It’s been a sombre time in our family as of late. The times are changing, and I’m no longer the little girl, and builder’s daughter. Instead, it’s our turn to take care of my last remaining parent, and the man everyone loves, my dad, Robert Dacre.
As I’m sitting here trading our performance investment which has delivered double digit units all days this week, and continues to hit well above our 3 unit daily quota, my eyes are watering writing this.
After more than 50 years in construction, and leading the way with a near perfect retention rate with client sentiment, dad is putting the tools down. I am the daughter of a very well regarded builder.
The legacy still continues with our private projects to help people, however I still remember my nappy days on site on the builder’s run, and learning all my trade with him, then tables turned and I was responsible for strategy and projects, and the weekends were spent at auctions buying properties to develop in our spare time. I was that crazy, yet smart teenager with a business, and bankroll to buy land and property at auction, and saw opportunity wherever I went. I can thank dad for that, as even his teen years were spent doing the same, however he did not go down the business path like I did, and that’s how the combination of a builder father, a lawyer mother, a business uncle, resulted in what I am today.
I still remember the days where electrical was not regulated, and well, the entire build of properties we could do ourselves, and life was so much easier then, not waiting on the constant no-shows and delays of trades. How times have changed, and it is questionable whether for the better, as still on a daily basis, I’m telling trades not to worry after their no-show, we’ll just do the concrete, or structural, and all trades ourselves. Just this week we got involved in a contract dispute for Tier 2, and when they could have both been in a world of pain from a court fight and corporate social responsibility. in two hours, it was resolved, both parties happy, both saving law bills, and the headaches of the legal process - but what was even better, is both parties agreed to work together moving forward into the future. Another win for clients thanks to ULTIS. We’ll detail more about this case study later.
Last year, I told a big tier builder CEO to sit down and listen. I can have my family fly in a team over the weekend to resolve the dramas, whilst their entire company was still arguing over the micros. How did life get so complex? At the same time, and even today, my interstate projects run like a dream with me in Melbourne - and Melbourne builders struggle locally. In fact right now, two properties are hitting goals today alone with trades.
I was raised a child to not brag, but help, and that has delivered well. You see, when we moved to Melbourne, we saw exactly why the industry was struggling, and whilst we try to help, we also enforce responsibility on those responsible, whether they like it or not. That was the case of the above - which with our vision, as always, a near perfect resolution and a win-win situation.
And now as times change, much like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it’s our turn to care for our last remaining parent, who raised me so well - and when I say our, that includes my other half, who was certainly not a tradesman before meeting me, and yet beats builders in negotiation, business, and the building game with extraordinary results now on a daily basis. He has a great mentor apparently. Well make that two generations of mentors.
When mum was diagnosed with MND, we evolved the vision into redeveloping properties custom to residents’ needs, whilst our performance investment provided a sustainable means of discipline and income for those who could not work.
We then went one further to prove nothing is impossible, if a lady with MND did not need the government welfare system to support her, then the entire country could benefit from this theory - and here we are today.
No handouts, just hand ups in opportunity, no discounts either. Our properties still deliver 14-25% rental yield through smart strategy, and the vulnerable people we provide homes to can afford it, thanks to our strategic talent with people and business. ULTISpro genuinely proves any individual has the choice of success or struggle with us.
The ultis vision has evolved at a fast pace, and assists businesses and people around the world, no matter their position, to achieve success in life, business, and investment, with our strategic brain and problem solving ability.
Whilst we can continue the construction game to turn big dollars, it’s the sense of community where our priority is, much like when Fiji communities were destroyed due to weather, we were there as a family to help with the rebuild. When Brisbane was flooded, not once but twice, Dad in his canoo, sailed down the river turned streets, to assist residents in the high risk times, whilst helping with the rebuild after the waters eased. Dad laughed with his tenants as the ground and first floor were no longer, in his normal builder way "we'll get it sorted".
When the fires came through recently, we opened our homes, our investment and our services to all in need, and we’ve done this time and time again during natural disaster, but also volatile situations within family and individuals lives.
Whilst dad puts his tools down, and the company moves on, it is now our time to continue with the goals whilst he lives happily in his retirement, most likely in Europe.
What can we learn from this?
1. It is possible, with smart strategy, to have a near perfect retention and success rate in construction, in fact any business.
2. Innovation is a priority in business, and in life, to stay ahead and in demand.
3. It takes a village. Community is what drives success. Some very wealthy people are the most depressed in life, because of loneliness. Yet some of the world's poorest nations are the richest in life, due to community.
4. Being successful means doing good. Help others. Success, in our case got very boring. We can do business after business after business, make it successful, turn money (yay!) - but it gets boring without a sense of community and drive.
The same goes with our investment, double digits so far today, and well if your unit size is $1000, that’s $10,000 plus profit so far today, but it’s boring, to me anywho. What keeps me going is that this investment helps others achieve success, and that’s awesome.
If I can help businesses and people achieve success, then grow that $ in our investment, to help others, it’s a win win for all.
Help yourself, help others, with us - at ULTISpro. That is what will close the gap.