After 20 years in property development, it’s a bold move to make a career change. Just ask Robin Hayhurst, who took the leap into coaching in March 2020.
“I’ve been in property development all my life. I’m a chartered builder with a degree in builder management, and was Managing Director of a development and construction company. I decided it was time to move on, and I’ve always loved helping people.”
Today, Robin runs Property Projects Consultants, providing coaching, mentoring and consulting services.
Working with sub-contractors, contractors and property developers, he advises from the point of purchase through to marketing and selling.
“I enjoy this role far more because sometimes construction can be too adversarial where you’re always in competition with someone else, and there are so many more challenges today.”
Overcoming the Challenges
“From planning permission to health and safety, not to mention the impacts of COVID-19, the property development industry needs a helping hand”
This is part of the reason that Robin founded The Board of Peers, an online peer to peer group to help guide other business owners.
“I’m very passionate about peer to peer groups,” explains Robin. “There are lots of groups out there, but very few industry-specific ones.”
“Helping to solve problems in a structured way, my plan is to set up individual groups for:
- Contractors
- Sub-contractors
- Property developers
The Benefits of a Peer to Peer Group
“Now is an exciting time to set up the project, as peer to peer groups are becoming more popular,” says Robin.
“I have recently spoken to Leo Bottary, author of The Power of Peers. It is great to have support from experts.”
The sessions will take place over video conferencing, starting in September. With groups of six to 10 people, they will give everyone from electricians and plasterers to multi-million-pound contractors and developers the chance to share their thoughts.
“With virtual sessions, we’ll be able to pack a lot more in to a two-hour session. Traditional mastermind groups take up to half a day. Here you can make sure people are engaged without the obligation to travel.
“If there’s anything that lockdown has shown us, it’s that video calls can have a very personable feel to them. I feel like I know people whom I’ve only ever met on Zoom.”
Learning from experience
“The groups will give business owners the chance to air their concerns and give or receive advice,” explains Robin. “They will also talk about their latest projects, and, where appropriate, may be able to refer work.”
Robin says he wishes he could have found peer to peer groups sooner.
“Five years ago my father’s company – the family business – went bust and I honestly feel that if I’d had a peer to peer group, we wouldn’t have got into that situation in the first place”
Robin Hayhurst
It is important to let one’s guard down and be transparent,” suggests Robin. The more honest the participants are, the more they can get from the sessions.”
Robin is already hearing how much time these sessions can save, and he hopes that they will prove instrumental for small businesses, before branching out into larger business long-term.
“We learn a lot from our mistakes and successes,” concludes Robin. “If we can all share this, we can help each other out, and take the industry forward.”
To discover how you can participate in upcoming peer to peer groups, please call Property Projects Consultants on 03301 331778 or click on the relevant link below:
