A home improvement business comes with its own set of challenges from the very start. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that poor planning in key topics could determine the fate of your business to some extent – and some mistakes are easier to recover from than others.
Some of these topics are simple tasks that you can check off the list, others are more comprehensive attitudes or routines that you need to adopt in order to ensure the growth of your business.
But enough with the vagueness – there’s a lot you need to know before you start and even more to start your home improvement practice, so let’s unpack the most important topics for starting out your home improvement business.
Choose your brand name
The process of choosing a name for your home improvement business usually starts as a lighthearted brainstorm then turns into a nightmarish endeavour. The problem is that it’s easy to get attached to certain name ideas early on only to find out they already exist, which immediately drives us back to the drawing board.
Instead of coming up with “the one” name idea, try to come up with several that you like as a backup plan. Be sure to also Google your name ideas to see if a similar service already exists with that same name – if so, you already know to avoid it altogether.
Once you have a good range of name ideas, get in touch with a professional in the business of registering brands. They will better inform you on how to proceed and make sure your brand is properly registered so that, once you do, no one else can copy or steal if from you.
This is particularly important because the opposite can also happen. If you start your home improvement business without registering your brand name, someone with the same name can legally claim that you stole it. Avoid that by registering as soon as possible.
Hire a financial pro
When starting out we’re always tempted to handle our own finances for convenience, but as anyone who does it will most certainly tell you, handling your own finances can be a massive headache.
The best way to avoid this problem altogether is by hiring someone to handle finances for you. Doing this will automatically save you hours per day, making your routine automatically less bloated and stressful.
Besides, a finances professional will also help you build a business plan, make smart investments, and handle tax requirements and deductions. Obviously, when starting out you might be tempted to cut costs by not hiring anyone and just wearing all the hats, but if you must hire one pro, hire a financial one.
Advertise yourself
The idea of advertising and marketing yourself in general might seem convoluted at first. When trying to find your way, you will see tons of “secrets”, crucial steps, unmissable tips, etc. – and those do exist.
But a lot of advertisements cost money and since you’re starting out, maybe you want to avoid that. The main way you can try to market yourself is to just follow the rule of making a good online first impression.
Think of it this way: someone searches for your service on Google or Facebook. Will you show up? If not, why? Assess that.
Same goes for when someone lands on your profile page. Can they find your number? Can they message you? Do you have recent posts to show that the page is updated? Simple things, but they go a long way.
Paid ads on Facebook and Google are also great resources – and Facebook is very accessible for small businesses – but there’s no point paying for ads if your profile page isn’t taken care of. Start by making it look good, then find ways to spread the word.
Choose your clients
It’s easy to assume the best way to start is to take on every single client you can get your hands on – the more, the merrier, right?
Not necessarily. You should think twice if it looks like a client will not turn a profit, either by hesitation to spend, difficulty in communication, or even making ludicrous offers on account of your business being new. Don’t undersell yourself, otherwise you might end up not making a profit or even paying to work.
We’ve recently gone into a lot of detail regarding the art of choosing clients, so be sure to read it later!
Contracts are key
Nothing will save your life early in your career more than a well written contract. Create a template that’s easy to customize and keep it handy – you will use it often. Here are a few reasons why contracts can save your life:
- It prevents misunderstandings between you and the client, which gives you peace of mind when proceeding with the service.
- It works as a legal resource in the event of legal disputes, making it way easier to recall on agreed terms.
- It clears up payment and deadline specification so that both parties know how to proceed.
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