Blog

Posted on

Checklist for the Brand New Coatings Contractor (or a new Division of your Existing Company)

New-Contractor-Checklist

1: Select a business name that is well represented by what your niche focus is. Use something along the lines of: “Commercial Roof Coatings of Iowa” instead of “Iowa Roofing and Coatings”, it helps establish your company for Google and the public, by describing in detail what you primarily do.

2: Get a good website up and rolling that is optimized and searchable.

3: Start a Facebook page for your business. Add other Social Media outlets as you grow or expand ones that you already use.

4: Advertise yourself with branded vehicles, shirts, hats, literature and business cards. You can start with a minimal amount of material, but be sure you have enough to be able to begin cold calling in your area.

5: Develop your marketing plan and start working on it immediately: Cold Calling, Direct Mail, Social Media, Trade Shows, Digital marketing, etc.

6: Get your Demo kits started so when you are presenting they are ready.

7: If you can’t answer or return calls in a timely manner, then hire out an answering service to make your company feel larger.

8: Have a system in place for inspections and estimating that is timely and makes a positive impression.

9: Create a Follow Up Plan that is consistent and goes until you get a “YES,” “NO” or a “we already awarded that project.”

10: Do the highest quality work possible on landed projects and never cut corners. Your reputation is something that you can not easily get back once its created. Make a reputable name for your business from the very beginning. This is especially helpful in getting repeat business and referrals.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Want to read more?

“How Your Competition Can Be Your Best Ally In The Roofing Industry”

“Professional Contractors Never Stop Learning”

“The Launch of the Roof Coating Life Blog”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.
Posted on

Professional Contractors Never Stop Learning

Educated-Contractors-Never-Stop-Learning

No matter how long you’ve been in the business, you owe it to yourself and to your customers to continually learn at the speed that our industry is growing. Technology has changed the quality and overall performance of today’s roofing systems. It has also changed the applications and methods of installation and proven long-term performance based designs.

What may have been known as common knowledge 15 years ago could quite possibly have been replaced with newer technologies and newer methods that give better long-term performance.

Here are a few other reasons why you should continually immerse yourself into trainings, whether it be manufacture-based or in field trainings with other contractors or product reps:

1. The human mind can only retain so much knowledge, without it being brought back to the forefront by daily use.

Things can easily become clouded or confused and we commonly think we recall something to a T, yet it could actually be somewhat different in reality. By attending regular trainings it allows things to be brought back to a more conscious level and builds off of repetition.

2. Technology and advancements have changed for the better by the way that products are applied, stored, used, disposed of and cleaned.

By attending trainings you will learn all of the methods that will make you a better steward of the industry and of our planet.

3. Consistently attending Industry trainings will bring you more profit by expanding horizons of your options and methods of delivering those options to your potential clients.

Take coating’s for an example: if all a contractor ever did on a metal roof was a TPO flute Fill layover and he comes in contact with a customer who does not have the budget for that system, a Fluid Applied system could be a very viable opportunity for that contractor to still make a sale and serve his client. 

Also as stated before when you learn tips tricks or equipment that will speed up your install time while still delivering quality workmanship you lower your labor and increase your profits.

At the end of the day, attending trainings makes you a better contractor so reach out to your local rep, your manufacture, or to other contractors in your area and see which trainings they would recommend you attend and get registered for them as well.
Educated contractors make educated decisions.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Want to read more?

“How Your Competition Can Be Your Best Ally In The Roofing Industry”
“Check List for the Brand New Coatings Contractor”
“The Launch of the Roof Coating Life Blog”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.

Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.

Posted on

How Your Competition Can Be Your Best Ally In The Roofing Industry

two-roofers-shaking-hands

We all know that traditionally your product rep or manufacturers rep can be a huge support system for you and your business. A Rep that reaches out even after you have bought their product and makes sure that you had a successful install, is one worth bragging on and keeping.

But another group of people that could be huge allies in you getting more jobs is your so-called “competition.” I know you’re thinking “what is he talking about? Why would I work with my competition and why would they give me jobs?”

