Simon Denham (Ebuild Joinery) Podcast

Today we have Simon Denham as our podcast guest to share about his life experiences and the valuable lessons he has learned in business.

He talks about his service background at an early age, joining networking events, building relationships and getting referrals, and dealing with personal issues to become more productive – all viable strategies and components to make your business work! Tune in.

Simon Denham is the founder of eBuild Joinery, a Chorley-based joinery and building contractor covering the Northwest.

In this episode we talk about:

[00:00:46] Simon Denham’s job history and how he built eBuild Joinery
[00:04:17] How old Simon was when he started his apprenticeship
[00:05:16] Employment skills that you cannot learn in college and starting at an old age
- [00:08:26] Customer service and interaction
[00:12:15] Top tips Simon would give to someone who has not had experience and is starting up a new business
- [00:12:38] Networking events and the first one he went to on his own
[00:15:13] Chorley networking events and how much he made
[00:18:02] Tips to break the ice for people going to events as a newbie
- [00:21:23] Setting yourself apart from others and asking them what they do
- [00:22:51] Remembering little things and associating people with them manufactures history
[00:23:27] The book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
[00:26:26] Getting over the presumed “embarrassment” when meeting people
[00:29:05] Dealing with mental health issues head on and taking a positive approach
[00:40:37] The pressure and attention people demand from you as a business owner
[00:42:07] Dealing with emails (having an auto-responder, having a different email address, and getting someone to manage your inbox)
[00:44:07] Doing CBT
[00:48:39] How sometimes being open can get support
[00:49:54] On how CBT helps people who are feeling down; using antidepressants
[00:58:40] The Chorley Sheds Project and what it’s about
[01:05:20] Similar trajectories newbie business owners can get into
[01:12:39] Overworking
[01:13:59] The book “It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work”
[01:16:35] Initial strategies for pricing services
[01:19:07] What Simon would have done differently on pricing at the start of his journey
[01:23:26] The amount of time he would spend on making quotes, being a “salesman”, and the question he always asks
[01:32:01] The people you work with and being careful who you recommend
[01:36:00] Advice he would give to someone who has left his/her job and is starting to pick up new business
[01:38:21] Why you should sometimes say “no” to customers
[01:43:50] Setting up structures (hours you will work, getting files in order, etc.) if you are going self-employed or starting your own business
[01:47:36] Tips he would give to people dealing with conflict in business, difference in opinion, and stressful situations at work
[01:55:31] Why having a template makes a business scaleable
[01:58:42] Where you can find out more about Simon Denham