Built. Trusted. Chosen.
Featuring proven leaders and marketers in trades and construction
Real, unscripted, unedited and raw lessons from trades and construction founders, leaders and marketers. We dig into growth, scaling, hiring, margins, and how to be built, trusted and chosen.
Built. Trusted. Chosen.
The Cash-Flow Traps That Sink Construction Businesses (And How to Avoid Them) | Dustin Young
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In construction, growth can look incredible right up until cash flow collapses. You can be flat out, fully booked, and still get sunk by payment terms, big material outlays, and poor forecasting.
In this episode, I sat down with Dustin Young, a fractional CFO who helps construction companies build financial clarity, stronger cash flow, and more predictable profitability so owners can scale without the stress. He partners with subcontractors and general contractors to put the right numbers, systems, and decision-making in place before growth creates avoidable problems.
We unpacked the cash-flow traps that quietly break contractors and what to do about them before they bite. We also talked about the shift from running jobs off your phone to building real systems, why “having a bookkeeper” isn’t the same as having financial clarity, and how to make smarter go/no-go decisions when bigger contracts start landing on your desk.
You’ll take away:
- Why owners get stuck doing everything, and how systems and delegation unlock growth
- The hidden danger in 60–90 day payment terms and the contract fine print that catches people out
- Why bookkeeping is the foundation, but forecasting is what prevents cash disasters
- The key roles that reduce chaos: bookkeeper, PM/superintendent, finance lead, admin support
- How a 3–6 month cash buffer helps you survive surprises and protect your reputation
Guest: Dustin Young (Fractional CFO for construction companies)
Website: https://www.ravencfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhyoung
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravencfo/
Host: Wes Towers
I’m the founder of Uplift 360, where we help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online. We build high-performing websites and use Search Everywhere Optimisation to turn real expertise into visibility, trust, and leads across search and the platforms people use to vet you.
https://uplift360.com.au
Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/