Clearview National January 2020 - Issue 218 | Page 91
BUSINESSNEWS
We have presented to hundreds of installers
and when we have asked who uses some
software to help run their businesses, around
half have put their hands up. When we have
asked who wants to ditch their software and
go back to manually producing paperwork
there have never been any takers.
The new generation of trade specific apps
are much easier to use than traditional PC
programs. They can also be used on-site on
smartphones and tablets. There are many
advantages. These include faster and better
quotes. As well as this, you can virtually
eliminate paperwork with everything,
including all gas certificates, stored in one
place with no re-keying. It makes things easy
to find and saves loads of time. In the trade
more than anywhere else, time is money.
BE EFFICIENT
Inefficiency can come from unmotivated
people, wasted time and wasted materials.
Firstly, you need to get the best from your
staff. To achieve this, here are a few pointers:
• Take care in recruitment. Look at their
record. Bad employees tend to have
lots of short-term jobs. In contrast,
promotions and long service usually
indicate good employees
• Talk to people. “Nobody asked me” and
“Nobody told me” are always the biggest
complaints in business
• Keep people motivated. Praise in public
and only ever criticise in private. For any
special requests like family bereavements,
say “yes” whenever you can. It all builds
loyalty
The second thing is to spend time planning
each job. Having the right people, with the
right materials, at the job at the right time
maximises efficiency. If you contact the client
well in advance saying when you are likely
to attend, you can avoid clashing with their
holidays or social events when they may be
unhappy to have you in the house.
MANAGE YOUR MONEY
You must charge enough to make a decent
profit and charging too little is the biggest
single mistake installers can make. Of course,
you shouldn’t overcharge for poor work, but
when a job is well done, you deserve the
reward.
If you never hear that you are too expensive
and you don’t sometimes lose on price, then
your prices are too low. The Dacia Sanderos is
the cheapest UK new car. But the roads aren’t
full on them because most people buy on
more than price.
Watch your cash like a hawk as running
out of cash means you are dead. The most
frustrating thing is if you run out of cash
because you are growing fast and have too
much working capital tied up in projects.
The other things to watch are the need to set
money aside each month for your VAT bill
and annual tax bill.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The ideas here are not unique and they are
certainly not complicated. The problem isn’t
coming up with them, it’s actually actioning
them. Good luck with that!
Benjamin Dyer is the CEO of Powered
Now. Powered Now aims to take the pain out
of admin and paperwork for electricians, gas
engineers and many other trades.
www.powerednow.com
C L E A RV I E W-U K . C O M » J A N 2020 » 91