Your business input

[hammers4spanner]

How much input and pushing do you guys put into your own business as a whole ?

Do you spend a lot on advertising , sign written vans , tee shirts and tops with your business name, only use invoices that are purpose designed for your business , have a logo, spend time contacting builders or heating contractors for example ?

Schemes like the green deal where you quick to see what its about or thin k nah happy doing heating packs or bathrooms?

I know some of us are sole traders and others employ the odd one or two so whats your business objectives overall ? Happy just earning are looking to be more professional and push your business all the time?

 

[SimonG]

About 150 a month on advertising, but I put most effort into the job I'm on currently. To be fair I get more calls saying I did something for a friend/neighbour/colleague than I do saying I saw your advert.

Objectives are to pay the bills, 2 or 3 holidays a year, money in the bank and live comfortably.

 

[townfanjon]

Some would disagree with this because it means my business is on a personal level rather than a business one.

My customers ring up and ask for john not Mr Lister, they can ring me whenever they want , they do not get a stroppy plumber on the end of the phone .

The problem with this is i never end up charging for those silly little jobs, but i do think you get it back in other ways.

I have a website , it doesn't really bring any work in, its just there because its what people expect these days.

Been going about 14 years once, I am lucky I never advertise, the work just seems to keep coming lol.

The main thing i do is I really put myself out for them, too much really.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Interesting thread.

From an installers perspective, I would separate out "marketing" from "advertising" and again from "sales development".

Corporate work-wear, custom invoices and other things which are designed to enhance the image of the business are marketing.
Newspaper ads, leaflet drops and other things which are designed to stimulate sales are advertising.
Work directly contacting specific potential customers is sales development.

Obviously there are some grey areas. I would think of sign writing on a van as primarily marketing, but it crosses over into advertising.

Hammers is 100% correct to link this with your objectives - the correct mix of inputs would depend on what outputs you were seeking.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Some would disagree with this because it means my business is on a personal level rather than a business one.

My customers ring up and ask for john not Mr Lister, they can ring me whenever they want , they do not get a stroppy plumber on the end of the phone .

The problem with this is i never end up charging for those silly little jobs, but i do think you get it back in other ways.

I have a website , it doesn't really bring any work in, its just there because its what people expect these days.

Been going about 14 years once, I am lucky I never advertise, the work just seems to keep coming lol.

The main thing i do is I really put myself out for them, too much really.

Ive started doing the ring me whenever you want attitude a lot of customers love the fact the can call you at half 8 at night for you to price a small job for them .

A lot of customers like the small man as it becomes more personal rather than business from my experience.

 

[townfanjon]

Yep also forgot to mention , the dreaded vat, as a one man band I can keep under the threshold if the customer buys the big purchases direct, on my recommendations.

It would be interesting what would happen if I did go vat reg, probably nothing because the relationship with the customer is already built, new ones maybe a different matter .

Vat and peoples opinions are another matter, wont go into it now otherwise the thread gets hijacked lol

 

[Masood]

Interesting thread.

From an installers perspective, I would separate out "marketing" from "advertising" and again from "sales development".

Corporate work-wear, custom invoices and other things which are designed to enhance the image of the business are marketing.
Newspaper ads, leaflet drops and other things which are designed to stimulate sales are advertising.
Work directly contacting specific potential customers is sales development.

Obviously there are some grey areas. I would think of sign writing on a van as primarily marketing, but it crosses over into advertising.

Hammers is 100% correct to link this with your objectives - the correct mix of inputs would depend on what outputs you were seeking.

Ray, I know you're busy but would you be willing to write a few short articles on business planning, analysis, methods of achieving financial control, growth etc.?

 

[Masood]

How much input and pushing do you guys put into your own business as a whole ?

Do you spend a lot on advertising , sign written vans , tee shirts and tops with your business name, only use invoices that are purpose designed for your business , have a logo, spend time contacting builders or heating contractors for example ?

Schemes like the green deal where you quick to see what its about or thin k nah happy doing heating packs or bathrooms?

I know some of us are sole traders and others employ the odd one or two so whats your business objectives overall ? Happy just earning are looking to be more professional and push your business all the time?

A mix of the two. Signwritten van kept clean and tidy, logo'ed clothes. I do quotes and invoices electronically but on company letterhead with professionally designed logo. The "brand" is very identifiable and distinctive.

I have never advertised apart from one leaflet drop when I first started. I had 10,000 printed and dropped 2,500 myself. That brought me enough work to get going and subsequently word-of-mouth has helped me grow year-on-year and turn a profit.

Like Jon I offer the personal touch. I save customers' number in my phone and greet them by name. I tell them they are welcome to call for advice or if they have any questions. For regular and good customers I will do the occasional small job free - if I'm passing and it takes 10-15 minutes, say..

I have just decided that I do want to employ someone and expand so am now looking at how best to achieve growth, to ensure a regular income stream so that I can honour the commitment of paying a salary, and also how to establish quality control systems so that my reputation for impeccable customer service and quality work isn't compromised.

The more I look into this the more I realise that running a growing business is a full-time job and skillset in itself - one that I need to learn!

 

[Ray Stafford]

Ray, I know you're busy but would you be willing to write a few short articles on business planning, analysis, methods of achieving financial control, growth etc.?

Nice of you to ask Mas, but I'm not sure I could get into the nuts and bolts. Perhaps a collaboration?

 

[bert large]

My business mirrors Townfanjon's, even down to the number of years trading & never advertising.
I prefer it as a one man band. A more personal approach that I am in control of.

I note you are a Janner Hammers. Which areas of Plymouth do you work in ?
I try to stick the suburbs like Plympton, Plymstock, Saltash & Ivybridge. Call me a snob but the clientele in those areas are generally better off.