How to Successfully Build a Home Services Franchise Brand

In the home services space, building a strong brand is especially important. For many people, the home is the most expensive investment they’ll ever make, and they’re going to be discerning about who they call to work on it. Building a great brand starts with the foundation of the business. Here’s what home services brands should do to develop a branding strategy that will support growth.

Start With a Clear Mission and Strong Values

To build a successful brand, you must know what the brand will represent. In addition to identifying your trade and a few differentiators, you should consider what lies at the heart of the business.

Why did you start a business? What pain point are you trying to solve? What is different about how you will communicate with your customers? When these values are authentically embraced in all aspects of the business, you will be more memorable and often more impactful.

“Whether it’s through a friendly conversation or a funny joke, let your personality shine through your work,” Callie Abraham, healthcare strategy consultant for Optum, wrote for Yelp. “By being yourself and maintaining a positive attitude, your business will appear much more authentic and trustworthy.”

There are people behind the business and brand name, and people have personality and values! You should not be afraid to let your identity and values shine through in business — it can be a great strength for your brand. Once your values are clearly defined, you can begin to flesh out your communications strategy, visual identity and other brand assets.

Use This Language To Build a Strong Digital Presence

Digital marketing and advertising can be powerful when done well, but it is easy to let these projects slip to the bottom of the to-do list when things get busy. Building a strong foundation at the start makes it easier to maintain and scale these efforts when the time comes.

“When you’re advertising your business, you want everything to be cohesive and represent your business’s identity and values,” Kristopher Jones, founder of LSEO, wrote for Forbes. “Incorporating branding into your advertising will help increase recognition of your brand when it’s all tied together.”

Use the solidified brand voice and identity to inform any content marketing, social media presence, email marketing and web design.

There are some digital tools and practices that should be considered or leveraged during this process:

• Google Business Profile
• Google Reviews
• Search engine optimization best practices
• Social media marketing
• Paid ads

If you have not used these tools previously, now is the time. You should be building a digital presence and creating a baseline expectation for future franchisees.

Identify Differentiators and Operational Requirements

Making differentiators and other values clear in external communications is important, but you have to prove them out in daily practice, too. One of the major perks of franchising is brand consistency, and it’s important that guidelines are in place to maintain that. Consider which specific operational steps are necessary to ensure brand differentiators are always delivered.

If you have already built the business and are preparing to launch franchising opportunities, look back on experiences you had as the business grew, including major wins and any shortcomings. Use this reflection to inform your operational playbook, but stay nimble and willing to adapt should new guidelines arise or existing ones need to be adjusted.

Begin Outreach and Forge Community Connections

Home services businesses frequently find business through local partnerships and referral business. Get involved in the community — even in spaces that are not traditionally associated with home services — to get your name out and allow prospective customers to “put a face to the name” of your brand.

Partner with non-competitor home services businesses to co-sponsor events or offer promotions across varied customer groups. This is another great way to build awareness while befriending local business owners who might serve as a valuable resource in the future.

Owners should also consider forging relationships with local organizations that have nothing to do with the home services industry. Sponsoring charity events, donating to nonprofit organizations and volunteering when possible still boosts visibility, and it encourages positive regard among community members.

“Volunteering at a local food bank, holding a coat drive or raising awareness of important social issues helps shape your company’s public image,” Paul Flick, CEO of Premium Service Brands, wrote for Forbes. “By giving back to the community, companies can build a positive reputation. What's more, customers may be more likely to support companies they see as socially responsible and philanthropic.”

A great service and customer experience will get you far, but your ideal customer has to know you exist. By focusing on building a strong brand (and implementing practices that maintain it) at the start of your home services franchising journey, you can help future franchisees start out on the right foot while protecting your brand’s integrity.

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• Julie Solomon on How to Build Brands and Influence People
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