Many domestic electricians say they struggle to find time to fit in any kind of marketing for their business. The problem is, without any kind of marketing, your electrical business will struggle to grow and lack of marketing results in an empty diary or sitting at home worrying about whether the bills will be paid that month.
Every domestic electricians nightmare is to be scratching around for work – having to drop prices to compete with the competition, taking on work that you don't really want to do or having to travel further to get the work you want can soon land you in a vicious cycle of stress and in some cases even giving up!
I often speak to electricians who ask me how they can be a cut above the rest in their local area. There are some very simple ways you can position yourself a cut above your local competition by making a few small changes to the set up of your business.
As a business owner, you will get asked how business is going quite often by friends, family and even other parents at the school gate. The truth of the matter is, it is very unlikely that you would answer this question truthfully if business was not so good. If you are stuck in a rut, it is difficult to ask anyone to help – all you want is for an email or phone call about some work.
Whether you have just started out running your own business as an electrical contractor or you are an established electrician, you will have had various encounters with marketing people attempting to sell you a variety of services that will supposedly make you money. From shiny advertisements to building websites, every time you get a phone call from these types of people, they always seem to promise you the earth. But how many times have you fallen for their game and signed up only to find your phone doesn't ring after all?
If you've recently taken the step into the world of self employment and fell for the lure of working hours that suit you, being your own boss and ultimately being in control of your own earnings, then congratulations, you've taken your first step into an entirely new way of working.
How to become successful by working for yourself
One of the biggest challenges faced amongst self employed electricians is finding work and keeping busy. If you're struggling to find work, it can seem like an uphill struggle everyday wondering where the next job is coming from. It is no fun looking at an empty diary and wondering why the phone isn't ringing.
What is your marketing like?
Recommendation and word of mouth is one of the most easiest as well as free ways to grow your business. A growing diary and steady steam of work is derived from repeat business and recommendations given by customers of your business.
How to get active recommendations
Spreading the word and advertising your business can quickly become a costly and time consuming exercise. For a business to thrive and in turn create a steady flow of work, it needs to have a 'network' of people who are willing to recommend your services which will result in either repeat business or new custom.
Who will recommend my electrical business?
Many of you will be familiar with me as being the founder of My Electricians ToolBox™, you may also know that I also run my own small electrical contracting company in the Medway towns.
I have been in the Electrical Industry for just over 25 years, today I help Local Electricians to grow their business using low and no cost marketing strategies. Like many of you, I started out as an apprentice, learning the craft of my trade – but not the skills to market yourself and your company. If, like me, you’d like a full diary, to pick and choose the jobs you take, make healthy profits and have the time to enjoy your family and your social life – Then I know I can help you.