What do most people think of when they hear the word “tradesperson”? A plumber, electrician, gas & central heating engineer? White goods service and repairs. Maybe a painter& decorator, a gardener? A mobile hairdresser?
Tradespeople have a unique way of working compared to most. You work almost exclusively at your customers’ premises; typically you have quite a large investment in equipment such as vehicles and tools, which need to be maintained and replaced; your work is on show for all to see.
Customers can be very loyal but in an emergency, even long-standing customers may not wait for you to become available or return from holiday. Whilst you’ll get a lot of your work from word of mouth it just takes one unhappy customer to set you back.
Typically, tradespeople work the hours that are required to cover the work they have on. On top of that you have to stay on top of communicating with your customers: quotes, booking work in, keeping customers informed and then billing. And there’s always admin to be done.
Tradespeople we work with say that getting and keeping customers is obviously a key part of succeeding but maintaining their high standards of work is equally important.
Anything that helps to bring you new custom, allows you to communicate better, makes your admin less time-consuming or your day-to-day work easier will make a big difference.
green h understands the challenges trades people face. We help to make it easier for you to meet those challenges.
We also take the time to get to know your particular way of working. What do you and your customers know you do especially well? What’s an unnecessary drain on your time? What is always left to the last minute or, worse, until it’s too late?
We can then help you to get across the way you do things; how you stand out. That way we can help new customers to find you on line. We help you set things up so when a new customer finds you they’ll know you have the expertise they need and so feel confident you’ll do a good job for them.
If you need to get in touch with a customer or they with you, it’s much easier when you’re set up for it.
Having the correct systems in place means keeping track of paperwork and getting information and figures out – to customers, suppliers, people you work with, the HMRC or companies house – is straightforward.
This means you can easily be found when a new customer is looking for someone in your area with the skills they need. Just as importantly, once they’ve found you it’s more likely they’ll contact you.