6 Ways to Run a Better Business... Without Going Into the Office
Even if you can't meet clients, visit sites or go to the office, adopting these six tactics will streamline how you work
From time to time, life hurls a curve ball in our direction and we are faced with two options: momentarily give up the game or change the strategy and try our very best to hit a home run. This situation is one that most building and design pros have become familiar with over the past year. But as well as being challenging, it has also presented many pros with the opportunity to pivot in their professional tactics and find a better way of running their business. Here are six changes you can make today to stay ahead of the game, all without setting foot on-site or in the office.
We’ve accompanied this story with images from our photo archives by Houzz pros around the world.
We’ve accompanied this story with images from our photo archives by Houzz pros around the world.
Houzz Pro was born from the administrative frustration that many building and design pros experienced in running their business. By streamlining a wide range of client-facing tasks and business software in one solution, it saves you time by rolling disparate processes into one. This means you can get back to doing what you do best – designing beautiful homes for clients and getting them expertly built.
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
2. Chase potential leads
In an ideal world, ideal clients would come knocking on your door and present you with the ideal projects. In reality, however, pros usually need to hustle to find projects themselves or chase potential leads.
The Houzz Pro program is popular as it targets the projects and locations you want most and matches them by budget preference, style and location. Our team also screens homeowner leads and connects you with them live, bringing potential clients directly to you.
By pivoting the way you find clients and investing in software to find and chase them instead of attempting it yourself, you’ll save your business that great non-renewable resource of time.
In an ideal world, ideal clients would come knocking on your door and present you with the ideal projects. In reality, however, pros usually need to hustle to find projects themselves or chase potential leads.
The Houzz Pro program is popular as it targets the projects and locations you want most and matches them by budget preference, style and location. Our team also screens homeowner leads and connects you with them live, bringing potential clients directly to you.
By pivoting the way you find clients and investing in software to find and chase them instead of attempting it yourself, you’ll save your business that great non-renewable resource of time.
3. Get marketing savvy
Advertising has evolved far beyond placing an ad in the local paper and hoping someone near you who wants a designer, architect or builder actually reads it. Today, successful marketing campaigns include online directory placement and targeted geolocation advertising. Simply put, these help find the right clients for your type of work in the locations you’re targeting.
Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be. This is one aspect of running a business that many pros prefer to outsource to the experts so you can, to a certain extent, set-and-forget a targeted geolocation marketing campaign that does the work for you in the background.
Advertising has evolved far beyond placing an ad in the local paper and hoping someone near you who wants a designer, architect or builder actually reads it. Today, successful marketing campaigns include online directory placement and targeted geolocation advertising. Simply put, these help find the right clients for your type of work in the locations you’re targeting.
Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be. This is one aspect of running a business that many pros prefer to outsource to the experts so you can, to a certain extent, set-and-forget a targeted geolocation marketing campaign that does the work for you in the background.
Houzz Pro packages include targeted advertising and preferred directory placement, which help bring potential clients directly to your website, all without you having to lift a finger.
4. Update your website
Speaking of websites, if you don’t yet have one it’s time to join the digital age. This is one of the primary ways prospective clients will find you, view your work and get in touch – building a brand starts here. Not having a website renders you almost undiscoverable online and leads clients to a dead-end.
If you already have a website presence, well done. Now, when was the last time you updated it? It’s easy to push this task to the back burner, but keeping a fresh face online is vital to displaying your work. This is the first place clients will go to ‘background check’ you and your previous projects, so staying current and professional is key.
Try to incorporate expertly photographed projects, both new and old (providing they represent a high calibre of work), as well as a video, which more and more prospective clients are seeking. If you don’t yet have one, Houzz Pro business software includes a custom website and can generate a company highlight video to show off your best work – all without you needing to go into the office.
Speaking of websites, if you don’t yet have one it’s time to join the digital age. This is one of the primary ways prospective clients will find you, view your work and get in touch – building a brand starts here. Not having a website renders you almost undiscoverable online and leads clients to a dead-end.
If you already have a website presence, well done. Now, when was the last time you updated it? It’s easy to push this task to the back burner, but keeping a fresh face online is vital to displaying your work. This is the first place clients will go to ‘background check’ you and your previous projects, so staying current and professional is key.
Try to incorporate expertly photographed projects, both new and old (providing they represent a high calibre of work), as well as a video, which more and more prospective clients are seeking. If you don’t yet have one, Houzz Pro business software includes a custom website and can generate a company highlight video to show off your best work – all without you needing to go into the office.
5. Refresh your online presence
Similar to building or updating your website, it’s important to refresh your online presence on social media and other websites where you have a profile. Times where you’re prevented from going in to work or meeting with clients often make the ideal opportunity to tick this task off your to-do list.
On your Houzz profile, for example, you’ll want to upload new project photographs, request reviews from previous clients, find and follow other pros on Houzz, and ensure your contact information is still correct. This all keeps your little corner of the web looking sleek and functioning well when potential clients pay you an online visit to check out your work.
Similar to building or updating your website, it’s important to refresh your online presence on social media and other websites where you have a profile. Times where you’re prevented from going in to work or meeting with clients often make the ideal opportunity to tick this task off your to-do list.
On your Houzz profile, for example, you’ll want to upload new project photographs, request reviews from previous clients, find and follow other pros on Houzz, and ensure your contact information is still correct. This all keeps your little corner of the web looking sleek and functioning well when potential clients pay you an online visit to check out your work.
6. Reconnect with previous clients
Remember your previous clients, especially the ones you loved working with so much? Well, thinking of them as such can lessen your chances of expanding your project file.
Old clients move into new homes, phase one renovations can morph into phase two, and there are plenty of spare bedrooms out there that currently need to be transformed into home offices, so it pays to keep in touch.
In seasons of professional quietude, try to spend a little time each week reconnecting with people you enjoyed working with before. Ask them how their home is, if there’s anything they’d change and if they have any new needs that require attention. You never know if this will spark another brainstorming session for a future project. And even if you can’t meet with them in person, remember you can always use Houzz ideabooks or Mood Boards with them to brainstorm and explore the exciting design possibilities.
Remember your previous clients, especially the ones you loved working with so much? Well, thinking of them as such can lessen your chances of expanding your project file.
Old clients move into new homes, phase one renovations can morph into phase two, and there are plenty of spare bedrooms out there that currently need to be transformed into home offices, so it pays to keep in touch.
In seasons of professional quietude, try to spend a little time each week reconnecting with people you enjoyed working with before. Ask them how their home is, if there’s anything they’d change and if they have any new needs that require attention. You never know if this will spark another brainstorming session for a future project. And even if you can’t meet with them in person, remember you can always use Houzz ideabooks or Mood Boards with them to brainstorm and explore the exciting design possibilities.
Your turn
Have you found a better way to run your business? Tell us what works best, like this story, share it with your team and join the professional conversation.
More
Want more practical advice for design and building professionals? Read 4 Tips on How to Be a Good Mentor From US Pros
Have you found a better way to run your business? Tell us what works best, like this story, share it with your team and join the professional conversation.
More
Want more practical advice for design and building professionals? Read 4 Tips on How to Be a Good Mentor From US Pros
As a pro, chances are you’ll already know that one of the most time-consuming aspects of running a business is completing all the different administrative tasks involved. Each has its own process and many require different apps or computer programs, from invoicing and tracking your time to liaising with clients and sharing proposals.
To save time, it makes sense to corral these diverse tasks into one central online hub that you can access anywhere, anytime, including when you or your team are not able to work from the office.