Whether you’re a beginner at contractor work or have already gathered some experience under your belt, any tips to make this job easier are always welcome.
I want to highlight a few tips that are not specific to any niche and can be applied to any contractor's line of work. These are guaranteed to improve your workflow and productivity, thus making your routine much easier – and hopefully more enjoyable too.
Learn to manage your time
Time management is generally important, but for contractors? Absolutely critical.
The problem most contractors face is that it can be hard to measure the time you have available, let alone manage it to a satisfying degree. One of the best ways to get better and used to it is by tracking your time.
You can do this with a variety of free tools, including a simple chronometer or timer that you can find on any clock app if you don’t care about reports.
This is useful because we tend to lose track of time very easily, especially during busy days, making it hard to gauge how long we spend on certain tasks. By tracking your time, you keep that knowledge and can now use it to your advantage.
This will make it easier to create accurate estimates, know with certainty how long you take to complete certain tasks, and predict how your day is going to be.
Read more on how to make more time for your business.
Practice better communication skills
Communication is the solution to many problems, but ironically it can also cause them.
Bad communication can turn a job sour even if technically there are no issues with your service. Misunderstandings, incorrect expectations, unclear goals – all of these can damage your relationship with the client.
And while the client can certainly be the cause, you have to be the one taking responsibility and being proactive when it comes to it. You have to be the leader of the project and always be sure you and the client are on the same page.
Perfect your estimates
Writing estimates is a regular part of the job, in fact, you’ll probably be writing way more estimates than finishing jobs.
This is why it’s so important to ensure this process is streamlined, hassle-free, and easy for you. Create templates, use apps, anything that helps you complete and send detailed estimates really fast.
A good estimate has to be accurate, itemized, and competitive, but it can be hard to do all three as fast as you need to. Practice and experience will help, but there are ways to make this process easier on yourself.
Work on generating leads
Lead generation is a major aspect of contractor work and you have to engage with it very early on. There are dozens of avenues for generating leads, from blogging, newsletters, sales funnels, call-to-actions, etc.
The easiest way however is to sign up for a service that does lead generation for you. You will receive leads for the service you provide in your area straight to your phone, making them easy to pursue and get some jobs early on.
Contracts are crucial
Contracts are often neglected for small services, but it’s good practice to use them always. It gives you and the client a lot of confidence and assurance about the service that is being provided.
For you, it’s even better for the leverage it can give in regard to payment agreements. If a client ever gives you trouble, you can use the contract as a tool because the terms of the agreement will be there, signed by the client. They can’t say you promised something different if they signed it.
Take the first step towards growing your business today and start receiving leads that will make you money. — Sign up with homeyou!
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