Best way to get remodeling jobs?

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

I'm looking for the best methods to get remodeling work for my company. Do you as a business owner have any advice? Or do you as a homeowner have a preference as to how you would like to be approached? Thanks!

JumpinJack · Oct 29, 2015

JC Callender said:
I'm looking for the best methods to get remodeling work for my company. Do you as a business owner have any advice? Or do you as a homeowner have a preference as to how you would like to be approached? Thanks!

My neighborhood has a Facebook page (it's really the subdivision crimewatch page), as well as Nextdoor.com neighborhood (I don't participate in the latter.) Both sites accept posts recommending contractors, or asking for recommendations.

I consult Yelp.

I used to belong to Angie's List website and would go there first. I've since dropped that.

I have asked a time or two one repairman or worker at my house if he knew someone who could do this or that. So you could work out tit-for-tat deals with other contractors.

Google has a recommendation page. You set up your business there, and customers can post their references. I don't use it...don't know how to get to it, actually. But a couple of workers have sent me the link and asked me to post a reference there, which I did. Other people may consult that for recommendations. I would say that businesses should always look at Google and its many services to see if there's some way to get the name of your business out there. I have a gmail email, so I have access to all sorts of Google things, like that Google business recommendation thing.

Are you on LinkedIn? I don't think many remodelers are, but you might check it out. It's for business networking. If someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn page would likely be in the search results. It's an easy way for people to see your pic and a summary of what you do.

Investment companies are involved in buying homes to flip, or sell to flippers. I doubt that sending them a flyer would do any good, but if you could swing an introduction or have connections, they might be a source of work.

Does Home Depot or Lowe's get involved with remodeling? They use local contractors.

That's all that I have used. I never pay attention to spam emails, so that wouldn't work for me, I think.

I DO get emails occasionally from contractors I've used in the past, as a reminder that they're there, if I need anything done. It's very business like and official. Not like "Hey, this is Bob. Don't forget I'm around, in case you need anything." It's more like, "Bob's A/C Services says that Fall is almost here, so don't forget to have your furnace checked! Bob's A/C is here to for all your a/c and furnace needs. We're #1 in service. $59 for a check. Call for rates on specific services or check out our webiste: BobsAC.com"

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

JumpinJack said:
My neighborhood has a Facebook page (it's really the subdivision crimewatch page), as well as Nextdoor.com neighborhood (I don't participate in the latter.) Both sites accept posts recommending contractors, or asking for recommendations.

I consult Yelp.

I used to belong to Angie's List website and would go there first. I've since dropped that.

I have asked a time or two one repairman or worker at my house if he knew someone who could do this or that. So you could work out tit-for-tat deals with other contractors.

Google has a recommendation page. You set up your business there, and customers can post their references. I don't use it...don't know how to get to it, actually. But a couple of workers have sent me the link and asked me to post a reference there, which I did. Other people may consult that for recommendations. I would say that businesses should always look at Google and its many services to see if there's some way to get the name of your business out there. I have a gmail email, so I have access to all sorts of Google things, like that Google business recommendation thing.

Are you on LinkedIn? I don't think many remodelers are, but you might check it out. It's for business networking. If someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn page would likely be in the search results. It's an easy way for people to see your pic and a summary of what you do.

Investment companies are involved in buying homes to flip, or sell to flippers. I doubt that sending them a flyer would do any good, but if you could swing an introduction or have connections, they might be a source of work.

Does Home Depot or Lowe's get involved with remodeling? They use local contractors.

That's all that I have used. I never pay attention to spam emails, so that wouldn't work for me, I think.

I DO get emails occasionally from contractors I've used in the past, as a reminder that they're there, if I need anything done. It's very business like and official. Not like "Hey, this is Bob. Don't forget I'm around, in case you need anything." It's more like, "Bob's A/C Services says that Fall is almost here, so don't forget to have your furnace checked! Bob's A/C is here to for all your a/c and furnace needs. We're #1 in service. $59 for a check. Call for rates on specific services or check out our webiste: BobsAC.com"

Very helpful, thanks JJ! I especially like the idea of the neighborhood FB page and am going to tell my current customers about that!

