How To Scale A Home Renovation Drafting Business - Case Study

The little extra tasks sort of that come out from the main system that we can see need tweaking but the main system is just working so well like a well oiled machine.

Hello, it's Dave here, I'm here with Samantha from my UNO and I love to really just shine a light on some really business owners doing some great things as they're building up systems culture and find out what's working, what's not just to kind of inspire other business owners. So maybe just to start Sam, I don't know if you could introduce yourself and talk a little bit about the work that you guys do.

Yeah, sure. I'm the co founder and creator of my UNO home drafting design and we're based in Ipswich, Queensland and what we do is we help first time renovators who are wanting to extend their house. We get them reno ready and how we do that is we meet with them face to face and we listen to their ideas, we extract their ideas out of their head and find out whether they're going to stack up for council approval and then we turn them into council ready house plans. Yeah we actually guide them also through a step by step process getting them Renault ready and also feeling empowered and confident with moving onto the building stage so. And hopefully ending up with a happy ever after beautiful home and a great renovation experience. Yeah.

And how long have you, how long have you been doing that for?

Just on five years.

Yeah, perfect. And that. Do you have a small team around you? How many sort of help out in the business?

Well I'm the creator. Yeah we have my husband who's the building designer. We've got a VA who's been with us for 12 months. She does customer service and admin and we also have another VA that is the drafter.

Ah, very cool.

So it's a small theme but yeah.

What I suppose before systemology or like what are some of the challenges early on as you sort of started to implement systems thinking in like actually my first question is probably are you a systems person? Do see yourself as a systems person?

Yeah, I am a pretty organized person so yes I do.

Yeah. And as you've sort of started to introduce this then like it might come sort of naturally to you and it kind of makes sense. Where were you at I suppose prior to joining the program?

Well there was only three of us and I was doing all the customer service, all the admin. I was pretty much it. My husband was the building designer and we had our VA drafter working in the background and I really needed to look at training somebody to do the customer service and the admin so then I could focus on managing the business and scaling it.

Yeah.

So I had actually attended a mini workshop of James Brown, who's one of the Atlas trainers.

Yep.

And learned about your book Systemology. And I thought, right, I've got to hire a va, but before that I need to work out a training system of how am I going to teach this person what I do?

Really?

I was just doing it and it wasn't recorded. There wasn't a particular way that I. I did it or when I did it. It was in. All in my head.

Yeah.

So, yeah, when I read your book, it just, it just resonated with me and I thought, I need to. I need to start putting that in place.

Yeah. Was it something as well? Did anything jump out at you when you saw James's presentation? Like, I'm wondering was there something that was going on in your business or that made you think, now's the right time for this or systems will help to solve some challenges you had?

Well, we were growing and I guess it was the how to. It was for me, I hadn't been. This was my first business, so learning as I was going along. So I really wanted to know the how to and how to do it properly and build the foundations correctly and not reinvent the wheel. I wanted to learn from somebody who had done it before. And that's really what jumped out at me, was that you have created this amazing system for businesses and it was perfect. It was just what I was looking for.

So when you read the book, what sort of happened after that? Did you think, I'm going to reach back out to James or did you have an idea of, hey, I need some extra support on this? Like, how did you discover the Catalyst program?

I think, I think I might have gone to your website. Yeah. Or then and filled out the form just to have a chat to see whether it was going to work for us and chatted with James and he actually pointed me in the right direction. We weren't quite ready, so we were in the next pool of people for the program. So I think there was like a three month wait. So he actually said, read book, get some systems in place to train your va, then you. Then she can be your system champion. And at the time I thought, I don't even know what a system champion does.

Yeah, yeah.

So I basically did some videos, documented what my tasks, the main tasks, by following your processes in your book. And then we had our VA on board. She was all trained up within three months. It was fantastic just to see how well it had worked. And then we both joined the Catalyst program together.

Ah, that's the best. I find the people that get the biggest wins from Catalyst are the ones that, that are the business owner and they have a systems champion because they, they work alongside each other and the systems champion can help you get so much more done going through the program. Were there any bits that stand out for you? Like if you think back now, are there bits that you like about the program?

