This Podcast Is Episode Number 0301, And It Will Be About The Home Improvement And Repair Contractor Success M.A.P. You started your service business doing what you love thinking all you had to do was get good jobs, finish the work promptly, and make a lot of money. Then one day you get a rude awakening that getting jobs done and doing the work was only a small part of being in the home service industry. What started as an adventure turned into something not as fun as you thought it would be. You are now experiencing the challenges of being self-employed: How can I generate more leads? How much should I charge for this job? What can I do to be more productive and increase my profits? The secret is in thinking patterns and habits. Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day Which goes to show you that almost any home improvement contractor can generate enough cash flow and profits from their business to turn their contracting company from a people-dependent money pit into a process-dependent cash cow, and have the freedom they dreamed of when they started contracting. Start by developing a Business Plan for your Home Improvement and Repair Company. The reason is simple, 99% of your competition do not have one and many of the ones that do rarely look at it. Why spend time and effort to develop your business plan? Contractors use business plans all the time, and most of them do not realize how important it is until we show them. Part of your business plan is the: Business Process Management Strategy (BPM) Your mindset, combined with the BPM strategy and the tactics you’ll learn from this post is essential to the success of your Home Improvement and Repair Company. Now, let’s get into the M.A.P. strategy. Marketing Marketing is the foundation because nothing happens until somebody buys something, or in your case, somebody hires your services. The questions to ask yourself is who are those people who would retain your services, and how can you be at the right place at the right time and with the right message when they begin their search for a home service contractor. Marketing doesn’t end after someone calls you up and have them scheduled for appointments. It only starts there. Remember that every detail, no matter how small it may seem, definitely count to your customer. What happens when you get to your client’s place? You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Make sure you are wearing clean and proper attire. Wearing slacks and a collared shirt with identifying logo looks presentable and builds up your company brand immediately with the people you meet. Tips: When the homeowner opens the door - smile, take a step back and introduce yourself, show your badge or identification (this is a polite way of showing how you value their personal space) Come in only after you are invited Wear a shoe cover Be mindful of pets and children It is better to use plastic clipboards, or if you want to be fancier, cover it with felt - this will prevent scratches on top of the granite counter top or any delicate surface once you put it down. Offer “Good-Better-Best” product/service options to your clients - it takes away the pain of wondering how much to charge. Accepting credit cards is a great solution to people who would like to get things fixed but can’t afford to pay immediately A smartphone is handy for taking a “before” photo of the setup and placement as this will help you put furniture and other stuff back into place when you’re done. Clean up your mess One of the proven methods we used to generate immediate and recurring sales in our service and repair plumbing company is the Six Pack Marketing - this is a contractor’s lead generation dream. In fact, after implementing it, we had to hire more workers, train them using our documented process and...