Client Story: LS Design Construct
May 4, 2021Based in Flinders Park, LS Design Construct is an architectural construction company specialising in residential architecture and building. After operating for over 10 years, they now have a team of eight staff members and established partnerships with over 50 contractors.
The team is led by architect and builder Leon Seltsikas and his wife, Melina, who works as the team’s finance and marketing manager. The couple’s vision and primary goal is to provide personalised service to clients with a focus on quality, timeliness and attention to budget.
The company’s focus has been on targeted growth, not just taking on any project at any cost. They’ve chosen to accept the type of projects that are best suited to their skills and abilities and have worked hard to get the right people in the right positions to enable efficiencies and increase productivity.
Thanks to their hard work and vision, the company has received numerous awards, including several from the Housing Industry Association (HIA), and has recently had a project featured on Grand Designs Australia.
Challenges during the business journey and through COVID
Like most construction and building companies, LS Design Construct has had to balance their growth with fluctuations in the market, while having the confidence to employ people and maintain a steady workload for their staff.
Melina notes that bringing the right team into the business – both with staff and contractors – has given the business strength and is further enhanced with the right business advisors such as Oreon who have become part of the team and helped them push the business in the right direction.
In terms of the COVID crisis, Melina says, “The full effect didn’t really come until mid-2020, when scheduled projects were shelved due to the pandemic. In late 2019, the business was in a strong position, which meant that in the first half of 2020 there was sufficient workload to get us through.”
Thanks to Australia’s handling of the crisis, including the Government HomeBuilder grant scheme, the forward workload is positive and there’s now plenty of confidence in the market.
“It’s turbocharged the industry to levels we haven’t seen in all our years of business,” she says.
Keys to success
Leon and Melina say that sticking to their goal of providing value for money to clients in all areas – from design and construction to the service they receive – has been critical to their success.
“We are a family business and are very customer-focussed, which is reflected in the fact that all our subsequent work and success have been based on referrals,” they explain.
Their advice for other business owners? “Ensure your business is something you love to do, speaks your purpose and justifies your ‘why.’ Surround yourself with a team of people who enhance and challenge you and work together productively to provide the best possible service to your community.”
Oreon Partners’ role in the journey
Leon and Melina originally began working with Oreon’s Financial Planner, Matthew Pelizzari (through a referral from Leon’s parents and brother, who are also clients). Initially, the team helped them form their self-managed superfund (SMSF), but over time the relationship has grown and Oreon has now assisted with everything from tax returns and tax planning to setting up cash flow and budgeting models, assisting with COVID stimulus package applications and applying to increase their builders’ insurance limits.
Perhaps the most important thing Oreon has been involved with has been helping to set up Futrli with the clients’ MYOB online in order to track business performance.
“Prior to that, the team could have benefitted from more thorough planning and forecasting on how the business was tracking,” says Partner Tom Carr. “Now we have regular reviews of where the business is and have more up-to-date information to back up our analysis.”
Melina notes, “The Oreon team has helped us transform our ‘back of house’, providing us the ability to truly see the current and future status of the business financially, which has provided us with the clarity to make staffing and investment decisions that strengthen our business.”
She adds, “Oreon is similar to our company, where people are committed to providing professional service and are extremely proactive in giving us the tools and advice we need to succeed.”
Future plans
LS Design Construct anticipates continued growth in the custom home design and build field in the years ahead. They look forward to meeting new clients, listening to their dream home living ideas, and working together to bring those ideas to life.
Based on their past, we have no doubt they’ll be building a successful future! For more information on LS Design Construct and to see some of their beautiful projects please visit their website.
