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15 July 2021

Is now the right time for glass software?

All industries have had to confront the uncertainty of a global pandemic and plan accordingly to get through this challenging time. Most businesses have had to review their processes and look at how they can be as efficient as possible. We've helped many glass companies get more out of the resources they have as well as give them the tools they need to be more successful. We’ll look at some of the most important factors involved in choosing the right glass software for your business.

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19 March 2021

Creating an 'About Us' web page for your glazing business

Having an About Us page is an easy way to build trust in your glazing business and establish credibility with your website visitors — provided you do it right. Generally, consumers visit an About Us page on a company website to verify the legitimacy of the business so make sure you give them what they're looking for. We've listed a few features below that will make your About Us page become a useful resource for visitors to your glazing website.

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22 January 2020

3 easy ways for glaziers to step up their customer service

You don’t need slick sales tools or fancy gimmicks to provide top-notch service to your customers and leave a great, lasting impression of your glazing business. A little bit of organization and forward-planning can mean the difference between memorably great service and a completely forgettable experience in your customers minds. Here are three suggestions for you to implement in your glazing business to make sure you’re hitting the mark every time.

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10 June 2019

'Top of funnel' sales ideas for your glazing business

Your sales funnel is the process of attracting new leads, educating them about your services and converting them into a customer. The top of the funnel is all about awareness — the goal is to educate your potential customers about a problem they didn't necessarily know they had, while demonstrating the solution that your glazing business specifically supplies or supplies better than your competitors. We've put together a few top of funnel sales ideas that you might like to consider for your glazing business below.

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28 March 2018

From one man band to small business: growing your glazing operation

Making the leap from solo glass contractor to small business owner is both exciting and intimidating. While there's a lot to consider when growing your business, stay positive — glass isn't going anywhere! It’s an increasingly popular architectural feature in both residential and commercial projects and it makes sense to try get in on that action. With so many glazing businesses in the market, what do you need to consider when trying to grow your own glass operation? We’ve compiled a list to help you get started.

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13 December 2017

What are your tech resolutions for 2018?

2017 is almost at an end and now is a great time to start reflecting on what your glazing business's goals are for the upcoming year. The technology focus in the glass industry in 2017 has very much been on increased automation and Industry 4.0 and we don't see these trends slowing down any time soon. If you haven't thought about how to incorporate these ideas into your glazing business for 2018, it's time to start doing your research and figuring out where these new developments fit within your company.

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15 November 2017

Choosing an email marketing platform for your glazing business

An email marketing platform is a system used for sending out emails to a mailing list — whether that be your customers, prospects, suppliers or anyone else. There are so many services to choose from we thought it would be helpful to break down a few of the popular platforms and things to consider when choosing a system. If you're not doing any email marketing, now is a great time to start. The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to send a friendly end-of-year message to your customers to remind them you exist and foster a positive relationship.

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01 November 2017

Tips for glaziers: Delivering at every stage of the sales funnel

The sales funnel is the concept of having a wide pool of prospective customers at the beginning of the sales process which then decreases in size but increases in quality as they move closer towards buying. It's important to consider how you communicate with prospects at the 'top of the funnel' versus prospects at the 'bottom of the funnel' as their requirements have evolved and this is particularly critical if you are selling big ticket items like shower installations or pool railings.

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29 August 2017

Process mapping tips for glaziers

Process mapping is visual way of showing a series of steps in a workflow. Often it's done with the end result in mind — the map itself. However, you may find that the exercise itself is more beneficial for your business. It gives you an opportunity to talk to everyone in your business (glaziers, administrators, management etc) and really understand what they do on a day-to-day basis and how they do it. Chances are you'll find holes, overlaps and just plain ol' gray areas where things get done but no one is really sure how or who's responsible for it. These are the areas where you need to focus your attention.

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18 August 2017

Should your glazing business have a blog?

In our increasingly digital society, getting your business online is no longer an option – it is a requirement. But being online and having an online presence are two very different things. Let’s say a customer is looking for a local glazier. They input their search term and Google spits out a dozen names. How do you get them through your door and not the competition? You build trust. Which stands out more: a single-page website with contact information or a business with a blog that regularly publishes expert content about their industry, products and has an up-to-date portfolio?

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29 June 2017

Glaziers, get your business cards noticed

Don't be deceived by the thousands of articles online declaring the business card 'dead'. The humble business card still has plenty of life in it yet! For many glaziers, business cards are a necessity but are often rushed or treated as an afterthought. Business cards say a lot about you and your business so it's crucial you put some thought into them. There are a few key, simple elements to keep in mind that make up a great, memorable business card.

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22 June 2017

Keep your data secure, store it in the cloud

We need to talk about data security — specifically, how to keep your glazing business' information safe and why cloud-based storage is the way to do that. For some small glazing businesses, "the cloud" is like the boogeyman. They've always stored their data internally, either on individual computers or an on-site server and because they know the location of those items, they feel they are secure. But how diligent are those businesses with cybersecurity?

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08 June 2017

Going paperless… is it really a good idea?

The general consensus on going paperless is that it is a good idea, but is it? The idea is commendable but the reality for many businesses, especially glazing businesses, is that paper is simply too damn useful. It isn’t practical for us to remove it from our daily operations and trying to eliminate it completely is, in my opinion, a total waste of time. However, does this mean we should abandon hope altogether? The answer is no. I believe that we should be striving for a different goal: “Reducing paper reliance”.

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04 May 2017

Glaziers, what do you do when a customer doesn't reply to your quote?

Quoting can be a costly exercise. The time it takes to go on-site, measure, estimate, then communicate to the customer is far from trivial. Taking a few extra steps to ensure you win the jobs you quote should be a no-brainer for your business. However, within the building trades following up after quoting is almost non-existent. Only 16% of businesses said that they followed up regularly and of those that did only half said they would follow up more than once.

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23 March 2017

5 steps to prepare your glazing business for the future

Future-proof adj. something that is future-proof will not stop being used because it has been replaced by something newer and more effective (Macmillan Dictionary) Calling all glazing business owners and managers — how prepared is your business for the future? Do you have systems and processes in place? Is business-critical information documented and available to the whole company, or does it exist in the heads of one or two people? Is innovation part of your company culture?

It's time to get started with Smart Glazier Software

Smart Glazier Software, 2023