Many of the roofing companies founders come from either sales or installation background. This is a good move though since a successful company need both. A salesperson might easily decide on when to start his or her own company after a couple of years of experience in the industry. Relatively a guy from installation background has sound technical knowledge but may lack business development skills. If you’re a homeowner looking for a roofing company, you will obviously start by looking at the experience. For a reliable company that you can depend on, you can reach out to Apal Roofing Company Raleigh.
It takes years for a roofer to perfect the craft. The experience accumulated over the year will always prove to be valuable with every new project. According to statistics, the roofing industry has a 50% fail rate which is more than any other industry. There are a couple of reasons why companies fail and we’re going to highlight some of them.
Lack of Experience and Business Knowledge
There are very few people who own roofing businesses have solid experience in the industry. This can be disastrous given the fact that it will be hard to stay afloat in a business that you barely understand. Even if you’re good with sales, the real mettle comes from understanding the roofing process. It is where you get the value proposition. A good salesperson and someone who understands the dynamics behind roofing can make a good team. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to the roofing industry. You will not only need to have a deep understanding of the process but also enough experience to give the customers confidence.
Failing to Plan
This has been the downfall of so many businesses and roofing companies are no exception. You might have all the experience and training but the business fails because of lack of proper planning. As a contractor, you should strive to master the other side of the business which is equally important. Your skills and experience are not the only things that matter when it comes to running a business. You will be required to wear many hats in the beginning when your business is just taking off. Planning will ensure that you avoid some of the common pitfalls that a growing business is likely to face.
Not Having a Sales Strategy
For the roofing company to be successful, there must be an effective sales strategy in place. There will be no excitement in the business until someone sells something. This could also be another challenging endeavor. You might be the best roofing contractor but the worst salesman. The salespeople you’re hiring should be aligned with your vision. It is easy to sell something that you understand. There should be a proper sales structure in place which encourages collaboration and conversion.
Poor Leadership
This is also one of the main reasons why a lot of businesses fail. The leadership of the company will be put to test in the growth stage. A good leader will know how to handle the pressures that come with growth. Behind every successful company, there is a visionary leader who provides the guidance and the morale of the team. Your company will depend on you steer it to greater heights. You should be someone that a lot of people look up to in the organization.
Problem With Growth
Handling growth is a problem that a lot of companies will find to be challenging. You might be growing too big too fast and it is easy to get overwhelmed as a result. If you’re coming from a sales background, there is a common notion that volume is equated to profit. This might not be true for the roofing industry. If the work is not profitable, you might run out of money to sustain the growth. It is easy to be carried away by the number of jobs that you’re getting on a monthly basis. Even if you’re growing too fast, you can still find yourself in trouble without the right structures in place.
To sum it up, starting a business in the roofing sector is always going to be challenging. You have to digest the fact that failure rates are higher compared to other industries and you will have to do extra work just to stay ahead of the curve. You should only go into the business if you have the experience.
