STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS ADVICE BY HOUZZ

THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS

With coronavirus dominating the news, we’re living in challenging times and it’s understandable that as a KBB installer you may feel anxious, however, there are things you can do now to come out of the pandemic stronger.

Houzz.co.uk, the platform for home renovation and design, spoke with its community of professionals to share their advice on how they plan to sustain their businesses during this uncertain time and The Installer team thought it would be beneficial to share it with our readers.

Keep clients up to date

It’s more important now than ever to keep your clients up to date on the status of a project. Nate of Nate Fischer Interiors, an interior designer on Houzz, explains, “keep your clients in the loop. They are probably as concerned about the status and future of their project as you are about the future of your business.”

Display your work

With people having to spend more times in their homes, many are turning to the internet. In fact, time spent on digital media is predicted to see an increase of 9.3% in 2020, according to eMarketer. So it pays to make the most of any increased internet traffic by ensuring that your online presence looks its best. Architect on Houzz, Angus of Fiftypointeight Architecture + Interiors agrees, “it’s important to communicate our recently completed projects, but also to reflect on past projects, as well as use our marketing to be very clear about the services we offer and the process we go through with each homeowner.”

Invest in marketing now

You may have been fortunate in the past to get projects through word of mouth, always a fantastic way to build a reputation and that channel may well continue; but to guard against the possibility that clients could be hesitant to get started on projects, you’ll need to broaden your reach. “Invest in marketing messages toward your demographic,” Susan of Savvy Interiors, a professional on Houzz says. “Don’t assume they’ll find you.”

Think long-term

During any uncertain times, it’s easy to focus on the here and now, rather than taking in the bigger picture. Professionals on Houzz advise taking a step back and thinking long-term. “As much as possible, we’re trying to remain positive and make the best of the current situation,” explains Angus. “It’s allowed us to reflect on where we are and where we want to go in the future. We can then shape our marketing strategy to try to achieve this.”

Find ways to be helpful

It’s understandably a time of anxiety for kbb fitters and one positive way to channel that anxious energy is by redirecting it toward helping others, whether they’re your local healthcare providers, homeowners looking to renovate, or fellow design pros.

“Don’t give away your services, but give away advice in your communities,” says Susan. “Create ways to problem-solve for them now, so they feel connected to you in six months and will remember how you helped when times were tough.”

Clean up internal processes

If your business pipeline is slow, one way to stay calm and productive is to focus on the internal processes and tasks you never have time for when busy. “I’m going to dive into refining our process and communication flow internally and externally from first contact to project archive, and all the threads in-between,” Jenni of Jenni Leasia Interior Design says.