Want to grow my business - Need some advice

[CleanEvo]

My business has grown every year since I started it, not by leaps and bounds, but steady. I'd really like to grow much faster this year. I know this has probably been discussed in the past, but i really would like some current suggestions, after all the economy is still much different than even a year ago.

You guys who have multi-truck outfits, how do you plan your advertising and marketing campaigns for the year? What different forms of advertising and what do you spend?

For those of you who use sub-contractors, how do you structure the relationship? Do you have contracts/paperwork in place? Do they have to letter their truck with your company name and logo? How much advertising do you have to do to keep one sub busy?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Ryan]

You want to "grow" your business? :roll: Is it a plAnt :?: :shock:

Maybe you mean you want to increase your revenue? :idea:


Sorry I couldn't resist

 

[Fred Homan]

Join a BNI group....

 

[Jim Martin]

it says in your profile that you have been in the business for 18 years...what have you tried and not tried in that amount of time.............

 

[CleanEvo]

it says in your profile that you have been in the business for 18 years...what have you tried and not tried in that amount of time.............

I've been in the business for 18 years, on my own 3 years. I did a lot of mailouts when I first started, yellow pages and I have a website. Last year I did no mailouts, only YP and website and my business still grew 15%. I'd like to grow by a significant amount this year, I'd like to double my business. Just wondering how the multi-truck guys do their advertising.

 

[Ron Werner]

mail to your current clients.
Follow up calls, thank you letters, and offer a referral discount. If your job average is anywhere around $300, adding 50 jobs a year makes a nice raise for a o/o

 

[Fred Homan]

How much of a discount? Dollar amount or % ? I'm thinking about this idea for my BNI chapter.

 

[Hoody]

I would caution you not to get too big too quick. You get a few nice accounts that require more equipment, labor, increasing your cost of doing business. When this happens make sure you have enough work on the back side, just incase you would happen to lose the account.

Get a booth at a home show. Gain more referral hubs(carpet retailers, interior decorators, ect) You need to do some hard face to face selling.

 

[Mikey P]

Want to grow it?


Get off the truck asap.


Find a way to pay more than the living wage, don't hire idiots and be prepared to swallow all sort of things to get enough biz to keep your trucks running.

Provide out standing service and happy, thoughtful techs and the rest will take care of it's self.



so they say..

 

[Bill G. Martin]

Mike ....you are where the rubber meets the road....a lot of wisdom in that last post.


Bill in Central Florida

 

[Guest]

Want to grow it?


Get off the truck asap.


Find a way to pay more than the living wage, don't hire idiots and be prepared to swallow all sort of things to get enough biz to keep your trucks running.

Provide out standing service and happy, thoughtful techs and the rest will take care of it's self.



so they say..

That's what I have heard too, I look forward to finding out.

 

[Ron Werner]

well, theres Big Mike's method. Hire and look after the right people.
Make ONE price for a house up to a certain size.
Don't upsell except for uph and protectant, but no high pressure sales.
He seems to be busy, booked out a couple months according to his post in Dec.

 

[Ken Snow]

Read Mikey's reply again and again & go to SFS immediately. Plan a sales budget showing this large increase and a business & marketing plan showing how you will get there. If you would like to talk a few about this pm me to set up a time.

Ken

 

[Fred Homan]

Get connected with a local dry cleaners. Have them add "Carpet Cleaning Residential/Commercial" to the services that they offer. Give them an agreeable % for there time. I am in the process of doing this with a woman in my BNI chapter. She is going to have a banner put on her front window. She currently offers rug cleaning (which I would not want at this time) and tells me that she get MORE business from that banner. She has alot of upscale clients. She also know a few other dry cleaners (upscale) that come to her when they have problems that she will refer me to. I have a GOOD feeling about this! This is all on the advice from my good friend Craig Jasper!

Fred