The Finished Look

Here are the images of, "The Finished Look"

Hopefully the rest of the neighborhood will want a free fence estimate for their fencing needs from Fix-A-Fence LLC.

Noticed during construction of the project there were some cars that drove by really slow. Maybe they were writing down the yard sign information from the authorized placement.

Just thought I would share the pictures of what Fix-A-Fence LLC has accomplished through the marketing techniques that have taken place lately.

It does seem like a good time to go out and place some more phone pole tear tag advertising. Sun is coming out because spring is almost here. To be honest the sun hasn't gone anywhere it is just that the clouds are in the way. 

Fix-A-Fence LLC Yard Sign Advertising

Just wanted to take a minute and talk about yard sign advertising.

This idea came to me while I was taking down my wife's sign for homecare support.

I took the signs off of the metal rods that held the shape of the plastic and turned them inside out. I found a paint pen that was white in color and laid the plastic pieces on the kitchen floor and began to write out the Fix-A-Fence LLC yard sign.

This is what the signs turned out to look like and this is the first one to be placed on a property of a fence contract that Fix-A-Fence LLC has landed. 

I have the other two out in my front lawn just waiting for the next fence customer that will allow                 Fix-A-Fence LLC yard advertising.

This fence contract just happens to be from one of the tear tag telephone pole marketing neighborhood saturation project that Fix-A-Fence LLC conducted not long ago.

Just wanted to share this nugget of information.

Fix-A-Fence LLC Marketing Material Idea's

One valuable take away from the continuing education class is value proposition. Being a specialty contractor options for opportunity are limited to one other related field trade.

So because I like to think I am good at formatting my own marketing materials I have created a Thank You card for customers. I am thinking about going one step further and making a bunch of t-shirts with the Fix-A-Fence LLC logo and give them to customers as a thank you gift. Then when things get really good here at Fix-A-Fence LLC I have already thought about coffee mugs with the logo and a few pictures of fence. If I really had the man power then the mugs would be personalized with the customers fence pictures.

Another valuable take away is graphing the companies gross profit margin. Where can I cut costs to improve the bottom line while keeping quality a high standard and pricing competitive and effective? This is just one of the many questions I will be asking myself as the days go by.

Posting and blogging are two of the biggest advertising features that can help any business if done on a consistent enough basis. That's how I have got the kind of stats I have gotten so far is by consistently posting and blogging. Of course there is the video campaign too.

They all play a major roll in today's market place on the internet. Especially when you only have three to five seconds to capture the attention of your target. Things to remember are make the subject line compelling with emotion and to capitalize each letter of every word even if the word is If. People really don't like to be shouted at and that is what you do when you capitalize every letter of every word. So set a web presence with little stuff like this.

So until next time keep smiling and dreaming big because all things are possible for those who believe.  

Fix-A-Fence LLC Filling The Funnel

Amazingly even through all the rain after the tear tag flyer campaign Fix-A-Fence LLC has received three phone calls for estimates. Only time will tell when one will fall through the funnel. The main thing here is to keep the hopper full. So I have been trying to keep the estimates coming in.

Today was a baseball field repair estimate. Apparently some kids have broken off fence posts and have damaged the chain link. However it begins with preparation, I feel that if whoever installed the baseball field fence would have used some heavier duty posts and chain link mesh then the damage would have been less than or have lasted a bit longer then it has. This diamond isn't that old.

This estimate came from when working on another project. A guy came up to me and asked me if I would be willing to go out to this high school and give him a repair estimate on the little leagues baseball field. There is five posts that have been broken or bent and the chain link is of 11-1/2 ga. really cheap stuff and shouldn't be used for a baseball field. Just like all the line posts for the fence are all 1-5/8" tubing. This type of post shouldn't be used for a six foot high fence, especially for a baseball field. Somebody was saving some money!

The estimate here involves more than just the small repair, as the little league superintendent wanted an estimate to remove and replace all of the 11-1/2 ga. chain link. This amounts to around 350' and he also threw in to remove and replace every other line post with a heavier duty post in the same circumference.