tech30528 · Oct 29, 2015

We have a Facebook page for my business (auto repair) that gets a pretty good amount of traffic. We post on it daily, funny car memes, things that we are working on that are over the top, and sometimes those difficult diagnosis jobs that we figure out when nobody else can. These highlights in particular get a lot of attention. We recently cronicalled a BMW that came in with a trans problem that led to a rebuild, but then we had to find the cause. It turned out the root of the problem was a wheel speed sensor that was shorted. BMW, in their infinite wisdom, set this car up that when the antilock brakes recognize a slip (or in this case what it interpretted as a locked up left front tire) it puts the trans in "winter mode" which is a second gear start and only manual shifting to 3rd and 4th. Except you are not supposed to drive it like that for months as the owner did. The result of repeated high rpm shifts in to third gear resulted in a cracked piston and a broken snap ring that led to slippage, overheating and eventual failure. My customers followed the saga like a tv show. Posting pics of your work in progress will allow people to see what sets your work apart and puts you at the top of their list when they need work done. I have Dropbox on my phone, so I can take photos in the shop and they automatically download via the wireless router to the office computer where we post the story.

beerftw · Oct 29, 2015

JC Callender said:
I'm looking for the best methods to get remodeling work for my company. Do you as a business owner have any advice? Or do you as a homeowner have a preference as to how you would like to be approached? Thanks!

The best way to spread anything is word of mouth. Use advertising facebook etc and build your reputation. Once you have a solid reputation you will get more work from word of mouth than any advertisement. To make it simple, provide quality service, and always make sure if the customer has an issue, you adress it in a timely manner.

I work in automotive, and the shop i work at most of the time can not fit any more vehicles on our 5 acre lot. What has brought us so much business has been since i have been working there, I do not allow inferior work, I do not like vehicles that leave leaking rattling etc from work i have done. This has brought in a lot of business, since other shops in the area ignore complaints, especially on work they did and charged top dollar, and quite often lie to overquote simple jobs, like lets say charge 3k for a transmission rebuild that was just needing a 30 dollar solenoid.

From simple excellence came word of mouth, many loyal customers, and many other customers who heard from others how we did a good job and did not rip them off.

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

beerftw said:
The best way to spread anything is word of mouth. Use advertising facebook etc and build your reputation. Once you have a solid reputation you will get more work from word of mouth than any advertisement. To make it simple, provide quality service, and always make sure if the customer has an issue, you adress it in a timely manner.

I work in automotive, and the shop i work at most of the time can not fit any more vehicles on our 5 acre lot. What has brought us so much business has been since i have been working there, I do not allow inferior work, I do not like vehicles that leave leaking rattling etc from work i have done. This has brought in a lot of business, since other shops in the area ignore complaints, especially on work they did and charged top dollar, and quite often lie to overquote simple jobs, like lets say charge 3k for a transmission rebuild that was just needing a 30 dollar solenoid.

From simple excellence came word of mouth, many loyal customers, and many other customers who heard from others how we did a good job and did not rip them off.

Appreciate your response! I agree that word of mouth is best, but I'm new to remodeling and will have to build up a satisfied customer base from scratch, so I have to come up with other ways to get their attention.

MaggieD · Oct 29, 2015

JC Callender said:
I'm looking for the best methods to get remodeling work for my company. Do you as a business owner have any advice? Or do you as a homeowner have a preference as to how you would like to be approached? Thanks!

Approach real estate companies with a flyer describing the kinds of services you offer. I'd suggest a no-nonsense bullet point list. Realtors are always looking for handyman type services who are reasonably priced and true to their words. Start with painting and expand from there would be my suggestion.

If it's full-on remodeling work you're interested in, I assume you are licensed. You'll probably need to be...

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

tech30528 said:
We have a Facebook page for my business (auto repair) that gets a pretty good amount of traffic. We post on it daily, funny car memes, things that we are working on that are over the top, and sometimes those difficult diagnosis jobs that we figure out when nobody else can. These highlights in particular get a lot of attention. We recently cronicalled a BMW that came in with a trans problem that led to a rebuild, but then we had to find the cause. It turned out the root of the problem was a wheel speed sensor that was shorted. BMW, in their infinite wisdom, set this car up that when the antilock brakes recognize a slip (or in this case what it interpretted as a locked up left front tire) it puts the trans in "winter mode" which is a second gear start and only manual shifting to 3rd and 4th. Except you are not supposed to drive it like that for months as the owner did. The result of repeated high rpm shifts in to third gear resulted in a cracked piston and a broken snap ring that led to slippage, overheating and eventual failure. My customers followed the saga like a tv show. Posting pics of your work in progress will allow people to see what sets your work apart and puts you at the top of their list when they need work done. I have Dropbox on my phone, so I can take photos in the shop and they automatically download via the wireless router to the office computer where we post the story.

