There is a growing demand for restoration services, both in the residential and commercial sector. As buildings get older and weather incidents continue to get worse, an increasing number of people are requiring the services of a restoration business every year.
The restoration industry is also quite diverse, covering everything from helping people recover from water and fire damage, or aiding with mold remediation problems.
This is why now is a great time to start a business in the restoration industry or, if you already have a restoration business, grow and expand.
Below, we’ll discuss how you can grow your restoration business to take it to new heights.
A restoration business is a company that works on helping people recover any time that major property damage occurs. They are in charge of restoring and repairing rooms or entire properties that have suffered damage from mold, fire, water and some other disasters.
In many cases, this damage was caused by weather-related incidents such as rainstorms, snowstorms and more. At times, though, the damage could also have come from major leaks in plumbing, a burst hot water heater or other source.
Restoration businesses work very closely with businesses, homeowners and insurance companies alike, first assessing the damage that has occurred to the property and then creating a plan that will restore the property to the same condition it was before the damage occurred.
Restoration services truly do run the gamut. They are related to any damage that has occurred that’s major at a property.
This includes assessment of the damage, cleanup of the damage and then the repairs and/or replacement as a result of the damage. Here are some of the main things that restoration businesses handle.
Water can be extremely damaging, so addressing it right away is essential. Restoration businesses will address all issues that are caused by leaks in plumbing, flooding caused by weather and other water-related incidents such as a burst hot water heater.
The work includes first removing any water that is still present and then ensuring that the areas that have been affected are properly dried out, so as to prevent mold from growing.
Restoration companies also commonly handle the clean up and repair of properties that have suffered fire damage. Typical work includes removing soot and smoke from the house and eliminating odors at first.
It also will involve assessing the structure to see if it’s still safe or whether structural repairs are necessary before other rebuilding can be done.
Mold can be extremely harmful to people’s health, depending on what type of mold it is and their exposure to it. Restoration companies will identify any possible mold growth and then remove it safely.
Beyond that, they will also seek to address whatever underlying issues led to the mold growth in the first place so that they can be mitigated as well.
No matter what type of damage occurred, restoration companies will also help to clean, repair and/or restore people’s furniture and other personal belongings. While some things may not be salvageable, the company will do everything they can to help.
Regardless of whether your’e in the restoration industry or another sector, growth is vital for long-term success and survival.
First and foremost, doing so will allow your restoration business to increase its market share and revenue. Gaining new business from more clients and projects equals more income, which in turn enables you to reinvest into the future growth of your company.
Not only that, but when you grow your restoration business, you’ll also be able to help more people who are in need. Professional restoration companies serve an important function in quickly and effectively restoring people’s businesses and homes to the former condition when a disaster strikes.
As you grow your business, you’ll be able to help an increasing number of people when they are facing challenging times.
Now that the benefits of growing your restoration business are obvious, the question then turns to how you can actually do it. If you’re looking to grow your restoration family business, you’ll need to take a multi-faceted approach that focuses not just on expanding service offerings, but also on networking and marketing to increase your visibility and reach.
Here are some of the steps of that process.
If you want to succeed in today’s tech-focused world, you need to have a robust online presence. In fact this is really a non-negotiable if you want to grow your restoration business.
Your business website is essentially the online hub of your business. You need a professionally-designed website that will showcase the services you offer, the experiences you have and testimonials from previous customers.
In addition to looking good, your website should also be very user-friendly and optimized to look and work well on all mobile devices — especially since a majority of online traffic comes from mobile devices.
Your website will also serve as a platform for attracting more leads, which requires you to optimize it so you can be found during online searches. To appear at the top of search results, you need to conduct keyword research, build relevant backlinks on your site and create high-quality content that positions you as an expert in your field.
The bigger your rankings on search engines, the more likely that potential customers will find you when they’re searching for the services you offer.
In addition to your website, you should harness the immense power of social media platforms. These free resources allow you to create a public profile of your company, showcase the work you have done and to engage with prospective customers.
Consider setting up business pages on platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook and make sure that you post regular updates not just about the projects you do, but also news about your company as well as industry insights.
