New moves for business 2019

Taking steps and making moves for 2019 in my business.

I am in the process of writing a business plan for my business this year. It's a first for me. Only reason I am writing one, is because a business mentor from SCORE told me I need one. I always knew before that making one makes sense and is a way to hold your feet to the fire about goals, but I was just being lazy and got along without one for several years.

As I said, I am seeking help from SCORE. I think a mentor will be helpful to me. I signed on for help in commercial marketing. This one is a tough one for me. My business is dominated by residential, and I want a 50/50 split of resi and commercial. I may seek help in other areas too, but we'll see how it goes for me.

Secondly, I am seeking help from another local organization (NIIC) that helps small to large businesses. I need help in general, since I've never had any college education, about doing things more proper in a business.

Third, I am setting growth goals, not just for this year, but out to the next 4+ years. In that growth, it will include employees a few years down the road. More immediately, by the end of next season, it will be a plan to have a box van.

I have added a program called Markate to my business to try for this year. It's a mobile app/program similar to house call pro/monster/etc. It's pricing structure is extremely reasonable. I have high hopes for this, that it does lots of things (like reminders of appointment, invoicing, and book keeping), but also automates things so I don't have to remember or fill up my Google calendar to remind me.

Next, I need to find some kind of program to do my self employment with. QuickBooks has a monthly one called Q.B's self employed, but that's 15-20 a month. I won't hire and accountant to do this, because they are SUPER expensive here to hire them to do your accounting/payroll. You guys that are self employed, how are you taking care of your payroll to yourselves?

I'm trying to take things more serious this year, since I am leaving employment to be self employed. I have an 8 month season, and I have set the minimum goal at 80K gross sales. Broken down, that's only a $500 average a day, 5 days a week. I've set my starting salary for about half that. No more flying by the seat of my pants....

How about you guys? Any plans for this upcoming season?

Dont know what the hell happened but my online presence has dropped in 2018. At first my Google maps completely disappeared and have no idea why. I relisted it and have not been able to break the top 7 and that's after being number 1 for years. My organic listing has dropped off as well and just struggling to stay in the top 10.

Probably Google has "redone" algorithms again. If you do social media, it helps your ranking if you connect it with your website. Adwords will also boost ranking.

Freemind1 wrote:Probably Google has "redone" algorithms again. If you do social media, it helps your ranking if you connect it with your website. Adwords will also boost ranking.

Freemind,   what features does the CRM software have that you mentioned?  for what its worth House Call Pro has boosted us a whopping 40%+  in our gross sales.  

I highly recommend it.     Our repeats and our review rates are way way up.      We got a link generated by google (contact them and they will get you one)  that links directly to a selection for the customer to click 1-5 stars and leave review.    Its 1 click for them and then submit.      We have this link included in our automated thank you email.

Gl in 2019,   Im super excited for this year we have a lot of things in the works

ACpower1 wrote:

Freemind1 wrote:Probably Google has "redone" algorithms again. If you do social media, it helps your ranking if you connect it with your website. Adwords will also boost ranking.

Freemind,   what features does the CRM software have that you mentioned?  for what its worth House Call Pro has boosted us a whopping 40%+  in our gross sales.  

I highly recommend it.     Our repeats and our review rates are way way up.      We got a link generated by google (contact them and they will get you one)  that links directly to a selection for the customer to click 1-5 stars and leave review.    Its 1 click for them and then submit.      We have this link included in our automated thank you email.

Gl in 2019,   Im super excited for this year we have a lot of things in the works

AC,
Markate is a CRM and an accounting software in the cloud. You can do your typical invoicing/expensing, and use it for a CRM. You can add the booking option to your website, do email and SMS blasts, postcards for whatever occasion you want, send reminders for appointments, reminders for payment, etc.

Their website is www.markate.com , check them out. Cost is only about 200 a year for basic, and 5 bucks a month for options, and about a buck a post card.
One thing I will really appreciate is you can do an onsite estimate and send it to them through e-mail instantly. You can also set your estimates so they have to approve it electronically, which can save you time contacting them to see if they want to proceed. I have my system set to email 48 hours after an invoice for a reminder so I don't have to remember.

Lots of things are automated, and that takes the strain off me to remember to get so many things done.

Who/where did you contact with Google to get the link for reviews? Markate will do that too, for 5 bucks a month. You can have them get reviews from Google, FaceBook, or whoever you want. Markate will even get reviews for their site so you can 100% control the reviews.

I tried the google review link for google my business, and it doesn't work. I think it's changed because a window is the only thing that pops up, not a URL for your GMB reviews.

you have to contact google and they will generate the direct link for you, it doesnt work just copy pasting

havent been on here in a while, are the usual guys still posting here?