Are you looking to learn how to start a drywall repair business? We love helping by providing the steps that most people follow and are successful with while betting on their experience. Thus, here’s a guide on how to start a drywall repair business without any money or experience.
But before we jump into it, you must know that a drywall business is an excellent business idea for someone who has experience in the construction business or people who are looking to have a long-lasting company in the USA.
Your responsibility as an owner of a drywall company is to assist clients in guaranteeing the condition of the drywall as you will specialize, in this case, in repair only.
You must first apply for and get your own drywall contractor permit and license to operate this type of business. Before you can get a permit and drywall contractor license, you must register your company. Each state has its own requirements, and you will need to go over proper research.
No matter what type of business you decide to start, it’s important to do your research before you launch it. This includes market research, cost analysis, and feasibility studies.
You will soon be able to secure enough corporate clients to start smiling at the bank as long as you handle it before launching your drywall contractor business.
With this in mind, we can finally start with the steps and how you will and should handle this adventure:
Get to Understand the Industry
The drywall business line falls under the real-estate cum industry. A drywall contractor is a manager and possibly a tradesman employed by the client, on advice from the architect, engineer, or architectural technologist, or the client acting as manager.
Your responsibility as a contractor or owner of a drywall business is to assist clients in laying out and installing gypsum board and gypsum board assemblies. This includes tapping and other texturing operations.
However, we know you’re more focused on the repair sub-niche, which is why your process will vary a bit, but not entirely when trying to understand more about the industry. In fact, we consider that learning about every aspect of it will be the best option to spread your services in the future.
Regardless of being a contractor for drywall overall or repairer, your job is to give the owner a quote for the project. In it, consider the cost of overhead, general conditions, equipment, and transportation costs.
It is easy to start a drywall repair business to focus on the business part itself and how you start it. You don’t require heavy-duty equipment, but you will need the staff to manage it.
Your success is dependent on the relationships you have with the largest clients in the business: the government of each country. There are always enough drywall contractors available. As long as drywall contracting companies are competent and well-positioned, there will be no shortage of contracts from the government as well as the private sector.
All these aspects are needed if you want to start with your right foot.
Do Market Research and Feasibility Studies
This step involves more than the regular process of knowing your competitors and a small part of your target audience. Instead, you need to learn about demographics and psychographics.
All companies related to construction—even when you will be focused on repair—and real estate players are affected by the demographic and psychographic compositions of the people who use the services of drywall companies. Therefore, the demographic composition of a business that specializes in drywall repairs is comprehensive.
There are many customers available to you when it comes to this niche. Your target market is not limited to the government agencies or public work departments in your area. It can include all real estate players and households within the same city as your business.
When you start your own drywall repair business, you should consider your target audience. This should include anyone who owns a specific part of this material and element regardless of the type of business or property.
Who Are Your Competitors in the Industry & Niche?
There are always more popular brands that perform better than others in every industry. These brands include those who have been in the business for a while and others that are well-known for their management style and the achievements they have made over time.
These are the top drywall companies you should focus on as they may not be specialized in repairs only, but they do offer the services along with many others in the niche:
- American Drywall Contractors Inc.
- Drywall America, Inc.
- Kenpat USA.
- Commercial Plastering USA LLC.
- USA Universal Remodeling Paint & Drywall Company.
- USA Interiors LLC.
- Sky Builders USA.
- Interior Finishing Systems.
- E Contractors USA LLC.
Perform an Economic Analysis
You must do your economic analysis and attempt to find the best practices in the business industry to launch a successful business.
Drywall repair and anything related to the niche won’t be a green business. In fact, there are many other companies that offer the same services as you, and to be at the top of the game, you need to care about them.
When you’re planning your economic and cost analysis, it is important to do a thorough market survey. This will allow you to determine the cost of renting a space for your drywall repair business. Also, you need to purchase tools like ladders, sanders, scaffolding, and hawks.
