Three construction workers sitting on concrete at construction site

How to Properly Protect Your Construction Business in 2020

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 2020, it’s that the world around us can change at a rapid rate. With technology developing apace, business methods and processes are continually evolving, and it’s all too easy to get left behind.

That’s why it’s important to put certain safeguards in place, in order to protect not only yourself and your company, but your employees and customers too. It’s by thus being proactive that you can ensure your construction business has a positive future to look forward to.

There are lots of different ways you can build in this theoretical safety net against whatever the world may throw at you, from having proper insurance cover arranged through to improving your training protocols and practices.

Here are five that you might want to consider.

Choose tailored insurance cover

If you’re hoping to protect against the vagaries of the future, the first step is to have appropriate insurance cover in place. Specifically designed to shield you from any mishaps, accidents, or unforeseen events that may occur, this can be tailored to the unique needs of your company.

Let’s imagine, for example, that you want to insure your business vehicle against theft, damage, or any other potentially negative outcomes. The best way to do this is by contacting a company that specializes in this area and can design a policy to meet your individual requirements.

Find this, and you’re protected against any potentially negative outcomes that may lay ahead.

Provide proper training

As well as having appropriate insurance in place, another way to keep your company out of trouble is to make sure that proper training is provided. That’s because employees who understand their jobs are much less likely to make costly mistakes – ones that could be detrimental to their safety, the overall experience of your clients, and the future of your business.

If you cannot provide this yourself, consider other ways to ensure that it’s delivered, whether by investing in online resources or bringing in an expert. While this may cost more in the short-term, the long-term value of properly trained workers cannot be overstated.

Invest in appropriate PPE

With regard to your employees, it’s essential that you keep them safe as far as you’re humanly able, both for their own sake and that of your business. That’s because taking risks with their health and wellbeing is not only incredibly irresponsible and potentially dangerous but could lead to costly lawsuits that are damaging to your company finances.

One way you can avoid this is by investing in appropriate PPE. While proper equipment might be costly, cutting corners will prove infinitely more expensive in the long run, both from a moral and a financial perspective.

Build a financial safety net

We’ve all heard the saying that ‘time is money’, and this is most certainly true. What this means is that should you ever find you’re unable to work for a prolonged period, either due to personal or external factors, the only way for your business to survive will be by having some money in the bank.

That’s why we recommend building up a financial cushion. While we recognize that you have to speculate to accumulate, it’s important to find the right balance between caution and ambition when it comes to managing your company finances.

A good rule of thumb to go by is this: save a third, spend a third, invest a third. This means that you should aim to keep around a third of your profits in the bank, spend an additional third on growing your company, and plow the remainder back into your business and its upkeep.

Enhance your understanding of data protection protocols

Last but not least, we’d recommend that you and your employees all undergo a brief refresher on data protection protocols. That’s because these change relatively frequently, and not realizing this can prove a costly mistake to make – for both your company and your clients.

Luckily, there are lots of resources online to help you. These should provide you with a reasonably comprehensive idea of everything you need to know, but if there’s anything you remain unsure of, additional assistance is at hand, with plenty of professionals willing to deliver in-house training to companies who require it.

Isn’t it time you asked yourself how you could better protect your business moving forward?

 

Staff Writer at CPO Magazine