We’re delighted to share a 15th Anniversary message from our CEO Joseph Rajah:

My daughter turns 15 this year and, not coincidentally, so does Joseph Homes. 15 years ago I received a jolt of reality when my wife announced we were going to have our first baby and I realised that I needed to get serious. Starting Joseph Homes in the depths of GFC was both daunting and exhilarating. Capitalising a business with a limited track record in an illiquid market was a challenge. On the other hand, not having the legacy of some of some others was an advantage. A chance meeting with an RP set us off on our first JV, and so began a journey of self-discovery and opportunity.

15 ‘interesting’ years later we have successfully navigated not only the gauntlet of political and economic chaos driven by events out of our control, but also the complexities and challenges of our planning system. We retain a 100% track record of permissions, and have 4,300 multi-sector, sustainable and healthy homes in the pipeline. 

How have we done this? By focusing on what is in our control and being open to a bit of luck along the way. 

So here we are. A team of truly exceptional people, fully aligned on our mission to help raise the bar for the industry. As a B-Corp we are a business that strives to be a force for good. It’s not a strap line, it’s in our DNA. And it needs to be, because this isn’t easy. When it gets hard, you can’t push yourself through by will power alone, you need to be pulled by a cause. Which we are, every day. 

A self-made entrepreneur is a fallacy. No one succeeds on their own. So thank you to my brilliant team, my trusted business partner, Paul Dipino, my amazing wife, and our extended family of partners. Also, a special thanks to those funders in the early days, who believed in our future record rather than our track record. You know who you are. We are here, because you were there. 

Now I look back on 15 years of learnings, that will inform our next 15 years. Focusing on the things we can control, accepting the reality of the things we can’t and seeking the wisdom to know the difference. If I may, and for what it’s worth, I outline here some of those learnings, to offer those look

ing to start and scale their entrepreneurial property development business in today’s transitional market, some things that I implemented and some things I wish I’d known earlier.

Check out an animated timeline of what we’ve been up to in the last 15 years!

It’s a hard knock life

“If it was easy, everyone would do it, but it’s getting so difficult that no one is doing it!”, Dominic Grace said to me at one of our board meetings. I chuckled, but there is certainly some truth to that. How easy should it be, though? These buildings and places that we create will hopefully stand for generations to come. We are curators for the next generation, and getting it right takes time. All around us, we can see the consequences of rushing things and responding to immediate short term needs. Property is a long-term game, and it requires long-term thinking, debate and consensus. Working with our stakeholders is key. Collaboration is crucial, not optional. So what am I saying? Focus on what you can do and control in ten years, rather than what you want to do in two. Build a business and capitalise for that. You will make better decisions.

A curse and a blessing

I am cursed. And so are most entrepreneurs, but this curse is also a super power. Being in any business is hard, but as someone on their third career, and being an entrepreneur for over 25 years, I think London property development takes the biscuit for being ridonculously hard. If you dwell on failures you will become entrenched, if you accept the status quo, you will never innovate and if you are scared you will never take the risks you need to succeed. So that’s why entrepreneurs are both cursed and empowered

 by being wonderfully forgetful about the past, annoyingly critical about the present and eternally optimistic about the future. This serves you well as an entrepreneur, but not so much as a CEO. A CEO reflects on and learns from the past, is grateful and positive about the present and is realistic about the future. Just because you started this thing, doesn’t give you the right to lead it. Learn to be a CEO, don’t just assume you are one.

All you need is love

I think I can speak for the whole human race when I say making love is better than creating a war. Obsess about competing with yourself, not others. You can always learn from other companies, but if you want to really thrive and innovate, you need to realise they are not your competitors. Furthermore, whilst London planning can be painful, remember, you’re not in a planning battle, but a planning dance. So, focus on ensuring what you’re delivering is better than the last thing you delivered, and the rest will take care of itself.

Keep on moving

Businesses don’t fail, they just stop. Finding a way to continue is sometimes all you can do. Understand that not thriving doesn’t mean failure, it just means that right now you’re surviving. Which is ok. Sometimes you need to take one step back to take two steps forward. Know when you need to do that, and do it, don’t stop.

A little help from your friends

We’ve all heard this so many times, but it’s one of best pieces of advice I can think of. Set a high bar for the people you surround yourself with. Both morally and intellectually. Success is infectious, seek a peer group and team that helps you grow and that you can help grow. Becoming a B-Corp really helps with this. We do become the average of the people we spend the most time with, so choose wisely.

Stayin’ alive

This is critical. Health comes first, every time. Healthy body, healthy mind. As you may get from me by now, growing a London property development company is like an inclined marathon race on ice, and it requires a level of mental fitness only possible with a healthy body. If you only do one thing on this list, do this.

Bills, bills, bills

Pay your debts. Always. Don’t run for the hills, stand tall and work through it, every time. It’s incredible learning, its morally right and it’s what businesses do when they want to be around long-term. Cycles happen, it’s how we prepare for and respond to them that matters.     If you have this philosophy you’re more likely to take on the debt you need rather than want.

Don’t look back in anger

In the words of my wife on the way to a school parents social, ‘can you at least try to have fun?’. When all is said and done, if you have good intentions and let those intentions lead your decision making, the best time of your career is always right now. Stop, look around and enjoy it; it is an incredible privilege to create what we create.

– Joseph Rajah, CEO