Powered by BidMyVid®

by The Fix It Queen

November 9, 2021

The Fix It Queen™

0 comments

Drive LESS, win MORE!

What does the drive cost?

Looking at a simple metric of actual time spent, cost of gas, insurance, wear and tear on the fleet, the management of inventory on the service vehicle, the cost to operate the business in overhead, etc. the cost of a “FREE ESTIMATE” to a micro to small business can range $80-$300+ on average. Calculating it in a business plan is a whole discussion.

Match that with competitive marketplace of instant gratification and you have the perfect recipe for endless hours of wasted time that drives the cost of service up when it involves a DRIVE.

Going the EXTRA MILE… but not driving it!

Service and Contracting Professionals are being pulled in ALL directions. Literally and figuratively. As the scarcity of masters in skilled trade becomes more obvious, the existing labor pool is over-burdened and not able to train new participants fast enough. Driving further to cover larger service areas and even FLIGHTS to other states due to lack of available skilled trades is something that is becoming the norm. Niche service professionals are being pulled into other markets and stretching into the overlap between skilled trades to solve the scarcity issues but rising demand for service and construction SKILLED LABOR.

As the advancement of digital solutions become a bigger part everyday life, service professionals are finding new ways to create a better quality of life. The methods of engineering have changed and so has the fabric of available skilled solutionists available and able to remedy challenges with new methods in approach.

As the building materials and engineer of them advance, it is crucial to save time for the counter part of installation and the skilled labor needed to do so. Using BidMyVid® is a way that skilled labor and contracting professionals can align on the highest level to source capabilities needed for issues across the nation. Our team is ready, willing and able to help deploy the tool your business to aid in the requests coming into your business. Managing other tasks that are more important to delivering services that handle the construction industry changes are possible with the time saved.

Construction is becoming harder to “service.”

Simplified and cost-effective building materials such as foam fabrication and 3-D Concrete print fabrication options come with challenging construction methods of installation. Standard and older building methods must change due to the growing gap in supply chains for the raw materials to finished building materials being limited. Housing developers attempting to innovatively solve housing shortages in various geographic locations that have different economic constructs create more marginal costs.

Overall, this is a conundrum of concern. At the intersection is the TRADES PROFESSIONAL. Bombarded with requests for help. Bombarded with “digital tools” for their business to help “it” run better. Bombarded with sales platforms offering more confusion. Bombarded with GUILT for not having enough TIME for what is truly important. For all the bombarding is the urgencies that need a simple solution. One overlooked as Trades Professionals hit a wall.

This wall comes in the collapse in building of STRONG BUSINESSES. Trades professionals enter the journey of service, it often comes without chance of higher learning or without bandwidth to hold all the details in. Learning skills on the job and training as an apprentice going to mastery of that skill can leave the business muscle under developed.

Building a better tomorrow starts today!

Building a business that builds things has it’s challenges. First off, trades pros know their tools but when growth occurs, it can expose weakness in systems and the use of them. Contractors and service businesses are using so many tools attempting to catch up to the digitization that has occurred it can leave things even more complex. Software to manage clients, software to mange marketing, software to manage reporting and bookkeeping, and perhaps none at all except the “spreadsheet” and notebook methods of our predecessors.

With any cluster or chaos of challenge, it is important to not be controlled or overwhelmed by its’ variables. It is important to know what is important. The value of time is the key to it all. With more time, learning all the various ways to run better business can happen in a moment. Saving time in your service business from those hours once spent “on the road” will lead to the needed time to work ON the service business instead of IN it without return. The fastest way to gaining the time back from driving endlessly is to use BidMyVid daily in your business to avoid unnecessary hours on the road that lead to NO WHERE!

Join Contractors NATIONWIDE who get to skip the DRIVE, win the BID and save the TIME!

Did you enjoy this BLOG? Sign up for our blog post releases below!

    Download BidMyVid® today and save the drive tomorrow.™

    After downloading BidMyVid® you will have an extra moment to join us as we share business insight BUILT for service business!

    Simple fundamentals and business tips shared in a moment with The Fix It Queen help identify the route to take for increased profits and performance across your business. Large or Small, the 6-CORE Fundamentals from The Fix It Queen Academy‘s 21-Hours to Business Startup Program that helps service businesses succeed. Learn more.

