Top 3 Keys to running a successful home services franchise in 2020

With the multibillion-dollar remodeling industry continuing to grow as homeowners increase spending on renovations, it’s a great time to start a business. DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen has seen average annual sales increase 92% in the past five years, more than three times the pace of the overall remodeling industry in that same time. How were we able to grow so much faster than the industry, and what lessons can you learn from our franchisees’ success?

1. Develop and stick to a marketing plan.

You may be the best craftsperson in your market, capable of delivering beautiful remodels that dazzle homeowners, but you still have to take the right steps to market your services and take your business to its full potential. A lot of remodelers rely on referrals to power their business, but that puts your business at risk because you are letting your past customers and colleagues to do all your marketing. That will result in inconsistent demand, which leads to feast-and-famine cycles for your business.

To generate steady work, it’s crucial to develop a strong marketing plan for your business and stick with it. How do you plan to stand out from other remodelers in your town? Your reputation may be great, but it won’t help you win jobs from customers who don’t know who you are. How do you attract attention and make yourself memorable? To stick in the minds of potential customers, it’s important to have a strong brand — a good name, a professional logo and effective marketing materials. Then it’s important to make sure potential customers see your brand, whether that’s through advertisements, events, guerrilla marketing tactics or sponsoring a Little League team.

DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen has spent decades developing and refining the most effective marketing tactics for remodelers. Many remodelers struggle because they can't put in the time and money necessary to attract customers. Effective marketing feeds your project pipeline, and DreamMaker provides the help that can make the difference between a dry spell and solid growth.

2. Network with peers.

Another great way to find work early in your business is to network with other real estate professionals,
like real estate agents, interior designers, home inspectors, insurance agents and architects. They will know clients who are eager for remodeling services (or, in the case of insurance agents, are in urgent need of remodeling). Just as importantly, though, they will know other remodeling professionals who are reliable and do good work.

That’s important, because your marketing and networking efforts should bring more work your way and help your business grow. At a certain point, though, you will hit a brick wall unless you hire great, reliable help. Many remodelers wind up working 70-hour weeks in their businesses because they cannot or are not willing to hire people skilled and responsible enough to work without constant oversight — often because they don’t charge enough for their services to afford the highly skilled people. In order to grow, you need to hire professionals. Your peer network can recommend those people.

DreamMaker franchisees actually have plans and coaching to help them get past this hump — that inevitable period when you are maxed out in terms of what you can handle, and you need to hire in order to grow. Our remodeling business systems clearly delineate the different jobs that must be accomplished for any interior remodeling project, and they simplify the process of delegating and tracking those tasks. We also have sophisticated pricing systems that help you charge a fair price to your clients, without undervaluing the work you and your team perform. Great systems enable great growth — and we’ve been refining our systems for decades.

3. Build long-term customer relationships

There’s another reason why you should hire great professionals to work in your business: It will enable you to spend more time tracking project progress and communicating with your customers. Lack of communication is a major aggravation for remodeling customers — a lack of clarity about schedules, delays, costs and remodeling challenges can cripple your customer satisfaction rates and earn you bad word-of-mouth. You can be the best craftsperson in the world, but if you don’t take the time to communicate with your clients, they aren’t going to hire you twice, nor will they refer you.

Too many remodelers focus on the job itself, rather than focusing on their client. Providing great service begins with listening. What do your customers want? Why are they remodeling? What styles do they love? How do they live? What would improve their lives? The answers to those questions should inform your design process. Once you understand where they’re coming from, you can start discussing options and budgets. Take the time to know your customer first, then do everything you can to make the remodel painless.

Ready to start your kitchen and bath remodeling business?

If you want to learn more about starting a kitchen and bath remodeling business with DreamMaker, we encourage you to download our free franchise report to start a conversation with us.  We hope to hear from you soon!