Gotta like these kinds of estimates, now to get it to fall through the funnel.

God will provide, it is all a matter of trust. Faith is the evidence of things unseen. That's how                     Fix-A-Fence LLC was formed, on faith.

The next blog will be on profitability and value of the business. Through the continuing education process I will be blogging on the things I have learned and the things I have implemented from what I have learned. So until the next blog stay strong and keep believing in faith.

 

Fix-A-Fence LLC Returns To Stomping Grounds

Returned today to the stomping grounds that began this fence company by stapling Fix-A-Fence LLC pull tag flyer's up on high foot traffic area phones poles. This is a simple but effective marketing concept. If you have the time and the talent to make a decent designed flyer with all of your business information it is well worth the pennies and time spent.

Publisher has some good tools to use in the flyer category and with clip art the flyer becomes a professional marketing tool in minutes. Cut along the lines to make the tags easily accessible for people to tear off. Make sure you have a decent staple gun and plenty of staples. Find a location near your place of business or where you would like to conduct some business and get started stapling the flyer's you created to all the phone poles in high traffic areas you can find.

There are the community bulletin boards and other businesses that allow this marketing tool to be placed on their bulletin boards. The response may be at a low capacity but still it is a great way to gain company recognition just by having been seen in so many different locations. This is just a very inexpensive way to market your business if you are willing to get out and gain that extra bit of exposure.

One thing I have told myself is that I don't want to forget where I started this business from. This business like most started with just a few tools, a vehicle, and a whole bunch of knowledge on building and repairing wood and chain link fences. I started by placing flyer's on phone poles and my design talent wasn't that great but it sure has improved since the beginning.

Just because the season is slow doesn't mean that the marketing has to. After the next batch is made up the saturating will begin all over again. It just came to my mind that whenever I get out of the truck and someone sees me, the truck has Fix-A-Fence LLC and the phone number all over so I am sure even then the fence company is getting just that much more exposure.

Fix-A-Fence LLC and Continuing Education

Last night I took a three hour class on High Impact Marketing as part of my continuing education to be a licensed contractor here in the State of Oregon.

There was a lot of great information that was laid out for a powerful marketing plan and strategy. Currently I have already implemented a lot of what was taught last night. As a matter of fact I believe that I was some sort of value and help to the rest of the class.

One thing for sure is that I need to get hooked up with some sort of networking organization that meets up every week for coffee and a chat about business. Sharing leads and referrals is a big part of growing any kind of business. Just as education is important being around people with like minds is just as important.

As you are well aware the internet is a huge factor in advertising from a soft sale to hard sale. The more trust you can create on the internet the better chances you will have at getting hired and that means getting paid in my book. As a result from my internet marketing, I believe mentioned in an earlier post, that the last several phone calls for estimates have been from Google search.

There are several traditional ways of marketing products, in the past and still today there are businesses that utilize yellow pages, The Oregonian, direct mail, signs and brochures. However with the shift in technology and thanks to the internet we now have at our disposal e-mail campaigns, spark interest with a web site, draw a following to a webinar, write fresh content on a blog such as this one, Facebook is a great social media service, and then there is the all so powerful Youtube videos that really help with the face to face advertising part of the sale, and then don't forget to keep people up to date with a tweet from time to time.

There are plenty more ways to market your product but the main thing is to get started.

Fix-A-Fence LLC Positions With Google On Four Pages

Moving forward into this year of 2012. The Google advertising campaign has resulted in quite a few phone calls for estimates that have turned into work orders. It has also brought other marketing companies to my phone as well. Just today I received a call from some kind of contractor web site that said he was only going to allow four contractors exclusive positions. He wanted to know if I would be one of them for $150.00 a month? He is not the only person that has called me trying to get me to give in to their method of attraction marketing.