In this niche, your concerns should not only be about the cost of renting office space, licensing, purchasing tools and equipment, working capital, and other costs, but also branding and how to build a clientele.
Should You Bet for a Franchise or Start from Scratch?
It is easier to start a drywall repair business when compared to other construction businesses. But for it, you should try to find the best employees and build relationships with key stakeholders. Then, use every marketing tool available, especially the internet, to market your services.
It is important to note that many of the most successful drywall companies around built their business brands from scratch. Achieving business success takes hard work, dedication, and determination.
However, franchising can save you lots of time and effort, but it may involve more expenses in the short term, which most people cannot afford.
It is a matter of analyzing what’s best for your goals and how you would be able to handle this process.
Find the Best Insurance Policies with the Help of an Agent
You can’t run a business in the USA or anywhere around the globe without basic insurance coverage since it can bring serious issues with the law once you are under inspection or an accident or issue takes place in your company.
Thus, it is essential to have a side budget and consult an insurance broker that can help you determine which ones are the policies you need.
These are the basics of insurance you should purchase if you plan to open this type of business:
- General insurance.
- Insurance for medical and health.
- Liability insurance.
- Workers Compensation.
- Property/Building Insurance.
- Disability insurance with overhead expenses.
- Group insurance for business owners.
- Payment protection insurance.
Get the Professional Certification You Need
The licensing requirements for legal drywall repairs and anything related to them in the USA apply to you even if you are specialized in an area, but remember that these requirements, and other countries around the globe, vary from one location to the next.
Professional certification is a key reason some drywall businesses are successful, besides the quality of your work handling drywall repairs.
It is strongly recommended that you pursue professional certifications. This will show your dedication to the business. Certification validates your competence and shows you are committed to your career and knowledgeable about the business.
These are just a few of the certifications that you can earn:
- Universal Design Certified Professional (UDCP).
- Certified Graduate Remodeler (GCR).
- Professional Builder Certificates.
Set Your Legal Documents Straight
You must have all the documentation required before you launch a business in the United States of America. Without the right documentation, you will be busted and have many problems coming your way.
These are the essential legal documents you will need to have in order to operate your drywall company legally:
- Certificate of incorporation.
- Business License/Drywall Contractor License and Permits.
- Tax Identification Number / Tax Payer’s Identification.
- Business Plan.
- Contract Document.
- Non-disclosure Agreement.
- Handbook for Employees.
- Employment Agreement (offer letters).
- Operating Agreement for LLCs.
- Insurance policy.
- Terms and Conditions of Use Online.
Work in Your Startup Capital
If you start small, you won’t require that much startup capital.
A large portion of your startup capital is going to be spent on securing office space in a commercial district, buying equipment and tools, and raising capital. You will need to source funds to finance your business if you plan to start it on a large scale.
It is very expensive to start a large-scale drywall business; that’s what we can tell you, so you may consider going slow with it.
When you’re in this step, you will be grateful if you take the time to write a great business plan. Thanks to it, you won’t have to work hard to convince your friends, bankers, and any investor that may be interested in your
business and goals.
On the other hand, these are some options you can consider for financing:
- Personal savings and any money obtained from selling personal goods.
- Raising capital from investors and business partners.
- Selling shares to interested buyers.
- How to apply for a loan from your bank.
- Take the time to develop your business idea and apply for seed funding and business grants from angel investors and donor organizations.
- Soft loans can be obtained from family members or friends.
Find & Pick the Right Location
It is important to remember that location is key to success in business. Entrepreneurs will often rent or lease facilities in visible locations and areas where there are many real estate and construction activities.
There’s no single location that can be considered good, that is cheap, which you ought to remember. Therefore, you need to be able to budget enough money for this process of getting to the right place. Talk to a realtor to clear your doubts and questions about the logistics of selecting a location to start your drywall repair business.
When in this step and process, consider these aspects to house company:
- The demography of the area.
