Your HVAC business has the potential to grow beyond expectations this year. You’ve already thought through many ways in which you can boost sales and build relationships by emphasizing customer service. Your equipment is well-maintained or upgraded. You’re ready to embrace traditional and digital marketing as a way to grow your heating and air business.
One thing you may not have considered, however, is how plugging into the local community can potentially impact your business in the coming months. In Alabama, many area schools, nonprofits, and other organizations often seek sponsors and partners in the form of local businesses just like yours to help them accomplish a particular goal.
Maybe it’s maintaining a baseball field or purchasing athletic uniforms. Perhaps there are fundraisers supporting children’s after school programs. Or is a local nonprofit looking for corporate sponsors to keep its services going?
Whatever the case may be, there is an opportunity for your business to step in and help. In so doing, there could also be an opportunity to grow your business.
Ways that community involvement can positively impact your business
Planning and setting aside a budget for community efforts is one way to increase the exposure of your business to potential customers in addition to traditional marketing.
Community involvement can also strengthen your business in ways you may not have considered.
Community involvement attracts prospective clients and customers, as well as potential employees.
Sponsoring local events or plugging into the community is a wonderful way to raise awareness of your business and brand. This activity brings your business to top-of-mind when someone is considering who they would like to work with – whether as an employee or customer.
Your business name is often front and center when on a ballpark’s fencepost or in the program of a local community theatre production. Improve brand recognition through these types of sponsorship efforts.
You can find a way to differentiate yourself from competitors in your area.
If you’ve noticed that there are no other HVAC companies in your area getting involved in an organization as a partner or sponsor, it could be a way to set yourself apart from competitors.
Differentiating your business from others in this capacity generates positive sentiment toward your brand. They’ll know you care about the success of your city or town and want to see it grow.
Network with other local businesses and business owners and grow your contact list.
Getting involved in a small-town or local community also provides built-in networking opportunities. You’re able to connect with other business owners, like yourself, and expand your contacts.
Grow your network through community involvement, and you’ll find the right potential partners or business-to-business contacts that your HVAC business needs to prosper.
Strengthen the relationships with your employees by sponsoring a cause important to them.
If your employees have families involved in schools, sports teams, or other organizations nearby, this is an opportunity to build morale in the office by showing support for those organizations.
Show your employees that you care about their activities outside of work by offering to support a cause important to them.
Be “the good guy” and strengthen positive goodwill in your city or town.
In the State of Consumer HVAC 2019, it was estimated that over 19% of potential customers ask for HVAC professionals using friends and families as references. They want recommendations from others. They value this information.
By building relationships in your community, you’re naturally increasing the chances that your business could get recommended to a friend, family member, or neighbor.
Need some additional insight as to how you can grow your HVAC business? Consider becoming one of our Smart Financing allies today. Contact 1-888-44-SMART for more information.
