The 3-Step System to Cut Waste and Boost Profits in Your Building Company

Running a building company is demanding. Between juggling projects, managing clients, and tackling an endless to-do list, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. 

But the key to greater profitability isn’t about working harder… it’s about focusing your energy on the right things. 

That’s where the Quarterly Purge comes in.

This powerful framework is designed to help builders eliminate inefficiencies, regain control of their time, and unlock hidden profits—all by taking a systematic approach every 90 days. 

In this article, I’ll break down how a quarterly review of your costs, time, and meetings can transform your building company.

1. Purge Inefficiencies in Your Costs

Your outgoings—especially your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and fixed expenses—can quietly erode your margins if left unchecked. A quarterly review ensures that every dollar you spend adds value to your business.

How to Start

Begin with your COGS. Generate a report that ranks your supplier spend in descending order. For your largest suppliers:

• Ask if you’re getting the best deal, especially if your spend has increased over time.
• Negotiate better pricing, discounts for early payment, or cash rebates. Suppliers like Asset Builders in Australia and Builder Sourcing in the United States specialise in helping builders reduce costs.
• Avoid paying upfront whenever possible to minimise risk in case of supplier insolvency.

Next, tackle fixed expenses. Review every subscription, software license, and recurring cost using zero-based thinking. Ask:

• “Do we still need this?”
• “Are we using this to its full potential?”

For essential services, negotiate better terms. Programs like APB Rewards offer builders cash rebates on software, insurance, and other services, boosting your bottom line without additional effort.

2. Reclaim Your Time by Tackling Your Inbox and Tasks

Busy doesn’t always mean productive. Many builders lose hours each week to emails, paperwork, and low-value tasks. A quarterly review of your time can help you identify and eliminate inefficiencies.

Start With Your Inbox

Your inbox can be a major source of wasted time. Use these strategies:

• Unsubscribe from emails you don’t need to eliminate clutter at the source.
• Train your team to minimise unnecessary emails—stop being CC’d on messages that don’t require your input.
• Implement daily habits to maintain inbox zero, where only critical, actionable messages remain.

Optimise Your Tasks

Use the DAD Framework to review your tasks:

• Delete: Eliminate tasks that no longer add value to your business.
• Automate: Leverage AI and automation tools to handle repetitive tasks.
• Delegate: Assign work to the right team members or cost-effective offshore support, freeing you to focus on high-value activities.

Clearing your inbox and refining your task list doesn’t just save time—it creates the mental space needed to focus on strategic opportunities.

3. Cut Down Unproductive Meetings

Meetings are notorious for wasting time and money. A quarterly review can ensure that only essential meetings are held, with minimal attendance.

How to Optimise Meetings

• Calculate the cost of each meeting by adding up the hourly rates of attendees and prep time. You might be surprised by the expense.
• Use zero-based thinking to evaluate each meeting:
  • Does this meeting need to happen?
  • Could someone else run it instead?
  • Can fewer people attend?
• Leverage technology to reduce time spent in meetings. Tools that record and summarise meetings allow non-essential attendees to stay informed without participating.

In-person meetings are even more expensive than virtual ones. Record these sessions and share summaries with anyone who doesn’t need to be present.

The Power of the Quarterly Purge

By reviewing your costs, time, and meetings every quarter, you’ll save money, reclaim time, and work fewer hours—all while increasing your profits. But the key to success is consistency. Make the Quarterly Purge a regular habit, and you’ll transform your business.

To implement the Quarterly Purge effectively, you need to understand the value of your time. Without this clarity, it’s impossible to determine which tasks are worth doing yourself and which should be delegated. That’s why we’ve created the Hourly Rate Calculator, a free tool designed to help builders identify where they’re losing time and profits.

Click here to download your free Hourly Rate Calculator today and take the first step toward a more profitable and efficient building company.