yOne of the greatest pleasures of life is to start a business from scratch and build it into a viable and profitable enterprise. Commercial roofing is one such business that can be lucrative and rewarding, if you know what you’re getting into. If you’re planning to start a commercial roofing business, here are five steps to help you make the most of it.
1. Study the market
Whether you’re from the industry or a newcomer to commercial roofing, the first step should be to research the market. You should find out about the cost of starting a company, the equipment you need, competitors in the area, potential revenue, the number of people you may need, and more. Our team works closely with new business owners to help them find this kind of information.
If possible, you can also get in touch with those retired from the commercial roofing business in your area to get a realistic picture of the business.
2. Create a business plan
If writing a business plan seems challenging, PCA is here to help. We’ll help you craft a business plan based on your goals, area, and specializations.
Want to try your hand at doing it yourself? Typically, you should start with an executive summary of your commercial roofing business and work your way through the company description and analysis of the market to your financial projections.
You don’t have to get this perfect. But merely thinking about the various topics will help bring clarity. It will also give you a timeline for various tasks.
3. Know your tax and legal obligations
Successful businesses have a reliable financial structure. So, the next step should be to learn about your tax obligations. Make sure that your business is aligned with all federal and state regulations. Importantly, see if there are any tax breaks for the industry in your area.
Consulting with an accountant should reveal most of what you need to know about regulations, lawsuits, permits, employee safety issues, etc. When you search for an accountant, look for one with experience in the commercial roofing industry.
4. Understand marketing and sales
You’ll have to ensure that your brand name is easy to remember. Then, you should get a logo made online. You can get it done for as little as five dollars on sites like Fiverr.
After that, you should get a digital marketing agency or find a freelancer online to design your website. Make sure that it’s search engine optimized for your area, has great content, and is easy to navigate.
Finally, once you start getting leads, encourage your clients to leave online reviews on Google Reviews and other review platforms.
5. Prepare for potential seasonal dips
The commercial roofing business can come to seasonal halts depending on where you’re located. Instead of shutting down your business if your commercial projects end, consider a plan of action that will allow you to maintain profitability– like other forms of easily-done commercial construction work.
A plan is a dream on steroids. It’s what gets you there faster, smarter, and with energy to spare. To break into the commercial roofing world, it pays to have a plan to turn to. The team here at PCA is well equipped to help you build and implement a detailed plan that’ll make you successful in the commercial roofing world. Contact us below to learn more about how we can help!