Plumbing has always been seen as a very lucrative corner of the business world. Just like storms, and sickness, plumbing problems are a fact of life – everyone is going to experience them at some point in life. That translates to very good job certainty.
Still, this level of certainty always attracts an onslaught of new players. They, together with new tech developments in the plumbing and marketing area make this, once very leisurely niche, increasingly competitive.
However, these issues can hardly be listed as something new or concerning. And, familiar problems can easily be solved with familiar solutions. Let us take a look then at 7 proven strategies that will put your plumbing business on the radar and allow it to easily conquer the local market.
Table of Contents
Work only with reliable professionals
In the world of plumbing, the future and longevity of your business will be decided by the quality of your services. So, be sure to hire only the people who are hard-working, and meticulous, and share your passion for the industry. You will do that by refining and standardizing your hiring process and by putting priority on experience rather than expense. It’s always better to work at reduced capacity but at 100% efficiency. Also, don’t hesitate to outsource some services when you lack sufficient in-house resources. Quality contractors can make your company much more versatile, and responsive.
Set goals and break them down into actionable objectives
Essentially, any sort of improvement is practically impossible if you don’t know which aspects of your plumbing company need to be improved. That is why it is critical to perform a thorough business audit as well as your long-term aspirations and translate them into specific, measurable goals. These goals should be then broken down into actionable objectives you will use in more immediate terms. These goals can be anything ranging from business expansion to a higher level of client retention. But, you need to have these milestones ahead of you and always reassess the achieved results.
Create a scalable business infrastructure
The road to your business objectives will be filled with ups and downs. Your goal is to make your infrastructure more scalable so you can quickly adapt to upcoming market fluctuations. So, start by assigning marketing tasks to a third-party staff and reliable link building services professionals. No reason to waste your in-house resources on these non-critical tasks. Also, try to use cloud resources that are versatile and subscription-based so you can make necessary adjustments on the go. Automating processes like customer onboarding and sending updates will make the final part of this trinity.
Ensure sufficient level of repeat business
While acquiring new customers should be one of your top priorities, we shouldn’t forget the fact that 40% of the revenue of an average SMB comes from repeat business. Without these foundations, new acquisitions are simply not possible. So, try to encourage your clients to keep calling you back whenever they encounter some new plumbing problem. Providing quality services like in the first section we covered is one way to do it. Other popular methods come in the form of customer loyalty programs, referral programs, and price cuts. You can even throw in premium services for good measure.
Focus on the plumbing works that generate the most revenue
This strategy may feel somewhat limiting, especially if you are planning expansion. But, just like in the case of repeat business, it’s all about establishing strong foundations. So, see what’s on the table and try to corner the market pockets that either generate the most revenue or incite the most calls. If you, for instance, notice the higher frequency of professional blocked drains interventions, this is where you should throw your hat. Ideally, you should even try to corner these market pockets. When you get these few financially critical services in order, you can start expanding your portfolio.
Focus on providing killer customer service
People often assume that efficient customer service is something usually reserved for large-scale corporations. But, the fact you are operating in a comparatively smaller market gives every effort you put into customer service an even stronger competitive edge. So, how can you make clients’ lives easier and more streamlined? Here are a couple of popular mentions:
- Provide prompt response times
- Leverage 24/7 chatbot-powered availability
- Be transparent about projected expenses and time estimates
- Always follow up with customers after finishing the work
- Offer multiple channels of communication
- Offer online scheduling and checkout
These small improvements can completely change how your plumbing company is perceived by the public.
Stay present on social media
This is not only important in terms of social media marketing, although these considerations should not be easily disregarded, either. Social media channels allow you to engage in honest, face-to-face conversations with your clients, and gather tons of valuable feedback All while you give your SMB a certain dose of humanity. Putting instructional videos on YouTube can turn your brand from a service seller to a valuable learning platform and authority in the local market. We can’t stress just how these small nuances are important. So, be sure to check all of the social media boxes and keep your profiles fully active.
Wrapping-up
Well, we hope these couple of suggestions gave you a better idea about the strategies you can use to boost your plumbing business and help it grow in 2024 and beyond. Much like other similar service-based SMB arenas, the plumbing market is becoming incredibly dense and competitive. Your job is to make sure your plumbing venture is as efficient, broadly appealing, and reliable as possible. Everything we have covered above will definitely nudge you in the right direction.