How Do I Get Work?

HUDSONVALLEYEXT

I forgot to suggest the mailbox flyer thing we get 30 percent of our work from flyers on mailboxes. Its cheap to 1000 copies at local copy place for $40around here

No1 Framer

I would try and get in with one of the bigger and reputable companies around your area.

Youll learn alot within a year or two and have some good contacts after that as well. You could also do the flyer way and advertise but you may find youll get jobs that are out of your league ( bathroom reno ).

wellbuilthome

It real hard to get the phone to ring . I started over about 11/2 years ago and have done about 14 jobs with 2 or 3 guys helping me. I am getting 2 or three calls a week .The thing is ive been working in the trade for 30+ years and i look like i no what i am doing . When i started on my own in the 80s it was hard. You need to take on all jobs ,because the more people you work for the more calls you will get. Try to make happy HOs I went belly up a few years ago because we only did 300,000 dollor jobs . We worked by word of mouth and there wasent any one talking .

Remodel Bud

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mark the coach

Hello Jkeely,

Congrats on having the desire to start out on your own at an early age. In order to build your business it may benefit you to take the smaller jobs so that you can build a base. Do a perfect job with a smile and great customer service. Then ask every satisfied client for a referral. At the beginning of the job, ask them nicely that if you meet or exceed their expectations would they give you a referral to a neighbor, friend, relative or co-worker. Also you can make up a simple brochure or flier and canvass the neighborhood. A sunny Saturday when people are out in their yards is sometimes a good day to meet the neighbors. Also it may benefit you to purchase Michael Gerber's book called The Emyth for Contractors to learn about what keeps contractors from succeeding in business. Do you have goals and are they in writing? Another very helpful book is Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.

Hope you find your answers here.

Best

mark the coach

the contractor coaching partnership

Remodel Bud

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jwhammond20

I'm 27 and have also only been in business for a short time. I've had some success with jobs on craigslist. Its free and I've gotten large jobs from it. Make sure you post pictures for credibility.

Put cards everywhere you go! Also pass out your card and give a brief speech to everyone you meet.

Hang in there!

__________________
J. Hammond
FloorAnthropy
Northeast Ohio Flooring Installers
Flooring Contractors Cleveland/Akron Ohio

Remodel Bud

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kjung

I think the 2 biggest parts of getting established are:

1) getting the name out there however you can. Canvassing a neighborhoood with flyers, putting business card on local billboards, and lettering your work truck. The latter being the most fuitful, from my experience.

2) Selling yourself. Don't be a used car salesman, but sell your abilities, and be honest about them. If something is beyond your scope of ability, tell the potential customer (you may get a few smaller jobs out of it). It's not hard to spot a shyster if you look close enough, so if you come off as being an honest person that really cares about the work that you do, you will eventually gain trust to do larger projects. It takes time.

__________________
www.luxurydecksoftx.com

-Kevin

BenBuilt

Mark nailed it.

Ask every client you get if they will refer you and give them a small stack of your cards. I get 90% of my new business from 5 clients who rave about me.
And I take gooood care of these clients. I've probably given each of them over $200 in free labor. Well worth the $5k+ jobs I've got from there referals.

Also, how many people are in your "service area." I just started up a couple years ago and I still have to drive over 2+ hrs to service some of my better clients. I find a lot of guys are not willing to do this. Just curious.

The_Game

When you are ready to go to the next level after these low cost ideas, please feel free to call me or e-mail. My site is remodel buddy dot com[/quote]
We got a new Spammer here!!!
.lead comp do not advertise for free,use the banners before you get banned
what is your flavor?

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The_Game

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Remodel Bud

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thefencepost

When I started my first remodeling company in the mid 90's I felt the same way, I didn't want to mess with the little jobs worth a few hundred here and a few hundred there. SO, I went to every real estate company in Orlando Florida and talked to the property managers, an if I couldn't talk to them I faxed them, or mailed them a flyer. A few short weeks later, I landed the management company that handled all the VA foreclosures and had more work than I could handle in no time! I sold my portion of that partnership and parted ways with my partner later (never will have another partnership) but he is still my friend, and he still works on those VA foreclosed homes doing patch, paint, wood rot repair, tile, etc... to those homes and makes a good living at it.

My second company was a plumbing contracting company, and the BIGGEST mistake I made was to get too big too fast! I landed several large contractors, and did over $1mil first year (was really only 9mos) and was on my way to doing $2.5mil second year when 2 contractors went belly up within 1 month of each other (those two provided 85% of my work) and I was not prepared financially to withstand not getting paid from them what they already owed me (completely my fault) and a month later my suppliers cut me off and I went out of business!

I am now in the fence business and only take small contracts that I know if I don't get paid on it, I will still be able to feed my family. I do hope to grow much slower this time, and am learning to deal more with homeowners as that is 90% of my work. I spend more time trying to figure out the best way to market to them and use online marketing, with a professionally built web site and some direct mail marketing, and the best marketing is always word of mouth, but one must have the patience for it to come!

Best of luck, and try not to put the cart before the horse!

__________________
Keith R. Bloemendaal
Raleigh Fence Contractors, LLC
Fence Advice

ROOFERSCOTT

Slowdown and learn first then teach

jazzbone

Take it slow it will happen ! Although in my opinion you couldn't have picked a worse time to start, keep it small for now learn the ins and outs and don't get in to deep with people, hopefully in a year or two we will be out of this slump.

Big Sky General

Remember that first impressions are important. The truck you drive can work both ways. To nice and people think you are making too much money. Not nice enough and people don’t think that you are good at what you do. I think the hardest is trying to read the people you are selling to. Some people like the professional approach and other like the good old boy approach. Try to read your customers and find out what makes them tick. You need to build a relationship within a few minutes, which can be hard. Find their interest by looking at how the dress, drive etc. Sports nut, nascar etc. We all know that the lowest price doesn’t always work. As you complete jobs regardless how big or small get a reference letter from your client to show to new clients. People love references!! Most important do what you say you will. Show up on time and take a few minutes to look the part. If they don’t think you have the skills or the time it’s over. Stay in contact until they say no. If you don’t act interested they will think that you aren’t. It always amazes me how many bids I get from sub-contractors that never fallow up.

Ivinni

I use to want to be the biggest. Now I concentrate on being the MOST PROFITABLE.

__________________
its not going to get better with straps, or new footings or even aroma therapy.

DanTheMan9727

You have to start slow to move fast. Right now it is critical to begin networking and building relationships. The jobs may be slow to come in at first but soon you'll be able to pull out of your funnel when you need work.

__________________
metal canopy | carports| metal carports

Remodel Bud

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