- There is a high demand for the services of drywall contractors and repairs.
- The spending power of residents in the area.
- Accessibility to the location.
- Local laws and regulations within the community.
- Security, traffic, and parking.
Employees, Manpower, and More
You should have the necessary equipment and machinery to set up a standard drywall company. Working tools like ladders, sanders scaffolding, stilts, and trowels are all necessary.
You will need to set up a small functional office, including computers, internet, telephone, fax machine, and office furniture (chairs and tables, shelves, etc.). All of these items can be used as often as you like.
But above everything else, you will need those extra hands that can offer the assistance you need for the business.
This means you will need a qualified team that can move the needle with you in the business and ensures you can get the best results in the short and long term.
In terms of space, you should consider your business plan and your short-term and long-term business goals when deciding whether to rent or lease a space for your office. Leasing a facility might be a good option if you have the cash to do so. Renting a facility can also be a great way to get started with a drywall contractor.
The same applies to employees as you will need to finance their salaries and offer great deals if you want qualified people to work with you.
Service Delivery Process for the Business
Although the working methods of drywall companies vary from company to company, it is important that they first build a strong company profile before they bid for contracts with top clients/corporate organizations. This will give them an edge over their competition.
The type of project will determine the services required in the drywall industry. The process begins with submitting a proposal or bidding for a contract. Once the contract has been awarded, all documents must be signed and advance payment made if necessary.
After payment is made, the next step for the drywall contractor company is to send workers and other equipment as necessary to complete the job by repairing the drywall.
A property owner or developer should create a plan that addresses their needs and then inform their architect to ensure the repair will go smoothly.
Before billing an organization for your services, drywall should first assess the risks and the nature of the job. The risk of climbing and the equipment required to complete the job will often increase the bill.
It is important that you note that a drywall company can decide to adopt or modify any business process and structure that will ensure efficiency and flexibility.
Create a Marketing Plan Filled with Ideas & Strategies
It is difficult to overhype the drywall business. You can spend a lot of money marketing it, but you won’t be able to attract large-time clients if you don’t have any standard repair jobs.
You must be proactive in marketing your products or services. This is a fundamental requirement for any business.
You must be smart in your strategies and ensure that your business is moving in the right direction by either copying some of your competitors’ methods or being different and building a marketing plan that puts you at the top of the game.
Your marketing strategy should be focused on details, reliability, and speed. Your customers should receive excellent service when they hire you above anything else.
If you can do the above, your customers will be loyal, and you’ll also win new ones.
These days, businesses are well aware of the potential of the internet. They will use every opportunity to promote their services online. This means that a greater percentage of your marketing efforts will be directed at internet users.
These are just a few of the strategies and ideas you can use to promote your drywall repair business:
- Send introductory letters along with your brochure to architects and construction companies, government agencies as well as households, estate managers, corporate organizations, small-scale businesses, medium-sized businesses, and other key stakeholder in the area where your drywall contractor is located.
- You have many channels to advertise on the internet, including blogs, forums, and any social media option like Twitter and Facebook
- To give boost your business presence, remember to create a website.
- Directly market and promote your services.
- To promote your drywall company, you can participate in roadshows in targeted communities.
- For industry news and tips, join local drywall business associations.
- Also, you may want to get involved in local chambers for commerce and industry to market your services.
- Advertise your business in local newspapers or any traditional channel that comes to mind.
- Encourage word-of-mouth marketing (referrals).
The Local Lead Generation Process for Your Drywall Repair Business
All right! So, everything is about building properties and generating leads. But how does the process actually take place? Are there other steps I need to know?
The steps I mention below are what students from our local lead generation program follow to generate leads for businesses like yourself. So I’ll help you see what we do. And how if you join our program, you can simply generate leads for your own business (unless you want to start a side hustle and build a laptop lifestyle business).
