When you buy a compressor, chances are, you’re gonna have it for awhile.

With no external moving parts or whirring blades or fine adjustments to speak of, the work a compressor does is inside its body so there are few moving parts to fool with or break.

I’m not saying you can’t break one—I’ve mangled several— but what I am saying is that they just don’t take the same kind of relentless abuse other tools take. Sort of.

What’s more, if you’re going to buy something that lasts a long time, buying something that serves as many masters as possible is a wise choice. It might take a little outside the box thinking which is where you’ll find my compressor on just about every jobsite.

Having entrenched myself in the marketing arena for over five years now, I have seen quite a few changes. In the old days, billboard signs, newspaper ads, TV commercials and word of mouth marketing reigned supreme. If you wanted to get the word out there, all you had to do was utilize one of these channels.

Today, most of those avenues will not work (with the exception of word of mouth). Consumers are spending more and more time online and therefore, your marketing strategy must adjust. The companies that will withstand the test of time are blogging, interacting with fans on social media, buying digital ads on prominent publications and making YouTube videos. Clearly, these companies are adjusting.

Speed and persistence are key to lead generation, but if you are not prepared for what lies ahead, quickness and tenacity won’t matter. That is because many contractors call potential clients unprepared and end up losing out on that valuable revenue.

Nonetheless, the good news is that you can easily prepare yourself for every referral call you make by answering the following nine questions. For an extra boost of confidence the next time you pick up the phone, prepare by reading through the following questions.

When working as an independent contractor, it’s important to remember that you represent not only yourself, but also a company, a brand. This plays hand in hand with the success and growth of your business. Always make it as clear as possible what services you offer and be sure to advertise your area of expertise.

After you’ve brought awareness to your brand, next is showcasing the value in what you offer. Make sure to shine a light on what differentiates you from the competition, such as innovative techniques you use or rare services you offer.

Following up is a key piece of lead generation. While we would like to get in contact with all our referrals on the first call, reality and stats show that is just not the case.

For all those referrals who you didn’t get in contact with or asked to be contacted next fall, summer, etc, the follow up function in the CraftJack Lead Manager will certainly ease your scheduling woes.

Video is quickly becoming the most popular form of content homeowners engage with. Video lets you provide an experience with storytelling. The medium brings your referrals inside your business. It gives you the upper hand against your competition.

As simple as it is, video is king and fortunately for you, it is very easy to shoot, create, share and market. Watch and read below as we explain all the benefits of video and how you can start shooting quality videos today!

Creating videos for your company, whether done professionally or with equipment you have on hand, is important. Video helps you stand out, builds an experience around your work, and allows you to make an emotional connection with your potential customers.

There’s never a bad time to plan ahead and earn more customers. We must always stay hungry for business, and a great way to accumulate new leads and stay busy during the slow months ahead is by ramping up your email marketing campaigns.

We discussed the importance and how-to’s of email marketing in other articles, but we also wanted to show you how you can target your past and current referrals via the CraftJack Lead Manager.

Have you thought about attending a trade show recently? Are you unsure of how your business can benefit from the experience? Here are a few things to ponder that can help you decide whether a trade show is right for you.

Because trade shows are geared toward a crowd of people in a specific industry, they become a great tool in addressing your target market. Trade shows also help in bringing awareness to your company and your services since they are usually open to the public.

If you’re looking for a reason to attend the next trade show near you, look no further. Here are six benefits that contractors can reap from trade shows.

We have spent the last month explaining how social media can help your business and what platforms you as a contractor should take advantage of. With both in the rearview mirror, it’s time to talk about the type of content, imagery, blogs and videos you should be sharing on social media.

The key to social media success is connecting with consumers. A homeowner needs to feel as if you are talking to them and only them with every single Facebook post, Pinterest image, tweet, video and blog post. Your target audience may be broad, but each message needs to feel individualized.

Dealing with an irate customer is usually not the most pleasant task. However, it’s something we all have to deal with at one point or another. It is vital for you and your business to know how to take a customer complaint and turn it into a positive experience. Complaints are great because they tell you the services your clients are not happy with and also give you the opportunity to address the issues at hand.

The CARP method, developed by author Robert Bacal, is based upon the sequence and timing of defusing angry customers. Bacal has taught many universities the importance of performance management and appraisal and how to improve business communication. The CARP acronym consist of these helpful tips to remember when trying to calm an angry client.