Definitely, because I guess we're thinking, okay, I've done my onboard training for the va. What do we do next? You know, it can be really overwhelming to know what is the main thing that's going to make a difference to our business. And so James really helped particularly with the, the critical client flow to really get that right. It's like your big artery that's feeding your business and if you get that right then it just starts to flow and everyone knows what they're doing, who you know, the tasks are assigned to certain people. It just is so much organized. Just works like a well oiled machine really.

Yes.

And that's what we're just seeing now after we've, we've graduated from the program. But during the program it was definitely identifying what is the main source that brings the main revenue into our business.

Yeah.

And then work the system from there.

And how was it going through the program with other business owners? Like oftentimes they're from very different industries. I'm curious if you got any insights from looking into how others are doing it.

Well, it was really great because our group was quite a small, intimate group and from. Yeah. Different backgrounds and different. You know, I think there was a lady that had been in business for 14 years.

Yeah.

With no systems and I thought wow, we're not doing too bad actually. It's not to get, you know, it's not a competition or anything but it's just because when you're in business you to gauge how you're going. It was quite, was quite good to see what others are doing and how they do it. And yeah, we share, we're happy to share the knowledge as well. So. And I think it was really good for our VA to, to see other businesses in operation as well.

Yeah. How did your VA go? Did your VA follow along and keep up and got some good wins.

Yeah. Fortunately she is also system minded as well. So we didn't really have to convert her way of thinking. She actually prefers it because then she knows what's expected of her, she knows what her assigned tasks are. There's no sort of, you're not left not knowing what should I do next? And I think she was a certified programmer or there was some sort of fancy title that she had that she said this program just simplified how to do systems. And she really loved doing the program with me. And it helped us create weekly habits as well. We would meet, we meet every week to talk about, well, what, what system are we working on next? And then doing the fortnightly coaching with the Catalyst program, it was a really good combination and it was achievable. You didn't feel overwhelmed by the homework. You had a fortnight to actually complete it. So it was a good pace to work through the program.

Now that you're kind of towards the end of the program or the program's just finished off, are there any obvious wins for you or anything that you can look back on now and say, oh wow, that's having a tremendous impact. Does anything stand out for you?

Well, the whole main, like I was saying, the whole main artery, yes, we've really got it working down pat and there's just the little extra tasks sort of that come out from the main system that we can see need tweaking. But the main system is just working so well like a well oiled machine. And I'm currently renovating our 1960s cottage that we're living in. And it was just the other day I was up on the ladder painting and two quotes were accepted and I thought, you know what, my VA knows what to do. And yeah, and I don't have to really do too much in that main system now. So. And we have a meeting regularly and she even said the other day, isn't it great that we all know what we have to do when we have a new client come on board? Because that's part of the system is how to onboard a new client. We all know how to do it and who's responsible for what task. And so it's so easy.

Yeah. And you've got the benefit of now having gone through it, it's easy to look back afterwards. Like it's always the benefit of 2020. And that hindsight is 2020. For those business owners that haven't yet made the jump. I don't know if there's anything you might be able to share with them. Almost like if you're speaking to yourself, the Sam before joining the program, if there's anything that you could say to her around the program that might help them make the decision if it was right for them.

Look, I wouldn't hesitate. Just jump in and go for it because you will reap the rewards. It'll free up your time as a business owner and if you're wanting to scale, then it will allow more you more time to be able to scale and manage rather than being working in your business. You'll be working more on your business. Yeah, that's what I'd say. Don't, don't muck around. Yeah, just do it. You won't regret it at all.

Yeah, perfect. Well, we'll wrap it up there. Sam, if people want to find out a little bit more about the Revenant renovation work that you guys do, where's the best place for me to send them?

Just our website, just ww.myuno.com we've got all the information on our website. If people want to book in for a free 10 minute chat with my husband who's building designer, to see whether your will stack up for council approval, then we can certainly help you.

Yeah, perfect. Well, a huge thank you, Sam, for being a great example for other business owners and looking forward to kind of watching you guys continue to grow.

Thanks, Dave.