The Collapse
In 2008, the worst recession the housebuilding industry had seen nearly finished us. We burned through every reserve and fought the banks just to survive.
On paper, we were asset-rich. In reality, we were under pressure from every angle.
We adapted — moving away from development into contracting — and rebuilt the business to £12–14 million turnover.
And then in 2015, Court Homes — the company my father founded in 1969 — collapsed.
From the outside, a company going bust looks like a business problem. From the inside, it’s something else entirely.
Taking Responsibility
Whose fault was it? Mine.
For two years, I blamed everything else — partners, the market, circumstances.
But the truth was simple: lack of structure, lack of accountability, and no clear systems to control the business.
That realisation was the turning point.
The Rebuild
I rebuilt. I went on to run another construction company to £4 million, again working closely with housing associations.
But in 2019, I realised that helping other construction business owners avoid these same mistakes was where I could make the biggest impact.
Every mistake I made is now a system, structure, or safeguard I teach today.
