Advisory & Business Strategy

Introduction - De-Risk and Stabilise Cash One of the biggest cashflow mistakes growing construction and engineering businesses make is this: They fund the job before the customer funds them. Materials are ordered. Engineers are allocated.Subcontractors are booked. And only afterwards does the invoice get raised. For small and mid-sized contractors, this is dangerous. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we advise SMEs across construction, maintenance, and engineering services

Introduction - Engineer Scheduling Visibility In construction and engineering, most operational stress comes down to one issue: Not knowing what’s happening next. Managers are firefighting.Engineers are reacting.Customers are chasing updates.And jobs feel constantly out of control. The root cause is often simple: Scheduling visibility is weak. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we support construction and engineering SMEs scaling quickly beyond £500k turnover. And one of th

Introduction - Subcontractor Strategy For many construction and engineering businesses, subcontractors are the fastest route to growth. You win more work.You increase capacity.You deliver faster. But subcontractors also create one of the biggest financial dangers in the industry: Margin collapse. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we work with construction and engineering SMEs scaling beyond £500k turnover. And one pattern is consistent: Businesses grow output through sub

Introduction - How Poor Communication Becomes a Reputation Problem In construction and engineering, most business owners assume customers leave for one reason: Price. But in reality, customers usually leave for something else: Silence. They can’t reach anyone.Messages go unanswered.Jobs feel unmanaged.Invoices arrive with no explanation. And what starts as a simple communication gap quickly becomes something much bigger: A reputation problem. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JF

Introduction - EBITDA Stuck Below the Industry Average Many construction and engineering business owners come to us with the same question: “We’re making good gross profit… so why does the bank account still feel tight?” They’re often sitting at: 45–50% gross profit margins strong job demand busy engineers growing turnover Yet EBITDA, the true operating profit, is stuck below the industry average. Typically around: 8–10% instead of 15%+ And the reason is almost always the sam

Introduction - Subcontractor Due Diligence If you run a construction or engineering business, subcontractors are often the fastest way to grow. More jobs. More labour. More capacity. But subcontractors also bring risk, and most small businesses don’t realise how serious it can become until something goes wrong. One missing insurance document.One poor-quality job.One unpaid tax issue.One safety breach. Suddenly, the business that was scaling quickly is now dealing with disp

Introduction - Why You Can’t Scale Many construction and engineering business owners want to scale. They talk about hiring more engineers, winning bigger contracts, expanding geographically, or doubling turnover. Growth feels like the natural next step. At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we often pause these conversations with a simple but uncomfortable question:  Can you clearly explain what happened financially last month and why? For most £500k–£5m construction and enginee

Introduction - Consistency Beats Strategy When engineering and construction businesses start to struggle, the instinct is often to look for a new strategy. Directors talk about repositioning, new services, new markets, or growth plans. Strategy sessions are booked, and big ideas are discussed. At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we regularly see a different reality. Most struggling engineering businesses do not have a strategy problem, they have a consistency problem. The basi

Introduction - Leadership and Planning Failure In construction and engineering businesses, one of the most common phrases we hear is,  “We can’t find enough engineers.”  On the surface, this sounds like a recruitment problem. In reality, for most £500k+ engineering and construction businesses, it is a leadership and planning failure. At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we work closely with fast-growing engineering firms where margins feel tight, delivery feels chaotic, and pre

Introduction When profits are under pressure, the instinctive response for many construction and engineering businesses is simple:  sell more work . Win more contracts. Push harder on sales. Stay busy. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we see this approach backfire time and again. Businesses grow turnover, teams get stretched, and directors work harder, yet profitability does not improve. In some cases, it gets worse. This blog explains  why profitability within 12 months

Introduction For many growing construction and engineering businesses, finance is something reviewed  when something goes wrong . Cash feels tight, margins look thinner than expected, or targets are missed with no clear explanation. By the time directors ask questions, the damage is already done. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we work with SMEs across construction and engineering that have grown quickly past £500k turnover and suddenly feel out of control financially. O

Introduction - Work in Progress (WIP) Improves Cashflow If you run a construction or engineering business, you’ve probably said something like: “We’re busy and the jobs are going well… so why is cash tight?” “We made profit last month… but the bank balance didn’t move.” “We’ve invoiced loads… yet we’re still being squeezed by suppliers.” Most of the time, the missing link is  Work in Progress (WIP) . WIP is not “an accountant’s adjustment”. It’s a simple idea: WIP is the valu

Should More Resource Go to Volume Work or Technical Work? Introduction - Right Balance Between Productivity and Effectiveness? Fast-growing construction and engineering businesses often hit the same wall: engineers are flat out, but profit doesn’t rise the office feels overloaded, but work still slips directors are dragged into every decision, so nothing moves quickly you’re “busy”… but not in control This usually isn’t a sales problem. It’s a  capacity and focus problem . In

Introduction - KPIs Every Construction Sales Team In construction and engineering businesses, especially lift companies, M&E contractors, FM providers and refurbishment specialists, the sales department is often misunderstood. Many business owners think a “busy pipeline” equals success. It doesn’t. Quality, conversion, lifetime value, and margin protection matter far more than volume. A sales department can generate enquiries all month yet still weaken cash flow, harm margins

Introduction - KPIs for Refurbishment & Installation Teams The refurbishment and installations department is often the most complex area of a construction or engineering business. It handles modernisations, full installations, technical surveying, RAMS programmes, project management, procurement, WIP forecasting, and final commissioning. It also carries the  highest revenue, longest timelines, and biggest commercial risk . And yet, most SMEs track performance poorly. Director

Introduction - KPIs Every Repairs Department Must Track The repairs department is one of the most influential profit centres in a construction or engineering business, especially in lift engineering, M&E, HVAC, and specialist technical trades. Repairs generate reactive revenue, drive additional quoting opportunities, and are often the fastest route to cash. But they can also be the biggest source of margin leakage, scheduling issues, and customer frustration if the business d

Introduction - KPIs Every Service Department Must Track For construction and engineering businesses, especially those running lift engineering, FM service teams, M&E services, or technical maintenance divisions, the  service department is the heartbeat of predictable revenue . It handles call-outs, planned maintenance, aftercare, safety inspections, LOLER reporting, and customer relationships. Yet many SMEs don’t truly know if their service department is performing well beyon

In construction and engineering businesses, department heads play a bigger role than many directors realise. They control the flow of information, influence margins, shape delivery, and directly impact cash flow. Yet most SMEs, especially those scaling quickly, don’t truly know whether their department leads are performing well. This happens because many owners rely on gut feel, verbal updates, or firefighting indicators rather than structured performance metrics. In this blo

Introduction - Finance Training for Engineering Teams Many construction and engineering firms rely on site managers who excel at operations but struggle to read financial statements. In an industry driven by budgets, cash flow and margin control, that gap is costly. This guide shows how to train a site team to understand numbers in 90 days. The plan is broken down into two‑week tasks and is tailored for a £5 million business where each project manager or foreman needs to conn

Introduction - Financial Leadership Prevents Business Firefighting In the fast‑paced world of construction and engineering, unexpected issues will always arise from delayed supplier deliveries to cost overruns. However, “firefighting” should not be the default mode for your business. Strong financial leadership provides a strategic framework that turns chaos into organised action. This blog explores the top intangible skills a finance leader needs, the red flags they should w