    Read more

    Empowered to SAVE TIME by being Powered by BidMyVid®

    by The Fix It Queen

    October 10, 2021

    The Fix It Queen™

    0 comments

    Drive LESS, win MORE!

    What does the drive cost?

    Looking at a simple metric of actual time spent, cost of gas, insurance, wear and tear on the fleet, the management of inventory on the service vehicle, the cost to operate the business in overhead, etc. the cost of a “FREE ESTIMATE” to a micro to small business can range $80-$300+ on average. Calculating it in a business plan is a whole discussion.

    Match that with competitive marketplace of instant gratification and you have the perfect recipe for endless hours of wasted time that drives the cost of service up when it involves a DRIVE.

    Going the EXTRA MILE… but not driving it!

    Service and Contracting Professionals are being pulled in ALL directions. Literally and figuratively. As the scarcity of masters in skilled trade becomes more obvious, the existing labor pool is over-burdened and not able to train new participants fast enough. Driving further to cover larger service areas and even FLIGHTS to other states due to lack of available skilled trades is something that is becoming the norm. Niche service professionals are being pulled into other markets and stretching into the overlap between skilled trades to solve the scarcity issues but rising demand for service and construction SKILLED LABOR.

    As the advancement of digital solutions become a bigger part everyday life, service professionals are finding new ways to create a better quality of life. The methods of engineering have changed and so has the fabric of available skilled solutionists available and able to remedy challenges with new methods in approach.

    As the building materials and engineer of them advance, it is crucial to save time for the counter part of installation and the skilled labor needed to do so. Using BidMyVid® is a way that skilled labor and contracting professionals can align on the highest level to source capabilities needed for issues across the nation. Our team is ready, willing and able to help deploy the tool your business to aid in the requests coming into your business. Managing other tasks that are more important to delivering services that handle the construction industry changes are possible with the time saved.

    Construction is becoming harder to “service.”

    Simplified and cost-effective building materials such as foam fabrication and 3-D Concrete print fabrication options come with challenging construction methods of installation. Standard and older building methods must change due to the growing gap in supply chains for the raw materials to finished building materials being limited. Housing developers attempting to innovatively solve housing shortages in various geographic locations that have different economic constructs create more marginal costs.

    Overall, this is a conundrum of concern. At the intersection is the TRADES PROFESSIONAL. Bombarded with requests for help. Bombarded with “digital tools” for their business to help “it” run better. Bombarded with sales platforms offering more confusion. Bombarded with GUILT for not having enough TIME for what is truly important. For all the bombarding is the urgencies that need a simple solution. One overlooked as Trades Professionals hit a wall.

    This wall comes in the collapse in building of STRONG BUSINESSES. Trades professionals enter the journey of service, it often comes without chance of higher learning or without bandwidth to hold all the details in. Learning skills on the job and training as an apprentice going to mastery of that skill can leave the business muscle under developed.

    Building a better tomorrow starts today!

    Building a business that builds things has it’s challenges. First off, trades pros know their tools but when growth occurs, it can expose weakness in systems and the use of them. Contractors and service businesses are using so many tools attempting to catch up to the digitization that has occurred it can leave things even more complex. Software to manage clients, software to mange marketing, software to manage reporting and bookkeeping, and perhaps none at all except the “spreadsheet” and notebook methods of our predecessors.

    With any cluster or chaos of challenge, it is important to not be controlled or overwhelmed by its’ variables. It is important to know what is important. The value of time is the key to it all. With more time, learning all the various ways to run better business can happen in a moment. Saving time in your service business from those hours once spent “on the road” will lead to the needed time to work ON the service business instead of IN it without return. The fastest way to gaining the time back from driving endlessly is to use BidMyVid daily in your business to avoid unnecessary hours on the road that lead to NO WHERE!

    Did you enjoy this BLOG? Sign up for our blog post releases below!

      Download BidMyVid® today and save the drive tomorrow.™

      After downloading BidMyVid® you will have an extra moment to join us as we share business insight BUILT for service business!

      Simple fundamentals and business tips shared in a moment with The Fix It Queen help identify the route to take for increased profits and performance across your business. Large or Small, the 6-CORE Fundamentals from The Fix It Queen Academy‘s 21-Hours to Business Startup Program that helps service businesses succeed. Learn more.

