Is Plain Old Security Obsolete?
Some business owners spend the end of the year planning, and some prefer to start the year off making plans. But no matter when you take a look at the upcoming 12 months (and we think you can benefit from doing it more than once a year) – it’s important to ask some strategic questions.
More than just asking, “how do we increase customers,” or “how can we refine a process,” make sure to spend some time examining the direction in which you should be taking your business.
After all, the alarm business is changing more in recent years than it has in the past hundred. New entrants in the market have increased competition, emerging technologies and more accessible information is changing consumer perception and customer demand.
All of this begs the question of whether or not your current business offering is everything it can be.
A look at what you are offering
While home automation has been around in some form for a number of years, whole home management is now in growing demand. This includes the ability to integrate your system panel into HVAC and lighting control, so the customer can manage energy consumption while at home and away.
Whether it’s speech recognition, wireless audio or video monitoring, you should at least evaluate the technology and decide for yourself if it would be a benefit to your customer base to offer it in your packages.
Staying ahead of the curve is an important aspect of staying competitive and viable in your market for the long-term.
The bottom line is, the days of offering only an alarm system may be over.
A look at what you need to deliver
Likewise, the need and nature of your technicians is changing. What are your hiring plans for this year? Give some thought to your plans. Make sure to include support for your staff, such as training to keep your best employees and attract those that will add value to your business.
We’ve written a white paper to help you find, train and retain a team that will help you stay a leader in your market. Download The Evolution of the Field Technician here.
A look at your marketing…online
Another important aspect of your strategic planning should be in your marketing. We recommend the first place you start be with your website.
Your customers are doing more online. Research, pre-qualification, making appointments and sales.
How is your business represented online? More people now access the web using their mobile device than they do on desktops. Look at your own website using a smartphone. Is your website mobile responsive?
A website that looks like it was built a decade ago doesn’t help position you as a technology leader. It might be time to invest in an upgrade of your website and change it from an online brochure into a tool for generating leads and revenue.
If you aren’t asking the strategic questions, and instead are “waiting to see how things shake out,” you’re at risk of losing customers to the first movers in your market.
It’s the difference between rolling with the tide and proactively deciding where your business is headed. To continue that metaphor, you are the captain of your business’ ship – there is no time like the present to take on that responsibility and steer it through these changing waters.
What are you doing to stay competitive? What direction will you be taking your business in the next 12 months?
You can help us plan, too! What topics would you like us to address this year that will help you most in your business? Send us an email; we want to help you build value for the long-term.