I was actually one of the first people to show up to the pre-bid meeting this morning from the government lead off of fencebids.com and probably one of the last to leave. One of the reasons is that I stayed behind and chatted with a competitor of mine. It is nice to hear what the other fence companies are up to and how they are getting by in this industry with today's economy.
There is a lot that goes along with a government contract,... such as paperwork and finding all the locations of the job sites. This bid just happens to be scattered all over Clackamas County here in Oregon. Fix-A-Fence LLC has an opportunity to bid on seven of twenty-six sites that are in need of improvement. Cool thing about this is the Davis-Bacon wages. Employee's always like a decent paycheck and when there is a government contract involved it usually means big money.
That being said though it does take time to acquire the money owed to any contractor. So if you are a sub-contractor working for a general contract on a government project you can pretty much bet that you will get paid only after the general has gotten paid. Then there is a retention on the project until the finals have been accepted and signed off. So if you have the money and the patience to wait for that check to come in then these types of projects are for you.
Fix-A-Fence LLC has been able to create a credit base if necessary on a thirty day payment plan at a chain link supply warehouse. This will help if the contract is awarded to Fix-A-Fence LLC.
If anything today was a huge step for Fix-A-Fence LLC just by handing out business cards to other general contractor's they may call sometime for an estimate to fulfill their bid. Not all contracts are from the government so it is a good thing to rub elbows with a few that are a bit higher up on the scale. I wouldn't mind having about five or six general contractors that just call me exclusively without shopping around. That would keep Fix-A-Fence LLC pretty busy all year round.
Just thought I would share with you a bit on today's events with Fix-A-Fence LLC.
I was also able to share The Turf Byrd's with a couple people there too.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Government Fence Bids
In the last video for the Fix-A-Fence LLC Youtube channel I spoke of a web site located at www.fencebids.com. Which is a internet update of all the Government bids for fence work. State, County, and Local governments are all assembled here and updates can be directly e-mailed to your in-box to decide upon. ( video link is below the pictures )
My first pre-bid meeting is coming later this month and will be taking some business cards to hand out to some of the other general contractors that will be attending this meeting.
If you haven't signed up for this valuable info. may I suggest that you do if you are interested in government contracts for fence work.
Here are some pictures of some recent work activity from Fix-A-Fence LLC.
My first pre-bid meeting is coming later this month and will be taking some business cards to hand out to some of the other general contractors that will be attending this meeting.
If you haven't signed up for this valuable info. may I suggest that you do if you are interested in government contracts for fence work.
Here are some pictures of some recent work activity from Fix-A-Fence LLC.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
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.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
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 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.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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.
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.
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