Categories
Success stories

Success story | Alex from Abco Plumbing Solutions

Here we share Alex’s story

Alex grew up in a family of hard-working plumbers; he started out by helping his dad and brothers with their plumbing work on the weekends. As the years went by, he fell in love with the industry and decided to build his own business, Abco Plumbing Solutions. 

He started out as a sole trader and took on jobs throughout Sydney. Now, 16 years later, he has his own team of plumbers, 5 trucks on the road and 24/7 emergency plumbing services.

The team at Abco Plumbing / Source: Abco Plumbing Solutions

Challenges before Oneflare

Alex needed a quick and effective way to connect with genuine, high-quality customers. This was challenging because he didn’t have a strong online presence and had very few reviews and ratings to prove the quality of his work.

“Before I started with Oneflare, I didn’t have many reviews and I wasn’t winning much work. The more time and effort I put into [Oneflare], the more I started to feel that I was starting to win more work because of the reviews. I was starting to get a lot of repeat work, and a lot of genuine customers.” – Alex

Want to share your success story?

Experience on Oneflare  

Through a Credit plan with Oneflare, Alex committed to growing his business and providing the best service he could for his customers. He collected all his reviews and ratings and completed his Business Profile to stand out against his competitors. 

The Customer Success team supported him throughout his onboarding journey and shared valuable advice for winning work. Once all set up, the Oneflare Account Management team took care of any questions and continued to provide support when necessary.   

Results on Oneflare

Abco Plumbing Solutions now has

  • The freedom to choose the type of clients, jobs and locations
  • A 4.8 average rating with over 300 reviews
  • The #1 top featured business for plumbers in Caringbah on the Oneflare Directory
  • A high-performing close-knit team of plumbers with 5 trucks on Sydney’s roads

Ready to start winning work?

Alex’s advice for any business looking to sign up with Oneflare is: “Use the platform, try to jump onto every single job you can. Go and meet your customer, bring a card, quote on the job and brand your business out there. Get out there and give it a go. You’ve got to be in it to win it”. 

Alex of Abco Plumbing Solutions / Source: Abco Plumbing

Categories
Top tools

Top Featured Business

The ultimate way to showcase your services on the Oneflare Directory

The Top Featured Business tile is an exclusively available fixed listing that sits at the very top of your chosen directory pages*. Once secured, your business will maintain a permanent, highlighted placement above your competitors’ listings.

To be eligible for a Top Featured Business tile, you will need to have at least a 4.3-star average rating from a minimum of 3 reviews. Need a hand boosting your review count? Simply sync your Facebook and/or Google accounts with Oneflare.

Benefits of being a Top Featured Businesss

  • Eye-catching directory listing
  • Zero competition
  • Be seen as the Top Featured Business in your area
  • Bundle discounts available

Speak to a Sales Consultant on 1300 441 593 for more information.

*Subject to availability

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can sync my Facebook and Google accounts with Oneflare help my business?
How do I increase my profile rating?

Categories
News & updates

7 ways to attract more leads with your Oneflare profile

Your Oneflare profile is the key to connecting with the right customers and winning work on the platform. Think of your Oneflare profile as your selling page – the more information you have for potential customers, the more likely you will get hired! This is your chance to stand out from your competitors and promote the value of your business.

Here are some pointers on how to attract more leads using your Oneflare profile.

1. Reviews, reviews, reviews!

Reviews are the most important factor when winning work from an online platform. This is generally the first thing that a potential customer will look at when making their hiring decision. There are several ways you can build your review base on Oneflare:

2. Get verified

The verification process has been introduced on Oneflare to add a layer of credibility to your business profile. This process is designed to give your potential customers peace of mind when hiring you.

To complete the verification process, all you need to do is log on to oneflare.com.au – click get verified – and follow the prompts. Once you complete this you’ll get a fancy blue tick next to your business name, the same as a public figure on other social media sites!

For a step-by-step guide click here

3. Talk about your business

Customers want to learn more about your business when they are making their hiring choice. Make sure you spend time outlining why your business stands out from others in your industry. Do this by writing a great description and filling out your Unique Selling points on your profile to capture your lead’s attention the moment they click on your profile. 

