As 2020 winds down, it’s time to start your strategic planning for next year, if you haven’t already. In order to set yourself up for a successful, profitable year in 2021, it’s important to have a plan in place that will help you take steps toward greater growth.
What will help your roofing business build a strong, actionable plan for 2021 and equip you to hit the ground running in January? These four steps can help you create the best roofing business plan for your company.
4 Steps to Building a Roofing Business Plan for Greater Growth
#1: Evaluate This Year’s Performance
Before you can plan for the upcoming year, you need to take stock of what happened in this one. It’s important to understand what went well, where there’s room for improvement, and which areas represent opportunities for growth. This means going beyond a simple review of profits and losses for the year and delving deeply into data that reflects your key performance indicators (KPIs).
Business management software for roofing contractors gives you access to a wide range of data that can help you understand your 2020 performance. In AccuLynx, our reporting dashboard lets you take a closer look at results like:
- Where your most profitable jobs came from
- Which salespeople sell the most
- How long it takes for a job to move through the pipeline
- What percentage of your leads close
Armed with this information, you can make smarter decisions about personnel, strategies, and marketing for 2021. You’ll be able to pinpoint what worked well and make adjustments to what didn’t work. And with the ReportsPlus feature in AccuLynx, you can even have reports emailed to you automatically on a weekly or monthly basis, so you can keep up with KPIs more easily throughout the year and see if your business plan is working.
#2: Set Actionable, Specific Goals
Every roofing business has goals for the next months, next year, and further down the line. But in order to make those goals happen, they need to be more than just vague aspirations for growth or higher profits. To help you create goals that are more likely to be accomplished, think of the acronym SMART:
- Specific. “Making more money” is not a specific goal, but “Growing our revenue by 20% over this past year” is a specific goal. The more specific your goals, the better chance you have of accomplishing them.
- Measurable. When you look at your yearly data next November, will there be evidence that you’ve been working towards your goal? What specific metrics will help you see if you’ve met your goal? Answering these questions will tell you if you have a measurable goal.
- Achievable. Think about what can reasonably be accomplished in a year, and what you can do with the tools and resources that are available to you. It’s okay to have big plans, but having goals that are close to impossible will drain your motivation.
- Relevant. Do your yearly goals fit in with your overall goals for your business? It’s important to make sure that your yearly goals move you closer to those big-picture plans.
- Time-based. You may find it even easier to accomplish your yearly goals if you break them down into quarterly or monthly goals. This will also help you track your progress and make sure you’re consistently moving towards your goals.
Setting goals for 2021 that follow the SMART framework will make it easier for you to achieve greater growth in the new year.
#3: Make Sure You Have the Right Technology
In order to achieve your goals in 2021 and put your roofing business plan into action, you’ll need the right technology to help you get there. It’s important to evaluate any technology you’re currently using to make sure that it has the tools you need, and research other technologies that might provide you with resources to grow your business.
Read: How to Optimize Your Business Right Now with Roofing Technology
Business management software like AccuLynx helps you manage every aspect of your business more easily so you can focus on growth and achieving your goals. AccuLynx was designed to meet the needs of roofing contractors, so it’s packed with tools to improve all your processes. From the cloud-based job files that let you access important information from anywhere to the integrations that help speed up the estimating process to the communication tools that keep everyone on the same page, you’ll find features that simplify routine tasks and save you time. Adding a technology system like AccuLynx to your business toolbox can make a big impact on your ability to reach the goals laid out in your business plan.
#4: Equip Your Teams
It’s important to get all of your teams on board with your goals for 2021 and provide them with the tools and training they need to help achieve them. When everyone in your roofing business is working towards the same objectives, your company will see greater success.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to Roofing Software
As the year winds down, take the time to talk to your employees about what you want to accomplish in the new year. Ask them what tools or training they might need to make it happen, and connect the larger business goals with the smaller goals they’re trying to achieve (such as keeping the office organized or meeting their sales quotas). Cast a vision of how your roofing company can perform in 2021 and inspire your team members to work hard every day. Provide an opportunity for your employees to further their education and hone their skills by taking a training course or attending a webinar. And if you’re using a new piece of technology, such as business management software, make sure all your employees are trained on that technology and prepared to use it confidently. Providing your teams with everything they need to work more effectively will help make your goals a reality.
Your Best Roofing Business Plan Yet
Taking the time to prepare an effective roofing business plan can pay off significantly in 2021. By evaluating the successes and challenges of 2020, setting actionable goals, equipping your business with the right technology, and getting your teams on board with your plan can help you build a strong business plan—and see greater growth as a result.
