Roofing is an industry with a low bar to enter, but a high bar for success. If you have a profitable business and a list of completed roofs under your belt, you’ve definitely acquired some skills along the way. Keeping those roofing skills sharp is important, so this week we’re offering some advice to help you step up your roofing skills and stay on top of trends in the industry.
Research New Tools
While you and your crews can install a roof with a claw hammer and a box of nails, there is an ever-increasing list of tools that can speed up your installs while making the process safer and easier. Tradeshows and conferences are great ways to stay up to date on new tools. If you’re looking for an online solution, search out roofing forums and blogs like ours! You never know when you’ll find out something like the pneumatic palm nailer that allows you to get shingles installed in tight spaces or low overhangs.
Stay On Top of Suppliers
One of our favorite parts of the roofing industry is that material providers are constantly improving their products. Better adhesives, stronger underlayments, and even pollution absorbing granules have made it to the market in the last ten years, and staying on top of new materials is important for servicing your customers. For example, if your community is concerned about the environment, or if your city has green roofing standards, it’s important you’re aware of the smog reducing shingles and other environmentally friendly products available in the market today.
Additionally, being the first to offer new products in your market can give you a competitive edge. Being the first in the area to offer synthetic slate or one of the new solar tiles allows you to capitalize on an untapped market and carve out a niche. If you aren’t the first in a market, keeping up on available products will at least ensure you don’t fall behind. Keep an eye on suppliers’ websites and join their mailing lists to stay on top of their latest offerings.
Embrace Available Technology
Staying informed on the latest business technologies, as well as how to use them, is an important skill in 2020. The rapid change in what technology can do and the rise and fall of tech companies means that the landscape is always changing. If your company has yet to adopt technology beyond excel and a printer, you may be falling victim to slower business processes and dealing with more work than necessary.
A Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) like MarketSharp, can help manage every part of your customer experience from streamlining appointment scheduling to managing post-job communications. RoofSnap’s technology is focused on the roof sales process specifically, speeding up your measurement process with easy-to-use tools that allow you to measure remotely on your own or through SketchOS, our report ordering service. There’s a technology solution for almost every part of your business, just take the time to look!
With any company, it often seems easier to maintain your current course than to change with the times. Many aspects of the roofing industry haven’t changed much in decades–we’re still climbing ladders and nailing down shingles. However, there are always new solutions coming out that are designed to help you conduct business faster and more efficiently so you can grow your business. If you’re interested in what RoofSnap’s measurement and estimation software can do for your operations, explore our software today! Our team is always ready to help you keep your roofing skills sharp.
Thanks for reading and as always,
Happy Snapping!
