As a handyman, you know that your skillset is what helps keep your business afloat. But, in a competitive market, it takes more than your expertise to thrive and get ahead of the competition. While your handyman business might be doing well, there’s always room for improvement, so let’s take a look at some ways you can improve your business.
Build a strong online presence
No matter what industry you’re in, being online in this day and age is essential. It’s a gateway that opens up endless opportunities for you to grow your business. You’ll need to start by creating a website that showcases the services you offer, as well as prices and examples (case studies) of the work you’ve completed in the past. It’s also a good idea to get previous customers to leave testimonials to add to your credibility.
A well-made website also needs to incorporate SEO into the content so that you rank higher on Google. You’ll also need to think about local SEO, so that when people in your area search for services like yours, you’re at the top of the results. You can do this using Google Business Manager, and you’ll need to keep on top of it in terms of updating business information and responding to feedback left.
It’s also a good idea to be present on social media too. Create pages for your business and post regularly about the work you’ve done, tips to help people out, and promotions to help attract more customers.
Make sure your brand is solid
If your branding isn’t solid, you’re going to fade into the background when people are looking for a handyman in their area. You need to create a memorable logo and carry this consistently across all platforms including flyers, adverts in the newspaper, your website and social media. This not only looks good on your part but it helps build trust and recognition.
You can also continue your branding through the uniform you wear. If in the past you’ve worn old clothing that you don’t mind ruining, then consider getting yourself a uniform. This could be hard wearing trousers with a t-shirt with your logo on, or you could go for overalls that carry your branding too. It makes you look more professional, and it will save you on ruining perfectly good clothes!
Offer unmatched customer service
For a lot of people, their choice of handyman will depend on their view of that person. That’s why it’s important to make sure that at every stage of a transaction, you offer unmatched customer service. This will involve responding quickly to customer inquiries and providing them with clear and accurate information. You should also always make sure that your contact information is easy to find.
Even after completing a job, you should follow up with them to make sure they’re satisfied with the job and your service. Even if you get some negative feedback, you can use it as constructive criticism to avoid it from happening again. Encourage all customers to provide feedback and reviews on all platforms so that you can keep building that trust in your community.
Use modern technology
Being the best in the business means using technology to your advantage. You might not consider technology to be a part of the handyman industry, but you can use things like field service quoting software to help provide quick, accurate and professional quotes to your client. The software can also then email the customer a copy for their records without you needing to print off unnecessary paper. Not only that, but it prevents human errors, meaning you can confidently give quotes to customers and get the job done.
You should also explore other areas where you could use technology to help your business. Perhaps there are some smart pieces of equipment that can help make tasks more accurate or work certain calculations out for you to save on materials and labour. When customers see their handyman trying to save them money, they’ll most definitely come back the next time they need your services.
Keep an eye on your finances
It’s important to stay on top of your finances, so you need to make sure that you’re meticulous when it comes to tracking your spending and income. You can easily track your spending using accounting software, but if you’re not very good in that area, it’s a good idea to hire an accountant to keep track of things for you.
While you want to keep funds in your business high, sometimes investing that money is a good idea too. Regularly invest in better tools and ongoing training so that you’re the best in the business.
Expand your service offerings
You want to be the best in the industry, so if things have been a little quiet lately then it might be time to consider expanding your service offerings. Consider expanding to cover more areas. This might involve investing in a work van or hiring someone to help you cover them.
You could also consider investing in training to cover a niche market. Becoming an expert in a specific area will give you an edge against your competitors..
Learn new tricks of the trade as it happens
You need to stay ahead of the game so that your competitors don’t overshadow you with new and brilliant ways of doing things, so it’s important to attend workshops and read industry related news on a regular basis.
It can be difficult to change when you’ve been doing something for so long, but it’s important to be prepared to adapt your business as the industry market changes. Being flexible is key to staying relevant in your industry.
You’ve worked hard at your business, so why stop now? Take these ideas into consideration and continuously improve the way you run things so that you can become an industry leader. Remember that a business is only ever as good as the person who runs it, so investing in yourself means investing in your business which will pay off in the long run!
