Industry-Specific Advice

Introduction - When Growth Outpaces Structure Business growth is exciting, new contracts, more staff, bigger turnover. But for many construction and engineering businesses, growth comes faster than the systems designed to support it. At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we regularly see £500k–£5m turnover businesses winning work while quietly losing control behind the scenes. Spreadsheets multiply, decisions rely on gut feel, and the finance function becomes reactive instead of

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 - SLA Countdown If you want to win and retain key accounts in construction and engineering, the work is only half the story. The other half is performance. Large clients don’t just pay for repairs or maintenance. They pay for: response times completion targets reporting accuracy reliability under pressure This is where SLAs come in. An SLA, Service Level Agreement, defines how quickly you must respond, attend, and complete work. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA)

Introduction - Predictable Job Completion and Cashflow Most construction and engineering businesses don’t struggle because of lack of work. They struggle because of lack of control. Jobs come in fast. Engineers are busy. Customers are demanding. Paperwork piles up. And before long, you hear the same phrases: “We don’t know where we’re up to.” “That job still hasn’t been closed.” “Why hasn’t it been invoiced yet?” “Who is managing that site?” This is where the right CRM system

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 One of the biggest frustrations in construction and engineering is this: You’ve done the work… but the cash still hasn’t arrived. Jobs are completed. Engineers are on site. Customers are happy. Yet the bank account feels tight, suppliers are chasing, and payroll pressure builds. This is what we call the  invoicing gap , the time between delivering the work and raising the invoice properly. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we see this all the time with fast-gr

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 - Manager Becomes a Business Risk In many construction and engineering businesses, there is one person everyone relies on. They know the jobs, the clients, the numbers, and the team. When something goes wrong, they are the one called to fix it. At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we regularly see this individual become a single point of failure. What starts as dedication slowly turns into overload. Decisions are delayed, mistakes increase, and the business becomes

Introduction - Service Departments Rarely Make Money In many construction and engineering businesses, the service department is seen as a problem area. It rarely shows strong margins, often breaks even at best, and sometimes appears to lose money altogether. Directors naturally ask whether the service function should be cut back, restructured, or pushed to “make more profit.” At Jones Financial Accounts (JFA), we regularly explain that this thinking misses the point. In most

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 One of the most common blind spots we see in growing construction and engineering businesses is this:  the part of the business generating the most revenue often receives the least financial scrutiny . At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we regularly work with SMEs where one department, service line, or contract type drives 40–70% of turnover. It is busy, stretched, and seen as “the engine of the business.” Because of that, it is often left alone to keep momentu

Introduction When most businesses talk about automation, they talk about speed. Faster payments. Faster processing. Less admin. What often gets missed is the most important benefit of automation:  control . At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we regularly see SMEs that have grown quickly and introduced automation for the wrong reason. Payments are faster, but errors increase. Approval is weaker, not stronger. Directors lose visibility instead of gaining it. This blog explain

Introduction One of the most common reasons we see at  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA)  is not bad sales or poor pricing, but  unresolved invoice disputes quietly sitting in the background. A disputed invoice might feel small at first. A query over hours, a variation not agreed, or a missing purchase order. But when disputes are not actively managed, they age, stall cash flow, and slowly damage supplier confidence and operational stability. This blog explains  why unresolved i

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

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