Finance for Growth & Scaling

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 - Creating Departmental Accountability In growing construction and engineering firms, budgets are often decided at the top and then communicated to department heads without much discussion. The result? Lack of ownership, overspending and finger‑pointing when numbers go awry. True accountability happens when heads of operations, sales and service understand and own their costs. This blog shows how to gather data, measure performance and create a culture of account

Introduction Running a construction or engineering business is hard enough without your finance function slowing you down. Yet many SMEs grow quickly, take on bigger projects, and suddenly realise their numbers are unreliable, late, or impossible to interpret. In this blog, we break down the  five most common ways businesses accidentally sabotage their finance department , why it causes real-world problems, and how to fix it. If you’re scaling, taking on £1m+ projects, or jug

Running a construction or engineering business means juggling a lot: materials, labour, procurement, compliance, and cash flow, all while keeping projects moving and clients happy. But behind every successful build is a strong financial structure. And that’s where your finance team comes in, starting with your  Bookkeeper  and your  Finance Director (FD) . These roles are often misunderstood, and many SMEs assume they’re the same. They're not. Understanding the difference cou

Introduction - Reinvest Profits for Business Growth A profitable year should never be the finish line, it’s the starting point for your next stage of growth. Too many construction and engineering firms see profits as a reward to withdraw, rather than a resource to reinvest. But when margins are tight and competition fierce, how you reinvest makes the difference between staying stable and scaling sustainably. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we help business owners turn pr

Introduction - Fixing Working Capital Working capital, the money you use to keep your business running day-to-day, is often the first sign of financial strain in construction and engineering firms. Late client payments, retentions, and supplier demands can all drain cash before profit ever hits the bank. If you don’t have a finance team watching the numbers every week, you’re not alone. Most growing SMEs operate with limited admin support and only review figures at month-end

Introduction - Protect Your Cash and Margins For construction and engineering companies, every project carries a level of uncertainty, from fluctuating material prices to client payment delays. That’s where  sensitivity analysis  becomes a vital decision-making tool. It allows business owners and finance leaders to test “what-if” scenarios before those risks become costly realities. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we use sensitivity analysis to help SMEs understand how s

Introduction - Group Company Structure Makes Sense In construction and engineering, growth rarely comes from doing  more of the same.  It...

Introduction - Guide to Valuation When you’re raising finance, for new kit, extra crews, or bridging cash between stage payments, two questions matter most:  what’s the business worth, and how much should you ask for?  Get either wrong, and you risk expensive borrowing, unnecessary dilution, or a deal that collapses at the finish line. For construction and engineering firms, the challenge is sharper: project timings, retentions, variations, and materials volatility all distor

Introduction - Invoice vs Asset Finance Cash flow is the lifeblood of any construction or engineering business. You can have profitable...

Introduction - Not Having a Finance Director Every successful construction or engineering business eventually hits a turning point, when...

Introduction - Outgrown Your Bookkeeper and Year-End Accountant? As your business grows, so do your financial responsibilities, but many...

Introduction In construction and engineering, directors are often focused on turnover, gross profit, or cash flow, but overlook the...

Introduction - Lean Finance In construction and engineering, ambition often means chasing bigger contracts, hiring faster, or investing...

Introduction - KPIs Profit, Cash, and Control For construction and engineering businesses, making big decisions isn’t just about gut...

Introduction - Prepare Financially Before Bringing in a Business Partner For construction and engineering businesses, growth often means...