Taking any advice from successful plumbing company owners

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Pipewrench

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I've been in the service plumbing industry for eleven years. Mainly residential houses and commercial kitchens. I got my masters license in April 2013. Started my company in May 2013 and went full time June 2014. Its been growing at what I consider a good rate. I've recently hired a very motivated apprentice to help me on his off days from the fire department (3-4 days a week). I have very high hopes for this guy, very mechanically inclined and anxious to learn and try new things. Needless to say I'm very pleased with his progress. I have started doing a little advertising and think it has been ok, but nothing too impressive or expensive. I'm kind of a "tightwad", and pretty much put all my money back into the company. I think that the best way to move forward is to learn from people who have already done what I'm trying to do. So I guess my request for advice is, what would any of you who have grown a successful business, like to share with a fellow plumber who is not your competition? Any and all advice will be appreciated. www.davisplumbingandgas.com
 

Reach4

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I thought that was appropriate advice after reading all of your helpful "call a plumber" postings.
 

Terry

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I wouldn't mind hearing for other plumbers what they do too.
Last year the new phone book came out and the number they listed for me was a dead number. The year before that on it was my old fax line. This year the new number they list me with goes to a nail saloon. I wish there was a way to be listed correctly in the phone books.
And then my land line phone listed my address at a generic post office in the next county. I never saw that bill so they turned the number off. I customer let me know that the phone was listed as disconnected.
Is it any wonder that phone books are such a mess.
And then I was looking at the new number in the book and back tracking it, and I saw my listing on Porch dot com. I've told them over an over again to not list me. I don't want to be on their site, and certainly not with a number that rings to a nail saloon. Jeesh!
 

Pipewrench

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I thought that was appropriate advice after reading all of your helpful "call a plumber" postings.
Touche my man... Now if anyone has anything helpful to say, I'd appreciate it. Although I do appreciate a good smart ass comment, it doesn't really help me obtain the ultimate goal...
 

hj

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I have been IN the business for over 60 years, (with 2 different companies for the first 20+), and on my own for the last 40, and am not sure what advice I could share, other than to enjoy the good times and stick it out during the bad ones.
 

Craigpump

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Forget Yellow Pages, too expensive, the print is too small and NO ONE uses them anymore.

Instead have a really nice, informative website built, then find someone who is really well versed in Google Adwords to create a pay per click and organic advertising program. You will then be exposed to far more potential customers for less money than Yellow Pages could ever provide.

Make yourself unique somehow, offer a service that no one else provides. For us, we have a down hole camera. That one tool gets us more well inspections than I could ever imagine and for more money than our competitors charge.

Spend the money on a clean, well lettered truck. Customers don't want to see a beat up old truck in the driveway when they're paying a professional good money. You wouldn't want to sit in a ratty chair in a dentists waiting room would you?

Have fun and good luck!
 

FullySprinklered

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You can do everything right and still be victimized by a bad economy and bad politics. It takes plain luck to be in the right place at the right time, but you will come out better long term by maintaining high standards of workmanship no matter what.
 
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