Essentially, our lead generation can be divided into four steps:
The first is prospecting. You need to take the time to do market research on a niche (industry) and determine how many phone-driven businesses are there.
Keep in mind that this is local research as you need to know how many companies need leads. For example, you may search for “plumbing services Youngstown OH.”
You will find dozens or even hundreds of businesses trying to get themselves in front of the customers by ranking on Map Listings, organic results, and even Ad.
The second step, building. When you find a niche (plumbing, tree services, a software company, real estate…), you will need to start building your digital properties. You don’t need to be an expert in HTML or coding. It can be easy with the right tools.
The third step is now taking time to rank your lead gen website. With the site done, you need to work on SEO strategies and start dominating those Google search results. If you’re new to SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization.
To keep it simple, it consists of the entire process of growing a company’s visibility on search engines like Google and generating organic traffic. And remember this, local lead generation is part of the strategies.
Moving on to step four, once you rank the site, you will start getting your ROI and profits. You only need to rent it out to a local business interested in the leads the site generates. You can offer a couple of free leads to their move on with the actual pay per lead.
To review steps 1-4 above, I described it to a normal student who is building a lead gen business to help local service providers generate more calls. But replace the student with you as the business owner. And replace sending the leads to a business to simply siphoning the leads to your personal business.
By the way, fun fact, about 20% of our students in our local lead gen program are actually business owners who went through the program. And they use the skillsets we teach to generate leads for their own business.
An Example of Lead Generation: Home Advisor
You must be thinking, “if lead generation sounds so good so far, how come I haven’t seen any company?” That’s the thing; there are many out there. You just don’t know they are dedicated to it.
HomeAdvisor is one of the best examples you can find on the Internet as it is a top lead generation company that has spent millions building its brand but also earned even more zeros for this same reason.
They started small as everyone else but invested in building their brand awareness to make people who are looking for home services go to their website and find what they need. They are over 75% of people’s first choice when they need those services.
If you don’t get HomeAdvisor that much or need a refresh, users need to submit their information to request a service and get a professional or expert who can provide it.
HomeAdvisor’s job is to share your information, which makes you a lead, with local companies so they can contact you and offer the service you’re requesting. For sharing this lead information, HomeAdvisor gets paid by the companies. This happens for every single lead they send to multiple businesses.
Business owners who don’t have marketing skills or don’t even know how to have any online presence will always rely on those pages to list their services. They will save time and effort, but companies like HomeAdvisor can make them spend lots of money as leads aren’t exclusive (one lead is sent to multiple companies after all).
Using Facebook Ads aka Paid Ad Platforms: Do They Generate Leads?
They DO generate leads. If not, no one would use them.
However, you need to remember two facts:
- Paid ads or platforms can be expensive.
- They don’t generate “natural” leads.
Whenever someone sees or clicks in one of those ads, over 80% of them did it by accident or are trying to close/report it.
Why? Because they aren’t looking for those services. At least not at the moment.
What those ads do instead is interrupt their time on the platforms. Users aren’t there to find companies or businesses unless they are searching for a specific company’s user, and for that, there’s a search bar. This is why it is hard to convert them to actual customers who will show interest in the companies’ services. Also, you’re limited by a budget.
When using lead generation, everything is organic. You aren’t forcing others to pay attention to your business but rather being there when they need you. This is why Google’s organic traffic will always beat paid ads, and the reason companies continue investing in it, which is a lot cheaper as well.
What Is Local SEO?
Don’t worry… I didn’t get it at first either. Following the short explanation, local SEO focuses on scaling businesses’ visibility on search engines. However, this is only for those who serve their communities face-to-face.
What does this mean?
Experts and professionals like painters, plumbers, and dentists (but not only them) offer their services to their local customers. Why? Because they can’t deliver them unless they are located in the same area of their customers.
To make sure those businesses get more leads, you need to rank them locally by claiming the business listing on Google to place them on Map Listings. Local SEO also involves online reviews, citation management, and how you manage your entire online presence in the local area.