Fix-A-Fence LLC is positioned with Google on four relative pages for fence estimates. That has all been from my own personal efforts. Now other people want me to pay them for something I have already done. Hmmm

As I have mentioned before the winter months are rather slow but this year so far has not been the case. However I would like to invite you to view a dream of mine that has become a sort of reality.

The Turf Byrd's

The Turf Byrd's Blog 

I have to keep myself as active as I can even during the busy months. The Turf Byrd's can and eventually will be the next novelty craze since those rocks.

People have asked me why build fence when I have such a great product to sell. Currently Fix-A-Fence LLC makes quite a bit more over the year than The Turf Byrd's  have.

The Turf Byrd's  craze really hasn't hit full speed yet. I am sure there are a few kinks to get out as with any other venture. The biggest kink has already been unraveled. One step at a time.

Fix-A-Fence LLC Year End Blog Post

As previously mentioned in an earlier blog post, this has been the busiest year for Fix-A-Fence LLC. I believe it all stems from the activity that I have been involved with on the internet. Craigslist posting, twitter, Youtube videos, blog posts, and backlinks, are all just a part of the mechanics that have made this year the busiest so far.

Here are some great results because of the Fix-A-Fence LLC online strategies, the last three estimates have been from Google searches and one of the three have led to a work order. Whoever told to use the mixture of free advertising and PPC campaigns to market my little fence company was so right. So if you are reading this blog,...Thanks!

The efforts will continue to keep Fix-A-Fence LLC ranking on Google in some of the top positions with the fence estimate category, such as free fence estimates, fence estimates, wood fence estimates, and chain link fence estimates in Portland, OR. When I first started doing my Google searches I had no idea how effective this sort of marketing would be. I have used plenty of free advertising dollars that have been sent to the mailbox, one of my favorite ways to advertise by far has got to be making the videos for Fix-A-Fence LLC. I have always wanted to be affiliated with advertising in some sort or another. Now I have been able to use what I like to do for my little fence company called Fix-A-Fence LLC.

Being a business owner does have it's ups and it's downs, but it is by far better that being stuck at some dead end just over broke feeling everyday dragging time thinking I am actually getting somewhere doing someone else a favor by working for them. Sorry but I have spent a lot of time on the other side and I can honestly say that the life of a small business owner is way better than working for one. By the way I believe America is built on small business. I also like the fact that I get to make money, spend money, and pay my taxes on the money that is left over. If I were an employee I would have to earn money, pay taxes on that money and then get to spend whatever is left. I don't know about you but I like to spend the money I make. The more I spend the better off our economy is, I believe that is one of the major reasons why we business owners get to pay the taxes on what is left at the end of the year.

Tax deductions are so cool if you know how to utilize the system. Tax consultants are cool people to talk to and are generally there to help you out in getting the best dollar back for your dollar. I don't mind paying a tax specialist to get the paperwork in order for me to file. Again I don't mind spending the money I make, as long as I am getting something out of the money I spend, there seems to be happiness with that equation.

Fix-A-Fence LLC is looking forward to starting it's fourth year in business, with what I have already established in positioning content and ranking Fix-A-Fence LLC's relevancy on Google, Craigslist and other media sources the year 2012 should be a rather large year for this little fence company called Fix-A-Fence LLC.

Happy Holiday's From Fix-A-Fence LLC

Since Fix-A-Fence LLC has established the company in 2009 I have sent a small thank you letter to all of my customers that did business with Fix-A-Fence LLC. There really not much there, but that is not what matters.

The card was created from the Publisher 2003 version Microsoft provides and I have added a fencers touch to it with a picture of a wood fence.

Inside reads: Happy Holidays

                   Small business depends on people like you
                   Thank you for hiring Fix-A-Fence LLC this year
                   May your holiday season be filled with
                   Peace, Joy, and plenty of great memories

      Thank you for doing business with Fix-A-Fence LLC

On the back of the card is all the information necessary to pass on to anyone that may need a free fence estimate. Name, phone number, CCB#, etc.

Like I mentioned there really isn't much to the card, but it is jam packed with a big Thank You!

