Be Prepared When Severe Weather Strikes

Business in general is full of unknowns, and insurance restoration is no exception. When and where will that next hailstorm, hurricane or tornado strike? How many houses will be affected? What are the challenges of going on-site? This is just a start. Use these tips to help you survive and thrive when navigating challenging insurance restoration projects following a massive storm.

 

Have a Severe Weather Plan and Be Ready to Take Action

When a storm damages houses, everyone in the hard-hit area will be clamoring for a crew. Make sure your contracting business is ready to deliver quality work, create satisfied customers and turn a profit.

What you do before a storm blows through can be just as important as what you do when your crews are up on the roofs. You will want to be ready with one or more well-trained, courteous crews to repair as many of these homes as you can.

Serving this market has special considerations, and a storm-ravaged neighborhood or city is the last place you want to be unprepared and unorganized. Make sure your business has a severe weather plan so that you’re ready to jump into action faster than your competitors.

 

Make Sure People Know Your Business

Stressed homeowners are wary of scams and may be hesitant to reach out to an unknown business. Familiarity builds a comfort level, so it is important that people know your contracting business. That way, when disaster strikes, homeowners will know they can count on you.

Social media can give your business personality, and it is a great place to provide homeowner preparedness tips. Build a social media presence and lead potential clients to a website where you can answer questions in depth. Check out ABC Supply’s Freedom Programs for help putting your business on the internet.

Traditional ads and door hangers are other low-cost, effective ways to create awareness of your business.

This is also the time to build your reference book. If you fill it with endorsements from satisfied customers and photos of completed jobs, this book will be a valuable door opener when you start meeting with homeowners.

 

Have the Right Equipment

Your equipment and vehicles need to be well maintained so they won’t let you down when you need them the most. Pay special attention to safety equipment, as it’s crucial your team has top-notch gear fit for each jobsite they face.

As for supplies, don’t forget commonly overlooked items like plywood and tarps to assist homeowners immediately after the storm. Your preparedness will help ease homeowners’ stress and build a good rapport with potential customers.

 

Be Connected

Make sure you have good connections ready to go when you need them. Downtime is the best time to visit your local ABC Supply branch to talk about your working relationship so that both of you are ready for the bad weather season.

A major storm can mean work for many contractors, but only if they’re prepared to take on the projects. Make sure to identify and talk with potential contractor partners to determine if you can build a mutually beneficial partnership. When you size them up, verify that your partner’s business is reliable, reputable and insured.

 

Do Quality Work

Your credit rating is a valuable tool in dealing with large-scale weather disasters. You will be buying large amounts of supplies at a time when more money is going out than coming in. Not only do you want to make sure that you can obtain the supplies you need, you also want to be able to pay the crews who will be installing them. ABC Supply’s Customer Financial Services offers options to increase your credit to accommodate large jobs like these.

The United States is seeing more and more weather disasters. Massive devastation calls for contractors who are able to quickly help communities get back into shape. It is important your contracting business is in shape as well before the sky turns gray.

To learn more about storm preparation in your area, reach out to your local ABC Supply or check out our storm content on our blog for more tips.