When Jared from RedKem Constructions first stepped onto site as a 15-year-old apprentice, he wasn’t thinking about project margins, workflows, or business systems.
He was thinking about learning the trade.
“I’ve never had another job,” he says. “I went straight into carpentry. That was it.”
Now, nearly two decades later, Jared leads one of Brisbane’s most respected renovation companies, and has built a second business, b4ubuild.com.au, to help others avoid the common pitfalls he faced early on.
The journey from chippy to company director hasn’t been easy, and that’s exactly why he’s sharing it.
Why Good Carpentry Isn’t Enough
Many builders start their businesses believing their trade skills will carry them.
For a while, they do.
“I thought if I just did good work, everything else would take care of itself,” Jared says. “But the moment you go out on your own, you realise the job changes.”
It’s no longer just about swinging the hammer. You’re quoting, invoicing, managing cash flow, scheduling trades, communicating with clients, all while trying to keep the job site moving.
“I didn’t have systems in place. I didn’t understand the numbers. I was working around the clock, but never really getting ahead.”
That reality hits many new builders hard. And for some, it becomes the breaking point.
Learning to Run a Business
For Jared, the shift came when he stepped back and looked at his business like a business, not just a building operation.
“I realised I needed structure. I needed to get clear on margins, forecasting, timelines…all the stuff you don’t learn in an apprenticeship.”
So he started building systems.
He began tracking every job with tighter processes, standardising pre-construction conversations, and getting disciplined around financials. Quoting became faster. Communication improved. Profit became measurable.
“Once you put the right foundations in, you can actually breathe again. You stop guessing, and you start leading.”
The Most Common Mistake New Builders Make
Ask Jared what advice he’d give a young builder about to launch their own company, and he doesn’t hesitate.
“Don’t assume that being good on the tools is enough. You’ve got to learn how to run a business.”
It’s the same story across the industry: builders go out on their own with strong technical skills but little preparation for the business side.
“They don’t teach you how to price a job properly, how to track work in progress, or how to manage overheads. You learn it the hard way…or not at all.”
Why Business Skills = Better Builds
Running a better business doesn’t just help the builder. It lifts the entire project.
Clients get more clarity. Suppliers get better information. Trades are more coordinated. And the final home is stronger as a result.
“You’re not just building houses, you’re building trust, timelines, and experiences. That all starts with how you run your company.”
For Jared, that approach has also flowed through to how he mentors his team.
“We want our apprentices to understand the full build process. Not just carpentry, but what comes before and after, how their work impacts the next trade, and why systems matter.”
From Builder to Innovator
It’s that mindset that led Jared to create b4ubuild.com.au, a platform designed to help homeowners and builders get clearer on costs before committing to full design and documentation.
“The biggest friction point in our industry is price shock,” he explains. “Clients spend thousands on plans before they understand what the build will cost…and then the project dies.”
The platform lets users estimate build costs upfront, aligning expectations and removing tension before the project starts. But at its heart, it’s just another system. Another tool to make the business of building better.
“That’s all I’ve tried to do, build better systems, so we can build better homes.”
The Takeaway
The building industry is full of talented trades. But if there’s one thing Jared has learned, it’s this:
“Being a great carpenter doesn’t make you a great builder. And being a great builder doesn’t make you a great business owner. You have to learn that part, too.”
The good news? You don’t have to learn it all at once.
“Start small. Understand your costs. Create a process. Build a system. Then refine it. It’s like anything…get 1% better every day, and in five years you won’t recognise yourself.”
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