Here is the reasoning behind those crazy thoughts:

I’m not suggesting that you reach out to every competitor that you have in your market, but what I do suggest is that you reach out to a handful of the top notch top quality professionals that you know, who are large players in your market. Find out what services or systems they install that you don’t, and vice versa. 

Let’s say they only install TPO/PVC and EPDM because they are a large single ply contractor. If you were to make a good acquaintance with them and show them how you can offer a high-quality liquid applied system to their repertoire when they come in contact with a client who may not have the budget for a TPO or a layover, they can refer you or bring you in as a sub to do a coating system for them. This allows them to continue to serve their clients and still get a small piece of the pie on an otherwise lost opportunity.

In doing so, if you come across a roof that is in need of a single ply or a specific system that you currently don’t install, you can reach out to them and do the same thing. You can refer them or use them as a sub and you both get a piece of the pie and build both of your businesses.

Mutual Benefits:

Not only does this build stronger communities because of the shared wealth and growth but it also builds a stronger quality control in your market which will allow the cream to rise to the top promoting both of you to get more jobs.

If you live in a storm ridden area this will give both of you the opportunity to tackle more jobs by having more tools in the toolbox, thus improving the bottom line for both companies.

At the end of the day, when you collaborate you eliminate competition and dominate industries.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.

Want to read more?

“Checklist for the Brand New Coatings Contractor”
“Professional Contractors Never Stop Learning”
“The Launch of the Roof Coating Life Blog”

Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.

Want to up your game in the Fluid Applied Roofing Industry? Sign up for Tips and Tricks of the trade so you can live the Roof Coating Life like a Boss.

Posted on

Why am I Doing This Blog?

Chad-Hedrick-of-Roof-Coating-Life-at-the-beach

Hey Boss, I’m Chad with Roof Coating Life. It literally seems like it was just yesterday… man have the years flown by since I made a decision that changed my life. Previously I had worked as a Civil Engineer designing bridges and ADA accessible elevator projects. After the boss man paid me late seven times in a row, I decided something had to change.

It was a Spring day in 2000 when I happened across an opportunity and company that would provide me with the avenue and framework to work for myself in the Roof Restoration/Coatings industry, while installing a Top Quality Proven product for my clients. I took a leap of faith, made the commitment to change and SUCCEEDED with my new Commercial Roofing business… more so than I’d ever dreamed, installing Quality Fluid Applied Systems with Low Labor and Unbelievable Profit Margins!… I couldn’t believe it until I was experiencing it…

I experienced the unique framework of being able to work hand in hand with a fellow contractor who had experience in the fluid applied industry and who had a vested interest in my success, unlike most reps who get paid every Friday no matter what.

Knowing that the support system was there to coach, mentor and train me on anything I wasn’t sure of, gave me more confidence than I could ever think of on my own. I was young and inexperienced, yet bidding and winning 6 figure contracts that many only dream of and better yet they were extremely profitable.

Chad-and-Katie-Hedrick
I even met my wife, Katie on a company trip.

Fast forward to today: I now love what I do and live a FULFILLING life helping other contractors live that same opportunity… providing a great service to their clients, while providing a great income for their family.

It is what I sincerely love to do on a daily basis. Imagine what You could do with an opportunity like this! If you have ever thought “man, I can see the Fluid Applied systems as being a huge leverage when bidding against tear offs or layovers,” well… you’re right. This is an Industry that is on a vertical climb and looks to be going for quite some time.

If You’re looking for Higher Profit Margins and Lower Labor Costs in the Commercial Roofing Industry, message us and let’s get a game plan together and find a way to start working on it TODAY.

I’m living proof of this. I wish I had acted sooner on many things in life… but this is one thing I did right and it was the Single Greatest Decision in my personal life and for sure in my business career. Are you ready? We are! Let’s do it.

Chad Hedrick, Owner at Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Want to read more:

“Checklist for the Brand New Coatings Contractor”
“How Your Competition Can Be Your Best Ally In The Roofing Industry”
“Professional Contractors Never Stop Learning”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.

Want to up your game in the Fluid Applied Roofing Industry? Sign up for Tips and Tricks of the trade so you can live the Roof Coating Life like a Boss.

Join the Email List

Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.

Get the eBook