By Build ON
Special guest: Stuart Williamson, CEO and Founder of
JOT Contracting
Stuart Williamson opened his successful General Contracting Business about 10 years ago in Ontario. Specializing in home renovations, new builds, and house flips, he shares some insight on owning a small business in the construction sector in Ottawa, as his own experience, along with some tips on how to make yourself unique and gain a good quality and professional reputation as a hands-on owner. Below you will find a snapshot of the most relevant interview questions Build ON was able to ask Stuart relating to construction and to help others interested in opening their own General Contracting business in their local area.
- Build ON: How important is it to have a good working knowledge of the construction sector and skilled trades in your local area prior to opening your business?
Stuart: For me, it was a little bit different because I grew up with a dad who was a Mason by trade and a General Contractor on the side, so naturally I followed suit. He gave me opportunities to help build and work on projects and I got to appreciate the value of work and found out I had a knack for this. I was able to observe other tradespeople on different residential and home building projects which grew my interest in understanding the different scopes of work along with the home building process. This gave me the ability to efficiently run and operate my business while being hands on and develop communication skills with my clients in the sector. I think knowledge is power, and so it is better to get into things knowingly than not. I asked a lot of questions to different trades people along the way. In addition, it depends on what kind of General Contractor you want to be, will you be more hands on? If yes, then you will seek out clients for your work as your directly dealing with the client rather than working for a building company, where you are indirectly dealing with the clients and solely the building company.
- Build ON: General Contracting is not regulated in Ontario, and does not hold any licensure in the Construction Sector, however, what are some certifications, from your experience, you would recommend our clients who are interested in owning their own General Contracting business in Ontario to become more reputable?
Stuart: Experience in Project Management, any safety associated certifications such as Working at Heights, WHIMIS, Fall Restraints Systems Training, First Aid and CPR Training and Operator’s Training. One thing I want to add is that it is important to know the building codes because it allows you to broaden your horizons and allows you to perform the work safely and legally, and because codes change so often, it allows for you to stay relevant.
- Build ON: Networking is something we tell our clients is important when it comes to job searching, making personal connections and hopefully obtaining employment. How do you network the most efficiently in Construction and Skilled Trades?
Stuart: It is important to network with other trades while taking on larger scale projects. Not only does this help with project completion, it also limits the liability that you may personally face with the overall scopes of work. One of the easier methods of networking is through clients by “word of mouth”. You can speak with clients that you are working for and ask them how their experience has been with trades they are currently using or trades used in the past.
- Build ON: How do you advertise for your business?
Stuart: One of the biggest and most cost-effective forms of advertising is word of mouth. Word of mouth is the most effective when the quality of your work is good. Other forms that I have personally used have been social media interfaces such as Facebook, Instagram and having my own website. These allow your clients to see virtual portfolios of the work that you do, along with providing your contact information.
- Build ON: How important is it to know your legal limitations that would not hold you personally and legally responsible on certain scopes of work?
Stuart: Very important. As a general contractor it’s very important to understand which trades are and are not licensed as well as insured. A general rule of thumb is that you want all of your trades to be insured. This will ensure that if any of the trades happen to make a mistake that results in liable claim to the project, that not only you but the clients will be protected in this instance.
- Build ON: What is one piece of advice you would give to our clients who are interested in opening their own general contracting business?
Stuart: Understand what you are getting into- more hands on or more project management. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Having the opportunity to speak with a business owner in the Construction sector had been a very eye- opening experience and the advice given to Build ON had been very beneficial for our clients. We thank Stuart for the time he took out of his busy schedule to shed some light for our clients wishing to pursue this occupation.