How to grow my business, how did you grow yours?

[Steve Bullman]

i've spoken to some who say they get nothing from being AA approved, and others who say it transformed their business.  I guess just having the accreditation alone isn't the magic recipe, its what you do with it and how you market your business after

 

[Jonny69]

On 09/06/2018 at 09:08, Chipperclown said:

Thanks all I hear the good and not so good side!

 

To answer your question Steve re advertising I have a SEO'd site (which rates highly when searched but only in my general area) and I use adverts in parish magazines, thats it. The next question really from me is how to increase the income or work?

 

Should I be looking for commercial contracts, if so any advice on how to do/find this would be great.

You don't go out and find commercial work. I'm not sure what this commercial work really is though tbh. 

 

Eventually you will work for someone who passes your number to a house builder, who's mates with the director of a Property maintenance company, who knows a contractors manager for some else etc and that's it. Those type of customers wont google someone. They will pick up a phone and ask people they trust for a recommendation. I've never once googled a tradesman to do something, I know no one has ever got my number from a google search. 

 

To increase income, put your prices up. 

[Jonny69]

On 08/06/2018 at 17:14, jon18uk said:

10 employees, thats when you start making real money, anything else between 2 and 10 is just that...inbetween.

When you get to 10 you should be able to afford a manager to deal with the headaches, step back, and rake in the profits 

Out interest what is the magic number for when you are making "Real money"?

[donnk]

There is no magic formula. 

 

Look at what you make now of a typical job then multiply it up to do 5 of those jobs at the same time.

 

Work out the costs /expenses and do the math.

[Steve Bullman]

33 minutes ago, Jonny69 said:

I know no one has ever got my number from a google search. 

Curious how you can be so certain about this?

[Jonny69]

1 minute ago, Steve Bullman said:

Curious how you can be so certain about this?

The conversation or voicemail normally starts with "Hi, xxxxxxx person has given us your number"

If not then I ask who gave then my number. Not one person has googled it. I haven't got a website so it would be tricky to search for anyway.  

[Steve Bullman]

1 minute ago, Jonny69 said:

I haven't got a website

Well thats probably the main factor then! ?

 

You know where to find me if you change your mind about that! 

[Jonny69]

21 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

Well thats probably the main factor then! ?

 

You know where to find me if you change your mind about that! 

I should have led with the bit about not having a website.

 

About 10 years ago i bought something on 123reg, meant to do a site, got out working and never bothered since. I don't really want to expand at the moment and have no interest in generating more calls about work as the backlog of work I need to look at is already long. 

 

Thanks for the offer, maybe in the future when i'm less physically able there will need to be a rethink in how I operate.  

[Stefan Palokangas]

I did it with imagination of what I wanted, and then just Do it!

[jon18uk]

On 10/06/2018 at 11:43, Jonny69 said:

Out interest what is the magic number for when you are making "Real money"?

ermm 10? ?