general builders, but having something that comes to me that has a little 141 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.759 bit of knowledge of all the aspects of the building trade. Yeah, and 142 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:52.679 I've struggled with that and so with with within my little world, I just 143 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:56.159 I try to create my own. Um. I've worked alongside of the builders. 144 00:09:56.679 --> 00:10:00.519 Some are really impressive. Some I've learned from, you know, I've 145 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:03.039 learnt from, and I've I've actually copied, which is always glad. Yeah, 146 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:07.440 but I've see I see a lot of builders that I know I'm more 147 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:11.320 than happy to keep a waste on as well. Yeah, yeah, after 148 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.879 I mean, I can count on I've said this to you before. I 149 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.720 can count on one hand how many builders or building firms that I've worked with 150 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:20.679 over the years that I would trust to build something for me. Obviously you're 151 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.480 in that list. But but really and truly, when I see other stuff 152 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:26.840 going on a thing, I wouldn't I wouldn't get them to do anything for 153 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:31.679 me. So what are the public and maybe even trades people need to understand 154 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.840 about the building trade now and how it's operating in twenty twenty three. I 155 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:39.000 do a lot of tasers. I do a lot of a lot of things 156 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:41.879 where I have to store market myself. Even after doing it all these years 157 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:46.080 and having what I've got as a business. I think the best thing for 158 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:50.320 builders is to make sure they're honest, to make sure they're presentable, make 159 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:54.159 sure that they you know that they can they can show people what they've done 160 00:10:54.200 --> 00:11:00.080 before, which is really important. That gives customers the you know, the 161 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:03.320 sense that they're in safe handy. I'm slightly different from a lot of you 162 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:07.639 know builders in a sense that I have got a spine to my business where 163 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:11.080 there is something to fall fall onto if there is an issue. You know, 164 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:13.120 we do have issues, you know. You know some even we're not 165 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:16.039 you know, we we we have to correct something. The win. We 166 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:20.159 can't get right the first time, we get made sure and that that gives 167 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:26.799 a lot of my clients the the the nicest for the confidence that's the right 168 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:28.519 work where they can know that they can say, well, you're not going 169 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:31.639 to get right this time. I know Jad's going to sort it out or 170 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:33.279 or one of one of these foremaners are going to sort it out. And 171 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:37.679 that's that's why we win a lot of work. We are. I'm a 172 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.480 very I'm a very fortunate person, but it's taken me a lot of years 173 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:46.159 to get to the situation. I am now, um where customers as soon 174 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:50.480 as they call me that you know that I passed that point where they're looking 175 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:52.399 they're trying to look for you. Yeah, they've done the due diligence. 176 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:58.039 They hundred hundred percent, hundred percent um, you know. But that's taking 177 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.919 me years to get there. And it's my little formula has worked for me. 178 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:05.919 Whether it's going to work for another building, you know it could. 179 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:11.279 But I would say I think honesty is a big thing within our trade fixed 180 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:15.440 Radio. I'm Robin Clevitt talking to Jack our letter on the Carpentry Show. 181 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.519 Jack is a build up with a really lovely company, Okay, And I 182 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.080 know this personally, and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to 183 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:26.720 get him here to sort of share his knowledge and experience because it's it's so 184 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:31.840 invaluable to hear someone like Jack who's out there doing it in the domestic end 185 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.360 of the market. So I've, as I said, I've been keen to 186 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:39.919 talk to Jack because it's something in the sort of carpenters in the domestic market 187 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:45.279 can really learn from. Okay, So you've managed to build a really successful 188 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:50.240 company and you were talking about honesty in the previous segment. I mean, 189 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:56.320 so would you say that that's your secret or what is your secret? I 190 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:00.679 think honesty is passed my secret. I think being available to people as well 191 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.799 is another thing. I mean, you know, I I work like you, 192 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:09.919 Robin, I work almost twenty four seven, even at the level I 193 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:13.480 am now, I think the difference of me it's a passion for me. 194 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:18.039 I've always enjoyed the building trade. I've always enjoyed building stuff, and you 195 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:20.279 know, and even doing that, you know, doing the sales and the 196 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:24.480 marketing bit. Um, it's it's you've got to have that in yourself. 