At CSLS, we can provide you with as many certifications as you could possibly ever use in your career as a licensed contractor, however once you are credentialed you still will have to generate business. Take a look at these four simple tips to grow your business and maintain a reputation for quality service.
- Tell a Story. Testimonials can be one of the single most effective marketing tools available to you in building up your clientele. It is a free resource that most satisfied customers will enthusiastically provide for you if asked. Coupled with photos of completed work, this is a reliable way of conveying your skill and professionalism to the researching consumer. Yelp and Angie’s List are among the most frequently trafficked websites for people looking for the quality work YOU provide.
- Slow Down Your Hiring Process. A single bad experience can tarnish your reputation irreversibly in the mind of a client. This is especially troubling when you consider how much business is generated by way of referral. This means that you should only hire the sort of people you would feel comfortable welcoming into your own home. Foul language, unprofessional appearances, or sub par work from new hires can signal the end of a relationship that might otherwise benefit you far into the future. Take the time to find the right fit for your company.
- Invest in Business Cards. It may sound simple; it is anything but. Your appearance speaks volumes about your professionalism in the minds of consumers (and everyone else). Leave a well designed business card after a consultation and you’ll leave a great impression with it. Be sure that you have clean, well-fitting clothes for such occasions in addition to your outfits that you wear when you get into the nitty-gritty of the job!
- Make a Website. Having an online platform readily available to your customer base is essential in the information age. This is where you can accumulate those great testimonials, photographs of jobs-well-done and all other relevant information to people out there hungry for high level construction. This could also include photographs of your employees, price points, business hours, and skills or equipment that might make you stand out from your competitors.
More than a couple hundred-thousand students have come to CSLS to further their construction careers, and we have a 99.9% first-time passing rate. Pick up industry tips like these and so much more from our instructors on your path as a successful contractor.
