DO IT, don't wait thinking everything has to be in place. Start it, draft your vision, create the business name, decide who will be your demographic (client base), find out what laws you have to obey to launch and run it. Then go, create processes (SOPs) along the way, adjust course when needed. With effort and desire you easily could replace his current job within a year. At this stage time is your currency, don't spend money on marketing, design some basic business cards and go network. Meet every business owner you can. You need exposure at this stage so spend your currency time in getting in front of the people that fit your demographic. Let's look at the questions you asked. :)
- What service did you start with on weekends?
- Junk Removal - This is my fourth business to launch from the ground up while working a full time job. This one to date (entering my fourth week) has been the most successful in the amount of time it has been alive. Dream big, run with your vision as hard and fast as you can. If you have these three things you are doing consistently you will be so far above your competition you will scale quickly. 1. Communicate (Vital always talk to the client! Jobber had a video recently where a lady said that is the number one problem in home service businesses is the lack of communication. 2. Be transparent - this shows you are human and that you are striving to be the best service based company for them. 3. Under promise and over deliver - If you give/do even 1% above what you promised you are lightyears above your competition.
- What would you do differently if you were starting again?
- Would of launched sooner and worked harder to get in front of more people. Example join networking groups, Kiwanis, The American Legion any group that has people of your client demographics.
- Any service you wish you hadn’t tried?
- I have launched and ran cleaning businesses (fun but hard to get staff to clean toilets lol), photography business (love taking phots, however prints dont sell like they used to thanks to tech and pics on your phone), Offroad outfitting business (fun, love being outdoors). I have to answer no on this one. :)
I am entering my fourth week of business. I have spoken to two businesses that netted me three jobs and one referral that netted me a big job. In my first three weeks I have removed over 6000lbs of items, and over 75% of those items I was able to recycle and not just throw into the landfill. Those four jobs netted us $1450 (gross), and solved four major problems customers had. I would also encourage you create a simple yet effective referral program. The one I have is every person referred that we do a job for we will give $50 of their next service OR donate $50 to a local non profit of their choice under their name (or business name) With that said we have donated $75 to two local non profits so far. Collect all the data you do, and share the important parts with the community. How you are helping in the circle of reuse, recycle, dispose. Share how you are giving back to the community not just trying to take all their money. Do random service project, adopt a section of highway and clean it, choose a random park and clean it. Join non profits and perform service. Things that will cost you time (your current currency) but will pay great ROI in the long run.
