8 Simple Steps To Start A Successful Property Maintenance Business

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The increased investment in real estate and property construction has created a plethora of opportunities in the property maintenance industry. Property owners now have a high demand for maintenance services, and the market is expected to expand considerably in the coming years.

Choosing this line of business for a start-up is therefore a worthwhile venture. However, just like with any other business, getting yourself up and running operationally can be a challenge as you will need to clearly define why customers should come to you over your established competitors. In that regard, below are eight steps to help you navigate through the inception stage:

1. Plan to invest in digitization

As you start your property maintenance business, you’ll undoubtedly have day-to-day business obligations that you need to manage and account for. Performing such duties manually can be heavily time-consuming. For that reason, invest in efficient systems and embrace smart modern technology to enable you to excel and exceed your level of customer expectations and experience. Clever business administrative automation tools like Jobber that has been developed specifically for the property maintenance niche will give you a major head start and much more quickly enable you to:

Organize a clear work schedule
Maintain accurate communications and payment records
Ensure data security
Reduce daily operational costs by making you complete more tasks quicker and enhance your daily productivity
Ensure consistency and more transparency
Improve customer experience (for instance, you can provide clients customized quotes using an estimate template instead of manual paperwork)
Offer convenient online invoicing

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2. Develop a business plan

A business plan forms the basis for long-term growth as it guides you on your way to achieving your goals. Remember, it’s also of great importance when you want to secure a bank loan or if there’s a need to communicate your idea to a potential investor. For that matter, your business plan must outline your fundamental objectives and the strategies you need to adopt to achieve them. Here’s an outline of the core contents:

Executive summary
Business overview
Marketing strategy
Competitive strategies
Development goals
Control and operational plan
Financial plan

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3. Determine your start-up costs

Every new business has start-up costs. Therefore, you should identify what these are and account for them in your profit margin calculations. For a property maintenance business, below are some expected costs.

Purchase of property maintenance equipment
Rent expenses
Business registration costs
Tax obligations
A license of operation
Insurance costs
Payroll for workers
Website development costs

To get all the details right, consider getting professional advice from industry experts. As an alternative, you can get more information from accredited online resources.

4. Decide on your scope of work

Before determining what services to offer, evaluate your skills and qualifications. Some property maintenance services require a certified contractor with the proper training. So, stick to what matches your abilities and skill sets. Are there any risks involved? Come up with strategies to reduce these if the answer is yes.

Below are examples of the types of services your property maintenance business can provide:

HVAC property maintenance and servicing
Groundskeeping
Pest control services
Regular and emergency repairs
Interior and exterior cleaning
Renovation work

5. Identify your target market

To identify your target market, you need to conduct a market analysis whereby you’ll gather all relevant information applicable to your audience. By doing this, you’re able to understand who your customers are much better, their needs, and how to relate with them. In this process, strive to answer the following questions:

Who is your target market?
What’s their location?
What’s their view about your services?
How do you want them to view your services?
How can you win them?
Who else provides them with a similar service?
How can you be different from them?

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6. Hire a professional team

Maintenance work can be hectic, and you may need to work with a team. In that event, note that your company is accountable for each task your technicians handle. Therefore, ensure you hire trained and experienced workers that can contribute to providing the level of customer service you seek to provide. A robust recruitment process will essential for team building and business growth.

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7. Set your prices

Try to set reasonable prices, not too expensive to scare away customers, and not too low to result in losses. Generally, before fixing a price, consider the following factors: the type, size, and condition of the property and the nature of services being asked of you.

8. Market your business

Have a marketing strategy to engage and educate your prospective customers about your services as you start. This increases the buying potential and thus creates more revenue options. Here are some marketing strategies you might want to consider:

Collect emails of potential customers and frequently send them marketing messages
Post on social media
Create good web content
Use Google ads
Start a blog
Contribute to a social cause, such as conducting a volunteering day

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Conclusion

To succeed in the long run for your property maintenance business, you need to ensure you get it right in the initial stages. Above are the steps to consider as your cornerstone as you prepare for growth. Also, it’s important to note that digitization is a recent phenomenon in the business world. Therefore, make a point of acquiring the appropriate technological solutions for your business. Doing this improves efficiency, hence productivity.