4. Profile Image is your first impression

Having a professional logo on your profile is crucial to gaining a customer’s attention. This is your first impression on these potential customers – so make sure you have a professional logo, or headshot there to stand out from other businesses.

Tip: make sure you jump on Oneflare’s website to utilise the new profile image editor tool, which allows you to zoom in and out and crop your image to look professional.

5. Images: what customers want to see 

Customers want to see your best work when they look at your profile. Be sure to fill out your image gallery to showcase some of your stand-out projects, whether these are before/after shots, work in progress shots, and completed projects; uploading around 10-15 images will help you to shine.

6. Setting up the correct preferences 

Get the right leads from the right area, and leave the rest to us so you can focus on what you do best. You can do this by setting your service types and service areas preferences in the Lead Settings section of the Oneflare for Business app, or on the Oneflare website.

7. Connecting with customers 

When you reach out to customers on the Oneflare app it’s important to stand out right from your first touchpoint. Use the additional comments feature when connecting with leads to personalise your message. Add links to your website and social media pages, and we’ll tell your customers to check out your Oneflare profile too. Adding in these details will show your potential customers that you value providing them with a personalised service, and will aid you in getting the best response.

Categories
News & updates

An introductory guide to customer success

What is customer success?

In a recent report, 80% of customers said that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, highlighting a maturing consumer mindset. Customer success occurs when your customers achieve their desired outcome through their interactions with your product. The strategy focuses on optimising the overall experience by proactively providing solutions and/or answers to any given situation that arises during the buy and delight phase. This premeditated approach sends all the right messages to customers, making them feel considered, nurtured and you guessed it, successful.

Why should busiesses invest in customer success?

Traditionally businesses have relied entirely on Sales and Marketing to head their growth strategy, which simply doesn’t cut it in today’s landscape. The focus, now, is pivoting to include the all-important customer. Customer acquisition is becoming increasingly challenging and expensive in today’s crowded markets, so adopting a strategy that focuses on keeping your current customers happy makes a lot of sense. While it is always important to find new prospects it’s even more important to nurture your current customer base. With this focus comes loyal customers, then brand ambassadors, and eventually entire communities. A foundation of loyal, happy customers drives repeat business, renewal and retention and minimises churn, ultimately improving your bottom line.  

How to create an optimised customer success strategy

How your customer success strategy looks will depend on three things:

  • Your customer’s needs 
  • Your product offering 
  • Your business resources 

Every strategy will need to leverage data gathered from consumers, an intuitive team to track and record consumer behaviour, and strong customer success software to collect and display the data for actionable insights. In larger organisations, you may choose to outsource or hire a customer success expert to drive the strategy and build a team to support the trajectory. For smaller, cash-conscious businesses creating a strategy may mean gathering a representative from each business function; product, sales and support to create a roadmap for customer success. 

Who is responsible for implementing customer success?

If you’re wondering whether you need a customer success strategy, the answer is probably yes. If you service customers then you should be looking into investing resources into creating a strategy that enables you, as a business, to partner with your customers. This working relationship will allow you to extract critical feedback and deliver on what the customer deems as most valuable. The task of creating, and maintaining this strategy lies with a Customer Success Manager (CSM) and their team. The CSM provides holistic leadership to the customer-facing team, while the team utilise their working relationships with customers to derive valuable, actionable feedback for the business.

No matter the size of your business, driving a customer success journey starts and ends with a customer-centric mentality, combined with a commitment to providing the best possible outcome using your product. 

Categories
News & updates

How to attract your ideal customers and avoid time-wasters

Sooner or later, every small businessperson runs into that customer they regret getting involved with. When time is money, you need to draw the line between being knowledgeable and helpful, and giving away too much billable information. The best strategy is to learn to spot these types of customers and set boundaries in the beginning so that you can spend your time with more valuable prospects, but how do you do this?

How to identify a time-waster

Everyone knows how valuable customer relationships are to growing your business. While it is always best to be courteous, how do you navigate a difficult client without sacrificing your professional reputation? The first step is to learn to recognize them in the first place. Here are a few of the more common things you should look for in potential time-wasting customers. 

