Episode Details

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Corey Tomkins from Ideal Group Australia (Brisbane) to break down what it really takes to scale a contracting business without losing your mind, your margins, or your family time.

Corey runs a carpentry contracting business working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders across Southeast Queensland, with around 26 staff. He shares the full story — starting his apprenticeship with his old man, learning painful business lessons early (ATO debt, unpaid super, and old-school realities), then building his own company through the chaos of COVID and the pressure of growth.

This episode dives into the real stuff construction business owners deal with:

• Pivoting during COVID from renovations to contracting
• Scaling aggressively (to ~16 guys fast), then nearly burning out
• The personal load behind business stress (family, cancer diagnosis, marriage, first child)
• The late payment reality and “45 days end of month” terms that crush contractors
• Building systems and admin support so the business isn’t held together by the owner
• Managing risk as jobs get bigger (scope, responsibility, and decision-making)
• Leadership lessons: letting go of control and empowering people to do their job
• Employee entitlement, labour shortages, and what the next generation needs to understand

If you’re a contractor, builder, carpenter, business owner, or you’re trying to scale beyond a small crew, this one is full of lessons on growth, cash flow, leadership, and staying in the game long enough to win.

Connect with Corey:

🌐 Website: https://idealgroupaustralia.com/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnsiteInsightPodcast

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideal_aus/?hl=en

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ideal-group-3b3a67182/

Connect with Jimmy:

🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

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