Helen Holland managing director of New Homes Flooring
I SET the alarm for 7.20am. Before I go to work, I generally answer the phone and make a cup of tea. Sometimes I have a cigarette, sometimes I head straight into the shower. That cup of tea often sits untouched while I deal with early distractions – phone calls, emails, and messages. Sometimes I’ll get sidetracked by other things and then finally head off to work.
My first task when I arrive is to say good morning and go through emails. I can be 60 to 120 emails deep on any given day. I check tenders, which the guys in the other room handle, but I need to make sure they’re done properly. I also liaise with various staff – for example, Sasha or Diane might be collecting samples, Janelle may have other tasks – and handle customer queries. My desk is a mess and realistically, I never finish everything, but prioritising and juggling tasks is the rhythm of the job.
One big challenge is cashflow. Builders often pay late or out of sync with agreed schedules, and suppliers get concerned. I deal with it through constant communication: chasing up builders, explaining delays, and making sure accounts are updated. Suppliers are generally used to the system, but it can still be stressful when payments run late and everyone is on the phone at once.
The favourite thing about my job is the people. I enjoy talking to staff, customers and contractors. Seeing projects progress, attending site visits and interacting with clients is what makes it worthwhile.
The thing that makes my job unique is the breadth of responsibility. I’m accountable for every person and project in the business. If something goes wrong, it’s my responsibility to fix it. I carry more of the operational, commercial, and human oversight than anyone else in the company.
My route into the role involved starting in the construction industry 28 years ago. For five or six years, I was the only woman onsite. Initially, I faced resistance from older, long-established contractors who were sceptical about a woman in the role. Over time, they came to respect me because I was reliable, honest and practical. Even contractors who were initially anti-women later said I changed their mind about working with women and considered me one of the best contractors they’d ever worked with.
My typical lunch is part of a rotation system where someone in the office or warehouse prepares the meal. Dishes vary from sausage wraps to red Thai curry to chicken and noodles. Lunch is half an hour and ensures everyone sits down to a decent meal without worrying about preparing it themselves. It also keeps the office cheerful and nourished without taking too much time from the workday.
If I get a few spare minutes, I’m usually moving straight to the next task. There’s never really a spare minute – as soon as one task ends, another begins. I get pulled into emails, phone calls or requests from staff so I rarely stop for anything other than the essentials.
I feel like I’ve had a good day when I’ve completed several tasks, attended site visits, spoken to people and made progress on tenders or projects. If I’ve dealt with staff issues, checked samples and moved things forward on multiple fronts, I consider the day a success.
In a nutshell, my week consists of answering emails, checking tenders, managing cash flow, supporting bespoke staff, liaising with builders and suppliers, attending site visits, and handling customer requests. Each day is a balancing act between reactive issues and planned tasks, and I’m constantly moving from one priority to the next.
The call I never ignore is from a director or a construction manager. For example, Trevor McCann is someone I always make time for because he’s genuine, experienced and important to the business. His calls take priority, though I try to respond to all calls as quickly as possible.
The part of my role people misunderstand is the accounts and cashflow side of the business. Many don’t realise how much problem-solving and communication goes into managing suppliers, tracking payments, supporting accounts staff and balancing budgets. It’s more than just bookkeeping; it’s about ensuring the whole business operates efficiently and reliably.
At the end of the day, I get home about nine, eat dinner, tidy up and sometimes watch telly. Often I’m painting, decorating, redesigning or organising. Even in the evenings, I’m mentally planning the next steps for the business, reviewing tasks or thinking through issues I encountered during the day. Some evenings I even spend time on calls with suppliers or service providers to resolve ongoing problems.