If you are going to bet on lead gen, you need to adapt yourself to today’s world: The Internet.
Keep in mind that although traditional channels and methods like billboards, warm calls, and pamphlets still work, they aren’t part of your tools. Whenever someone needs a service, they go to Google and search for it.
“Dentist in Miami” or “plumbing services in Orlando,” etc. And you can keep coming up with services or professionals people need and look for. Thus, you need to make sure you’re using Google to get the companies in front of their clients.
Users will always click on the first search results (those near the top), and many of them will be either Ad links (people paid to place their websites there), Map Listing, and then you get websites. Almost all of them are your goal and where you should always aim to place yourself.
Can My Drywall Repair Business Utilize a Local Lead Generation Strategy?
If you want customers, you better know you need it. Following the previous explanation, lead gen is all about placing businesses in front of their customers, choosing them over their competitors.
Put it simply – it’s all about closing deals and having clients for those companies to make money. The main difference with the usual methods companies use for this is how lead generation approaches different channels to get them in the right place of the market to get customers.
Those channels are all focused on the Internet as most people are searching for products but also services across the net. The issue is that the Internet is way too broad, and businesses don’t know how to place themselves. They usually try, but they get one common result: losing money and time.
How Powerful Are Organic Drywall Repair Leads from Google?
For companies looking for customers, it’s everything. For you? Pretty much the same. When you build a business with digital properties, you get to make thousands of dollars a month.
This isn’t a “get started today and get rich tomorrow” thing, but it is HIGHLY scalable, and ROI + positive results are guaranteed. Learning a fairly decent and very needed set of skills to create your digital properties and start ranking them on Google is required.
I have invested in several online businesses over the years, and if there’s something uncertain, whether you will get your ROI or not, even more than the actual profit.
However, this business moved my earnings from five figures a year to a month in ONLY passive income while sitting comfortably at home.
On my laptop. Anywhere. Anytime.
You can look at one of the first sites I built back in 2016, and it continues making me over $1.000+ every month. The best part is that I don’t need to touch it or the rest I’ve built over the years, just like this digital property.
What Makes Lead Generation SO Alluring?
Here it goes: you can work from home.
The main issue with regular business opportunities is how much you need to invest in staff, equipment, or rent to have a place to sell your products or offer your services.
We all know the hassles of traditional businesses that involve regular expenses, which are extremely high. Can you afford it? I don’t think so, and even if you can, is it worth it? Now, it isn’t only about the money. You also need to put in a lot of work, and it isn’t only during the first couple of months or years. Usually, it is as long as you continue running it.
You can save yourself those headaches and bone-breaking tasks and expenses with lead gen since it is more about generating leads with digital channels—mainly websites.
Websites can be VERY cheap to build, and with many tools online, you get to do it in a couple of hours instead of days. Any virtual or digital business is scalable and won’t need constant maintenance.
So, let’s summarize this:
- You save money in regular expenses with traditional and most online businesses as what you need is yourself and digital properties (websites).
- You can bet on passive income.
- There’s no need to hire more people to get started.
- You can generate leads in multiple industries, which allows you to work on any niche you want.
How Can I Get Started in the Local Lead Generation Program?
Anyone can start and learn. That’s the beauty of this business model. I knew nothing about SEO, Map Listing, and everything I’ve mentioned so far. It is all about learning the skills, gaining experience, and deciding to take the step.
Remember that this business model will never get old as business owners are always looking for leads. They need to do business and scale their companies. Why not do the same while helping others and still making money?
You can start with this local lead generation course highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in the business. It is a close training that will take you through each step and make sure you are able to get your ROI, profits and take control of your life.
You will be added to an incredible lead generation family ready to help you 24/7 when asking questions on the group. Anyone is welcome who’s willing to put in the work. Click here to watch the lead gen webinar.