  • They ask about lowering your price or striking “deals’

This is probably the biggest clue. This is a sign that they do not see the value in what you have to offer. If they are bargain shopping, they are not serious. 

  • They keep asking for industry information

 It is a sad reality that some customers only want you as a resource for industry knowledge. They might try to “impress” you with their knowledge of the industry by telling you things any beginner would know. You must set boundaries in the beginning and suggest that they hire your services if they would like a consultant. 

  • They’re delay in responding

 If a customer takes too long to respond, they are likely testing you to see how desperate you are for their business. You can bet that if you chase them, they will take full advantage of your vulnerability. If the client is a big company or influencer, you might want to ease up, but if this is not the case, you are probably better off moving on. 

Ways to attract the ideal customer

Now that you know a little more about avoiding the time-wasters, you need to know how to attract your ideal customer. Here are a few tips. 

  • Use a customer contact form 

Put a contact form on your website or email using Survey Monkey or Google Sheets. This technique allows you to ask a few prequalifying questions and to get a better idea of their needs. This takes up much less time than answering the phone and spending your time talking to “browsers.” 

  • Position yourself

Use your online presence to define your target market. This comes under the category of knowing your brand, knowing the value of your brand, and knowing as much as possible about your target market. 

  • Charge an initial consult fee

Your time is worth something. If they are serious, they will understand this and be willing to pay for your services from the beginning. 

  •  Free 10-minute consultation

Advertise a free consultation time and charge for anything after this, it’s an excellent way to set boundaries and limit your losses from those who only want what you know for free. Set a timer and be ready to politely end the conversation if the person wants too much. Also, keep in mind that people often do not value what they receive for “free.” 

  • Name your price

By advertising average prices on your website for standard services, you create transparency and can save time discussing via email or telephone. Being upfront about your pricing helps to attract those who are willing to pay what you are asking. If your pricing is clear, bargain hunters will probably not even call. 

Ways to steer a free conversation into a billable conversation

You can screen potential customers and take steps to try to eliminate those who are not serious, but sometimes, you still end up in a conversation with someone who sends up a red flag. What should you do if you find yourself in this position? 

  • Express the limitations of your call early in communication

If you are giving a free 10-minute consultation, be clear about that at the beginning of the conversation. Also, let them know when the clock begins. If the potential client begins asking things that are too in-depth for an initial conversation, politely state that this topic is beyond the scope of an initial consultation. If they will not allow you to end the conversation when the time is up, do not be afraid to break in and let them know that from this point forward the time is billable. 

  • Be knowledgeable but don’t give away all the answers

Express the need for more information or documentation to know the whole picture. It is good to let them know that you know what you are doing, but do not be too free with giving away trade secrets. It took you many years to get where you are now, and those who want to be where you are will have to put in the time, too. There is value in the knowledge that you bring to the table, and you should never give it away for free. 

  • Ask to set up a follow-up conversation 

When the time is up for the initial consultation, you should politely ask if they would like to have another conversation at the billed rate? Always keep the end of the conversation upbeat, even if you have a feeling that the person never intends to purchase services because you never know. 

  • Use customer-centric language

Be aware of your boundaries, but you should always give the customer the impression that you put them first. Keep the conversation focused on what they need and suggestions of how your services can help. Your goal should be to understand their needs. 

Unfortunately, these types of customers are a part of doing business. Having a solid plan for spotting them and understanding how to handle them if you do encounter them, is the best advice. The best strategy is to understand how to attract the ideal customer and avoid them in the first place.

Categories
News & updates

A guide to effective email marketing for small businesses

Today, businesses have many ways to reach out to their customers to share new products, services, and promote their brand. Email marketing is not just for big businesses, and small businesses can easily implement email marketing campaigns to reach their customers. Let’s see how email marketing for small business owners can help you reach your goals this year.

What are the benefits of email marketing?

Email campaigns are easy to implement and are a cost-effective way to communicate with your clients. It is also more personal than other forms of advertising because the user is the one to sign up to receive them. Here are some of the benefits of email marketing for small business owners. 

  • Cost-friendly

The cost of an email campaign depends on how many emails you send per month and the size of your subscriber base. Some platforms allow you to send an unlimited number of emails for $25-30 per month. 

