Episode 162: BuilderTrend: Changing the Way the World Builds through State of the Art Construction Management Software with CEO, Dan Houghton

Today Brad speaks with Dan Houghton of Buildertrend, a software solution for the construction industry which greatly simplifies the management of complex project processes.

Buildertrend allows builders and remodelers to plan and track projects at every step of the build—from the sales process and project planning to financial tracking and client communication. And all of this sans sticky notes and spreadsheets.

The CEO and one of the three co-founders of Buildertrend, Dan is an industry authority on workplace culture and residential construction, a sought-after speaker, and commercial real-estate investor. He established Buildertrend alongside Steve Dugger and Jeff Dugger in 2006. Today, the internationally-acclaimed company has over 500 employees.

Listen in as Dan shares how Buildertrend is able to stay relevant in the ever-changing construction market and industry, especially in the economic aftermath of the pandemic. He also talks about how he is able to keep up with his many tasks and responsibilities as both a business leader and a family man, and the lessons he has learned over the years about delegation and knowing your limits.

Dan speaks on the importance of overcommunication and setting expectations, both with your employees and your clients. This, he says, is vital to building an amazing company culture all while scaling your business through the power of referrals from satisfied homeowners.

Sponsors:

Events:

Topics Discussed: 

  • [05:01] The ups-and-downs of an entrepreneur

  • [13:50] Keeping Buildertrend relevant

  • [18:15] How Dan manages to juggle his many responsibilities as a leader

  • [23:18] Knowing when it is time to back off and delegate tasks

  • [26:00] Being responsive to the things that you cannot control as a business owner

  • [29:16] Caring for your employees and building a great company culture

  • [40:00] How Buildertrend came to be

  • [42:54] The future of Buildertrend

  • [46:02] The power of referrals

  • [51:59] Why builders cannot over-communicate enough to their customers

  • [57:49] The importance of expectation management

Connect with BuilderTrend:

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

Key Quotes by Dan:

  • When you operate a business, you don’t have the right answer for everything. You’re just trying to make the best decision with the information that you have.

  • The best way to grow your business is to have real processes. That’s when you can start doing magical things in your businesses.

  • If you have employees, your job as a leader is to give them the best opportunity to be successful.

  • If you show people that you really care about them in their hardest moments, that’s when you build an organization that can truly be world-class.

  • Your best source of business is through previous customers

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Episode 163: TEDx Speaker, Author, & Business Coach for Business Owners Who Want More Time, Money, Culture, & Strategy on Growing Smart with Dominic Rubino

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Episode161: How LP Structural Solutions Develop Products to the Climate Zone & Learning From Failures in the Field with Building Science Manager, Neil Freidberg