When I first met my husband 15 years ago, he was running a 1 man trade service business. He was doing it all: answering and returning phone calls; scheduling appointments; ordering supplies; giving on site bids; running service calls etc. He was doing what he saw all the other contractors (he knew) doing.
It was only after we got married, that I saw what a toll it took on him and our family life. Needless to say he came home grumpy, tired, and short-tempered. My husband barely had time for me. He started his work days at 6:00 am and ended it at 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday. Once we got back from church on Sundays, he’d spent most of the day watching tv or sleeping. Even though he was busy, he never seemed to make enough to pay himself a decent salary on a consistent basis.
I was recently talking to a friend who is experiencing a similar situation with her husband. He too, is trying to be superman and do it all himself. He believes that he is saving money by not hiring someone to set appointments and to nurture his existing client relationships. So as a result he is always busy chasing after new clients and neglecting the ones he already has. As mention in a previous article, a customer who has used your services before has a 1:2 chances of using your services again.
Click here to read more about retaining your existing clients (https://westorlandonews.com/2013/03/06/back-to-business-basics-discover-the-real-reason-customers-are-leaving/)
So how do you know when it’s time to get help in your 1 person business? Tell tales signs that let you know:
- Spending more than 90% of your work day running service calls or giving bids
- Behind on returning phone calls, billing, and other paperwork
- Losing jobs because you’re not returning your phone calls in a timely manner
- Forgetting or double booking appointments. (I recently had a repair tech ask me to call him in a few days to remind him of his upcoming appointment with me)
- Wanting to grow your business but don’t know how to
- Not spending quality time with your family and friends
- Working 11 or more hour days on a regular basis
- Not completing jobs in a timely manner because you are frequently interrupted by phone calls or trying to do 2 jobs at once
Without the mundane office chores, a trade contractor is freed up to spend more time on other income generating activities such as:
- Focusing on the work to be done on the job site (i.e. doing higher quality work) instead of having to stop to frequently answer phone calls
- Upselling additional valuable products and services to your clients on site because you’re not rushed
- Collecting money on jobs and delinquent accounts
- Spending more time on sales calls without feeling rushed or annoyed by the frequent ringing of your cell phone
- Learning how to market or marketing your business
- Providing a happy customer experience so that clients are more likely to refer others to your business
- Making it home on time for dinner with the family
- Getting a life to pursue other hobbies and interests
- Raising your prices (if you have more jobs than the time to do them)
- Pay yourself ( or your wife helping you with the business) a decent salary
The truth is a good appointment seller/office manager will help you to get and keep more business AND keep you organized. It is best to have an appointment seller/office manager who not only has clerical skills but knows how to convert customer inquiries to on site bids or service calls. Several sales training programs are available if you decide to enhance your business by hiring an appointment seller (or recruiting your wife) to your team. If not, then consider hiring someone who has a sales background and clerical skills. Don’t be surprised if you end up having to raise your prices, get another truck, and hire other service technicians.
Sherry Daniels is the manager of a 20+ irrigation business in Central Florida. For a FREE REPORT on “How to hire and train an appointment seller for your trade business” email her at [email protected]