      Read more

      Skip the DRIVE

      by The Fix It Queen

      October 8, 2021

      Contractor Stories

      0 comments

      Contractors have a CHOICE and it helps the bottom line for business and for projects!

      Send ballpark prices and skip the DRIVE!

      Gone are the days of giving a bid just to be under bid from service seekers.


      Real stories of a Contractor getting along:

      Client: Hi, I need a shower valve. Here is my shower situation.

      Contractor: Great, I can handle that, it will be between $350 and $450 depending on the fixture.

      Client: Thanks, I will let you know.

      10 Minutes Later

      Client: Hi, I need a shower valve replaced. I removed the drywall so the plumbing is accessible.

      Contractor: Great, it will be between $350 and $450 depending on the fixture.

      Client: ****** CRICKETS******** and no reply.

      Client: Shops the “$350” price to a new contractor and tries to get it for less.

      Contractor: Hi I am following up to see if you still need your valve taken care of.

      Client: Oh, thanks, but I had someone do it for $300. I appreciate you coming out though.


      Typically this would have lead to potential loss should the estimate be done in person. With BidMyVid® the option to SKIP the drive is available.

      Service seekers shopping pricing may not realize that the cost of the shop drive service rates up over time. This is how the cost of service is driven “down” in a way that adds to the challenges when driving to give these assessments. To often are we presented with a client who needs something but wants the price to be beaten to a “favor”able fee. Clients facing repairs in an unexpected turn are looking to get the most of their repair budgets. To often Service Professionals offer expertise only to find that is for nil and even at a loss if they spent time driving to assess the FREE ESTIMATE.

      In past, service professionals are either combating competitive shopping and adjusted prices or winning the work and having to return after the shopping is over. Either way it is costly to sustain when driving to assess a situation is part of the equation.

      Empowered to be Powered by BidMyVid® means better bottom line and saved time!

      We desire to EMPOWER Service Professionals. To offer strength and a way to give a helping hand in a digital solution. Skipping the drive to look at 1-3 projects per year saves enough in operations costs between wear and tear on fleet, ever increasing fuel costs, time in wages, business operations costs and more to pay for this evolutionary digital tool now available for your tool based business.

      Each time clients request for a comparison bid to be given, there are several service professionals that may be focused to earn the business. Each contractor taking a moment of time to drive and assess. Each contractor taking a moment of time to discuss the needs. Each contractor taking a moment of time to source and price and prepare a bid for acceptance; and for each moment taken, the client does the same, like a parrot, sharing the needs that must be addressed. This leads to countless time being wasted never to have value seen from the investment of that time. This can also lead to apples-to-oranges comparisons when details are left out from one conversation to another between the client and service professional.

      This can all be simplified by using BidMyVid® as a video portal tool to avoid the drives to assess and minimize the drives to address. Each contracting professional is given a private video portal that is accessible with a QR Code and Digital Link. Each time existing and new clients reach out, they can send the request directly to their favorite contractor.

      Contractors can place their links in any place digital. Social media, websites, blogs, groups or anywhere a link can be accessed. QR Codes are also available to place on mediums such as service vehicles, websites and business cards to keep it simple when connecting for service repairs.

      GET ALL THE DIGITAL TOOLS

      When you set up your service provider account, you will get your digital link as part of your APP accesses. Our Opportunities Success Team will create your BidMyVid landing page and embed your QR Code and basic links for you to share as a resource outside of your contractor profile within the app.

      You can use this to copy and past within your own website to educate your clients on how to reach you with a video submission. If you don’t have a website, this QR Page can help you land clients as it can serve as your business landing page to tell perspective clients the best way to reach you and save you both time.

      Download Today and Save the Drive Tomorrow!

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      Mindset on Social Media Outage

      by The Fix It Queen

      October 4, 2021

      The Fix It Queen Academy™

      0 comments

      SOCIAL MEDIA BLACKOUT doesn’t phase true CONNECTIONS!

      “To have conversation, presence of each party is key.”

      ~The Fix It Queen

      Social Media blackout showed that there is a disconnect in true connection and to think otherwise is not our current reality construct. Today’s wide range social media outage created the true awareness of the short gratification social platforms have. From, Twitter, to What’sApp, and Facebook plus Instagram, the list grows to include GMAIL among the giant tech platforms having social media outage and social media crashes happening on this Monday, users admitted to checking platforms repeatedly to see if they were “back up.” Myself included. As a Tech Startup in launch mode, marketing on these platforms is key, but not our only key!

