Prior to working with us, Igor was running his business off a spreadsheet, paper notes, a private Gmail address and no website. Jobs were coming in via referrals and privately advertised work.

Igor came to me when he had ‘one of those days’ where everything was just too hard, stuff was everywhere, and he was about to throw his phone underneath the car #truestoryHe wanted to grow his business, to be able to manage it easily and to not be like ‘every other tradie’ out there. He wanted to inject his personality, take advantage of the tools around him, all while still being able to step away from the desk and enjoy his life. Sounds like a dream right?

So what did we do? First, we created a custom web domain and popped him into Google Workspace so that he could continue to use the platform he knew (Gmail) but with his new business domain. This was important so that even though he didn’t have a website yet, any communication to or from him, was coming from a business branded email (all set up with an email signature featuring his logo and templates to help streamline his communication with leads and clients).

Second, we had a website built for him. Something that he can easily make changes to as his business ebbs and flows. We dealt directly with the web agency on his behalf so that he didn’t have to deal with any of that ‘tech speak’ or get involved except to give approvals.

Third, and whilst the website was being built, we got him onto Google My Business and completely spruced up his profile. This allowed him to have a web presence even when his website wasn’t yet complete. About 25% of enquiries continue to come directly from his Google listing (without the person even reaching his website).

Fourth, we implemented ServiceM8. As Igor puts it, TOTAL GAME CHANGER in the way that he was running the business. Quotes that were taking him an hour to compile (AFTER he had been to see someone on-site) were now completed in just 5 to 10 minutes. Scheduling in work became a breeze as he could easily see where he was and when and integration into Google Calendar, allowed him to have complete oversite over what was going on.

The fifth and final big thing that we did for him was to help him with the process of people being able to book in a quote. See Igor was the sole person in the business and managing the number of emails and enquiries he received was taking up a huge part of his day with going back and forth trying to find times that worked for both parties. So what did we do? We put a human face to the business name and installed VideoAsk integrated with Acuity (Squarespace) Scheduling. This now allows people to book in for a quote directly on his website (integrated with his calendar so that it only shows the time he is available) and for those who have more questions or aren’t quite ready to be visited onsite yet, they still have the option to send through their enquiry.

You can see it in action here >> https://www.lipco.com.au/

As an added bonus, we also set Igor up with Emma.AI. Fencing comes with a lot of travel so it was important that his calendar was reflecting the time that it would take to get from location to location. Not just so he could see how long it would take but instead to manage the quote bookings that were coming through. So a bunch of different tools, all working in cohesion to make his life easier.

So what does his week look like now? Controlled, scalable, no nights in the office doing paperwork, and a choice of if and when he wants to work.

Show your support for the team at LIPCO Fencing here!