Thanks tech! I started out doing landscaping and am working my way into remodeling. I may do one job per day in landscaping and much of what we do is landscape maintenance, so even though I do have a FB page, I only post on it maybe once per month as there aren't a ton of exciting jobs and I want to try to post cool things that I think people will find interesting. I would post much more if I had more interesting jobs to post. Thanks for your Dropbox suggestion as well, I'll have to look into that!

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

MaggieD said:
Approach real estate companies with a flyer describing the kinds of services you offer. I'd suggest a no-nonsense bullet point list. Realtors are always looking for handyman type services who are reasonably priced and true to their words. Start with painting and expand from there would be my suggestion.

If it's full-on remodeling work you're interested in, I assume you are licensed. You'll probably need to be...

Thanks Maggie, good advice! And yes, I'm licensed.

tech30528 · Oct 29, 2015

Another thing: a logo or theme that is recognizable and sets you apart. Since we do complex diagnosis we went with a doctor theme. Our logo is a cartoon of a sick car and a doctor. It is on our lit sign and cards and we give away t-shirts to our customers with the logo. Our office looks like a doctor's waiting room, the shop is clean, and we wear Carhardt ripstop scrub shirts in the shop. The idea is to present yourself as above the abilities of your competitors. I know a house painter who wears a tuxedo jacket when he is working... and there is no paint on it. His work is outstanding, his prices are higher than most others, and he stays busy.

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

tech30528 said:
Another thing: a logo or theme that is recognizable and sets you apart. Since we do complex diagnosis we went with a doctor theme. Our logo is a cartoon of a sick car and a doctor. It is on our lit sign and cards and we give away t-shirts to our customers with the logo. Our office looks like a doctor's waiting room, the shop is clean, and we wear Carhardt ripstop scrub shirts in the shop. The idea is to present yourself as above the abilities of your competitors. I know a house painter who wears a tuxedo jacket when he is working... and there is no paint on it. His work is outstanding, his prices are higher than most others, and he stays busy.

It should be totally obvious to your customers how much you care, and that obviously goes a long way. Good advice!

tech30528 · Oct 29, 2015

JC Callender said:
Thanks tech! I started out doing landscaping and am working my way into remodeling. I may do one job per day in landscaping and much of what we do is landscape maintenance, so even though I do have a FB page, I only post on it maybe once per month as there aren't a ton of exciting jobs and I want to try to post cool things that I think people will find interesting. I would post much more if I had more interesting jobs to post. Thanks for your Dropbox suggestion as well, I'll have to look into that!

In that case partner with the local nursery and grant them permission to post on your page. They get to showcase what they have in stock and offer tips on planting schedules and care and your customers get ideas for projects for you to do. It needs daily updates and variety. If you can't do it yourself partner up for mutual benefit.

JC Callender · Oct 29, 2015

tech30528 said:
In that case partner with the local nursery and grant them permission to post on your page. They get to showcase what they have in stock and offer tips on planting schedules and care and your customers get ideas for projects for you to do. It needs daily updates and variety. If you can't do it yourself partner up for mutual benefit.

Great idea, I've never heard of that! It sure would add interest to the page.

tech30528 · Oct 29, 2015

Another thing I do is partner with other specialists. I have a guy who does nothing but transmission rebuilds... so I don't. There is a diesel shop (I don't mess with diesel fuel systems), I get diagnostic work and gas engine work from him. I get a lot of work from other shops when they get in over their heads, i get this by helping them out when they get stumped on something since I have access to databases they don't pay for. It only takes a couple of "house calls" and free advice to get this going. It takes the pressure off of them and they tend to stick to what they know and send me the stuff they are uncomfortable with.

Best way to get remodeling jobs?

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