Whether you spend your days on a building site or in an office, whether you’re into designing or detailed joinery, you’ll know that working in the housing industry can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Low-profit margins, supply chain issues and labour shortages can impact our careers and businesses.

The past couple of years have been tumultuous, with rising interest rates and the cost of living putting a crunch on consumers’ willingness to spend on new homes and renovation projects. 

So, what’s the secret to building a career or a business that endures and thrives in the face of these challenges and remains financially, professionally and personally satisfying? We spoke with four long-standing HIA members whose businesses have endured, despite the odds, to find out what’s keeping their respective shows on the road.

All our members agreed that passion, values and a positive approach are the foundations for any long-lasting and successful endeavour in the industry. Kristy Francis is co-owner of Lathams Kitchens, a Newcastle-based kitchens and interiors company established in 2002. She believes that drive, determination, and having a great attitude have underscored her career successes and helped drive the business forward.

‘I strive to be the best version of myself daily,’ she says. “See the good, be the good” is my mantra. I take my role as a team member and leader very seriously. I always do my best to inject positivity into any environment and motivate and inspire others.’

Scott Mouthaan, who completed his apprenticeship in the mid-2000s and established his own home building business in 2018, seconds Kristy’s approach. He’s driven by a passion for what he does and a desire for continual improvement. His company, SKM Built, fosters the values of achieving as much as you can and making sure you do the best possible job. 

For Scott, striving for quality is paramount to long-term success. ‘We’re always looking for jobs that are challenging. We can walk away with satisfaction at the end,’ he says. 'You're only as good as the work you're putting out and the work people see. You can do 100 good jobs and one bad one, and that’s what people talk about.’

Realistically, though, we all know that while passion, determination and technical talent count for a lot, smart management strategies are also crucial to endurance. Just ask John Oxley, who’s been working on building sites since the age of eight, when he started helping out a local builder. 

These days, John is the co-owner of Sydney Beach Homes, and he’s weathered his fair share of industry storms over the years. His number-one tip is to put a value on the knowledge you bring to every single project. This strategy not only positions you as an expert over the long term but helps safeguard profitability.

‘We've tightened up on systems and processes,’ he says. ‘Having our preliminary building process really helps. It means we don’t just quote jobs for free. We’re actually working in a consultative way with the project team.’ In addition, he says that business owners can build longevity and resilience by drawing on other people’s expertise – find a mentor or coach, or partner with people who have the skills and knowledge to help your business grow.

‘I think builders are really good technically, then they fall into a business, and that’s a learning process, and quite often an expensive one,’ John says. Like many builders, being onsite is John’s ‘happy place’. But he soon learnt that a love of his trade didn’t automatically translate into financial success.

After several years of ‘putting out fires’ and becoming somewhat disillusioned with his chosen career, John turned things around when he went into partnership with Jono Beavon. ‘He’s a very good operator, very good at managing people and budgets and programs, and has all the strengths I didn't have.’

In Scott Mouthaan’s experience, having the right people around you helps in other ways, too. ‘Surround yourself with great colleagues. They push you to be better as well. It’s hard being in the building game without having a laugh and enjoying the work you’re doing.’ Good people are like gold dust – difficult to find and incredibly valuable. And they’re absolutely critical to the ongoing health of any business, so look after them!

At Lathams Kitchens, Kristy Francis says that ‘everyone is equally valued and important to our business’s reputation and prosperity.’ In these volatile times, many housing businesses can become vulnerable to financial knocks.

‘Being financially literate in your business and knowing your numbers is ultimately what drives success,’ says John Oxley. He suggests putting systems in place that can help the business to recover or pare back when necessary.

Rod Browning, who runs extensions specialist Ad-built with his brother Matthew Browning, agrees, adding: ‘You have to roll with the punches. You scale down and deal with it, then move back in and regrow again when things get better.’ Ad-built was founded in 1983 by Rod’s father, Allan, and initially focused on second-storey additions. 

Four decades on, the company has remained buoyant and successful by progressively diversifying into all types of residential additions, renovations and commercial fit-out. ‘We’re proud we’ve survived so long in an industry that changes all the time. We’ve been able to diversify our business model to make us flexible when sections of the market go through troughs,’ Rod says. 

Apprentices are the lifeblood of the housing industry, and training the next generation of builders is something that many enduring businesses have in common. ‘Employing apprentices is crucial,’ Kristy Francis says. ‘Passionate people wanting to learn skills for life is the only way to maintain the beauty of our craft. These skills need to be passed on. In a world of technology and automation, it’s vital we don’t lose the personal and hands-on element of our trade.’ 

Scott Mouthaan, who won the 2008 HIA Australian Jim Brookes Apprentice of the Year award, says that training apprentices can support sustainable growth. He’s a hands-on manager now, and as the company grows, developing his apprentices into skilled tradespeople who can share that burden is important. ‘We're looking for our apprentices to take hold of the baton when we're ready to step back,’ he says. 

Something all our panel members have in common, of course, is a HIA membership. They’ve all leveraged the support, expertise and backing that HIA offers to leapfrog industry obstacles and build resilience into their businesses. At Ad-built, for example, increased regulations, BASIX and the escalation of bushfire requirements have added a layer of complexity to both onsite and administrative procedures. But throughout all this change, Rod Browning says HIA has remained a reliable source of advice and guidance.

And Scott Mouthaan reports that when he launched SKM Built, clients drew confidence from the fact he was a HIA member. He recently completed a HIA builder's coaching course and values the support and services the Association offers.

‘It’s a great thing,’ he says. ‘You can always contact someone to ask a question or nut something out. I always recommend membership, and I'll always be a part of it.’ Above all else, the advice of our panel is to just stick with it. Endurance is about keeping on, staying passionate and motivated and finding ways to beat the odds. As John Oxley says, ‘You can’t fail if you don’t quit.’

First published 6 December 2024