There’s a new breed of tradies: Tradie Nerds, fondly labelled Terds.
Technology is increasingly becoming the tool of the trade for many construction workers.
They’ve swapped their “brick” Nokia phones for slimline smartphones and have learnt that by moving online, they’re not only saving on admin resources but increasing their chances of winning new work contracts.
A survey of 250 of our business members indicated that nearly one-third (31%) of builders would introduce new technology, such as iPhones and iPads, in their business to increase efficiency and profit.
Ana from property development maintenance company J & JJ Developments, is part of this online movement. Her employees all carry iPads to provide quotes on the spot once they’re onsite. “We have a 70% success rate on jobs we quote on, and I think it all comes down to our speedy response.”
Initial findings from another recent study showed a definite correlation between businesses that accessed our mobile site to quote on jobs and win rates – displaying the importance of tradies remaining “connected” while on the road. We’ll share more on this soon.
This new breed of tradies is also harnessing social media to promote their business, with 53% of builders looking to use Facebook and Twitter in the next year.
Tech-savvy tradie Andrew McKernan from Garden Glow Tree Care has invested time maintaining his business’s social media presence to maximise long-term client opportunities. “We direct our customers back to our Facebook page so we can keep in touch. This helps turn a one-off job into a regular customer.”
Terds are the tradie of the future. By embracing technology and swapping paper invoices for iPads and flyers for Facebook, they’re saving time and resources and scoring more ongoing work – which will hopefully translate into bigger profits!