One of my cards was returned because of the address being wrong, so I hand delivered it and was surprised to find that the address matched the address on the mailbox. Huh?! The customer and I were sorta confused and got a laugh out of our postal service. It is a thank you card that the customer should never forget.

To be honest Fix-A-Fence LLC should have sent out more cards than what was sent out. At least that is the way my body feels, certainly not the pocketbook. Fortunately for this year there has been work every month this year. Got to do a small repair yesterday to start out the month of December with.

A previous customer had to move an Osprey perch off of city property so all I had to do was a center stretch opening up the fence line and removing a couple of posts to allow heavy equipment in to move the Osprey perch. There was only supposed to be one post removed but since the heavy machinery was there I took advantage and didn't break a sweat. Broke a come along cable trying to pull the set out of the earth but still didn't break a sweat pulling the posts. I love watching other people do my work for me.

Fix-A-Fence LLC The Busiest Year So Far

Wow, this has been the busiest year for Fix-A-Fence LLC since established in 2009. The phone has rang a lot more because of the marketing tactics I have learned from all of this down time during the off season. However the start of this off season has been on for the most part. More estimates in the funnel this year at this time of the season and more irons in the fire since established.

Craigslist, Backpage, Youtube, and this blog are some of the free resources used for marketing Fix-A-Fence LLC here on the internet. Then there is Google with PPC campaigns and if I was really rich I would use Facebook advertising. However I have found Facebook to be rather expensive and unresponsive from campaigns. So if you are looking to spend your money you can either let me have some or use Google to get the maximum PPC power for your buck or even your free credit from some of the junk mail that's laying around. That's how I use Google advertising anyway. I get a lot of what's known as junk mail, only I take a bit of time to open the envelopes that seem to pile up. Vista Print sent me $100.00 in Google advertising credits and I put that to use creating an account and placing a couple of ads for a campaign. Getting great results for that, just another reason that Fix-A-Fence LLC is up at the top of Google for Free Fence Estimates Portland Oregon.

I feel that videos are rather important with my advertising techniques because with today's internet attention span only lasting three to five seconds that is all the language I want to really use. So by having a video URL pasted in my posting it cuts the language reading down to the time necessary to capture the interest of the visitor. The best subject line is the most important part though.

With the subject line I have learned it is relevant to use all of the line with something that draws attention by capitalizing every first letter of every word in the subject line. Like one of my best lines goes like this, Why Wait For The Larger Fence Company To Give You A Free Fence Estimate Call. That one seems to work every time. I have more subject lines to use and the list I copy and paste from grows. So,... that way I can mix up the subject lines with the same sort of ad creating relevance with content.

To be honest as I have previously mentioned it is just plain hustle at getting the word out on the internet that there is a Fix-A-Fence LLC company here in Portland, OR that doesn't mind doing some of the small jobs the the larger companies either don't want to touch or are trying to gouge the customers pocket book. Mending Broken Fences is a motto and one I stand by. There is so much depth to that motto that few will understand and many will reject. Kind of like scripture from the Holy Bible one few really understand it and many, many reject it. This fence company called Fix-A-Fence LLC has flourished since it began, sure there has been the slow and even bad check time but prayer and devotion to God has pulled me through and out of any harmful situation that has come about to this fence company. So I am taking the time now to thank God for all He has done for this fence company. Thank You God!

Free Fence Estimates Ranks No.1 On Google

Fix-A-Fence LLC has been ranked no.1 on Google fro the last four months now for Free Fence Estimates Portland, OR. That has come from hustle and reading books on how to enhance my internet marketing strategies. A lot of how this has happened is from the free advertising that the internet has to offer.

Youtube, craigslist, backpages, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging and some of the free services the internet warehouse has to offer. I am not going to say it isn't hard work, so the best thing to do is to master one at a time. Research, read and apply with hands on knowledge because it is all about repetition. The more that you do something the better you get at it and therefore the faster it becomes.