  • Revenue

A recent study found that the ROI of an email campaign can be as high as 122%. This is four times higher than any other form of digital marketing. An email marketing campaign increases revenues by improved sales conversions because it is more targeted. It also results in increased website traffic and improved brand awareness. 

  • Ease of communication

It is easy to get the word out to targeted customers with useful information about your products and services, tell them about new products, sales, and promotions. With one well-crafted email, an active subscriber list, and a good mail provider, you can efficiently communicate with your audience anywhere they have access to email. 

  • Newsletters

Email newsletters are an excellent way to keep in touch with your target audience. You can do feature articles that might be of interest to your audience and touch base in a way that does not sound overly promotional. 

  • Promotions

Regular sales and promotions through email are an excellent way to let your customers know that they are in an exclusive club. This is a great way to let them know about holiday sales and special subscriber-only offers. 

  • Updates

You can let your customers know about any changes at the company or policy updates quickly and easily through email. 

  • Reminders

Emails are an excellent way to send reminders about special promotions, abandoned shopping carts, and when a bill is due. 

  • Automation

 The best thing about email marketing is that it can be fully automated. Once the initial email journey is created, you can sit back and let the software do the rest. 

  • Build & nurture relationships

Regular contact with your customers keeps you on their mind. The key is to value these relationships and do not become spam. 

  • Customer loyalty

When customers feel that you have crafted a message just for them, it helps to build loyalty. They can feel like they are part of the family because of the personalized message that they receive. 

  • Increase customer engagement

Email marketing campaigns are an excellent way to increase customer engagement. You can provide fun quizzes, surveys, and videos to keep your customers engaged.

How do you create an email marketing strategy for small businesses?

As you can see, email marketing campaigns can open doors and do things that other forms of advertising cannot. The next thing you probably want to know is how to develop an email campaign and an effective marketing strategy. The first thing you need to do is to explore the different email providers available and choose one that is right for you. 

  • Gather contact information

Once you have chosen an email provider, you need to start building an email list. You can do this through a contact page, a popup that asks them to sign up, or by providing special promotions of offers for signing up. You can also collect emails through your social media platforms. 

  • Choose your message

Now, it is time to decide what types of emails to send and how frequently. If you are not sure, you can hire a professional to recommend a campaign scheduled. 

  • Create your content

The next step is to create your content. You can create it yourself, or you can hire a copywriter who knows the right language to use to reach your audience. 

  • Ensure usability of web and mobile

One of the most important factors in today’s world is to make sure your email and westie are mobile-friendly. A large number of people have access to email and the web through mobile devices. 

  • Create a schedule

Make sure that you create a schedule and stick to it. If you commit to sending out an email a month, then make sure you do. Your customers will expect it. 

  • Track performance

Most mail service providers have built-in tracking. This allows you to make adjustments as needed. You should be tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, ROI, unsubscribes, bounce rate, and site traffic. 

Types of email marketing software

Today, you have many email marketing solutions for small businesses that are cost-effective and can be scaled up as you grow. Here are some of the best email marketing software for small business owners that we think you should consider. 

  • MailChimp

 MailChimp is one of the most widely used email providers for small businesses. One of the reasons why they are so popular is that they allow you to do email automation, newsletters, and segmented lists. They are affordable, and you can scale up as you grow. 

  • Moosend

Moosend is another popular email company. They allow you to add customized forms to your website and manage a contact list. Moosend is an excellent choice for beginners because is it easy to learn. It is easy for beginners, but it also has enough advanced features for experts. 

  • Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor is an excellent choice for beginners because they have an extensive library of templates and free tools. They have drag-and-drop customization and optimization for mobile. You can start with a free account and then move up to enterprise-level solutions as you grow. 

  • BOMA Marketing

 BOMA Marketing has an extensive library of resources for all aspects of digital marketing. You can do your email, social media posts, blog posts, and social media ads all from one platform. It also has a content library in case you run out of ideas of things to talk about in your newsletter. 

Email campaigns continue to be one of the most effective marketing tools for growing your brand. You have many resources available if you want to do it yourself, or you can always hire a professional who provides email marketing solutions for small business owners and free your time for other important tasks. 

