Plumbing Africa February 2020 | Page 40

38 38 BUSINESS AND TRAINING BUSINESS AND TRAINING What makes a professional plumber? Edited by Eamonn Ryan At a well-attended Gauteng Plumbers meeting held on 14 November at Builders’ Warehouse, Boksburg, Harscan owner Malcolm Harris gave a presentation on what makes a professional plumber and how it can enhance one’s business. Suggestions for plumbers to enhance the offering provided to their clients: Create a Goal • Decide where you want to be in one, three and five years respectively • Analyse how you see yourself or business growing • Do what you need to do to achieve this • What and who do you need to get to make your goal happen? • Be realistic • Focus on what you can change, don’t waste time on worrying about things you can’t solve • Educate yourself and staff to get there Create your brand • Spend some time devising a marketing strategy • Decide on your corporate identity. Get your shirts and vehicles branded “Make sure your team go out looking the same every day: be clean, tidy and presentable. Piggyback on established brands, for instance: put IOPSA or PIRB branding on your vehicles, with permission, and also obtain permission from suppliers where you specialise in their products, to have their branding on your vehicles. This enables you to project your brand.” • Build your business as a brand • Your brand will have value • Protect your brand “Dress yourself and your team to succeed. If you’re an untidy, poorly dressed plumber you’re not going to get work. You want to look competent, organised and professional when you go to see customers. www.plumbingafrica.co.za @plumbingonline @plumbingonline @PlumbingAfricaOnline February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12