Having worked for other companies all his working life, Justin Claridge decided it was time for a change so set up his own landscaping and building business in Builth Wells.

This meant he was in control of what he was doing and allowed him to get on with the things he wanted to do.

Operating across mid Wales, Justin’s business, Claridge Landscaping, has been running for just over two years. Employing three other builders, his business provides a range of services including landscaping and carpentry.

7.00am

Time to get up and prepare for a long day.Time for a quick bit of breakfast cup of coffee before off to the yard to meet the boys.

7.45am

We usually meet around this time if working locally (earlier if there’s any travelling to do). Load van with materials and equipment for the day and head off to job.

8.00am

Most jobs recently have been relatively local, so fortunately we’re not having to travel too far. One of our more recent jobs is a major landscaping job that’s needing quite a lot of attention.

This is over three levels including the building of stone walls, an outdoor kitchen, pond and various steps running up the garden and so requires a lot of pre planning.

8.15am

On site and time to brief the team. I tend to prepare the day before on what’s needed so less time is wasted on site. Once the boys have been told the order of what’s needed for the day and they start work, I try and catch up with the customer to make sure everything is OK and that the job is going to schedule.

I also like to go through the plans to make sure there’s nothing they want to change, particularly with landscaping jobs.

10.00am

Once the lads are happy with the day’s schedule, I usually head back to the office where I start to plan the next day’s work and order the required materials.

This is when I also start to put together new quotes for customers, contact other builders for new business and put together plans and drawings for potential projects. I’m lucky that I’ve got a good reliable team who I can leave on site allowing me to get on with the paperwork, rather than having to do it in the evenings or on weekends.

Depending on what’s on, the time spent in the office can and does vary but does tend to eat into the day.

I also do my own drawings as I’ve found through experience that structural engineers and architects can and are quite unpredictable when it comes to deadlines and providing what I need, when I need it.

I also use the office time to prepare any health and safety documentation firstly for on-going projects but also for forthcoming jobs.

2.00pm (approx.)

Time to head off to the builder’s merchants to collect materials for the next day. I tend to collect materials myself because I’ve found some to be a little unreliable when it comes to delivery on site or to the yard.

This way I know I’ve got what I need ready for the next day’s work which although impacts on my time, avoids down time on site.

3.00/ 3.30pm

Back to site to check everything is OK and going to plan. Help with clearing site and loading van before heading back to the yard to unload.

5.00pm

Back into the office to check messages and get ready for the next day.

6.00pm

End of the day and time to relax with the family.