Are They Services, or Are They Business Opportunities?

Take vacuum excavation as an example.

A contractor invests in a vacuum excavation truck to support its civiland utility projects.

It's a sensible investment. It provides greater control over scheduling,reduces reliance on subcontractors and allows the business to manage more ofits delivery internally.

But what happens when that equipment isn't being used on the company'sown projects?

Could it be generating revenue elsewhere?

Absolutely.

However, there's a difference between telling the market you have avacuum truck and presenting a credible vacuum excavation service.

One is a piece of equipment.

The other is a business capability.

And how you communicate that difference can influence the opportunitiesyou're considered for.

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The Commercial Value of Clear Divisions

A multi-service construction business can benefit from shared premises,administration, management systems, resources and established customerrelationships.

Consider a group operating across telecommunications, utilityinfrastructure, vacuum excavation, traffic management and directional drilling.

Some capabilities support the group's own projects, while others canoperate as standalone services for external clients.

The opportunity is to make each discipline visible, credible andcommercially understandable.

A well-presented traffic management operation, for example, can pursuework independently rather than being seen only as a supporting function.

The same applies to vacuum excavation, drilling or maintenance.

Of course, each service still needs the people, systems and operationalcapacity to deliver independently.

A separate name or brochure won't create a viable business on its own.

But clear positioning can help an existing capability reach a much widermarket.

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One Group, Different Audiences

The person looking for a specialist traffic management contractor mayhave little interest in your telecommunications capabilities.

Likewise, a project manager sourcing vacuum excavation services doesn'tnecessarily need to read about every other activity your business undertakes.

They want to know:

Can you do the work? Where do you operate? What resources do you have?Are you compliant? Have you delivered similar projects?

If that information is buried in a general company brochure, you'remaking their decision harder.

That's why we've developed separate Capability Statements for individualdisciplines within larger construction groups, supported by a broader GroupCapability Statement.

Each document has a purpose.

The specialist document speaks directly to its market, while the Groupdocument demonstrates the combined strength of the business.

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Don't Lose the Value of the Group

Separating services too aggressively can make a business appearfragmented.

The objective isn't necessarily to create independent brands orcompanies.

It's to establish a structure that allows each service to standconfidently on its own while benefiting from the group's reputation, experienceand resources.

And not every service needs to become a division. Sometimes a clearservice hierarchy is all that's required.

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So, Is It Worth Separating Your Services?

In the right circumstances? Absolutely.

Think about what you've already built: experienced crews, specialistequipment, management systems, client relationships and a reputation developedover many years.

Those are valuable assets.

When complementary services share resources and overheads, there'spotential to develop additional revenue streams without building separateorganisations from scratch.

But each service needs a clear market, relevant proof and the capacityto deliver what it promises.

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One company can have multiple strengths. The opportunity is to makeevery one of them count.

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For more information and strategy advice, contactarticle author and construction specialist, Susan Jones, director of LivingLines branding agency on 0410 590 737.

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