How to grow your business: Tips for success

From a one-person operation to a team of experts working on up to 30 projects a year, boutique residential builders build2grow are the perfect example of what’s possible when tradies get serious about expanding their company. But it wasn’t an overnight success, says the Geelong outfit’s boss, Michael Nikolovski, who shares his insights on how to grow your business.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves and a mask, for example) when required on the job. Always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

How to grow your business

Growth was more a combination of hard work, a constant evolution of how the business runs and finding the right people for each individual job. As build2grow continues to push full steam ahead in 2026, the team shares tips for starting a business from scratch and cementing your longevity, including:

• Make sure you hire the right people;
• Planning ahead and booking jobs for at least the next six months;
• Having the right tools on hand, including vehicles and PPE equipment; and
• Give ownership and responsibility to your team, communicate with them about small issues and big plans and avoid micromanaging.

Build the right team

“I started on my own in 2012,” Michael says. “It was just me doing sales, bookkeeping, estimating, onsite management … everything! The first on board was [Contract Administrator] Adam Milenkovski, and he was only a part-timer at first because he was studying construction management.”

Next, the company added Michael’s brother, Steven, as a Site Manager and their bookkeeper, Carminia Cruz. “From there, we started building out the team to be across all trades,” Michael says. Two more of the first – and they’re still a part of the business – were father and son carpentry duo Gary and Dale Bluschke, who began sub-contracting with build2grow 14 years ago, followed by a roster of other subbies who all shared the company’s vision. “Having people we know and trust has been vital,” Michael says. “I think in that first year we did six builds. In the second year, it was eight builds, then ten, and now we’re up to 30 projects a year!”

Plan for the future

Michael says the keys to build2grows success include:

Looking ahead: “We’re always looking to the future,” he says. “When Adam does the quotes, from very early we will be talking to suppliers and trades so they know the job is coming up and they make sure they’re available for the dates we’re aiming for.”

Staying connected and locking in work: The more work you lock in now, the more consistent the year will be. “Once the job is awarded to us and we get a building permit and contract, we’ll start issuing purchase orders and ordering everything from the slab to the blinds and carpets, so everyone knows when they’re needed,” Michael says. The build2grow team do their best to start two jobs every month and finish two jobs every month, at the very least, so they always have “six months worth of work in the pipeline for next year. That’s essential for any business to do well,” Michael says.

Have the right tools and equipment for the job

With a fresh year ahead, it’s also the right time to make sure you have whatever you’ll need, from tools to PPE to workwear, vehicles – everything.

Ensuring a safe site: “The contractors we use supply their own equipment; they know what they need,” Michael says. “We run very clean and safe sites, so Steve will also push to make sure that not only everyone has the PPE they need, but that all tools are tested and tagged as well.”

Checking your inventory before a return to work: Michael says since COVID, most building sites are back on the job the second week of January instead of the third – still giving them a month off from December to January, which he says is: “plenty of time to get ready, so we can start refreshed. “You’ve got to stay ahead of the game and that means making sure you have everything you need, not just the information on the jobs coming, but definitely the right PPE as well,” he says.

Manage, but don’t micromanage

Letting the contractors look after their own roles is key to the build2grow philosophy.

Hire and work with the right people for the job

If you get the right people on your team, acknowledge that they know what they’re doing, then let them do it. “We have tradies that all know each other and they all know how to work together,” Michael says. “Half the battle is getting people to work together and getting them to work on the same page. Our tradies are very old-school – the painter knows the plasterer who knows the tiler who knows the plumber. It works better this way. You look at other bigger companies and everyone’s working for themselves, and they don’t have that relationship.”

Have team members who are specialists in their area

“At build2grow, the two main silos working in tandem with each other are pre-site and onsite, with Michael overseeing and moving between the different areas as needed. “Everyone has their separate roles and they obviously specialise in separate things,” he says. “Adam is all pre-site, everything from estimating to building permits, to what and who is needed for the job. Then, as soon as we land on the site, Steve takes over and he books in all the trades and suppliers, with Mia across all the bookkeeping, invoicing and accounting.”

