I’ve forced myself to relabel the issues that come with running a business by thinking; ‘Problems not challenges’. It feels more manageable. More like something I’d like to take on when identified. And if you’re like me, with multiple business activity underway, then 2020 had plenty of opportunities to hone your internal labelling skills.

In the second part of this mini-series, featuring real reflections from established SME Developers on 2020, we asked four of the 2021 Real Developers to briefly share some of the core challenges they faced, and what they did to manage them.

To set the scene, in a recent roundtable hosted by TrustedLand, expert guests shared that beyond brochures and CGI’s, one of the most expressed points of interest, when evaluating bids and applications, was how a developer approached solving problems.

Last year gave micro, small and medium developers alike the need to demonstrate their strategic abilities, problem-solving skills and decision-making competency. Smaller firms are always recognised for being agile, but moving smart is the real skill, and stakeholders need to know they are backing a problem-solver. This is simply because, it’s property development afterall, problems will occur.

As the roundtable contributors from Cushman & Wakefield, Blend Network and Build-Zone stressed, understanding how a potential buyer or borrower approaches difficulty is becoming more valuable than just the list of achievements.

It is very clear, that partners, investors and lenders, all want to see how property businesses fare the ‘tea bag’ test; how strong you are when you’re in hot water. Ultimately, that strength is what will see you, and them, through the other side.