My small business - Printable Version

My small business - Printable Version

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My small business - WigglesWobbles - 02-08-2011

Heya its Rhoh AkA Silas Minyard, Journeyman Plumber and Small business owner. I know some of you guy's are also small business owner's or just business men in general. I can't say that I am that good of a business man however I am trying to learn. I wanted to link my websight, see what ya guys thought. I also wanted to see if any one of you had suggestions on how to use the internet best in my local area to get hits and bring customers in. IE key words that have worked in you search engines, Or different companies that helped you bring you websight to the front pages.

Also, any other means of advertising you found to work best for your company. As of right now word of mouth is 99.99% of all the work I generate. which is great, but im busy about 50% of the time that I could be working. I want to push myself more into the service industry side of plumbing as well as take over the north portland market for plumbers. Anyhow my websight is

Minyardplumbing.net

Let me know what ya think.

Silas Minyard

Re: My small business - Diggles - 02-08-2011

Same boat here. I just did my first print ad as business was getting pretty slow.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.steinmetztechnologic.com/">http://www.steinmetztechnologic.com/</a>
(ya ya i know I need to write some more bloggy shit)

I fancy myself fairly versed in graphic design and think you could make alot of helpful navigation changes to your site Silas.

I know a few older clients have invited me to networking groups, but they have dues...which are VERY large for my budget. Its just not something I can afford to do.

Re: My small business - Grieve - 02-08-2011

I'm not a small business owner, but I thought your website was great, Silas. I'm much more likely to hire a plumber or other service provider if they have a good website, so I feel I "know" them a bit better before blindly calling them in.

Re: My small business - Vanraw - 02-08-2011

Hey Rhoh, I think your web page is fine. You might want to start asking for and adding customer testimonials. Bottom line is when people want a plumber, they want to know other people like you.

I did a google search for "plumber Portland OR". This is the type of thing I do if I need service in my area for a profession that I dont already have. Your new so your name never pops. You can see Caseys Plumbing shows up first choice, and is also in the Google add column. A lot of people do this type of search to find someone. Once at your page, you want to build trust right away.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/search?q=portland&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=lw#sclient=psy&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&q=plumber+Portland+OR&aq=f&aqi=g1g-o1&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=7828c4946c5db268">http://www.google.com/search?q=portland ... 946c5db268</a>

If I were you I would get on Angie's list, and the BBB and get those emblems on your web page right upfront where everyone can see them. This builds trust as a first impression. You also might want want to do some sort of coupon / groupon for a little bit to grow your reference sheet / testimonials. The big thing about local services, is allot of it is all about word of mouth. So getting the list of happy customers under your belt is the highest priority. Giving service away for half price labor is as good as any ad in the paper. People like to brag about a great deal, and the great service they got for the price.

Good luck man.

Re: My small business - Breand - 02-08-2011

Diggles Wrote:Same boat here. I just did my first print ad as business was getting pretty slow.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.steinmetztechnologic.com/">http://www.steinmetztechnologic.com/</a>
(ya ya i know I need to write some more bloggy shit)

I fancy myself fairly versed in graphic design and think you could make alot of helpful navigation changes to your site Silas.

I know a few older clients have invited me to networking groups, but they have dues...which are VERY large for my budget. Its just not something I can afford to do.

I think there's a couple errors on your webpage....there's an area towards the top right that has the words "patient" and "friendly." Tongue

Hey Rhoh, I think you have a nice looking site to build off of. I would suggest getting a graphic designer (or a friend who is good at it) and come up with a logo. Perhaps I would recommend making your location more noticeable, like "servicing North Portland" in a larger, more distinct font or something. Testimonials might be good.

These guys are the largest plumbing group in our area.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.manzoplumbing.com/">http://www.manzoplumbing.com/</a>

To me your site is more professional looking than that one, and the background is ridiculous, but maybe you can find a couple ideas from it. Having your licenses listed is a good idea. They have some green certified type thing. Dunno what that entails, but I'm sure those Portland hippies would love it. =)

Re: My small business - Slamz - 02-08-2011

Is Yelp popular in your area? Yelp.com is kinda like Amazon customer reviews for businesses. Mostly what people review are restaurants and clubs but I typically look in there for reviews on contractors and other businesses in case there are any. Of course, like Amazon, there may be fraudulent reviews for and against someone but there's recourse for business owners and the website itself has some basic anti-fraud measures in place (e.g., new account, makes 1 review and never comes back, that review eventually goes away).

Anyway, I'd check Yelp and see if you're listed already. If so, update it with your contact info and website. If not, then create an entry.

