Tips For Making A Successful Home Repair Franchise Business

Though it may come as something of a surprise, home repair businesses are often some of the most stable when the economy takes a dive, and the biggest reason for that is a relatively simple one. People are most likely to spend money on what means the most to them, and for most homeowners, the house is one of the things that is most important in life, because it’s the biggest investment the average person will ever make. Therefore, even in recession, people remain willing to spend the money it takes to keep their homes in good repair. For that reason, home repair businesses rarely see a large downturn, even when the rest of the economy is dropping off, like it is now.

The fact that the home repair industry will hold strong in the face of economic downturn may be enough to keep a home repair business afloat, but alone it isn’t enough to keep a business successful. To do that, even in a strong market, takes a good deal of business strength, character, and a small host of helpful practices. For the home repair entrepreneur hoping to keep his small business strong during this downward season, here are a few tips from other home improvement entrepreneurs for pushing your business ahead.

1. Constantly Learn and do New Things

The last thing the owner of any home repair franchise wants to do is pigeonhole himself. Whatever your client needs done, take the steps to learn how to do it and then get it done. Even when clients are only requesting services you’re well versed in, keep your nose in home improvement magazines and websites; learn everything you can, when you need it and when you don’t, because it’s sure to come in handy sometime.

2. Grassroots Marketing is the Way to go

Almost all franchises come equipped with well established marketing plans, which are vital to the success of their franchisees, but absolutely nothing can replace good, old-fashioned grassroots advertising. Building relationships and getting your name out there are the keys. One good idea is to take donuts into the local hardware store on a Saturday morning. Make friends with the staff and ask if you can post an ad somewhere at the counter. Go to neighborhood places like the community center or your church and post your ads there. Send out postcards with company refrigerator magnets or go door to door with door hangers. Visit Home Depot on the weekend and leave your big truck in the lot with your business name and phone number painted on the side where everyone can see it.

3. Seek Guidance in Pricing Bids

If your franchisor doesn’t have a set pricing system, talk to friends and associates in the industry about how best to price your bids, because though labor is what gets the job done, it’s cash flow that keeps the business going. If you under-price, you won’t be able to afford the business, but if you over-price, you’ll never get a job. Either is equally fatal, so seek some help.

4. Price Yourself to Account for "Non-Billable" Hours

It’s tempting to believe that only the hours actually spent building walls and windows count toward labor when you’re billing your clients, but that’s only part of the puzzle. In reality, buying materials, doing office work, and drawing up bids (none of which have any direct impact on how many square feet drywall go up that day) can often account for 25% of your day, and your bids must be priced to account for those hours too.

5. Having a Cell Phone is as Important as Having a Hammer

Very simply, your clients must be able to reach you at all times, and talking to an actual human being is vital. If your business can’t afford to hire a fulltime secretary to answer a landline during work hours, then spend the far lesser cost of having a cell phone on you, so that you can talk to your clients directly. It also comes in handy when a job or task winds up taking longer than you expected and you’re forced to postpone something else for a day or two. You can call up all affected clients and immediately let them know, which is something they are sure to appreciate.

With those tips in mind, the entrepreneur who doesn’t yet own his own business may be wondering what business opportunities exist in the home repair industry. Here are a few franchise opportunities for you.

CTi-Concrete Technology

Serve clients with this business for sale by restoring and beautifying the concrete they already have around their homes. The concept is simple, and so is the business model, requiring no more than one or two employees to assist the business owner with the day-to-day work on client’s pavement. There is already a well established marketing plan, territories are protected, and profit margins are huge, making this a perfect opportunity for a wise work from home franchisee.

N-Hance

This franchise business has perfected a method of restoring and refinishing hardwood floors and wooden cabinetry in a fraction of the time it generally takes, and with no dust or foul odors. Startup is cheap and quick and there’s little overhead, which makes this a low-hassle opportunity for the franchisee, who profits from his labor as well as from the sales of cleaning solutions and tools.

Stone to Foam

Specializing in custom garage floor coatings, this home based business works in association with the Home Depot, whose local stores provide business leads for nearby Stone to Foam franchisees. Five days of training gets franchisees off the right foot, then continuing training keeps them that way, and everything needed for sales and installation is kept in a simple trailer pulled behind the company vehicle, making work a piece of cake.

Tips For Making A Successful Home Repair Franchise Business - To learn more about this author, visit Candice Clem's Website.

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Anne Barr Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Staging Diva Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained 4000+ students worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular home staging guides made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide, Portfolio Guide and Twitter Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website

Marcus Arkan Marcus Arkan currently serves as the President/Principle Broker of Syndicate Mortgages Inc. After working with a number of Canada's top financial institutions, the experience and knowledge he gained throughout his professional career combined with his drive and entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop his own company. The operation began in 2003 in the basement of his home and now has flourished into a successful corporation with a head office in one of Metropolitan Toronto's busiest sectors and 10 branch locations employing over 100 mortgage professionals. His organization is now one of Ontario's leading mortgage brokerages specializing in residential, commercial, and construction financing. He holds the designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional from the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. This allows him to differentiate himself from other mortgage originators and demonstrates his commitment to the highest standards of industry performance. For more information on Mr. Arkan and his Syndicate Mortgages Inc., please visit www.syndicatemortgages.com. - Visit Marcus Arkan's Website

Leanne Hoagland-Smith Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website

David Acheson David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

Linda Richardson Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website

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