How to Start and Grow Your Plumbing Business

May 21, 2018 What Your Boss Thinks

If you’re an independent plumber, there are two ways to grow your income: work harder and for longer hours, or start a plumbing business. While neither route is without its hiccups, there are certain rewards to owning your own business that make it worth it in the long run.

Here are a few tips for starting a plumbing business that you can use to start off on the right foot and find success.

Step 1: Choose a Service

There are far too many plumbing services to be able to do all of them with a high level of expertise. So, narrow down what services you will offer. This, in turn, will narrow down your target clientele.

For example, offer repiping services to residential homeowners or industrial pipe cleaning services to local businesses.

Step 2: Create a Business Plan

Before you go any further, write out exactly what your business plan is. Know where you want to see the business in one year, five years, and 10 years. Then figure out exactly what you need to do to get it there.

Here are some questions you need to answer in your business plan:

Who am I advertising to?
What is my marketing budget?
What supplies do I need to get started?
What are the ongoing costs of my supplies and equipment?
How much will I pay my employees?
What do I need to do to establish my business as the best in the services we offer?

Step 3: Get Some People

You won’t be able to do it all, so find some other plumbers and professionals that can help you. Outsourcing some roles may help you focus on the most important aspects of your business, so consider getting an answering service to help field calls.

Figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are, and work according to those. You may need to step back from plumbing to manage the business end of things or hire a manager while you go out and work.

Do what works for you and your business since every plumbing business is different.

Step 4: Market, Market, Market

You can’t just toss up a website and list your business on Google and expect customers to start pouring in. Instead, you have to get out there and market your business to your target customers.

This is why it’s so important to identify your target customers. Otherwise, you’ll waste valuable resources reaching out to people that don’t need or want your service.

Reach out to your community and establish a local online business listing to make sure the people nearest to you can find you. For example, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing advertises to local residents in the Auburn and Opelika regions of Alabama.

Step 5: Grow Your Online Presence

Part of your marketing needs to be online. As you get customers, be sure that they’re reviewing your business on Google, Yelp, Yahoo, and other popular online platforms.

You should also be reaching out to customers through social media and by creating a blog which will show off your expertise and help your website rank high on Google.

Pursuing Continued Success in Your Plumbing Business

There are many ways to succeed in your plumbing business, but this article will show you some of the simplest things you can continually do to grow your company and hone your craft.

Be sure to keep reading our blog for more tips and tricks for reaching professional success!