For instance, I have a file of different posts to copy and paste so that saves time. I have several videos to copy and paste the URL into the posting so advertising Fix-A-Fence LLC on Craigslist in the morning takes me all of about 5-7 minutes per post. That's the thing about repetition, at first when I was a newbie at this it would take me twenty or thirty minutes because I didn't have a file of posts I was typing every post. I didn't have video's nor did I have a blog such as this one. All this took time and research and now I have companies calling me asking me to spend $169.00 per month on what I have already accomplished on my own. Nice thing about this is that I now have friends that would like me to help them accomplish this for their business.

Because fencing is seasonal, I may just have to help my friends out with there business just to make ends meet during the off season for fencing. That's what is nice about having a bit of internet knowledge. My friends see that I am No.1 on Google and now they want a piece of the action. I tell them that it takes time and hustle. It is a learning process and with today's technology the internet just keeps getting better. What difference does it make how many people look at my videos when they pop up on the first page of Google? This is what free advertising is all about. The only thing I have paid for are the books and the time that it took for me to apply the knowledge of others. All this advertising that I have been doing is all free. The sooner that you get started the sooner Google will start ranking your results. Action speak louder than words, so get going and make yourself No.1 on Google with free advertising.

Committing Fraud is Illegal

The last time I checked committing fraud is illegal. Over the past few weeks Fix-A-Fence LLC has experienced just that another company committing fraud by submitting a bad check for materials. I didn't find out that the check for materials was insufficient until the bank called me while out on an estimate. The contract is complete and still lacking labor fees.

There are three things that I have learned from this experience:

1) Always take the check to the bank where it was drawn from if possible.

2) How to file for a lien

3) My God is bigger than any problem I have.

Talk about putting the brakes on, the bank acct. was frozen and there was little cash flow. I felt helpless for the time it took me to get a loan and bring the acct. to working order. One thing for sure is that you can not keep a good man down. I am very thankful for the people in my life that have the means and thought to care for someone in a position like this.

Now it is just a matter of time before the check shows up. I have hired a company called RoHillCo. They specialize in liens and other business services. I was referred to them from a fence supplier that uses their services when they have a problem to solve.

This has certainly been a valuable and costly lesson for me to learn. I do hope that nothing like this happens to you. Remember to cash the check at the bank where it was drawn from if possible. Or wait until the check clears before purchasing the material. Especially on the larger jobs.

Another thing if something like this should happen, never give up and remember it was the other guy that gave you the bad check. You are just doing what you said you will do.  

CCB Makes Continuing Education Easy

After renewing my CCB license there was a post card type of advertisement with a question, "Did You Know?"

What I didn't know is that the CCB now requires residential specialty contractors to take continuing education courses. So now I do and have started my CE with the CCB. One thing for sure is that the CCB has made online CE so very easy to use. Videos that have the class broken down into segments with a few questions on the topic after every short video. This kind of CE can be done in the comfort of your living room, bedroom, or even at the office. The point here is that CE with the CCB has been made really easy for us to use.

I was able to print off my first certificate of completion, I can manage my CCB license from the comfort of my living room with just a couple key strokes on the keyboard, I can even sign up for a e-newsletter delivered right to my box quarterly, also see up to date information as it happens. It's like having all the latest news updates that the CCB has to offer right at your fingertips.

Here is the web site address for those of you in Oregon seeking to file for your CCB license. It is www.oregon.gov/ccb

Contractors can monitor the license status of subcontractors online. This one here is huge for those general contractors having to sub the work out. Even in preparing the bid to get accurate numbers to place in the proposal. What if you used some numbers for a proposal from a said contractor that wasn't licensed as a sub and you used their numbers for your proposal. You get the job and now have to hire a more expensive firm because the numbers you used were from an unlicensed subcontractor. There goes the profit margin.

I was always told that preparation in 95% of the job. And preparation starts at the estimate. If the estimate is prepared properly nine times out of ten the job will go according as planned because even if there is the slightest of unforeseen issues there has been enough built in for the contingency.

