Building and Constructing Dreams
We continue our Experts and Insights series with a feature on working in building and construction, and pursuing the dream of building your own company.
For this piece we spoke with Danny Tahan, founder and director of Rubix Holdings.
Danny built his career in the industry through successive property booms before starting his own company at a relatively young age.
With the Rubix cube serving as inspiration for the company name and ethos, Danny and the Rubix team have quickly developed a reputation for searching out and taking on unusual spaces and difficult projects.
Tell us about Rubix Holdings
Rubix Holdings is a development and construction company. We have a great team and a very strong network across the industry that has allowed us to pursue the dreams of our clients as we pursue our dreams as a team.
We love what we do, and have a huge passion for our work. We take on projects that other companies won’t – we actively look for the spaces that others pass up as too much of a challenge.
We take on everything from finding development sites, to arranging development sites, constructing developments, all the way to your minor renovations or remediation works - we enjoy it all.
How did you come to the decision to start your own company?
It started with the purchase of my first development site at 1 Paine St Kogarah. I had always wanted to buy a development site that I could call my own and then go through the process of getting the design and approval across the line, leaving me with my own project to build.
I had loved working in the construction industry for many years working alongside many people and some fantastic companies, but I had a huge hunger to build and finish a project I could truly call my own.
What was the biggest challenge in building your company?
There are many hurdles along the way when starting up your own business in any field.
In the construction industry I found the biggest hurdles to be having resources set in place, along with financial backing. These were my two major challenges, but there are a lot of others that play a massive role – people in all capacities are key - your internal team, your sub-contractors, and your suppliers.
How has the building and construction industry changed since you started in it?
The industry has changed dramatically since I first started. Most obviously the workload has increased due to the property boom, which has led to tradesman and contractor shortages.
Along the way we have had changes in industry standards for construction methods and materials. There have been changes to codes and practices, and there will continue to be so going forward as the property market evolves and we continue to work with key issues like urban planning and density.
What is something important you could share with someone considering working in the industry?
I have always thought and continue to think this is a great industry to join for many reasons.
The industry will demand a lot of hard work from you, but can give you back a feeling of achievement and success that is second to none.
What is something important you could share about starting a company?
I live by a saying I was once taught, ‘have a plan or you’re planning to fail.’
Whatever industry you’re in, I would consider the key factors in starting your own company being planning, preparation and organisation.
You will always need the drive and ambition to put these things into practice, but I am a firm believer in taking the time to form a smart, strategic approach to any situation, and finding the smarter and not necessarily harder way.
You can find out more about Danny and the Rubix Holdings team here.