THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA That philosophy shapes how he thinks about growth. Rather than chasing volume, Raj deliberately limits himself to three or four overlapping projects at any given time – enough to keep the business healthy, but never more than he can personally supervise. “You don’t make money on volume,” he says. “People try to portray themselves as high-volume builders, but I know what they go through. If you’re running between a 2,000 square foot home in Markham, one in Mississauga, and one in Oakville, you’re spending your day on the highway and not really doing anything productive. And more importantly, things start to go wrong.” His subcontractor relationships are managed with the same no-nonsense directness. Raj is willing to bring on new tradespeople to assess their quality, pricing, and communication style, and equally willing to make a change when someone isn’t meeting the standard. At the same time, he’s loyal to the ones who deliver. “Long-term relationships go in both directions,” he says. “They assess me too – how prompt I am making payments, whether I’m upfront when money is delayed. It’s important you answer the phone when you owe someone money. Tell them it won’t be ready until tomorrow. The moment you stop answering, trust breaks down.”
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