197 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:28.320 Yeah, it's no. For me, it's not just a job. It's 198 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.240 more of it's more of a way of life. And that's a big that's 199 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:33.039 a big statement to make, but it's, you know, that's how I 200 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:39.159 build my business. Is my little my little world. It's important things go 201 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:41.080 right for me. And when it goes wrong, we you know, we 202 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.000 of course we get upset and we get it sorted. Yeah. And and 203 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:50.840 I'd imagine there's a lot of listeners today who are nodding along saying it becomes 204 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:54.200 your world, because when it's when it's whether you're on your own or whether 205 00:13:54.240 --> 00:14:00.480 you like you. You're responsible for ten employees, loads of subcontractors, clients, 206 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:05.159 the responsibility of the jobs, the safety of everybody on site. You 207 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.320 know, there's no there's no skirting around it. You can't do that part 208 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:11.320 time. You need to. If someone phones you on Assassin and says, 209 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.399 by the way, there's something dripping upstairs, it falls to us to get 210 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.200 and get in the car and go around and deal with it, you know 211 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.600 what I mean. And I know that you should be able to compartment your 212 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:26.360 personal life away from your work. But sometimes when it's your own business, 213 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.759 as you say, your baby, you just got to do it, haven't 214 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:31.840 you. Yeah, you know, you're like me. We use our actual 215 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:35.320 names. Yeah, that's absolutely. And when use and when you do that, 216 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:39.759 you've lent yourself to someone. People know, they know you're ready, 217 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:43.399 they know their name, they recognize how you spell it. I mean, 218 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:48.039 I've got an unusual name to spell anyway. And that's something you know, 219 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:50.960 and people feel and so you're you're part of their world already. It's you 220 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.559 know, it's a nice feeling, you know, when people recognize you or 221 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:56.519 they say, let you know, I've been recommended by somebody to use you. 222 00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:01.840 And when those those important words to you. You you know you've, 223 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:07.799 you've you you know you've absolutely absolutely. So why did you stay sort of 224 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.960 mainly in the domestic market, I mean, what has focusing on the domestic 225 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:16.120 market market sort of nearly exclusively allowed you to achieve? Well, that's a 226 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:20.559 good question. I mean, I love, I love, I love working 227 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:24.679 with clients and making their homes. I love. I'm a I'm a D 228 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.320 and B A type builder. I'm a design and build type builder. I 229 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:31.000 love you. Of course, we we do a lot of tenders. We 230 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:35.639 worked a specifications, we worked too, sort of the architect specification and their 231 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:39.879 drawlings. But one thing we like to do, I mean it and it's 232 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:41.799 become a bit of a game. I suppose where we like to tweak things, 233 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:45.240 then I turn it around so we can give the customer a few more 234 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:50.519 options that we see through our eyes and um, and we're well known for 235 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:52.360 that. We're well known to take in a project, taking care of it 236 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:58.360 and making it a bit more bespoke, UM to what the s the customers. 237 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:03.039 I mean big in our world, in my world is that the customer 238 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:07.200 is key within our projects. We set up WhatsApp groups as soon as we 239 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.759 start projects, we have to meet. We have meetings. I give them 240 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:14.320 the contact details for my site supervisors or foremans as you want to call them, 241 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.039 so that it's that they got the almost part of my business once we 242 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:22.440 start the build, which I think's really important. Yeah, I think that 243 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:26.080 engaging the clients all the way through. I love working with engage people because 244 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:30.919 of the fact there's so many decisions to make. They will basically be the 245 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.399 success or the failure of part of a job. If they've not made the 246 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.240 decision on time. Someone's gone and board the concrete. Win we could have 247 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.080 changed something by three feet and you know what I mean. So I know 248 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.440 that you'd put a lot of effort into that. So talk about talk about 249 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:45.639 money in general. Okay, So the domestic market, as far as I 250 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:52.159 see it, for me personally, is much more reliable from a profit point 251 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:53.759 of view, because a, I'm working generally for the people who are going 252 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:56.159 