Reputation and marketing
Reputation, reputation, reputation. Shakespeare’s famous quotation from Othello rings true throughout all trade industries, and is fundamental for securing a solid customer base. As service providers, keeping your customers satisfied should always be your number one priority, because one unhappy customer could be catastrophic for your business.
Basic rules apply, so a respect for other people's homes is paramount, as is a friendly and approachable manner. Word-of-mouth accounts for a huge proportion of new business, and recommendations are gold dust in this industry, therefore being helpful and going that extra mile can really help you build a reputable and trustworthy enterprise.
Advertising and marketing are good ways to promote your business and to generate commerce. James Irwin left his career in finance to set up The Handy Squad in 2005. He stresses the advantages of creating a website for your business, to develop and retain a strong online presence. “We invested a lot in our website initially because we believed it would really help us market our business. It is also good to have a reliable IT system – it’s a worthy investment”, he says.