How to Start a Home Remodeling Business 1-2-3
Starting a remodeling business does not require a large investment or even much overhead to operate. You can
also cut costs by working out of your home. You'll need tools and a vehicle, and you can rent larger equipment
until you can afford to purchase them for the company (if you decide to).
The first step in planning your business to select a remodeling niche in which you want to specialize. Will
you do the work yourself, or do you prefer to sub-contract the work out? Do you want to hire employees?
Put together a remodeling
business plan to help you figure out start-up and operating costs and to give you a roadmap to follow as
you grow your business.
Steps to Start a Home Remodeling Company
1. You will need to get a business license from your local city
or county office (state-by-state listings here).
If you don't already have one, you'll need a contractor's license as well. Although not necessary, the
National Association of the Remodeling Industry also offers certification programs to professional remodeling contractors who work in the field
full-time.
2. If you are not using your personal name as your business name, register
business name with the county clerk. If you want to incorporate your business, you can review
information online to see how incorporating may benefit your remodeling company. Get a business tax ID from the IRS website. You can also get
information at the website about business income tax, self-employment tax and estimated taxes.
3. It's important to keep personal and business finances separate,
especially come tax time. You can open a business bank
account with a FDIC insured bank in an afternoon for minimal cost. It's a good idea to interview a
few banks to compare services. There are many other benefits that a business account can offer, so make
sure to ask.
4. Meet with an insurance agent to find out the exact insurance you are
required to have and additional options you may want. The IIABA (Independent Insurance Agents &
Brokers of America) can help you find a reputable agent in your area. You can also use insurance network
websites to get business insurance
quotes for free.
5. In order to make the most of the tax benefits your remodeling business
offers, set up a meeting with a local tax accountant. This doesn't obligate you to use their services,
but you can get a better understanding of what tax and accounting tasks need to be done, and if you'd
prefer to do them yourself. If you decide to do your own business bookkeeping, pick up some business
accounting software like Quickbooks Pro. See also: small business tax deductions.
6. Give your customers a professional first impression of your business
when they initially contact you. If you have internet service, you can use a virtual phone and fax service with
voicemail and lots of other features included for less than $10 a month. Month after month, this can add
up to a substantial cost savings.
7. Get business cards and other promotional materials you'll need for your
business like brochures or postcards. Hand them out to people you know and include them in all
correspondence. Business cards work well as cheap advertising too. 250 Free Business Cards. See also: 30-50% off Postcards, Brochures and
more Design your own marketing materials online using professional templates. Designs provided,
printing done for you.
8. Set up a website. A website can help you advertise your remodeling
services by showing your previous remodeling work, including photos, providing contact information,
offering discounts and detailed information that potential customers want. You can save money by creating your own website with simple online design
programs, or outsource the job to an affordable website designer.
With the Construction Business Start-Up Guide,
you can get the expert guidance that will help you start your remodeling business.
rated by entrepreneurs
- Follow a Step-by-Step Outline from a business expert, so you understand exactly what you need to
do to start your construction business.
- Where to Find Professional Resources you can contact and ways to save money on start-up and
operating costs.
- How to Get Customers Fast: Discover marketing and advertising strategies that will enable you
attract a continuous flow of customers and turn a profit faster.
Start a Remodeling Construction Business
Marketing Your Remodeling Services
Get Free Publicity
Besides advertising in your local yellow pages and placing ads in newspapers and neighborhood mailers, you can
save money by writing a brief press release or "letter" to your local paper announcing your company's premier
opening.
Offer a special discount or free offer for first-time customers, and publications will find this more
newsworthy. This means that they're more likely to publish news about your company. Your press release doesn't
have to be long, and you can find press release samples here: How to Get Free Press.
Set up a simple website for under $50/year to
advertise your remodeling services. Help people find you in the search engines: get listed in 20 search engines for free or in
300 search engines for $4.
Local Search
is becoming more and more popular. People are many times using online search instead of the traditional yellow
pages to find local businesses. Local Search sources that are affordable and receive substantial traffic
include: Google Local, Yelp, Super Pages and Insider Pages.
Advertise your services, find clients online and bid on projects with contractor networks like The Online Contractor's Network
, BidClerk or Service Magic.
Advertise with Signs
Use a car magnet to advertise your business while you are on the road, a yard sign to announce a sale or a
banner to promote your store's grand opening. You can design and create your own signs cheaply online using
SignsBannersDecals.com.
Print Brochures
Showing Your Services and Expertise
Don't just tell people about your remodeling business - show them! Pictures are worth a thousand words, and
brochures can present a professional company image - while selling your services to potential clients at the
same time.
You want to use quality materials and photos if you can, but company brochures don't have to be expensive.
You can use programs online to design your own brochures, and have
them automatically printed for you at a discounted price.
Postcard
Marketing
Do a postcard mailing to introduce your remodeling service to potential customers (businesses and/or
individuals). Using low-cost online services makes this an easy marketing task. First, choose a special offer
thatyou want to announce to potential customers. Second, design your postcards online using professional
postcard templates with VistaPrint (you can get 50% off here). And third,
get targeted leads from a lead generation company like Resource Nation.
Remodeling Business Associations:
