In 2020, COVID-19 turned life upside down. Many businesses closed temporarily or operated at reduced staff and capacity. Tightened budgets meant basic facility maintenance needs may have been neglected – which meant your small service business likely suffered as well. Now, businesses are bouncing back and prioritizing maintenance to get their facilities back in tip-top condition.
What’s this mean for your service business? It’s time to make 2021 your greatest year of growth! Here are some tips to grow your small service business this year.
Harness The Power Of The Internet
With 97% of users searching online for local businesses, it’s essential your service business is online and can be found. Don’t neglect SEO, especially local SEO for your small business. This guide to local SEO from HubSpot is a fantastic starting resource with easy to implement and actionable tips to help your website be found.
When it comes to your website, make sure what you do is front and center on your homepage, your contact information is clear (and clickable!), and your website structure is easy to navigate.
Show What You Do With Video
In 2021, it’s estimated that the average person will watch 100 minutes of online video per day. You can capitalize on this trend by incorporating video marketing into your strategy. In addition to posting your videos on your YouTube channel and your website, don’t forget to share them on your social media pages. This is another way to boost your SEO efforts as people like, share, and comment on your videos.
Like other marketing pieces, video can be used to:
- Showcase services and processes – show customers what you do and the benefits of working with your company.
- Introduce employees/technicians – customers want to see your face and the people behind your local business!
- Solve a problem – i.e. a how-to video about changing air filters on certain HVAC models, stop a leaking pipe, etc.
Also, don’t forget to include closed caption on your videos. Not only does this make your videos accessible to those with disabilities, but also to many people who watch videos at work or on their phones with the sound muted.
Make Connections On Social Media
Social media is great for engaging existing customers and followers, but it’s also a powerful platform for making B2B connections in your community. In particular, LinkedIn offers a more professional format that can help you connect with local businesses that need your help, and network with fellow service providers that you can swap customer referrals with depending on your specialty.
Take the time to cultivate these relationships and build your business’s authority by sharing helpful and relevant content, blogs, guides, and videos on social media.
Join A Facility Maintenance Network
On the subject of networking, there are many professional facility maintenance networks for small commercial electricians, plumbers, and handyman services to join, many are even free! Join these networks and associations as a provider and explore the many ways you can connect with and learn from colleagues while discovering new business opportunities. You can also join professional Groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media sites. To find local organizations, check with your Chamber of Commerce or use a site like Meetup to network with local business owners, facility managers, and professional colleagues in real life.
There are national and global facility management networks, as well as niche organizations you can join. A few include:
- International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
- Global Facility Management Association (Global FM)
- Facilities Management Institute (FMI)
- Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
- Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE)
- Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA)
- National Association of Church Facilities Managers (NACFM)
- Restaurant Facility Management Association (RFMA)
Go Old School
Technology is fantastic, but there’s still something to be said for good old-fashioned pounding the pavement. Find out where business owners have lunch and leave your business cards on cork boards there. Visit local businesses, like retail shops, restaurants, professional offices, and factories, and introduce yourself in person. When you get the opportunity to speak directly with a business owner, facility manager, or other decision-maker, always mention the benefits of your quarterly and annual money-saving maintenance packages, and secure the deal by asking for their business! It might feel a bit strange at first, but if you don’t ask, the answer is always no!
Finally, ask happy customers to refer you to their colleagues – maybe even consider a referral program that incentivizes customers when they help you grow your business (psst: any facility manager would jump at the opportunity to earn a free HVAC tuneup and save some money!).
Let’s Grow Together
Trillium Facility Solutions is excited to kick off the new year. We’ve been busier than ever, so we know businesses are bouncing back and the demand for facility maintenance is once again on the rise. If you want to grow your business this year, we invite you to join our network as a Partner Service Provider – totally free to you. Simply complete the form on this page, and one of our team members will be in touch to talk about how we can grow together in 2021!
