Hello there,
I ran a landscaping business for a few years, and over the past year, due to myself and my business partner not seeing eye-to-eye, It eventually collapsed. I've been working now for the local council to make ends meet. I'm looking to try starting up again, but being a lot more specific in the service i provide, and learning from all of my past mistakes!
If anyone could offer me any kind of advice in these early stages, i'd be extremely grateful. I'm basically back to square one - I have an idea, and now i've got to start acting on it, one small step at a time. Don't get me wrong, i'm in no great rush to get cracking, as i'm comfortable in this job and have a good, steady wage coming in. I want to try and get everything right this time round, so will take my time in preparing.
I want to start up exclusively doing fencing work, because its my favourite job and i can do it really well. I felt i spread myself too thin with the landscaping, offering almost anything and everything. Theres 3 fencing firms in my area, which is good in a way, as theres about 20 landscaping firms in comparison. Initially for the first year or so, im just looking to do work on the side of being employed, for extra money in the evenings/weekends/annual leave etc. whilst building up a reputation.
First question - Is there a market for it and do people use fencing firms very often? there are firms around here which specialise in it, so I'm guessing so, but i don't know how often work comes in for them.
Secondly, my name let me down quite a lot with my previous landscaping company, so im going to choose right this time! Would it be wise to follow suit with the other companies and just use my name - i.e. Mark Jolley Fencing, or abbreviate M Jolley Fencing. Then there's the question of whether i should be using 'Fencing' or 'Fencing Contractors' or 'Fencing Company' etc. Im not sure of the best option?
Anyway, thanks for reading, any replies would be greatly appreciated!
Mark.
Views: 37
Replies
Hi Mark
Good to hear you are getting back on the horse:-))
I don't believe that a negative situation should remain so for too long. Your previous experience should stand you in good stead and I hope it proves useful.
First of all I'd steer clear of partnerships in the future. I'm not saying partnerships don't work because they clearly do for many businesses.
However as you build your new venture you'll always firmly be in control. It may be a bit lonely and frightening but hopefully you can always revert to LJN for that all important support during those sticky moments.
Asking some tough questions
You need to ask yourself some really searching questions before you begin.
Ask yourself why there are only three fencing companies in your area whilst on the other hand there are twenty landscaping businesses.
There may be more than one reason.
Is there a really well established fencing company that markets itself well and is well known? If there is then it might take a while to crack some of their market share.
Marketing is key I feel and you need to make sure that you get your message out based on your specialism. If closeboard fencing is your thing then make this your key USP to start with. Other fencing work will naturally build as spin-off work.
Get a website going and make sure its SEO and content is well circulated through the search engines.
"Is there a market for it and do people use fencing firms very often?"
I reckon many people use fencing companies because they have to. However I am sure there is a good marketing opportunity for convincing people that a new fence can:
(The above is just what comes on the top of my head)
As far as your new business name is concerned. I'd think about using a name that inspires one to think professional.
I traded under my own name for 21 years and I think, at times, it held me back winning certain contracts, even though I had a great team of well qualified and experienced people.
This may be naff (I'll you and others judge) but you could call yourself Jolley Good Fencing?
Think of a name that conjures up a professional outfit but also be prepared for the need to deliver on what your name promises to deliver.
Hopefully others will chip in with some thoughts too.
Good luck:)
Don't go down the cheap a chips route if you are good at it, specialise there will be people who want high class, possibly bespoke work...and have the money to pay for it, better to do 50 top class jobs and take pride in looking at your work then 300 nasty thingimes find a niche, exploit it, become the king of that niche. Find a willow worker and team up create willow screens...do anything but the usual boring run of the mill stuff, which in 5 years time you'll find difficult to get out of bed to do.
Go and talk to the other fencing firms you may find kindred spirits there, at the worst you find grumpy folk who hiss and spit and you'll know that either there are either no margins to be had or they are crap at what they do.
Thank you both very much for your replies! i've spent a while pondering the points you've both made. I agree with you re: partnerships, they only lead to problems in my experience. I wont ever enter into one again.
The fencing companies near me must be doing a fair trade, as i often see them driving round in their tippers with various materials on the backs of their vans. BUT, I can't see any indication of what makes them special. They are all your typical 'ML Fencing' and 'J Davis & son Fencing' types. None of them have any kind of branding or logos, just standard typeface on vans. Does make me wonder if there would be room for a well branded and marketed company to take a piece of the market share. How important is a logo and branding for a fencing company?
Marketing was also a downfall of my last company, we didn't advertise at all. The work was mainly through contacts of my business partner which led onto contracts with estate agents etc. We received a few calls through thomson local, but that was about it. In your experience, what is the most successful form of marketing, which is also cost-effective?
Regarding my USP - I enjoy installing panels and posts the most of all, but this isn't really a USP i'm guessing, as it's a fairly standard way which fences are installed. Unless you thought of it on the side of the clients - although obvious, the majority of people have post and panel installations, so will probably welcome the fact that there is a specialist? I dont know...
I'm au fait with websites and domain names/seo etc. so will make sure I create a presence online.
Jolley Good Fencing - I like it, but I've been having thoughts about naming my business. There is a bit of a paradox which i've run into. In one mind I think that in order to create a successful business, should I not do so using what is already known to work i.e. your 'oldie woldie' names as Richard mentioned. Whereas the suggestion of an actual brand name as it were, also makes sense, as it would differentiate me from the crowd of established fencing firms. I suppose they both have their merits, and whichever route I chose to go down, there will always be problems I run into or work I've lost out on purely because of the way my business has been named.
Another question I have regarding the name - When answering the phone to clients and potential clients, do you say your business name as you answer? If so, i'm going to have to choose one with a nice audio aesthetic.
Thanks,
Mark