Going Mobile
I can’t stress enough the importance of going mobile. Having the ability to continue doing business while on the road will have a tremendous impact on your business. Here at Harbourview Property Management we are split into three distinct, yet integrated divisions. When it comes to your property we Manage, Maintain, and Renovate. Each of these sectors heavily rely on being mobile and adaptive. When I’m on the road, there are three things that I don’t leave home without that help me stay in touch with teammates, keep me on track with the tasks of the day, and continue to provide excellent service to our customers.
You can’t go mobile without a mobile phone. Well over 20 years ago my Dad picked up an analog cell phone (aka the car phone) as a business phone for his roofing company in the GTA. It cost him over 1500 bucks and it weighed more than his tool belt. But, the benefits that it provided were game changing. We’ve come a long way since then, and so has the technologies that go into our phones. My smart phone gives me the ability to call clients (obviously), email on the fly, and text with my crews to get instant updates. Don’t let it stop at simple communication. I use my camera for everything; from taking and sending pictures of property inspections, broken equipment to get a better idea of what needs to be fixed, to snapping shots for social media to boost our brand. Let your camera take the picture to say the thousand words you don’t have time to type. It also acts as my own private assistant. Between the calendar, reminders, and notes, my phone keeps me on track and saves time.
Next is my laptop. Though my phone is essential to have when going mobile, it just can’t do everything as well as an actual laptop. This might be me aging myself against the millennials, but I find I can type and navigate more efficiently with a full keyboard, and a full screen. It provides me a mobile option for word processing, pdf editing, emailing and more. Also the expansive hard drive allows me to store far more than my phone. Often I try to show a client a picture from my phone only to find out that I deleted it to save space. Good thing I backed it up on my computer first, and even better that I have my laptop with me. Our systems for quoting, work orders, and billing are all initially set up from the office, and having a mobile office on site allows us to take our business directly to the customer saving both their time and ours.
Don’t forget about old faithful; paper. Regardless of having this wonderful technology, I firmly believe in some old school methods. Batteries die, computers freeze up, etc. you should always have some hard copy backups. Our Renovation crews always has a hard copy of their work orders, along with extra paperwork should a customer decide to add some work. Our Maintenance crews always have their route lists and additional paperwork should a client like to be added to that list. And our Management crews always have extra rental applications and property information. Additionally every crew has a notebook (this is invaluable). Just don’t forget a pen!
With a little prep-work going mobile with your business will put you above most of your competition. It will also increase your efficiency and take some of the headaches out of your day to day operations. It doesn’t take much to set yourself apart and provide your clients with the kind of service they really deserve.