to be paying the bills. I'm I'm not going to go and work for 253 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:00.240 a big local authority and then put my invoice in in sixty days, isn't 254 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:06.480 if I'm lucky to get it. So it is the domestic market the best 255 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.880 place for you to sort of maximize your profit potential. I've always concentrated in 256 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.839 the domestic markets and it's worked to me. You know, there there is 257 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:19.440 at my level, there is lots of jobs and lots of large projects that 258 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:25.400 we can work week. You know that we can tender for um and certainly 259 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.680 at the moment in our current climates, you can, you know, we 260 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:33.000 there is there is, there is money still there within our sector that still 261 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:37.559 makes us, that still makes us survive in a sense. Ye, yes, 262 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.160 I have done a few, I've done a couple of you know, 263 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:44.279 I've done a few commercial jobs which have been really successful. Um And it's 264 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:48.920 and but with commercial jobs, you don't get the same feeling as doing a 265 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:52.680 domestic job because it's it's very disconnected. A commercial jobs, there's no there's 266 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:56.680 no touchies. Really yeah, it's about delivering something, delivering a product. 267 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.960 But we've you know, with domestic jobs, you know, you work. 268 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.279 I think we've been those that their family, you know, what their families 269 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.559 wants and stuff like that. Yeah, it's enjoy it certainly is. And 270 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:11.279 I know for a fact that a bit like me, you know, when 271 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:14.920 I start working for someone, they become someone I know virtually for the rest 272 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.279 of my life, and I worked for going to work for their children and 273 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:22.519 in one case, their children's children. So there you go. Jack, 274 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:27.599 thanks so much for joining me on the show mate the Carpentry Show on Fixed 275 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:34.680 Radio. That's it for Today's Carpentry Show, where I talked to build a 276 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:38.160 Jack our letter about how we can work together on site, and he also 277 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:44.039 gave us some really useful insight into the building side of the construction industry, 278 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.400 mainly the domestic market. So I really enjoyed chatting to Jack. As I 279 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.559 declared, he is someone I've got to know personally. And before I got 280 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:55.119 to know him personally, I used to see him around, see his trucks 281 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:57.519 around, and he was although he's not a competitive it to me because I've 282 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:02.920 decided not to grow a business like that, but I did used to look 283 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:04.440 at his work and think, yeah, I'd be really happy with that, 284 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:10.880 you know. And I'm talking about some really quite nice extensions on some really 285 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:15.559 quite nice property where you've actually got to get every element right, the brickmatch, 286 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.200 the joinery, the roof tiling, and all of the other little details. 287 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:25.440 And what I found really useful from the conversation was the fact that I 288 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:29.319 know that Jack works a lot of hours, but because he lives and breathes 289 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:34.079 his clients experience, he also wants to sort of take their vision, or 290 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:38.680 an architects vision and maximize the potential of it, because quite often an architect, 291 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:42.640 as they draw, can't often see that the light coming into this room 292 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.599 means that if you did a bookcase in that corner, it's going to be 293 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:48.319 amazing. And I know that's exactly what he does. And I know a 294 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:55.480 lot of carpenters and join us out there also offer just naturally that kind of 295 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:57.039 advice because quite often you get a client says, we want a thing in 296 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:00.359 the corner, and if you've got that vision, and if you've got that 297 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:07.319 kind of foresight, you can actually turn something into something completely different without spending 298 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:10.680 a lot more money. So anyway, I really enjoyed chatting with Jack. 299 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:14.720 I hope you enjoyed that too. With regards to someone who has grown a 300 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:19.480 business in a very hard market, the domestic market is difficult. It does 301 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:23.400 take time to get established, and you've got to manage relationships in Jack's case, 302 00:20:23.799 --> 00:20:30.599 many many Okay, so this and all of my previous shows are available 303 00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:34.599 wherever you get your podcasts online. If you want to access to competitions, 304 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:41.640 merch and exclusive content, sign up for the Carpentry Show community newsletter. Head 305 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:45.359 over to fix radio dot co dot uk to register. You will also be 306 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:49.000 entered into a draw to win a Maquita site Radio