I have recently critiqued some quotes with the aim to spot areas which can quickly be approved upon. The businesses whose quotes I critiqued have read or listen to ‘The Quote Handbook’ already, so it felt great to see my teachings had not fallen on deaf ears. There were so many pieces from my book that they had implemented already! Below I have stated some suggestions to further improve quotes: Have an opening paragraph .  Thank them for letting you quote for the job. Make it personal. Grammar!   When quoting for work, grammar must be correct. This is because the quote sets the tone for the entire project, and incorrect grammar can give the impression that the work is of poor quality. It also shows that you are not attentive to detail, which could reflect poorly on the final product. In addition, incorrect grammar can change the meaning of what you are trying to say, which could lead to misunderstandings or even legal problems. How long will the work take?   Letting the customer know h

There's no doubt that providing great customer service is one of the best ways to set your business apart from the competition and build long-lasting relationships with clients. But what does it take to provide truly exceptional service? Look after your existing customers In any business, it costs money to acquire new customers. Plumbing and heating businesses are no different. In order to get new business, you have to spend money on advertising and marketing. You also have to spend time and energy cultivating relationships with potential clients. Once you've finally landed a new customer, you then have to put in the work to show them that your company is the best option for their future needs too. On the other hand, it costs far less to maintain an existing client base and can even lead to referrals and positive word-of-mouth. Question- How much time, money and energy do you spend trying to keep your customers? There’s a good chance you don’t have an answer for that. You

An owner of a plumbing and heating business, and user of our Business in a Box subscription service, came to us for advice. Feeling the pressure He was feeling the pressure. Business was going great for him but as a result he was pretty burned out. He hadn’t spent much time with his family in the last year because his workload was so heavy. He knew something had to change before long. He had used subcontractors from time to time but he wanted someone dedicated to his business like he was. He was considering taking on his first employee. He knew there would be a lot of cost involved in that and needed to know if it was the right decision. Could his dream of being able to take a step back from the business occasionally for a family holiday or simply a rest day, while the business continued to run with no problems be a reality?  Luckily for him, we’d already thought of all his concerns and had the answers right at our fingertips and ready to share. What’s Business in a Box? Bu

Trade for a plumbing and heating business tends to fluctuate with the seasons. In the colder months, the phone keeps ringing with breakdowns, installations, repair works etc. As we move into the summer months when people use their boilers less, the breakdown calls tend to tail off, therefore, decreasing the workload. But it doesn’t have to be this way… There are many ways to effectively deal with seasonality. I’m going to share four with you but brainstorming with your team on what would work best for your business could be a good place to start. Existing clients Drumming up new business with your existing client base is a great way to get started. People who have been through the know, like and trust process are more likely to be interested in working together again. It is so much cheaper to look after your existing client base than it is to acquire new customers through advertising and promotions. Commencing April 2022 the government announced some VAT changes. If you search for VAT

I feel it’s important to talk to your ideal customers, so all your external messages to your customers are aligned and it’s clear who you, as a plumbing and heating business, want to look after, the type of work you want to do and the areas covered. I recently had a conversation with a plumbing and heating client, and we were on the topic of enquiries. He receives a lot of enquiries for small plumbing works such as tap replacements and washers. Small jobs which his business can do, but not where he specialises or where the money is at. We dived into this and established that on his website, the company clearly states, ‘no job too big or small, we change anything from a boiler to a tap replacement or washers.’ My understanding of how a search engine works is that if people are searching for something, the relevant website which matches their search criteria will pop up. If people in my client’s local area want a tap replacement or need their washers changed, they’ll Google that an

Imagine being able to run your business with little-to-no effort on your part. That's the dream right? If you're a plumbing and heating business owner, there's a good chance you're spending more time working than you want to. In fact, UK small business owners work over 2000 hours of overtime per year (source XLN.co.uk) . Not what you had in mind when you started out I’m sure. When you're constantly feeling overwhelmed and overworked, it can start to take a toll on your health and wellbeing. And it's not just your own health that suffers - being overworked can also have a negative impact on those around you, including your family, friends, and co-workers. But what can you do about it? Starting and running a successful plumbing and heating business takes more than just having the right skills. When it comes to running a plumbing and heating business, the more organised you are, the smoother things will run. Imagine how much more productive you would be

Next time you fancy a sandwich and need to buy a loaf of bread, think about the multitude of options available to you. The shop to buy the loaf from (supermarket, bakery, corner shop), the size of the loaf, the freshness, the ingredients or type of loaf, the shelf life, the brand, the abundance of choice we are blessed with is extensive. The abundance of choice is the same for loads of everyday items and services. We as a society are used to choice, options, variety, we like to buy based on our current budgets, lifestyle, requirements and perceived value. You may be wondering why this accountant is talking about lunch. I want to wake up the plumbing and heating industry when it comes to quoting for works. The majority of businesses will spend a few hours preparing a quote for a customer, filling it with information on all of the features of the job in hand then supply their potential customer with ONE price. That one price is the businesses price, not the customers price. Becau

Let’s face it the P&H industry is a crowded sector. There are loads of firms all competing for business. This could lead some businesses to cut prices, slack on services and offer inferior boiler or part options just to win jobs and sadly complete on price. This could be an unfortunate race to the bottom, where business owners are squeezed on prices through cutting profit margins. Customers are left ‘unwooed’ by the experience and firms don’t fully engage with customers to form long-lasting relationships which complement repeat custom. Instead of promoting your business as a cheap, friendly local firm, let’s explore an alternative business model which can be built on a good reputation, backed up with clearly communicated warranties, guarantees and promises.   Warranties and guarantees are very important. You can use them to make you stand out from the crowd. Using them in your P&H business can help to establish you as a reputable, trustworthy choice for your customers. If