Taking a business from its earliest stages onto each new milestone in its development takes careful financial planning and oversight. Of course, companies that offer their customers specialized services at their homes or places of business must be particularly attentive to managing expenses. Service companies have to balance multiple types of overhead, and many of their costs can change frequently. Understandably, reining in advertising and outreach expenses is crucial. Here are some ways that you can keep marketing expenses down while also optimizing your lead generation.

Budget Wisely

Research costs thoroughly on the expenses you project to be the biggest line items in your marketing budget. Adequate due diligence will spare you from spending more than you really need to.

Don’t be quick to make additional expenditures towards specific initiatives if they aren’t producing leads. Merely increasing the volume of your outreach may not pan out if the substance of the marketing materials that you’re sending out is missing the mark. Instead of throwing more resources into tactics that haven’t been successful, it would probably be better to increase your allocation of resources to the tactics that are generating leads consistently.  

Make the Most of Customer Data 

Using metrics from a customer data platform can help you direct your marketing efforts efficiently. What is a customer data platform and how does it help service companies build up their customer base? This type of technology can compile and organize information on leads and active customers to give you insights about which tactics are generating the best results. Identifying the engagement strategies that are working well enables you to concentrate your energy on outreach that draws in revenue. 

Seek Out Referrals

In service professions, referrals can comprise a considerable volume of a business’ new customer acquisition. Ask your customers to refer your services to friends, colleagues, or neighboring businesses. Consider offering them an incentive for each referral that they send your way. You can make referral requests the subject of a mass communication via email, post offers on your business’ social media account, or touch base about it with customers in-person. 

When people say that they’d be happy to recommend you but just can’t think of anyone they know who would be interested, ask them for a review or testimonial. Positive customer feedback can be a big factor for prospective companies when they’re choosing which service provider they want to work with. 

Focus on Building Long-Term Customer Relationships

Theoretically, providing excellent service at a reasonable price should mean that your customers won’t feel compelled to seek out another service provider. Nevertheless, you need to be attentive to your existing customer relationships in your marketing strategy. Don’t limit your marketing activities to building new relationships exclusively. Make customer retention a key focal point in your digital marketing activities. Ongoing email communications, promotional items, and other perks for customers can foster enduring customer loyalty.

Consider the Benefits of Outsourcing

Making a new business stand out from competitors that have been around a lot longer can be challenging. You need to invest a fair amount of resources towards getting your company’s name out there, but you need to pursue affordable opportunities to advertise your services. Some of your activities in this area will involve a little trial and error, but you can’t simply count on figuring things out as you go. If you’re not confident about managing marketing activities independently, don’t hesitate to call in reinforcements. 

Outsourcing some of your key outreach functions can help you stay focused on the logistics of running the business. Also, harnessing the know-how of experienced marketing professionals who are familiar with the challenges and objectives that are unique to your specific industry can help you optimize your strategy. 

As a growing service company, you’ve gotta be forward-thinking in how you structure your budget and manage marketing tasks. Meticulous organization will help you keep your overhead costs down when you’re still working on building up your customer base.

Every business, no matter its size, needs to have an emergency response plan. In fact, in most locations, it’s the law. The success of an emergency response plan hinges on proactively identifying the hazards and risks you’re most likely to encounter in your business. Risks may range from damage to infrastructure, human threat, the potential for a hazardous materials leak, or an extreme weather event.

Once hazards have been identified, an effective response plan involves a four-pronged approach: 

• Prevention or mitigation.
• Preparedness.
• Response, and
• Recovery.

Emergency response plans will detail how to respond based on a specific emergency. They’ll contain maps, floor plans, contact lists of emergency personnel, and the location of emergency tools — to name just a few elements.

An evacuation chair is one of the lesser-discussed — though crucial — tools that businesses should own in case of an emergency. Here, we’ll detail the role that an emergency chair plays, and why they’re a necessity should an evacuation occur.

What Is an Evacuation Chair?

An evacuation chair — otherwise known as an escape chair — is an indispensable piece of equipment that allows for the safe evacuation and rescue of individuals who have challenges with their mobility. In instances of power loss where elevators may be out of commission and in cases of injury, emergency evacuation stair chairs are instrumental in transporting these individuals to safety.

An evacuation chair has wheels at the front and rear. It loosely resembles a stroller, except for the friction tracks that help the driver to maneuver and control the chair while descending stairs. It has two modes: transport and descent.

The chairs are easy to mount on the wall at a refuge point — the location where those in need will await aid — and take up very little space.

Who Needs an Evacuation Chair?

Individuals who are physically disabled and require the use of a wheelchair would require the use of an evacuation chair, as may seniors, pregnant persons, and temporarily injured people — either from a pre-existing injury or one incurred onsite during an emergency.

In any of these instances, these individuals will experience difficulties safely descending stairs during a potentially hurried and stressful evacuation. Having a chair (or chairs) onsite is fundamental to safely transport them to a safe zone.

Escape Chairs Offer an Inclusive Emergency Response Plan

Being equipped to commute individuals in need to safety during an emergency is crucial to offering an inclusive emergency response plan where everyone can exit the building quickly and safely.

While you may assume that you have no one on staff who would require an escape chair, remember that having a chair may be necessary for a new recruit. You may also have visiting clients and members of the public who might have mobility issues; moreover, remember that injuries may be sustained during an evacuation, and an escape chair would prove invaluable. 

Takeaway

An evacuation chair plays an instrumental role in the safe evacuation of all personnel during an evacuation. They offer a cost-effective approach to an inclusive emergency plan; the liability costs of an unsafe building evacuation are sure to outweigh the immediate investment of purchasing chairs. And they showcase a progressive attitude in how your company responds during an emergency — which is sure to keep team members and clients at ease.