Skip to main content

The Lifetime Value of a Client

Do you get disheartened when a small job comes through? Do you feel disappointed when you have maintenance jobs come in instead of big boiler installation jobs? 

Well, you shouldn’t!


Have you ever stopped to think about the lifetime value of a client?

Mrs Jean Bloggs calls every year for a boiler service. That’s £100 a pop. Mrs Bloggs has been using you for 10 years now. That’s £1000. Her boiler may need a few parts over the decade and may even need replacing. Mrs Bloggs would certainly use you for another job in the future because you have built up the ‘know, like, trust factor’. She may have only spent a few hundred pounds here and there over the years but over the lifetime of your business, she is a highly valued and reliable customer. You know that every year without fail, you will get the call to service her boiler.

What if you could have a whole database of Mrs Jean Bloggs’? A regular source of income that’s predictable. That’s the kind of stability that comes with employment and not self employment right? WRONG!

 

The Subscription Based Business Model

The subscription based model provides security and predictability for a business. This business model provides a service to its customers in return for a regular payment, usually monthly. Customers often benefit from rewards and discounts and businesses benefit from loyal custom and a steady income. According to Barclays, in 2020 the subscription economy was worth £323billion and increased by over 50% during lockdown. Let’s look at some of the most famous subscription based models:

  • Netflix
  • Audible
  • Amazon Prime
  • Abel and Cole
  • $1 Shave Club
  • Beer 52
  • Laithwaites Wine
And believe me when I say there are hundreds more!

Traditionally this business model seems to have been used for entertainment, food and drink and the self care industry but times are changing. More and more businesses from a range of sectors are introducing this business model.

"Within a year you could have hundreds, if not thousands of pounds coming in like clockwork every month."

How can it be Applied to a Plumbing and Heating Business?

Let’s go back to Mrs Bloggs. She uses you every year for her boiler service. Why not get her on a subscription? A small monthly payment would benefit you all. She doesn’t need to find £100 every year around Christmas and you can rely on the monthly income. You could throw in a 10% discount on parts for good measure.

Now what if you offered this to all of your customers? What if it was systematically asked of every new boiler installation customer? Within a year you could have hundreds, if not thousands of pounds coming in like clockwork every month.

 

How to get started

You’re going to need to think about how your subscription model is going to work. What are you going to include and exclude, what discounts are you going to offer? Do you have a direct debit facility? We recommend GoCardless for that. You will also need terms and conditions written up. We recommend you use a business lawyer for this.

 

If this post has sparked a light in your mind, why not get in touch and we can discuss how you can apply it to your plumbing and heating business.

info@togetherwecount.co.uk

www.togetherwecount.co.uk

https://g.page/Together-We-Count-Limited?gm


01273 569088
0114 400 0119

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

More Information- CJRS and SEISS

As we start another week,  I felt it was important for me to share the latest updates with you regarding the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. HMRC Recovery Powers HMRC have put together the draft legislative package to reclaim payments under CJRS and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. This is subject to a HMRC consultation which comes to an end on 12th June. Under the draft legislation, HMRC will have the power, by way of a 100% tax charge, to recover payments which were either: Not due Not used to pay wages and PAYE Not used to make pension contributions Penalties will be imposed where there has been deliberate non-compliance. This comes at the same time as HMRC have notified that, to date, they have picked up on nearly 2,000 fraudulent CJRS claims to date. This is, in part, due to ongoing calls to their Fraud hotline number 0800 788887 and also through their online whistle-blower report webpage. Big reminder – 10th June last dat...

TWC Newsletter *edited to include further info*

After a weekend of devastating news for many, I hope you are all faring up. I know you have all worked hard at making your businesses Covid secure only to be told we must lock down for the next 4 weeks.  As a result of this the Job Retention Scheme (JRS), which we all thought was coming to an end on 31st October, has now been extended until at least the beginning of December, at which point a review of the situation will be made then. This impacts upon the whole of the UK. The government have mentioned that there is to be extension to the mortgage payment holiday and have also regurgitated the English grants availability for businesses forced to close due to the Covid-19 regulations, which they originally announced during the weekend of 10th – 11th October 2020. There will be more updates to follow but for now I have the following information for you…… Job Retention Scheme (JRS) Extension The JRS which was due to come to an end on 31st October 2020 has now been extended until at...

WARNING - Self Employed Take Note

Who does this affect? Unincorporated businesses (sole-traders, partnerships, and limited liability partnerships) whose accounts year does not end between 31st March and 5th April.  What is the present position? For a particular tax year, you are normally taxed on the net profit per the accounts which end in that tax year. Example of the Present Position Tom has been self-employed for several years and draws up accounts to 30th April each year. His accounts to 30th April 2021 show net profit of £30,000. That is taxable in the 2021/22 tax year. What may change? The Government intend that all self-employed will pay tax and national insurance based upon net profit aligned to the tax year itself and not the accounting year end. Do I have to move my accounting date? No, you can retain your present accounting year end if you want. However, if the change comes into effect, for tax purposes, you will need to report your self-employed income and expenditure incurred based upon the tax year a...