Categories
Design & technology

9 contactless services to hire

Here we are again, seeing the effects of COVID-19 all over the country. Over the past year, the majority of us have spent a lot more time at home, seeing our houses transform into offices, schools, restaurants, gyms and more. With this shift, some Aussie’s are using this time to learn new skills, indulge in some long-standing hobbies and tick off long-overdue tasks. And let’s not forget the healthy dose of TV streaming of course. To give you some inspiration on some projects to embark on, we’ve rounded up the top 9 service categories we’re seeing an increase in jobs being posted over the last couple of weeks. 

1. Web Design & Graphic Design

With this time spent at home, often with a lighter workload, many are turning their attention to their “side hustle”, or in the case of the self-employed, their online presence. Physical stores and services have had to rapidly up their internet ante, and many are now are taking the opportunity to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality. 

Whether you want to spend this time giving your existing online business a makeover, a new logo or start a new brand from scratch – you can find a web design expert or graphic designer on Oneflare. 

2. SEO & SEM

While we’re on the “side hustle” bandwagon, don’t forget about the powerhouse that is your Google ranking. Improving your ranking can be a time consuming and complex process, which is often why it’s left in the “too hard basket”. Since many are now finding themselves with more time on their hands – you can always give it a go yourself, or alternatively, find yourself a pro

3. Fencing

Another one of those long-forgotten house projects – fencing. It’s no surprise Aussies are starting to focus on ensuring their homes are safe, secure and homely – because we’re all spending a lot more time there. Sort out your own fence now with one of our experts, or read up on how much it should cost you with our cost guide.

4. Accounting & Bookeeping

We’ve noticed that over the last few weeks, many small businesses owners have (finally) had the time to take stock of their suppliers and ask if it’s the best deal they can get. No matter what industry you’re in, keeping a close eye on your balance books is important now as ever. If getting your money matters in order has been on your to-do list for a while, now is the time to tick it off.

5. Courier

It’s not really a surprise to find ‘courier’ on this list, considering so many of us are social distancing and staying home as much as we can. With many stores shutting their physical presences, and online shopping on the rise – not to mention food delivery services – it’s no surprise many are offering no-contact services to pick up and deliver goods. Did you know you can find a courier on Oneflare

6. Roofing

One of the most popular categories over the last few weeks has been “roofing” jobs. Whether you need urgent repairs before the next downpour or have some regular maintenance or enhancements in mind, these jobs are completed entirely on the exterior of your home. That means, you can successfully limit contact to almost nothing. 

Find your own roofing expert today, or brush up on how much it should cost with our roofing cost guide.  

7. Gardening & Landscaping

If all this extra time spent at home has given you cause to examine the trees and gardens around your home in a bit more detail – you’re not alone. Landscapinggardening and arborist are some of the hottest categories on Oneflare right now. If you can’t really venture out into the great outdoors, you may as well ensure your own slice of paradise is looking lush. 

8. Car Painting

While this might sit as a low priority in your regular life, now is the time to tick off those to-do list tasks that would otherwise fall by the wayside. In fact, we’ve seen searches for car painters increase over the last few weeks and with our car respray cost guide being one of our most popular cost guides at the moment. 

9. Interior Designer

Has all this extra time spent at home realised how much you can’t stand your wall colour? Or that you actually want to completely start again in the kitchen? The good news is – many interior designers are offering remote consulting, so you can start creating your dream home from the comfort of your couch. Go on, hop on Pinterest today and get those inspirations flowing! 

Are you feeling inspired to tick off your to-do list? Post a job today, or show us your home projects on Instagram

Categories
News & updates

Profile Image Editor

We understand the importance of showcasing your business online. That’s why we’ve built the ‘Profile Image Editor’.

When updating your Business Profile, you now have the ability to crop, rotate and zoom your profile image to ensure it accurately reflects your business.

Zoom, rotate or crop your profile image using this new feature

The editor is currently a web-only feature. To learn more about our other improvements to the Business Profile, head here.

If you have questions, feedback or suggestions about what you’d love to see next, you can always reach out to your Account Manager or email us at [email protected].

