Develop your Construction Business Podcast

• Fire Regs Made Easy with Andrea White

  In this episode, Greg Wilkes sits down with fire engineer Andrea White to make Part B practical for builders and developers, so you can design once, build once, and get signed off first time.🔹 Key topics:✅ Part B made simple — what B1–B5 actually mean on a live job (escape, linings, structure, external spread, fire-service access) ✅ When to involve a fire engineer — planning, Gateway checks, and avoiding redraws at RIBA 3/4 ✅ Open-plan layouts that pass — workable routes for ground-floor kitchens, loft conversions and flats over shops ✅ Compartmentation done right — doorsets, cavity barriers, fire-stopping, and the photo evidence building control expects ✅ Detection, alarms and sprinklers — myths busted (no, they don’t all go off at once) and where systems make or break approval ✅ Smoke control basics — AOVs vs. manual vents, protected stairs and keeping travel distances sensible ✅ Regulation 38 handover packs — what must be in your client’s fire information at completion ✅ Common pitfalls — the details that trigger refusals, redesigns and costly delays (and how to avoid them)If you’ve ever had plans knocked back, juggled contradictory advice, or burned time on late-stage fire fixes, Andrea’s guidance will help you plan earlier, de-risk your design, and move through building control with confidence. Tune in and take notes—this episode could save you weeks and thousands.LinkedIn profile:  Andrea White | LinkedInWebsite:  www.awfire.co.uk https://developcoaching.co.uk For more episode please visit:https://developcoaching.co.uk/construction-podcast/ If you'd like to discuss fast-tracking your results, book in a free call - https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/schedule/ If you'd like help growing your business join my private Facebook group - https://m.facebook.com/groups/constructiontradesaccelerator

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• Negotiating Contract The Right Way with Raine Gerber

  In this episode, Greg Wilkes sits down with Raine Gerber, CEO of Quantum Contract Solutions and a subcontractor-turned-contracts expert, who has reviewed over 7,000 agreements to unpack why delivery alone won’t protect your profit, and how to negotiate contracts that actually work for you.🔹 Key topics✅ Lessons from losing a business — how a single hidden clause strangled cashflow and shut the doors on an otherwise profitable company ✅ The “standard contract” myth — why they’re almost always amended and how to spot risk-shifting tweaks ✅ The big five red flags — payment terms, termination rights, uncapped liability, liquidated damages without caps, and rolling warranties ✅ Negotiating without losing the job — focusing on your top 10 risks, trading clauses for price adjustments, and why pushback builds respect ✅ Post-signature discipline — embedding compliance from day one, capturing a watertight body of evidence, and avoiding costly disputes ✅ Dispute resolution that works — suspension clauses, internal resolution meetings with senior decision-makers, and using third parties to remove emotion ✅ Cashflow levers — shortening payment terms, defining “approval,” securing mobilisation/materials deposits, and structuring milestone payments ✅ Why early engagement pays — the benefits of having a fractional commercial team on your side before you ever signIf you’ve ever signed a contract you didn’t fully understand, been stung by surprise clauses, or struggled to get paid on time, Raine’s playbook shows exactly how to protect your business, negotiate from strength, and keep cash flow healthy. Tune in and take notes. This episode could save you six figures.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quantumcsfb/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantumcsig/ X: https://x.com/quantumcsx TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quantumcstiktok YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@constructionsecrets LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantum-contract-solutions/   https://developcoaching.co.uk For more episode please visit:https://developcoaching.co.uk/construction-podcast/ If you'd like to discuss fast-tracking your results, book in a free call - https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/schedule/ If you'd like help growing your business join my private Facebook group - https://m.facebook.com/groups/constructiontradesaccelerator

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• High Performing Project Managers with Rachael Keeble

