Business is growing—and that’s a good thing. If you can manage those growing pains, that is. Use these commercial roofing tips to build your contracting business the smart way.
Streamline.
The key to providing high-quality commercial roofing and top-notch customer service is to streamline as many processes as possible. Whether you automate social media posts or utilize sales email templates, the less you work in your business, the more you can work on your business. What’s more, the less time your team spends muddling through routine tasks, the more time they can spend helping you grow the company.
Don’t confine your streamlining efforts to front- and back-end office functions either. Onsite productivity is essential to completing commercial roofing jobs efficiently and effectively—and that generates highly satisfied customers who are more likely to give referrals. Professional-level roofing equipment like the Equipter RB4000, a compact, raisable, self-propelled dump trailer, streamlines material handling to help you reduce labor costs and increase productivity.
Organize.
From leads to proposals to invoices, you can’t fly by the seat of your pants if you want to build a profit-generating commercial roof replacement business. A stack of files on the desk may have served you well at first, but as you grow, those stacks can get unwieldy.
You may need one or more support systems to bring calendars, projects, and office work under control. (Think of platforms like Basecamp, QuickBooks, or Google’s G Suite.) Many organizational systems offer free trials to let you and other team members play with the platform before subscribing or purchasing.
Focus.
It can be hard to say “no” to jobs that bring money into the business, especially if you’re just starting out in commercial roofing. This is a struggle many owners have faced. Yet taking on a job just for the sake of getting paid can actually hurt your bottom line.
Define your contracting company’s mission and unique value proposition (i.e. what makes you stand out from the competition). Then ensure each project you pitch supports your ability to showcase those strengths.
Later, as you grow even larger, you can consider adding to your services and diversifying what you do. But, for now, stay laser focused on that one differentiator—and do it better than anyone else.
Market.
More to the point—don’t stop marketing. It’s easier to justify marketing dollars when you’re working hard to get new clients. But once the ball is rolling, keep that pipeline full and keep your name top-of-mind with current and prospective clients.
Develop and implement a marketing plan that supports your business goals. You might consider adding next-level content tools, like case studies or targeted Facebook advertising, to reach the target audience in all stages of the buyer’s journey.
Outsource.
When it comes to commercial roofing business tips, this one sometimes doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Any profitable business requires a range of expertise in any number of areas, from content writing to accounting to human resources to legal help.
It seems to make financial sense to keep many of these functions in-house, but with growth comes complexity and increased costs—costs you might not be ready to bear yet. For example, if the budget doesn’t have room to hire an in-house web developer, then invest in a freelance developer to save yourself the time and frustration of having to fix errors caused by the last site update.
Several online job marketplaces allow you to access freelancers. Another option is to contact the local chamber of commerce, SCORE chapter, or coworking space for referrals. These resources can help you find the expert outsourced professionals needed to grow your business the right way.
Growth can be a challenge for many small businesses—but if you put these commercial roofing tips to work for your business, you’ll tackle those challenges head-on.
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