Categories
Top tools

Direct Messaging

Customers can now directly message your business, without posting a job.

Receive high-intent enquiries directly in your Oneflare business inbox and start a conversation with your next customer today. This exciting new feature is free for businesses with an active subscription and at least one of the following plans:

Speak to us on 1300 441 593 for more information.

How does Direct Messaging work? 

A ‘Message’ button now appears on every eligible businesses’ public business profile. Once selected, customers are presented with a simple form asking them for brief details about what they need done, as well as any photos that help describe the job. 

Upon confirming their contact details, the message is sent directly to your business inbox where you have the option to ‘accept’ or ‘decline’ the request at no extra cost. Once accepted, the customer’s contact details are revealed and you’re now able to continue the conversation.

Frequently asked questions

Categories
Finance

Small business tax advice

Running a small business isn’t always smooth sailing, especially at the end of the financial year. With these few tax return tips, you’ll have your tax return done quick, so you can get back to business.

Prepare your tax return early

Avoid the rush in July by getting your documents together early. For some businesses, this involves manually collecting an inventory of receipts, expense records, invoices or employee details to review your company’s spend. Keeping records helps you understand your business’ financial situation and for tax purposes, receipts should be kept for up to five years. Starting as early as possible is the best way to minimise stress towards the end of the financial year and will help you lodge correct statements. As you go, confirm your business records are up to date and in line with current legislation.

Get ahead of the game and plan ahead by keeping copies of previous years records.

Get in touch with your accountant before June 30 to ensure you’re organised / Source: Stock image.

Tax advice for small business owners – what can you claim?

Being a small business there are plenty of things you’re able to claim tax on. Here’s a brief overview below.

  • If you or your employees travel for business you can claim:
    • airfares, train, bus or taxi fares, accommodation costs, meals and overnight business travel.
  • If you run your business at your home, or your business is based from home, you can claim:
    • the business portion of some expenses, including mortgage interest and electricity.

Match all accounts

Reconciling your accounts ensures bank statements are consistent with your own records, helping you spot any discrepancies in spend and find duplicate transactions. Start by chasing up outstanding payments, pending invoices or unpaid refunds. When all payments are up to date, match your receipts to your bank transactions, asking for copies of receipts where necessary. When you reconcile your accounts, you will also need to consider investment accounts, unpaid or outstanding debts and any leases.

Send payment summaries to employees well before July to ensure your business’ accounts are reconciled before PAYG summaries are provided for employees. Use this chance to update employees’ current financial details and superannuation payments, also checking any termination dates and leave entitlements.

A meeting with a bookkeeper or accountant can be useful as the new financial year approaches.

Contact local tax accountants

Shop for what you need

Some business owners use this opportunity to pre-purchase service and supplies to claim a deduction but fall for the trap of spending for unnecessary items, simply for a tax deduction. You can make a tax deduction on any important businesses purchases.

Claim the right deductions for the best refund

Keep accurate and detailed records to help you make the right deductions and concessions for your business. While it may take you some time to delve into the details of what deductions are available, a little effort from the experts will help your business pocket extra savings this financial year.

You can claim expenses related to the running of your business -mostly for day-to-day costs or for expenses that depreciate over time but are used to improve the structure of your business. To see what can and can’t be claimed, Check the ATO website.

Registered businesses with an ABN and a turnover under $2 mil may take advantage of recent tax concessions. This means they can claim any assets (less than $20,000) if an ongoing activity is adequately demonstrated. According to the ATO, your business may be eligible to claim up to $300 on home office equipment, electrical costs, cleaning expenses or repairs although documentation is required to claim deductions that exceed $300.

Plan ahead for maximal tax return savings

The end of the financial year is also an opportunity to compare your business’ performance to last financial year. You can then set realistic business goals for the upcoming year.

Lauren suggests that businesses should consider investing time and money in the right accounting software. This will minimise the risk of tax audits and penalties.

“Be organised. If you have adequate accounting software and bookkeeping procedures, you can do the work as you go,” she says.

The pressure of running a small business is already a lot to handle. When the end of financial year comes around, why not leave it to the experts? From tax accountants to bookkeepers, request a free service and make the right expert connection.