In a world where technology is developing at light speed and smart devices are becoming more widespread, small businesses are discovering the power of software tools. And if you own or operate a handyman business, there are a number of ways by which you can leverage technology to get a competitive edge.
Handymen are using digital marketing solutions like Google and Facebook to spread the word and boost their popularity. But marketing isn’t the only use of digital services.
Cloud-based software can be used to optimize and automate a lot of aspects of your business, which would otherwise require extensive bookkeeping or complicated spreadsheets. Let’s take a look at the various ways in which technology can help us answer the question of whether or not handymen can handle everything.
Job Scheduling
When running a handyman business, you must definitely have faced the age-old scheduling problem. Who do I send? When do I send them? Do I reschedule this job? Will the technician reach the job on time? Because of questions like this, it was always important to have someone on hand to manage your workers’ schedules. Not anymore though. Using smart scheduling apps, you can train your handymen to manage their own schedules. Depending on factors like job proximity and handyman availability, your workforce can see which jobs have a higher priority and accordingly accept or deny jobs on the basis of their availability. No more will you have to have someone keep a track of their schedules.
Accounting
Smart financial management is at the heart of all sustainable businesses. If you’re still keeping written records of accounts or simply outsourcing the whole hassle of account keeping to a professional, it’s about time you thought of using smart accounting software to save both time and money. Applications like QuickBooks and Xero are used by a number of small and medium-sized businesses to manage simple tasks like book keeping and invoicing. These applications are easy to use and you can train your staff to use the software to access previous quotations, invoices and customer data.
Customer Relationship Management
Keeping your customers happy should always be a priority for any handyman. Good customer service is what separates the average handyman from the one who gets all the calls and has a packed schedule. While most handyman businesses would keep a dedicated client servicing team to manage customer relationships, you can rely on smart apps to help your handyman manage the same workload. You can give your handymen access to customer data and allow them to make smart decisions that lead to better customer service. For example, some customers might favour hardware from a particular manufacturer. When your handyman has access to this data, they can stock their job inventory with the right parts.
Invoicing
Many service businesses have a dedicated accounts manager to handle tasks like quoting and invoicing, keeping the handyman focussed on the job at hand. However, using a field service app like Loc8 can allow you to delegate the task of invoicing to the technician as well. For example, once a job is completed, your handyman can use the Loc8 app to fetch the invoice and provide the client with a convenient digital payment platform. This also means speedier payments and less reliance on client servicing.
Running a handyman business can be hectic but with the right tools and services, you can get an edge over your competition and stake a claim as the best handyman in town.