Know your role as the boss

“I float between each of the areas of the business,” Michael says. “For example, I make sure I spend one day a week with Adam estimating and working on future projects, then one day a week onsite with Steve in case there’s questions about something from a design perspective or regarding a document that Adam and myself might know about, and so on.”

Communicate your plans with your team

Communication, Adam agrees, is vital, which is why he schedules regular quick catch-ups. “There’s definitely a lot of moving pieces and that means a lot of planning and a lot of internal discussions,” he says. “We spend a lot more time in the office having five-minute conversations about little things to make sure that we’ve covered all of our bases than we do on conversations about the big overwhelming things … because we all know everyone’s been through enough storms that there’s usually nothing we haven’t encountered before. And it’s that combined experience that makes it all work.”

Think big: Put the right steps in place

There’s no denying that growing your business can be hard work but if you do it properly and put the right steps in place with the right people and suppliers – and then remember to check things are working each year – it can succeed. “And then everyone is in a much better position,” says Michael.

How Bunnings Trade can help your team

The crew at build2grow considers the Bunnings Trade experts a part of their team, calling on them for everything from foundation to fit-out. Here’s how they helped.

Demand the supply

A key aspect of the build2grow team are the suppliers and building a strong trust with them. “With our suppliers, we haven’t plucked them out of nowhere, we’ve tried and tested them,” Michael says. “The ones that are good, we’ve maintained and added to because half the battle is getting people on the same page.”

With Bunnings Trade, Michael says, those relationships with the team and Account Managers can be years old. “When I started out on my own, I used Bunnings and I still have a relationship with the same team,” Michael says. “That continuity helps because I can ring them and they know what I need. It just makes the whole process so much easier.” While Adam adds: “They’re essentially as much a part of our team as we are.”

Look for the extras to help your small business

The build2grow team use the following to help their business thrive.

Bunnings Trade PowerPass app

The build2grow team uses the PowerPass app daily – “There’s savings, for a start, and every purchase is so much easier to allocate to a job instantly,” Steven says.

SDA certified Assisted Living range

Discovering Bunnings’ dedicated Assisted Living range opened doors for build2grow. “Recently, we got an email saying Bunnings Trade now has a whole set-up at the Building Solutions Studios for NDIS-related work, which was fantastic,” Michael says. “It really showed us how they can help us service a new sector.”

Other Bunnings Trade services

Tapping into the support of the Landscape Specialists team, the Frame and Truss service and Port Melbourne’s Building Solutions Studios (BSS) build2grow use these offerings to their advantage.

“You can drop by and immediately see every fixture that’s on offer to make selections and, even better, they have it all on PDF, so they’ve basically created a virtual catalogue,” Steve says of BSS. “When you visit a client, you can go through the options online, make selections, place orders and they’ll be delivered when you need them.”

What we use from Bunnings Trade on a typical build

The build2grow’s Highton build in Geelong, Victoria, sourced a lot of their materials and products through Bunnings Trade, including:

• James Hardie cladding
• Walls materials
• Posi-joists
• Frames and trusses

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Top tips for how to grow your business

How far ahead should I lock in work?

At least six months; talk to suppliers and trades early, and issue purchase orders post‑permit.

What equipment standards should my sites meet?

Keep sites clean, ensure tools are tested and tagged, and enforce proper PPE for everyone.

How do I manage teams without micromanaging?

Define roles, trust specialists, encourage coordination among tradies, and step in only to unblock.

How can Bunnings Trade help small business growth?

Use Bunnings Trade services including: PowerPass, Landscape Specialists and Building Solutions Studios, to streamline supply and selections, as well as save time.

Need framing support on your next build?

Check out why this business owner switched to frame and truss supplied by Bunnings Trade.