|
Looking to Avoid Costly Callbacks? Install Hunter, the Callback Eliminator
If you’re in the business of installing and maintaining irrigation systems, keep this in mind: Callbacks can cost you more than you think.
Using the Winter to Plan Your Business Wisely
For many contractors, winter is the perfect time to reflect on your previous season and prepare for the one ahead.
Contractors and Contracts: Reading the Fine Print
With blind faith, too many contractors sign contracts without knowing exactly what they are agreeing to.
Yield Management in Contracting
Airlines and hotels use sophisticated yield management systems to control inventories and pricing to maximize revenue on a fixed supply. In pricing and marketing your contracting business, you should put the same principals to work so you can maximize your revenue.
GPS: How Much Can a System Be Worth to Your Business?
Using a tracking system, the age-old question about whether or not workers are doing the jobs they’re being paid to do will finally be answered.
Build a System Now with an Eye Toward Central Control in the Future
You’re working on a large project today that has the potential for benefiting from central control…but the money just isn’t there to pay for the cost of such a system.
Ignore Misleading Sale Prices; Add Up Your Total Costs and Hunter Rotors are the Real Bargain
Hidden costs—that is, costs beyond the simple price of an item itself—that need to be considered in your final price.
Se Habla Español? Hunter Literature Speaks Your Language
We now offer a full line-up of Spanish language product and training literature, ideally suited to help break down the language barrier that might exist between you and your staff.
Off Season is Perfect Time for a Consultant's Help
It’s the “off season” and the ideal time to bring in a business consultant for an unbiased, non-affiliated view of how your company is operating and how it can do things more effectively and more efficiently.
New “Leave Behind” DVD Available to Help Customers Maintain Their Systems
Hunter now has available the ideal tool to show homeowners just how easy system maintenance can be.
Who Else Was Here?
How many other contractors are customers soliciting prices from?
Credit Cards Provide Financing Option, Help Close Sales That Typically Get Away
Increase your business by making it easier for potential customers to become actual customers by offering this convenient payment option.
|
|
Advance Planning Helps Achieve Full Potential of Trade Show or Seminar
A little bit of pre-attendance preparation will pay great benefits and make the whole experience all the more worthwhile.
Use Cold Weather Months to Heat Up Next Year's Performance
Use the slow winter months to devise a better business strategy for next year.
Faster, More Profitable Installations With Hunter’s Full-Line Residential Package
Contractors want to work with systems that are quick and easy to install, reliable and need little maintenance.
Common Business Mistake #3: Too Much Caffeine
When you business in growing at a fast pace, make sure to have the people and systems in place to assure profitable growth.
What a Contractor Really Needs to Know (It’s Elementary)
Monroe Porter, president of PROOF Management Consultants, has observed the positive and negative actions of numerous contractors which led to the creation of a checklist of some of the mistakes often saw being made.
Lowballing: How to Deal with Those “Low Price” Contractors
You’ve probably lost a job to someone who has come in and undercut the price you presented on a bid. Their credentials were inferior. Their products were not as good.
Schedule Form Shows Customers What Their System is Doing
The Pro-C Owner's Manual includes a scheduling form which shows the customer when their system is scheduled to run.
Do You Accept Credit Cards? Preferred Contractors Can…
Hunter Contractor Credit Card Program is flexible, feature filled and provides all aspects of the payment processing cycle.
Is it Time to Raise Your Prices?
How to decide when to raise your prices.
Rules for Managing Growth During an Economic Recovery
A short list of things to keep in mind when managing your business.
Why Do Customers Pick You? How to Be Sure You Get the Next Job
Here's what a recent Gallup Poll reported as reasons why customers choose a particular landscape and lawn professional company.
|
|
Finding and Hiring Good Employees: Basics You Need to Know and Follow (Part One of Two)
Finding the best candidates to fill your company’s job needs will ensure that you will have employees longer and thus keep the search process from becoming a regular, recurring event.
How to Retain Good Employees: Basics You Need to Know and Follow (Part Two of Two)
Now that your ideal candidate is an employee, how do you ensure that you hired someone who will be an employee for many years to come?
Good Employees: How to Keep ‘em Once You Get ‘em
Strategies and advice to keep your best employees.
|
|
Spanish Language Literature: A Line-up That Translates into Better Training for Your Crew
Hunter offers a wide variety of promational and training materials in Spanish.