Education is important and continuing education as we grow older is just as important as the continuing education provided on the CCB web site. Courses are affordable and there are plenty to choose from out side from the CORE classes needed to be taken. I have 15 hours to go before renewing my license in 2013. With the way CCB has made this CE that should be no sweat.

So,...your Honor,...whose Fence is it?

Being in the fence industry for nearly 20 yrs now I have seen a lot of issues with fence lines and have heard a lot about fence lines and even have defended against fence lines over whose fence it is or if the fence or even the concrete is on the property of who I am working for. The concrete being two inches on one side of the guys property was one that kinda sticks with me.

There was an estimate that I had went out on and the guy I was seeing asked me about the fence his neighbor had put in. Now his neighbor without getting permission cut up this guys Holly tree in order to put the fence in. The Holly tree was and is clearly on the property of the guy I was called out for and estimate with. The fence wasn't on his property, however the concrete was clearly seen on this his property. He wanted an estimate on what it would take to remove the fence and install it two inches.

To be honest I really couldn't believe it at first but then as I thought about it this guy didn't get permission from his neighbor to hack up his Holly tree to put a fence in. The guy I did the estimate for obviously won the case in court because the company went out and moved the fence over two inches.

Another time it was because of a fence that I was installing. This Vietnam Vet that I was working for decided to have a 7' high brown slatted chain link fence installed with the option of applying barbed wire in the future. The fence is really close to the neighbors boat and so the feud begins. The Vietnam Vet takes pictures and even to the point of leaving a concrete set in line with the post in place, and saving a concrete chunk from the existing fence line. I kinda thought that was a bit odd at first. After the evidence was brought before the judge and the jury deliberated the fence stayed in the spot where it was constructed.

So,...whose fence is it? The one with the most evidence wins in these cases. So if you ever have any questions as to whose fence it is, present your evidence before the judge and let him decide. Or just figure things out before hence the terminology, "Good Neighbor Fence".

Oh,.... I have more to blog about and more to come so keep watching for the Mending Broken Fences blog updates.

Is A Fence Estimate Really Free?

Have you ever asked yourself if the fence estimate you received is really free? I have always wondered that myself, being that I am a fence contractor and say that I am giving you a free fence estimate. I feel that the estimate is only free until someone actually blesses me with the opportunity of a work order. How is that free when the estimate turns into,...cash? I do know this that by saying I am giving you a free fence estimate that is exactly what you are getting from me. No hidden fees for an estimate on the back end of the quote. Honesty is the best policy in my book. Word of mouth can really make or break a business no matter what line of work you're in.

Another thing that I know about giving away free fence estimates is that my phone seems to ring for a free fence estimate. Now not every fence estimate turns into a work order so that may be another reason why the estimate is considered free.

The attitude of listening to the customers needs and desires for their fence is true customer service. This adds value to any business. Remember you are not the one that has to live with the fence. The customer always has a say for what goes in on their property. Otto Zochert founder of Zochert Fence Co. always said that if I could build a residential fence I can build any fence. Customers are not picky, they may seem that way but it is their money and their fence so they have a right to be picky if that is what you would like to consider it when the customer wants a fence a certain style or grade of material or even in the most extreme conditions and terrain.

So I guess if I were to get asked the question is the estimate really free? My response would be yes,... but if I were to land the contract how can I consider it free?

Fix-A-Fence LLC Building and Repairing Wood and Chain Link Fences

Repairing or installing a wood or chain link fence can be a bit laboring and requires tools and in some cases a bit of knowledge. Having been in the industry for over 17 years now I have seen a lot of interesting fences and have had the opportunity to repair or even replace those interesting fences.

From the smallest of repairs to the complete fence install Fix-A-Fence LLC can do it all. Fix-A-Fence LLC is licensed, bonded, & insured, also registered with the Secretary of State in Oregon as Fix-A-Fence LLC.      Fix-A-Fence LLC has a CCB# 187218

This is just the beginning of many blogs to comes for your fencing repair and install needs.