The following are three of the top reasons residential maintenance contractors say they want to branch into the commercial market. While each can certainly prove to be true, they are by no means the slam dunks many inexperienced contractors expect them to be.
I want to make more money. Commercial maintenance often provides an opportunity to do a considerably higher volume, but margins are typically lower. So yes, you can "make more money" in commercial maintenance, but it will probably require a lot more work than you might think.
I don't want to have to work so hard at drumming up business. True, the commercial market is a bit easier to pinpoint. However, you need to be a darn good salesman to outshine all of the other contractors you'll be bidding against. And if you do get the job, the customer service demands will likely be greater than anything you've ever experienced.
I want to be famous. Putting your trucks and crews on high-profile properties like office complexes and hotels sounds glamorous. Furthermore, one commercial account often leads to another … then another. But along with that comes a steady flow of bad leads you also have to sift through. You become much more visible to entities like the IRS, OSHA, and your competitors, to name a few. Remember, "Celebrity" often comes at a price.
