Anja Smith, a managing partner in her family’s South Carolina plumbing business, has been writing for PlumberMag.com for more than a year now. In 2018, you’ll be seeing some of her industry insights in the monthly print magazine as well. Here we look back on some of the advice she shared in her columns in 2017. If you missed any of these, now is a chance to check them out.
The Trick to Getting Local Press Coverage
Anja details how her family’s company was able to score one of the best forms of free advertising — a front page article in the Sunday newspaper.
Strategies for Forming a Long-Term Business Plan
Big Hairy Audacious Goal, the airport test, a SWOT analysis. Those are some of the techniques described in this article looking at how to get out of a day-to-day mindset and thinking about developing long-term plans.
Leading When You’re Short on Technical Know-How
Many plumbers develop their technical skills first before they’re thrust into a position where they’re running a company and must hone their business skills. Anja has had a different experience. Skills like marketing and community relations come naturally to her, but she’s still building up her knowledge base of the plumbing trade itself. If you’re in a similar position and leading a company, you’ll want to read her story.
Planning for Worst-Case Scenarios
You don’t want or look forward to business emergencies. But you have to at least be ready for them. This article lays out a blueprint for emergency planning.
Plumbers Can Benefit From Friendlier Competition
Maintaining a friendly relationship with companies that are going after the same customer base you are? This article looks at how that can be a good thing.
A Slow Business Day Doesn’t Have To Be an Unproductive One
Dry spells are inevitable for any business. In this article, Anja offers some advice on minimizing the occurrences of those dry spells and how to still stay productive when they do happen.
