Internet Targets Cowboy Builders

The internet is the latest tool to be used against cowboy builders. A new internet directory, launched by the Federation of Master Builders, provides the largest and most comprehensive listing of reputable UK builders together with valuable advice on how to steer clear of the 'cowboys'. The new directory is just one of a number of FMB initiatives aimed at differentiating the professional builder from the cowboy.

The new directory allows customers to locate a builder from among the Federation's 15,000 member building firms nation-wide. The directory is part of a wider expansion of the FMB web project: the FMB On-line. This is supported through a Department of Trade and Industry initiative with funding from B&Q Warehouse, Blue Circle Cement and British Telecom.

The FMB On-line project is a Department of Trade and Industry 'exemplar' project designed to encourage other industries to adopt on-line business practice. It aims to encourage small and medium-sized building firms to use communication technologies, such as the Internet, in their business activities. With over 1,500 pages, the FMB On-line web site has become the leading on-line tool for the UK building industry. Services include building publications, state of trade survey, on-line building book-shop, building products purchasing facility, web design services and practical advice to anyone intending to employ a building company.

Speaking of the launch of the new directory, Ian Davis, Director General of the Federation of Master Builders said, "Whether seeking specialist trade skills or simply wanting to have a building job done professionally and without fuss, customers can now locate local builders who are experienced and reputable."

Further Information

For further information on the FMB On-line directory of FMB member building firms, please click here.

First posted: 11 January 1999. Last modified: 02 February 1999.