And on all digital channels, it’s important that you encourage your satisfied customers to share their positive experiences and leave positive reviews both on your social media pages as well as other high-ranking review sites.
Networking can help you in building valuable relationships with the key professionals in some of your related industries. This often leads to a significant boost in the growth of your restoration business.
For instance, partnering with people such as real estate agents, property managers and insurance agents — all who work often with people who might require your services — could result in you building a valuable source of future referrals.
Here are some places where you can network effectively …
An important aspect of business growth is expanding the services you offer so that you can tap into additional revenue streams, which can lead to a wider customer base. While it’s still important to grow the core services you offer, it’s also helpful to research the local market to discover any specific industries or underserved niches that might require the restoration expertise you have.
One example might be tailoring services for historic buildings, schools and healthcare facilities. Following many of the strategies laid out above, you can position yourself as an expert in those niche markets, allowing you to gain a competitive edge when you seek to attract high-value clients.
Your team is an essential part of your business growth. That’s why it’s vital to invest in their ongoing education and training so that they can have the requisite knowledge and skills to consistently deliver on the high-quality services you provide.
By offering regular seminars, workshops and training sessions, you’ll be helping all employees remain up-to-date with the most recent safety protocols, best practices and trends in the industry.
Customer feedback can prove invaluable, both for your business expansion strategy as well as for attracting new customers. That’s why you must prioritize actively asking satisfied clients to leave positive reviews.
Once you’ve completed a successful restoration project, don’t forget to follow-up with the client and ask them to share the positive experience they had. They can do so on your Google My Business listing, your website and social media pages, and/or any other relevant platforms such as Yelp.
Customers are more likely to follow through and leave a review for you if you make the process straightforward and simple for them. You can do this by providing them with a direct link to where they can leave the reviews, as well as clearly-defined instructions on how they can do so.
You can even automate the process of requesting reviews through text message or email campaigns, which can ensure that you receive a consistent flow of fresh reviews.
After you’ve collected a good amount of positive testimonials, you should showcase them on marketing materials and your website prominently. It’s a good idea to dedicate a completely separate page on your website to what you can call customer success stories, and feature detailed feedback, quotes and photos from actual satisfied clients.
You can even incorporate parts of testimonials into email newsletters, print materials and posts you make on social media — all of which can help you build trust and credibility among prospective customers.
If you want to grow your restoration business, you’ll need to consistently attract new customers, which requires a well-rounded marketing plan. This plan needs to include a mixture of offline and online strategies, which will maximize your impact and reach.
Customer satisfaction should be the #1 focus on growing your restoration business. You can prioritize this by ensuring that your team provides service that is professional, empathetic and prompt — and that lasts from the first interaction all the way through until the restoration is complete.
Every interaction between your team and a customer should make your customers feel as though they’re well-cared for, understood, heard and valued.
While obvious advantages of growing your restoration business include an increase in your customer base and revenue, there are many other advantages that go beyond this. Here are some of those other benefits.
When you expand your business, you’ll likely be expanding your service area. Doing so allows you to reach and help more people who are affected by significant disasters.
Expanding in this way doesn’t just expand your potential market, though; it also enhances the reputation and visibility of your brand.
When you expand your business, you are better able to take on projects that are larger and more complex. This type of scalability can lead to additional opportunities, such as contracts with government entities and commercial customers, both of which require extensive expertise and resources.
As you grow your business, you’ll have a better opportunity to invest in emerging technologies as well as other innovative methods. While these require an upfront investment, they can lead to reduced costs in the long run while significantly improving efficiency and helping your business stand out from your competitors.
Some examples of this include advanced tools for moisture detection and drone assessments, which can elevate the quality of your service and, as a result, customer satisfaction.
Growing your restoration business can be a very rewarding experience. Not only can it bring in more revenue and income, allowing you to invest in new technologies and methods, it can also help you widen your service area to help more people.
As a restoration professional, helping people is the name of the game. So, follow the expansion tips and strategies listed above, and you’ll be well on your way to growing your restoration business.
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