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Why did you choose construction as a career?

I always loved property and building, and I loved finance. What I do, as a quantity surveyor, is a bit of both: the financial side of building and construction.

What are you most proud of in your career to date?

Growing a successful business.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?

Growing a successful business in terms of managing people’s expectations, both clients and the team. You have to have a deep understanding of what people want to be able to deliver and that is not always possible because of different challenges that crop up as you grow.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I would have our industry regulated, like the finance and insurance industries. Currently you end up with rogue traders and rogue clients.

What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?

Work hard.

Name your favourite building in the world?

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Which famous building do you most dislike?

I dislike are old concrete buildings – they just look very cold and unappealing.

Which famous building do you wish you had worked on?

The Burj Khalifa. It’s an engineering feat. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to construct a building like that, it’s phenomenal.

What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your profession?

Apart from working hard, I would probably say do your best to learn as much as possible because in construction there are so many different components. When building, everyone wants to do the big projects, but you must learn the fundamentals first. Learn the basics and learn them well before you do them on a larger scale.

Who do you most admire in the construction industry?

Other business owners because I know how hard it is. Growing your business from a one-man band to a decent, successful business, requires technical processes.

What is it like being you (and doing your job)?

I never switch off. I am always working and it is very stressful. I am always under pressure – it has become a way of life.

Do you have a life philosophy?

Always treat people the way you want to be treated. I believe in karma and I treat people well.

What do you think your best quality is?

I am a good judge of character.

What trait do you most dislike in yourself? And in other people?

I hold onto things, I take things personally. If we make a mistake as a business, it plays on my mind – I take things very personally. We have worked so hard to build the brand and taking things personally means I do go above and beyond and I really care.

In other people, the trait I most dislike is when people let you down or don’t fulfil their own obligations. That really annoys me.

Name three things that you like

Spending time with my family, eating great food. And I love a good holiday. A bonus one: I love supercars!

Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have

I am very, very good at maths. Most calculations I can do in my head quite quickly. I also have a photographic memory, so I don’t tend to make notes. Once I have walked around a site, I can get my head around it quickly.

What is your most prized possession?

My cars

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird, definitely. I wake at 5am every day.

What is your favourite food?

Mexican: tacos.

What would your superpower be?

Time travelling.

Parm Bhangal is an entrepreneur, business coach and owner of Bhangals Construction Consultants