When is the Right Time to Add to Your Staff?
Is now is the right time for your business to take the big leap forward?
How to Hire the Right Employee - Part I: Know Where to Look, What to Look For
Writing a job description and getting the word out.
How to Hire the Right Employee - Part II: Know Where to Look, What to Look For
Promoting from within and filling the role of job foreman.
|
|
July 2006 is Smart Irrigation Month!
Smart Irrigation Month is not only a positive way for the industry to share the good news about efficient irrigation; it is also a good way for you to boost your sales.
Yellow Pages Ads – Turn Them into an Effective Marketing Tool
For many contractors, their largest annual advertising expenditure is a “Yellow Pages” ad. After all, it remains a reliable method of attracting new customers outside of the word-of-mouth referral process.
Developing an Effective “Plan of Attack” Marketing Checklist
This time of year you see many articles on how to prepare for the upcoming season. Problem is, the advice often requires months of preparation and planning. So here are a few pointers to help get your marketing strategy into high gear right away – and pay you dividends all season long.
Marketing is Building Relationships
Doing business within the Green Industry is extremely personal. Relationships are paramount.
|
|
Overlooked Media? The Inside Scoop on Outdoor Ads
Have you considered outdoor advertising in your marketing mix?
How to Build More Business? Your Success is in the Cards
Hunter's postcards for reminding customers about your services.
Improve Your Homeowner Presentations with this CD
Leave-behind a CD that demonstrates to the homeowner all the benefits of installing an automatic irrigation system.
Promotional Materials Help You Start the Selling Season Right!
What better way to promote the high quality of your business than to promote the high quality of products that you have chosen to install?
New Door Hanger Makes a Perfect Sales Tool
Promote your business with this eye-grabbing new door hanger.
|
|
Making a Good (First and Last) Impression
When it comes to setting yourself apart, it’s all about making a good impression. And it starts at the very beginning, with making a good first impression.
Improving Presentation Close Rates in a Price-Oriented Market
Contractors are faced with pricing as a major challenge when competing for potential jobs. Discover how to create new advantages that will set your bid apart.
Improve Your Customer Presentations To Win More Projects
Are you paying attention to the non-verbal portion of your sales presentation?
|
|
What to Do Before, During and After a Sale?
Here’s a list of questions that will help you prepare for sales presentations. It is also a useful reference if you want to analyze why you didn’t make a sale.
Altering the Way You Present Residential Bids Can Make Your Business More Profitable
Contractors share their secrets.
Dollars and Sense: Increase Your Profits with Upgrades, Accessories (and Education)
If you want to be successful, you have two responsibilities: to your customers and to yourself.
|
|
Calculating Your Labor Burden
When it comes to knowing your true labor costs as a business owner or manager, calculating your hourly or weekly wage costs is just part of the picture. A more complete picture includes your “labor burden.”
Margins and Mark-ups: What’s the Difference?
Conventional wisdom can get the contractor into serious trouble if he does not understand the limitations of margins and markups when used in the bidding process.
The Company Break-Even Point (The October Surprise)
A company usually reaches its break-even point (BEP) in the 9th or 10th month of its fiscal year.
|
|
Job Costing: Why it’s Critical and What to Look For
Effective job costing (in combination with proper planning and scheduling) can turn losing jobs into winners.
Adapting Your Pricing to the Marketplace
Contractors must become students of the marketplace to keep profits and margins from eroding and to prevent market opportunities from slipping by.
Industry Expert: When Estimating Bids,Your Costs are More Important than What Competition Charges
The irrigation industry's leading authority on bidding and estimating, Jim Huston, on what to consider when submiitting a bid.
|
|
Irrigation Service: A Profit Center or Necessary Evil?
Times have changed. With construction profits growing thinner and thinner, subcontractors are turning to service as a profit center.
Service Agreements, Part 2: How to Structure a Good Irrigation Service Agreement
Agreements should include regular servicing events, check-ups, a built-in discount program and system add-on options.
|
|
Service Agreements, Part 1: Should Your Company Offer Irrigation Service Agreements?
A residential service agreement. It sure sounds impressive, but what exactly is it and should you have one?
Service Agreements, Part 3: The Advantages of a Service Agreement for Your Customers
Having a service agreement means customers won't have to write a check at every service and gives them peace of mind.
|
