In a more challenging market, the balancing act of running an installation business is exacerbated. You need a sharp focus on lead generation, but you can’ t afford to take an eye off the ball with existing customers. You need to operate at maximum efficiency but pay due diligence to communicating clearly with suppliers, employees and customers. It can feel like an impossible task, but information is power and working with experienced suppliers and implementing robust tools in the business can be game changing.

Experienced suppliers have witnessed challenging times before and survived the highs and lows of market booms and dips. They have probably made mistakes along the way but learned from them and have a better understanding of what works and what doesn’ t as a result.

Survive and thrive

Ab Initio, creators of the impressive installer management system, AdminBase, are celebrating 30 years in business this year. According to the company’ s managing director, Rhonda Ridge, this means they have a wealth of experience

and expertise to support installer customers through the more challenging market conditions, as well as a tool that gives home improvement companies everything they need to survive and even thrive.

Rhonda explains why AdminBase is especially useful to installation companies in the current marketplace:“ We know from our vast experience of the market, including working within an installation business and for the last 30 years working alongside home improvement companies, that information is power. The more information businesses can have and the

quicker they can have it, the more chance they have of being able to plan around the different challenges being thrown their way.”

AdminBase supports installation businesses through the entire sales and installation process to gather and manage information. Users can quickly see data including leads generated through different marketing efforts, communications with the consumer, details of materials ordered for the job, updates on stock, any delays from suppliers, the installation team allocated to the project, how the job is progressing, whether invoices have been paid, and even if there are any snagging issues to be sorted at the end of the project.

Rhonda continues:“ AdminBase supports installation businesses from the very beginning of the sales process. In fact, we have recently partnered with leading quotation software, Tommy Trinder, to extend our offering. The software can draw information from multiple suppliers to help installation companies produce one simple, professional quote that is quick and easy to read. These quote documents can attach automatically to leads held in AdminBase, so they are easily accessible by the entire team.

Keep customers close

“ We also know from experience that when the market is more difficult, it is more important to stay close to customers. Our award-winning Customer

Portal delivers this while saving home improvement companies valuable time as consumers can access information about their job at their own convenience.

“ Meanwhile the recent integration of WhatsApp into Admin- Base improves customer communications exponentially because although some installation businesses have been using the messaging app for a while, its lack of integration has sometimes caused more problems than it has solved. In AdminBase, messages to and from customers don’ t sit on one device, they are held within the central system so everyone can see all conversations, including customer service personnel who may need the information to answer a query.”

Rhonda concludes:“ The current market is far from ideal for home improvement companies but there are opportunities to make the best of a tough situation. It is possible to maintain hard earned reputations despite the more challenging context by managing data more closely, presenting a professional front from the very beginning of the sales process and listening to consumers and responding to their queries quickly throughout the entire customer journey. Installer management systems are no longer a nice to have and with its 30 years of experience, Ab Initio and its CRM AdminBase is leading the charge to help installation businesses stay ahead of the competition.”