Focus on advertising and branding — Part 2

June 6, 2014
Unless a company has a large bankroll business operations must be done by the person who also performs work in the field The most common way that a new company comes into being is this; a guy has reached the journeyman or master stage of his trade and starts doing small work “on the side” The prevailing statistic is that most (90%) new companies fail within the first three years of existence Start with the obvious; your presentation You don’t need to go big, but you must go for it with whatever means you can

Several readers have written and commented on last month’s column. While each letter offered a slightly different viewpoint, the main subjects were, for smaller shops and especially one and two-man shops:

  1. The costs involved in advertising on the Internet.
  2. The time needed to properly keep track of a web presence.

Fair enough. A one or two man shop usually does not have a lot of time for anything beyond the immediate work on hand and whatever ancillary processes are required to keep things moving (i.e. — restock materials, truck maintenance, minimal accounting, etc.). For good reason, the small shop is usually so invested in doing the work that almost everything else is seen as a distraction from that endeavor. This does not mean it is the best, or smartest, way to do things; just that it is how it is.

Unless a company startup has a large bankroll, an MBA or other experienced professional at the helm, or a fully manned support staff (all options which are not typically available to a new company), all business operations must be done by the person who also performs all work in the field. It can sometimes seem that there are simply not enough hours in the day, days in the week or weeks in the month to accomplish everything that needs doing.

The most common way that a new company comes into being is this; a guy has reached the journeyman or master stage of his trade and starts doing small work “on the side.” Eventually, this side work becomes so lucrative and/or so demanding of his time that it is no longer feasible to work for someone else and our guy decides to go out on his own, and “voila” a new company is born.

Eventually, however, the work slows down and the need to get more becomes the driving factor in the new shop’s agenda. The prevailing statistic is that most (90%) new companies fail within the first three years of existence. In the face of more onerous federal, state and local regulations, the roadblocks thrown up for a new or existing business make it even less likely that a startup will survive for those first, critical, years. If you have made it through those first three years, you are doing something right. Build on that success. While it may be true that you have precious little time to spend on a full-fledged advertising program, there are a number of things you can do which are not so time consuming or costly, and which will pay big dividends to you.

Start with the obvious; your presentation. Everyone can’t afford a brand new truck, but most can afford to have the truck they work in look professional. A new paint job might be cost prohibitive, but there is a new alternative out there called wrapping. Wrapping utilizes a vinyl or PVC adhesive backed film in whatever color and with whatever you want printed on the outside. It completely covers all the painted areas of your truck, and will make an old truck look new. It is not as expensive as a good paint job, and you can have your logo and information professionally printed on it.

If you don’t already have a company logotype, make one or have a graphic artist invent one for you. This is also an inexpensive investment that can really pay for itself in short order.  Recall last month’s column and the comments about branding. Having a logo is the start of the branding process. Get that logo on your vehicles, your stationery, your business cards and your invoices. You have all of those things already, and if you don’t, you need to get them anyway, so do it right.

It has been said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” You may not have the time or the money to have a full blown website, or the funds to pay someone to help you position yourself for maximum benefit, but you certainly can make a good impression of your company by attending to the details of what your prospective customers see of, and about, you.

You need clothes to work in, so why not get a uniform? The cost of a matching shirt and trousers is minimal. Put that logo we mentioned on the back of the shirt or the pocket. Make sure your truck is clean and shows your company off to its best advantage. Keep a good rolling stock on your “shop on wheels” so you can complete most projects without having to run to the supply house. These things are easy to do and are not prohibitively expensive. Advertising and establishing your presence, or brand, is an absolute must for your company. You don’t need to go big, but you must go for it with whatever means you can. Make it a priority.

The Brooklyn, N.Y.-born author is a retired third generation master plumber. He founded Sunflower Plumbing & Heating in Shirley, N.Y., in 1975 and A Professional Commercial Plumbing Inc. in Phoenix in 1980. He holds residential, commercial, industrial and solar plumbing licenses and is certified in welding, clean rooms, polypropylene gas fusion and medical gas piping. He can be reached at [email protected].

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