I also agree about the BBB. Dunno what's involved there but I do like to check the BBB before I use a contractor. I don't really know how good and reliable that is, either, but when I was looking for sliding glass doors, I ended up talking to the sleaziest salesman ever, and looked up his business later (a big well known one) and their rating was "F". Obviously I didn't go with them (their prices were crazy-high anyway). The one I ended up using had just a tiny, out of the way office, but they had top ratings on the BBB, good prices and did good work when I went with them.

Re: My small business - Diggles - 02-08-2011

Breand Wrote:I think there's a couple errors on your webpage....there's an area towards the top right that has the words "patient" and "friendly."

Oh you'd be surprised what money can change

Re: My small business - Skelas - 02-09-2011

It's a little different kettle of fish, but I use constant contact quite a bit to get specials and coupons out to customers and remind them we exist. Of course, you need an email list for this kind of thing, but if you can start collecting email addresses from customers you service, you can start sending out a promotional email of some sort once a month. I've never done this, but you can also buy email lists of certain areas, such as portland. I don't know how clean those lists are but email is about as cheap a delivery vehicle as you can get.
Here's the link to Constant Contact.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp">http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp</a>

People forget companies/products, you have to remind them all the time.

And here's a link to my companies website, i'd say it makes up about 25% of our sales. Totally different type of business obviously.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.khepra.com/">http://www.khepra.com/</a>

Sincerely,

The lotion king.

Re: My small business - Breand - 02-09-2011

Oh, Rhoh...fridge magnets to every customer with a 10% discount if they use it. That Sal Manzo place gets repeat business from me, simply because I have their number immediately available to me on the fridge.

Re: My small business - WigglesWobbles - 02-10-2011

Thanks Guys, some good info in here I have never thought of.

Silas

Re: My small business - Skelas - 02-10-2011

the fridge magnet is a great idea, Vistaprints does fridge magnets dirt cheap.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.vistaprint.com">http://www.vistaprint.com</a>

Re: My small business - OrsunVZ - 02-10-2011

I use iContact for my mailers (same as constant contact), they have a really easy user interface with templates, and you can put together a really professional email blast with logos background images everything. It's pretty cheap too.

What sort of vehicle graphics do you have? This is huge, you'd be surprised how much business you can get from good signage on your vehicles (traveling billboards essentially). It needs to be clear and really easy to remember.

Also take advantage of google maps - not for the page ranking, but rather to make use of smart phone searches. They tie in really well, and when a local guy has a problem, you're popping up in his phone on a map of local plumbers. I not sure how you work this piece, but I did it a while ago, and it works really well.

Also check into local TV commercials - the placement of the ad is really inexpensive. The production is where it's tricky. What is fantastic now though is that through comcast for instance (and I'm sure other people too) people with HD boxes and tivo have the ability to click for more info when they see you ad. The cable company then records that person's info and passes you the lead. You can then send them a mailer, reiterating what was seen on TV. I just heard about this, and I am likely going to be pushing for this this year. It is an amazingly powerful tool. It totally reminds me of the Starship Trooper's "Would you like to know more..."

Re: My small business - Vanraw - 02-10-2011

You know, I have to say that I have never ever ever ever bought anything as a result of email spam. Not to say that in the right environment it would not work, but not sure that plumbing would be one of those. To me house hold service like plumbing is going to have 2 customers. The "repair my sink", customer, and the "I want a new Kitchen, Bathroom etc" customer. Neither of these seem to me to be conducive to an email marketing effort.

One thing I didnt mention is the blue hair market. Allot of the blue hairs out there do not use computers, and if they do, they still reach for the yellow pages. When I ran my business I hated yellow pages because I felt it was like a legal extortion. "You want you name in the book? You have to pay"..... Then another yellow page company would come in town and you were forced to pay them money too.... Not much has changed, but the bottom line, is a catchy add in the yellow page will generate more blue hair business then any newspaper spot.

So add yellow pages.

Sone other note about business, as Im recalling my memories.

- Your business is a start up and small. There is going to be a time where you start getting calls, that start to fill up your time past what you can handle. One of the hardest transitions for a small business owner is the move from worker to business manager. A small 1 or 2 person shop is you rolling up your sleeves and doing the work. The most important thing you can do is to recognize when you should put the tool belt down, and have others do the heavy lifting. If you cant make the transition, its a good chance your business will fail.

