Start ups or small businesses in the electrical industry often get small, one-time jobs and less recurring customers. It is difficult to keep ahead of the competition and make a name for yourself while there are hundreds of other electricians trying to take on the same jobs. You must continue to practise until you are able to attract new customers solely based on your company name. However, before you get there, here’s a look at how to win the best job deal for your electrical projects –

Provide the right quote

The best way to win a job is to offer a fair quote to the customer. Many businesses offer free, no obligation electrician quotes to the customers to get them through the door. Don’t take on a task that you’re not sure you can finish like solving a technical issue of nest camera blinking blue light. Failure will be harmful to you in the long term. To stand out, include related jobs you’ve done in the past. Negotiate, but keep it fair. Check that you and your tradespeople are being paid appropriately for the job. Don’t forget to add the following in your quotes –

  • Labour cost
  • Material and equipment cost
  • Subcontractor fees
  • Prep the appliances
  • Additional fees if any

Market your business

You may not have the resources of your bigger competitors as a small business owner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win electrical jobs by investing in marketing. Get a professional looking website. Invest in local SEO so when potential customers are looking for an electrician in their city, your social media or website will pop up online. You are seriously losing if you do not have a website. Any company should have a website that helps them generate leads, provide positive feedback, and highlight previous work. A high-quality website not only makes a strong first impression, but it also immediately increases your credibility as a legitimate company. You will create content to promote your services, as well as blogs to educate users on topics such as how much does an electrician cost or how to find the right electrician. And more people than ever coming online and using social media, there is no easier or more effective way to capture the interest of potential customers. You can create a social media page and post before and after pictures of your jobs, client reviews, video testimonials, your business updates etc. It’s an excellent way to connect with your customers, share your brand name, and learn about their needs.

Networking

We’ve already discussed how important credibility is for electricians, and this applies to both small and large work. For eg, you might be called in for a minor repair to a circuit. However, if you do great work, the homeowners can hire you to do some commercial work at their business. While building your digital profile and marketing is essential, you should also network across other platforms. Get to know all of the people who are important to your industry. If they know who you are and you do a good job, they will either recruit you directly or refer you to people you know for other work. An electrician who is good at networking will massively increase their client list, resulting in winning more work. If you are a residential electrician, start by talking to the building managers and housing committees. So next time there is an electrical issue in one of the houses or units, they can call you. If you are a commercial electrician, talk to the facilities management or corporate teams. This will help boost your clientele. You can have exciting offers such as free quotes, 10% off on referrals, discounts for recurring customers etc to promote your business and get more work.

Get a management software

Using project management software, particularly cloud-based systems, can also assist electricians in efficiently accessing and managing client information, jobs – and pretty much everything else. Good softwares can be easily available on smartphones or computers, ensuring that everybody, whether in the field or in the workplace, is on the same page. In most companies, multiple employees work on multiple jobs at the same time. Do you have a general idea of the status of the equipment you ordered? What time do you have to report for a job you won 3 days ago? This is particularly aggravating when the customer has concerns about the project’s progress and you don’t have the answer. Having this information at your fingertips will assist you and your tradies in providing accurate responses and build trust with the client. This will also help you keep in touch with clients, send emails and messages with updates, keep track of work, monitor progress and talk to vendors and suppliers. Make sure to do your research and choose the management software that is right for you and your business.