development – Jason A Woodruff

The world today is a lot different than it was a mere 30 years ago. As automation and AI technology revolutionizes business productivity, one thing is steadily being constant: many of these jobs aren’t coming back. While it’s tempting to follow the lead of politicians and industry leaders in promising that high paying manufacturing and industrial jobs are coming back, the reality is that that tactic is a means to placate these individuals and misleading at best. That said, here is a means to change the discussion by providing a more tangible means to improve individuals and the communities that have lost so much.

Building A Business

In many ways, we are seeing a massive change in this country. Massive lay offs due to outsourcing labor to developing countries has given way to automation and AI taking over many positions once filled by Americans. Workers who filled these positions -and those who have considered taking these type of positions- are now left without viable work options. The result is a vast workforce of laborers with skills far removed from their current line of employment.

With this backdrop, it is imperative to understand that the types of jobs gone doesn’t just include manufacturing positions. In the past decade we’ve seen a steady drop in jobs from a wide swath of industries: call centers, customer service, manufacturing, retail, etc. Even industries that were considered safe from outsourcing and automation have even begun to take a hit.

A Possible Solution

With such changes to the way Americans make money, we also should take into the rise of the internet and mobile technology. We now have the ability to work remotely with ease. We also have the ability to communicate and reach across oceans and continents to people in a matter of milliseconds. The world has changed.

For those with skills going unused, it is now possible to freelance or develop small businesses that utilize these skills -while commanding what you are worth in providing these skills. Website costs have plummeted with the rise of cloud based storage, cheaper hosting options, and click and drag web design options. It’s now cheaper to develop and build an online/mobile business then ever before.

Even with Automation, AI, and outsourcing, a growing number of people still value human to human connection and collaboration. Freelancing and working with small businesses allows this type of relationship to continue unabated. If you’re stuck with a skill that is not being used, consider starting your own small business. After all, what have you got to lose?

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Launching a small business doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, anyone can do it. What separates those who are successful from those who aren’t is planning, proper execution, and learning to scale. This article will provide 5 tips culled from my own experience launching a cleaning business.

Make Plans and Follow Through

We make informal plans for everything: going out to eat, which clothes to buy, grocery shopping, and how to tackle house cleaning. In many ways, informal plans are everyday events that many of us don’t even realize exist. In business, we make formal plans: business plans, client contracts, customer support processes, etc. Just like informal plans these help us develop, formalize, and execute our actions.

Formal business plans need to be made for key areas and events. Two of the most important ones are as follows:

Business Plan: This is your comprehensive, overall plan. It lays out your business mission, goals, marketing foundations, and a realistic examination of profitability. It is here where you lay out the nitty-gritty of what you plan to do and how to do it.
Marketing Plan: Culled from the foundation laid out in your business plan, this goes into further detail with who you want to do business with. Here you will delve into your target audience, their habits, and how you will position your product/service to suit them.

Be Novel In Looking For Clients

Old ways of marketing your services and products aren’t as effective today. I can remember as a kid, for instance, that newspapers used to look pristine -with cool ads and pages. Today, however, the converse is true: the ads, if you get them, are often ripped up, shredded, or covered in a weird grease from the machines that print and bundle them up. This is a big reason why many newspapers are losing subscribers.

For business owners and marketers, its important to go where your customers are. With mobile technology and the internet, people aren’t just browsing a board at the grocery store -they are now online. Research and identify where they are at, use applications to increase your reach, and engage prospective customers in real time. As a cleaning business owner, I used 10 different websites and mobile apps to keep myself booked with clients. From Thumbtack to Amazon Home Services, I went where my prospective clients were. Don’t waste your money on outdated marketing avenues. Be creative.

Develop Customer Service Skills

Nothing is better for business then a happy customer. It really is that simple. However, the avenue for making a customer happy has changed drastically. It’s not just as simple as saying please and thank you. Take a note when your clients and customers offer criticism -take each bad review as an opportunity to improve your business and the model its based on. If they complain about a product your using, offer to do it again with a different product.

Offer Realistic Prices

One of the biggest issues facing small cleaning business owners is pricing their services. There are equal numbers of new cleaning business owners who want to either charge too little or too much. Those who charge too little do so in order to bring in more clients. Those who charge too much do so under the auspices of ‘knowing their worth’. Both are wrong.

Clients aren’t stupid. If they see you are undercharging for services or products, they will use you for a one time deal and then move onto someone more serious about their business. If you charge too much, they will ask you to prove your worth. Be realistic when you set your pricing. Make sure all your costs are covered and then compare to your competition. After all, some of your competitors have way more experience in the field than you do. Just cause you charge $15/hour doesn’t mean they are going to stop charging $30/hour.

Invest In The Right Supplies

Investing in the right supplies to provide services is extremely important -particularly for home and office services such as HVAC, Plumbing, Cleaning, and Maintenance. However, it is also an important thing for other industries. You can’t write a blog post if you don’t have paper or a computer. You can’t clean without cleaning supplies.

That doesn’t mean that you have to choose the most expensive products to do the job. Choose products that contribute to high quality at a decent price. Plan your costs and shop within your budget. Just cause something is expensive doesn’t mean it’ll do the right job. You have just as much input as the product you use. So invest wisely into the right supplies to do the job.

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Tag: development

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