- Hire people to do the things your not good at, or don't want to do. For instance, if you hate doing the books, and the payroll, hire a company to do it for you. There are companies out there that will do this for a very responsible price, and they will do it better then you. This will stop you from working nights and weekends catching up on all the paper work that you had to delay because you were out on the job. This isnt just for accounting, but could also be for things like accounts payable, and invoicing. I had a guy fix my roof 2 years ago. I never got a bill. I called him like 6 months later cause I liked the guy and wanted to pay him, and he was out of business. Easy to do when you dont bill Smile

Bottom line, make paper work as easy as possible. Buy software or hire a company to do it for you. You will be surprised how cheap it is.

- Hook up with Lowes, or local hardware stores. My neighbors go to lowes for everthing, and hires them to do the work. They buy a toilet and a faucet and they pay $150 to have it installed. Same for the hotwater heater etc. Lowes sub contracts out. You will not get as much as the direct sale approach but these guys will fill up your lulls and get you to 100% or greater.

- Your truck should be clean all the time and you should have great advertising on it. Seriously keeping it clean should be one of your highest priorities since its a traveling billboard.

- Dont ever ever invite diggles to come to a clients house with you.

Re: My small business - Skelas - 02-10-2011

To reiterate,

email blasts are a great way to remind existing customers that you still exist, and keep you in mind.

<sigh>

Re: My small business - Slamz - 02-10-2011

Yeah I get periodic emails from my general contractor, basically a newsletter talking about house stuff. I think I get about 1 a month or every couple months.

Might not be a bad idea: draw up a short quarterly newsletter and email it out talking about whatever it is plumbers would want to talk about. Latest ideas for bathroom remodeling, mold warnings, what to do if your hotwater heater breaks and spews water everywhere, etc. Probably easier for a general contractor who can talk about roofs and decks and windows, etc, but if you can come up with enough stuff to just email flood a couple times a year, it might be worth it so people remember you exist.

I get periodic coupons in the mail from the people who did my furnace too.

Re: My small business - Diggles - 02-10-2011

Skelas Wrote:the fridge magnet is a great idea, Vistaprints does fridge magnets dirt cheap.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.vistaprint.com">http://www.vistaprint.com</a>

Webpage has no search function and I dont see magnets listed anywhere. I know officemax was estimating something like $2 per card if they were magnetic which is just ridiculous.

Re: My small business - Skelas - 02-10-2011

here they are:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.vistaprint.com/custom-magnets-multi.aspx?xnav=TsrItem&xnid=aMagnetsPromotion+%26amp%3b+Events&dng=Promotion+%26amp%3b+Events">http://www.vistaprint.com/custom-magnet ... %3b+Events</a>

Re: My small business - Diggles - 02-10-2011

Skelas Wrote:here they are:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.vistaprint.com/custom-magnets-multi.aspx?xnav=TsrItem&xnid=aMagnetsPromotion+%26amp%3b+Events&dng=Promotion+%26amp%3b+Events">http://www.vistaprint.com/custom-magnet ... %3b+Events</a>

thx

Re: My small business - OrsunVZ - 02-10-2011

Skelas Wrote:To reiterate,

email blasts are a great way to remind existing customers that you still exist, and keep you in mind.

<sigh>

absolutely. what skelas said.
previous customers are always the easiest sales to make, and by far the cheapest segment to market to.

Re: My small business - Kakarat - 02-11-2011

OrsunVZ Wrote:
Skelas Wrote:To reiterate,

email blasts are a great way to remind existing customers that you still exist, and keep you in mind.

<sigh>

absolutely. what skelas said.
previous customers are always the easiest sales to make, and by far the cheapest segment to market to.

That is of course if you did a good job on their house :lol:

A simple add in the paper, or a 15-30 second jig on the radio is something even worth doing.
What about some stickers. (repeat business) When you are done the fix, apply one to the pipe or the under side of the sink.
Or the side of the toilet.

(picture of a plumber crack)
I am here to fill your gaps.
555-555-5555
Minyardplumbing.net

Re: My small business - Zirak - 02-11-2011

Those stickers are a good idea. Now this is from my experience working in a manufacturing plant but I have on several occassions had a piece of equipment fail or develop a problem and we can't figure out what is going on so folks start to wonder who we can call in to give us a hand. Some of our equipment actually have stickers on them from service reps - oh yeah, they worked with us on that last time, let's give them a call.

Re: My small business - OrsunVZ - 02-11-2011

actually this is a really good practice Z, all of my big printers have a tech's info on them. They get the calls first - typically with our printers, (and I would imagine it's the same with plumbing) when there is a problem, I don't have a hell of a lot of time to shop around.

*basement filling with water* uh yeah, I was wondering if you could give me a quo... *glug glug glug*

Re: My small business - Uncle Shags - 02-17-2011

Merchantcircle.com is one I often see come up on searches. It looks like a free register.