Everyone is trying to get more value for the money spent

Showing my age, or maybe how long I have really been in business, I remember when the Yellow Page directory was king. Everybody was there and we all needed to decide how “big” did we want our display ad to be – bigger meant improved placement; therefore it became common to have (3) full page ads side by side to be first. What a change for the yellow page directories when businesses started embracing websites and all things social media. 

Online Presence:

One of the ways to improve your online presence is to hire a service to do some or all of the marketing for you. Search Engine Optimization companies (SEO’s) claim they can build the perfect web page and get you on the first page of all the internet searches. Yes – they can! Question is which one and what are they doing that actually helps you get leads.

Website Basics

I have found websites missing what I would consider missing the basics:

• Company Phone Number

• Business Address

• Mailing Address

• Contact Name

• Email address

Is your business model that you want to send email but not receive it?

What the website may have instead of useful content and a call to action is a contact box wanting all of my information.

Great! I’m willing to do this. After all I ask people to fill out a contact box on some of my pages. 

Three types of contact us boxes:

• Short, easy to fill out without email validation filters

• Short, easy to fill out with email validation filters 

• Long, super detailed with lots of required boxes

After filling out the Contact Us form Is this the response your prospects when hitting the submit button? 

An Error Has Occurred Please make sure all of the required fields are filled in with valid information

When you receive an email – Is everyone automatically considered a spammer? 

I was doing a follow up email and received this auto response.

“To control spam, I now allow incoming messages only from senders I have approved beforehand. If you would like to be added to my list of approved senders, please fill out the short request form (see link below). Once I approve you, I will receive your original message in my inbox”

The message a little confusing to me – this person gave me their email address – I didn’t go searching the depths of the internet to find them. For this reason forms on our website are easy – just fill it out. 

Do I get an invalid email once in a while? Yes, I do. I also get emails from prospective clients that just need a little tender loving care (TLC) to point them in the right direction. They call or email and even if what they need is not something we provide I try to help them by pointing them in the right direction.

Spam Filters? Yes my email has them because computers are smart. Yet I still review my spam filter on a regular basis because there might be something important there. 

Common types of items I find in the subject lines in my spam filter:

• Bathroom remodels

• Solar Panels

• Replace Windows

• Remake Your Bathroom

• Transform Your Bathroom

• More Efficient HVAC

• Roof Repairs

Why are they in spam? The biggest reason is the SEO who is sending them out on your behalf is using an email address that is so far removed from your business which means the spam filters do not believe they come from you. 

Our niche is serving the construction industry and contractors in particular. We want to hear from you. We want to see your marketing pieces and I feel bad every time my spam filters puts your marking piece in the spam folder.  I’m sure many more pieces are blocked from getting as far as the spam filter. 

Here are three tips for contractors to get more people to read your email:

1. Why are you in business? 

    Your Answer: 

2. Do you feel you have to do it all to be successful?

    Your Answer: 

3. How can we be of help with accounting, bookkeeping or consulting? 

    Your Answer:

Step 1: We start with “The Phone” call which may be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour as we mutually need it to be. 

Step 2: One hour FREE Consultation. We are discussing your needs. There is no “stop watch” because we need to understand your particular issues, your wants, wishes, needs and desires.

Step 3: We agree on a plan of action, determine pricing, when you say yes we go to work!        

Construction accounting holds the answers to the WHO Questions:

• Who owes you money

• Who do you owe money

• Who is your Best Customer?

• Is your #1 Favorite Customer adding or taking away profits and cash flow?

Contractors bookkeeping services are a process. Starting where you are:  We help “A Little” or “A Lot” depending on your needs. We take a shoebox, file box and all the receipts hidden under the seat of the truck, on the dashboard and in the envelope and we turn them into useful Financial Reports and Job Costing reports.

Consulting is adding the processes, strategic analysis and ongoing client support to grow your construction company. We are the missing piece of your management puzzle because we look at everything from a construction accounting point of view and we help you see the thread of success weaved into the fabric of your Financial Reports and Job Costing reports.

Once you understand the story in a way that helps you make use of the numbers you will be able to gain the freedom you have been looking for when you first opened the doors to your construction company.

For our outsourced accounting and bookkeeping clients some of this is automatically part of the package. 

Our goal is to develop a long term working relationship with you. Our niche is the small business owner who owns and operates a construction company. You may be one of the Four Types of Contractors a “one-person” operation or have employees.     

Who Is Our Ideal Client?

New and Seasoned, Small Contractors in Service and Repair, Residential, Commercial, Remodel and Home Building Who Need Bookkeeping, Invoicing (Flat-Rate, Not to Exceed, Time and Material, Cost Plus), Quarterly Tax Returns, Sales Tax Returns, Payroll, Payroll Quarterly Tax Return, Job Deposits, Work-In-Progress Reports, Retention, Pay Applications (G702-G703 Format), Insurance Audits or Business Processes. We know what to do!

Please call me when you get a chance for a quick chat. (It’s Free) Are You Super Busy – I hope so!  Email or text me (sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com) your contact information with best time to connect and I’ll call you. I look forward to discussing how we can be of assistance. Ask for Sharie - I can be reached at 206-361-3950

QuickBooks Expert Specializing In Construction Bookkeeping Services

About The Author:

Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/sharie-dehart/