There is an age-old question that every business owner has to contemplate: Should I grow my business? In the residential PHVAC service business, customers — regardless of whether they are loyal clientele, once-in-a-blue-moon customers or potential new customers — one thing is for sure: that section of the public does not need or want your services every day. 

Commercially speaking, the same holds true, depending on the size and contractual agreements with each commercial client. 

The cost to operate your business is an everyday expense. Each day that revenue is not brought into your business increases the cost of the following days. You only have a finite number of hours to sell and, once a day goes by without bringing revenue into your business, that day can never be reclaimed.

Add to these issues the fact that some existing residential customers move away, others pass away and some move on to other contractors. The same holds true for your commercial customers since those enterprises may move or change ownership; the service businesses they used may fail and go bankrupt.

The aforementioned facts logically lead to the answer to the original question: Survival of your business requires you to grow your business.

Increasing your business requires a plan that can solve the problems that come with the goal. You may need bigger facilities for your business. As your business grows, you will need additional employees, not only technically but also administratively. Your equipment and inventory needs will increase, as will your operational expenses.

This brings up the next question: How do you obtain new customers needed to grow your business?

It’s said that if you don’t advertise, nothing will happen. I guess that’s the reason so many businesses spend so much money on advertising. What kind of advertising is available and the best for you to use?

Choose advertising that builds trust

Word-of-mouth advertising that comes from consumers who have availed themselves of your services is great when consumers are praising your business — and potentially fatal when consumers are complaining about your business performance and policies. 

Another form of word-of-mouth advertising is networking through business groups. This can put you in contact with other professionals who can recommend your services.

In the technically advanced era in which we live, websites and specific area televised and streamed advertising exist. The success of this type of advertising depends on the professional quality used to create those ads and the target audience.

In areas where farmers’ markets pop up, pitching a tent and offering free information regarding your expertise and how you can better serve them gives you face-to-face contact with new potential customers.

Whichever method of advertising you use, it is imperative that you be truthful lest you make consumers leery of using your business. It is also necessary not to annoy potential consumers; otherwise, you are actually defeating your goal before you even get a chance to influence them.

Make your message visible — and readable

As a supplement to whatever method of advertising you choose to use, lettering or wrapping your service vehicle gives you a mobile billboard. With this complement to your advertising program, keep in mind that a brief message is better. Filling every inch of your service vehicle with paragraphs of cluttered words distracts from your ultimate goal — to put your name and contact info out there.

Your mobile billboard should contain your company name, your area of expertise, your contact number and your website address. And, if you have one, a short and clever catchphrase that is also included in other parts of your advertising program. 

By keeping your mobile billboard to only this information, you allow anyone reading it to gather the information quickly, which is imperative since your billboard is moving — possibly out of their sight. It also allows you to increase the size of your intended message large enough so they can read it as it gets further away from them. 

It’s a great and inexpensive way to further put your company in first place in the minds of consumers.

By implementing a sound, well-planned advertising program, you can begin to brand your company so that when consumers require your type of services, your brand name is at the forefront of their recollection.

When you advertise, you can grow your business.

Don’t let outreach become intrusion

One thing you should never do is annoy consumers.

The inspiration for this article came as I sat down to write it and my doorbell rang. I’ve lived in my home for 40 years. It’s a very private area — no fences or gates — just natural privacy. In those 40 years, I can count on one hand the number of times a solicitor knocked on my door or rang my bell to offer his services. 

Each time, these unsolicited intruders disrupted whatever I was doing to address their unwanted intrusions. Each time, as soon as I realized they were trying to sell me something that I wasn’t interested in buying, I became immediately annoyed. Before they opened their mouths, their own actions created an animosity between us.

I realize that in those instances, their supervisors sent them on this foolhardy mission. However, those poor souls were the ones in front of me, not their supervisors.

They start by politely introducing themselves, telling me about all the work they have done for my neighbors. Then, they continue their ramblings as they try to lead into the great service they can render for me.

I usually stop them at some point in their face-to-face aggravating word salad and say, “Stop the advertisement and get to the point.” After all, I was doing something before they decided to interrupt my day.

They don’t even consider the fact that they interrupted what I was doing to listen to their dribble about something I’m not interested in purchasing.

One of these intruders, who was trying to get me to sign up with his cable service, actually had the moronic thought pattern that if he kept returning, he would wear me down. On his third trip to my door, he forced me to tell him about how intrusive and futile his actions were.

Don’t irritate the people you are trying to entice into using your business.

However, you must let them know that you exist, what you have to offer and the method to use if they want to contact you.