Active Build Solutions: Craftsmanship meets commercial clarity

Active Build Solutions began in 2018 when Director Daniel (Dan) Lark turned a hands‑on carpentry trade into a growing residential building business. Operating from Mayfield West with three direct employees, a small admin team and trusted subcontractors, Active Build Solutions delivers new homes, renovations and project maintenance founded on workmanship and word‑of‑mouth referrals. In 2024, Daniel sought advisory support to convert trade skills into a scalable, sustainable business practice, and connected with PKF Newcastle through a client referral that led to a relationship built on practical coaching, accountability and financial clarity. 

“There was just a point where I said to my friend, they don’t teach you how to run a business when you become a builder or a carpenter. And from there, he connected me with Andrew, and the last 12 months have been excellent,” Dan said.

Turning trade skill into business strength

When we say we’re not just accountants, we’re trusted business advisers – at PKF, we really mean it. We genuinely want our clients and the businesses to go from strength to strength, and that is one of the best parts of the job.

For Business Advisory Director, Andrew Beattie, that’s what it’s all about. “I love business. I get great satisfaction from seeing clients develop from ambitious beginnings to realising their goals, forming close relationships along the way and becoming a trusted adviser and confidant to their business and themselves.”

And that’s exactly what Dan can attest to.

Despite Active Build Solutions’ strong technical capability, the business faced limited formal commercial training and inconsistent scheduling practices, which produced busyness without efficiency. Daniel’s growth objective was to scale sustainably while protecting quality and reputation, and PKF addressed key challenges, such as limited experience in commercial decision‑making and financial management, and workload and job scheduling management.

With over 20 years of experience and specialist knowledge in business improvement, Andrew is highly regarded in the region and is known for keeping his clients on track. But what he did for the business and for Dan was much more than that.

This included:

• Financial instrumentation — simplified management reporting, project budgeting and cashflow forecasting tailored to construction payment cycles to improve pricing and profitability decisions.
• Practical coaching and accountability — regular check‑ins, action items and focused follow‑through that turned intent into measurable progress.
• Operational playbooks — scheduling and job management frameworks that reduced firefighting and reclaimed time for strategic work.
• Growth planning with guardrails — staged hiring, subcontractor governance and cash reserve planning to support middle‑tier expansion without compromising standards.
• Compliance and tax support — routine accounting, BAS guidance and tax planning to minimise surprises and align finances with operations. 

“I didn't know what to expect. I had looked at business coaching things in the past, and they always seemed like they were just trying to sell you something… whereas with Andrew and what I found with PKF is they're interested in making you succeed and holding you accountable, which is pretty good on my end. So you know if I haven't done my ‘homework’, I always feel like I'm going to get in trouble, but he makes me want to do better, recalled Dan.

How PKF helped Active Build Solutions build business confidence

As Dan and the business, with the guidance of Andrew and our Business Advisory team, set their sights on further establishing themselves in the industry, he reflected on how far he has come in just 12 months.

“Since partnering with PKF, I think personally my own growth has been massive, and that's helped the business grow. My confidence in what I'm doing and the decisions I'm making are a lot more educated decisions rather than just is this the right thing to do? I feel like I've got backing in my decisions that I'm making through the knowledge and expertise that I'm being pushed to pursue, and the way it works.”

As of July 2025*.

At PKF, we help create the financial and operational foundations your business needs to grow; combining tailored coaching, practical management frameworks and consistent accountability so you make smarter decisions, reclaim time and scale without sacrificing quality. If you want a staged growth plan, clearer project profitability, and an adviser who holds you to it, speak with a PKF adviser today to start building long‑term commercial clarity and capability.

Ready to start ‘building’ business confidence? Get in touch today.