  In this episode, Greg Wilkes welcomes Rachael Keeble, a project-management trainer, chartered builder & BuiltWell founder for a frank look at what turns an “OK” project manager into the calm, profit-driving linchpin every growing construction firm needs.🔹 Key topics✅ “Peace & purpose” project management – why PMs burn out and how Rachael’s framework puts them back in control  ✅ The founder skills-gap audit – slow down, list what you’re bad at and hire the opposite  ✅ Values first, CV second – write job ads that spell out your culture so A-players self-select  ✅ Generalist vs specialist – when you really need a PM and when you actually need a commercial lead or legal advisor  ✅ On-boarding that sticks – 10-minute daily check-ins, four-week road-maps and clear KPIs beat the sink-or-swim approach  ✅ What to look for on a CV – up-to-date CPD, broad early experience, concise communication  ✅ Training that matters – leadership & soft-skills now trump scheduling software as AI eats routine tasks  ✅ Keeping PMs happy – quarterly growth chats, ownership of systems and a lived-out values culture  ✅ Rachael’s quick wins for owners – daily huddles, shared dashboards, and the courage to cut mis-hires fast If you’re juggling projects yourself, drowning in admin or wondering why your last PM hire fizzled, Rachael’s playbook shows exactly how to recruit, embed and grow a project-management powerhouse who frees you to scale. Tune in and steal the tactics.LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelkeebleFree monthly newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7041030428866002944Website: http://www.builtwellpm.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@builtwellprojectmanagement?si=c4KepT9_r5XFhoS4 https://developcoaching.co.uk For more episode please visit:https://developcoaching.co.uk/construction-podcast/ If you'd like to discuss fast-tracking your results, book in a free call - https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/schedule/ If you'd like help growing your business join my private Facebook group - https://m.facebook.com/groups/constructiontradesaccelerator

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• How To Get More Women Into Construction with Gretchen Gagel

  In this episode, Greg Wilkes sits down with Dr Gretchen Gagel — 40-year veteran, board adviser and founder of the Women Thriving in Construction Institute — to unpack the talent shortage crippling the industry and show exactly how getting more women on site (and in the C-suite) accelerates profit, safety and culture for everyone.🔹 Key topics covered✅ The numbers that matter – from China’s 16 % female workforce to Indonesia’s 1.6 %, plus why the UK & Australia are moving the needle with government-backed culture standards ✅ Unconscious bias & dominant culture – practical ways to spot the hidden habits that stop women applying (and drive good men away too) ✅ Quick wins on site – flushing loos, correctly-sized PPE and split shifts that turn “death, dirt & divorce” job sites into professional workplaces ✅ Recruitment that works – the 53 % female school-build project and how to write ads that attract skilled women without lowering the bar ✅ Retention & progression – mentors, sponsors and quarterly one-to-ones that create a 99 % engagement score and fuel 2× revenue growth ✅ Leadership superpowers – why mixed-gender teams literally score higher IQ points and the neuroscience of the 12-lane female “super-highway” brain ✅ Small-builder playbook – define your values, keep every coaching meeting, publish the dashboard and watch performance lift across the board ✅ Gretchen’s big vision – scaling the best grassroots programmes worldwide through the Women Thriving in Construction InstituteIf you’re struggling to find good trades, juggling half-staffed projects or just want a happier, higher-performing crew, this conversation hands you the blueprint. Tune in, challenge the bias and build a construction business where everyone thrives. 🎧👷‍♀️👷Gretchen Gagel One SheetGretchen Gagel Book Summary https://developcoaching.co.uk For more episode please visit:https://developcoaching.co.uk/construction-podcast/ If you'd like to discuss fast-tracking your results, book in a free call - https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/schedule/ If you'd like help growing your business join my private Facebook group - https://m.facebook.com/groups/constructiontradesaccelerator

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• 5 Core Systems with Greg Wilkes

  In this episode, Greg Wilkes breaks down the five core systems every construction firm needs to scale smoothly from £1 million to £5 million — without the owner running on fumes. Drawing on the frameworks he installs in his own companies and those of his coaching clients, Greg shows how the right tech-plus-process combo turns day-to-day chaos into predictable profit.🔹 Key topics covered✅ Lead Management – ditch the diary scraps and build a CRM that captures, nurtures and auto-follows every enquiry ✅ Quoting & Job Approval – why outsourced estimating, square-metre benchmarks and one-click approvals protect margin and speed ✅ Project Management – when Asana is enough, when to step up to Buildertrend or Procore, and the daily logs that stop overspend ✅ Document & Communication Control – centralised cloud storage, Slack channels and SOPs that keep teams and clients aligned ✅ Finance & Cash Flow – fast invoicing, realistic 12-week forecasts and the “progress-payment ladder” that ends cash crunches ✅ Bonus – a quarterly review ritual to refine systems before small cracks become profit-draining gapsIf you’re juggling sticky notes, late quotes and mystery margins, this playbook will help you regain control, win the right work and scale with confidence. Plug the gaps, follow the frameworks and watch your construction business grow — sustainably. 🎧🔨 https://developcoaching.co.uk For more episode please visit:https://developcoaching.co.uk/construction-podcast/ If you'd like to discuss fast-tracking your results, book in a free call - https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/schedule/ If you'd like help growing your business join my private Facebook group - https://m.facebook.com/groups/constructiontradesaccelerator

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