      The KEY POINT to the above statement is SOCIAL MEDIA outage and crashes. Wish should only be a LEVERAGE TOOL and not a main tool. We discuss this in the Marketing Course in depth but as for this blackout of social reach, it seemed to be oddly reeking havoc on those platforms that create social pacification or distraction.

      If it was a true useful tool, chances are it still worked. Text messaging (what I refer to as 2021 Hit Me on My Pager Action) was working. Other software and functional platforms operated. The basic SOCIAL platforms that we are are all on a drip for gratification is what failed.

      Why is this important. As business owners, SMALL BUSINESS depends on the large social platforms. Some businesses have their entire business hosted and built upon these connections on these “social” platforms. How are we to really have each other in a connected environment without threat that there will be a BLACKOUT or other shutdown of the “social platform”.

      The answer is simple. Tools we depend on and rely on did NOT fail. Things that are part of the construct of functionality in our current reality still operated.

      Point in case, BIDMYVID did not fail.

      As a community platform that serves the service community it was crucial that our operations stay functional.

      I mean, to me, this is big stuff that affects the true quality of life here. Not a meme post and a pop culture trend, but truly the need to SERVE the community. We did not waiver, we did not fail. We continued to function just as your trusty “MAPS” and GPS features did not fail. BIDMYVID is not a social platform and feature, but a digital tool of function that gives time back. The one resource that is NOT renewable. Offering solutions to communicate true needs that can be the difference of having function in our home or business, or not.

      As the social media outage occurred it was refreshing to know that our systems were a full go and we continued to save time for contractors and their clients when it came to what is truly important; the needs of the community and our ability to help facilitate and support the delivery and communication of them. I was proud to get the message from our support team that we are business as usual.

      That being aside, the issue that I turned my focus upon was being aware that others were not so lucky. Others were dependent on the biggest of platforms to thrive. This is where the idea for today’s Mindset Motivation Monday blog came.

      As I thought about all the small business owners, small businesses, services businesses, service contractors and service companies that depend on What’sApp and Facebook Messenger as a primary way to communicate it was painful to know they had yet to know that there is a better way. A way designed with function and ease of use in mine, utility features that save time, not MEME generators. There is a huge difference. We enjoy powering Service Businesses with BIDMYVID to save time.

      I thought beyond that of the digital connection tool no longer missing from tool belts far and wide. I thought back to a time where we didn’t have these digital problems. We had people to serve and the presence to listen was the most important aspect.

      This is where we CONNECT. We try with words to communicate needs. But it is the VIBES between the words that help us resonate to a solution. So in this blackout of social platforms failing, I thought to touch base on an old school tip of connecting at a human layer of empathy and needs first. No messaging and selling in the fast pace digital world, but a slow down of focused listening to create a connection that sustains past a social media blackout.

      We are better when connected in purpose on purpose. Superficial likes, shares and scroll through activity leaves lost minds with no true “life line” to have as all the life was drawn through shallow and superficial and positional digitized presence verses true presence within a moment as we cross paths. That is where we engage and create memorable moments that stick with us in a true connection past a blackout of social platforms.

      BidMyVid supports this type of connection by integrating video and having function beyond a social connection, but on the deepest layer of human needs and the desire to serve and futfill them.

      Did you enjoy this BLOG? Subscribe below!

        NO BLACKOUTS can happen when connected in presence.

        Want a deeper dive into the fundamentals for your service business that create sustainability?

        We hope that this Moment with The Fix It Queen Academy, sponsored by BidMyVid, offers a moment of clarity that helps you create and bring more value to each moment. If you need more business insight BUILT for service business, please join us for Moments to Mo Money with the Fix It Queen Academy as we teach each 1st and 15th of the month in person and livestream the most important aspects within the 6-core fundamental business courses offered at The Fix It Queen Academy.

        Don’t have a moment to spare to work ON your business because your are TOO busy working IN your service business?

        We invite you to download BIDMYVID today to save time in your service business. Skip the drive time to give ballpark quotes to your clients. Send a link to future clients before expending gas and time to assess if the project is something you can take care of! Save tons of wasted time spent on the road and use that time to work on scaling your business.

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        Power in a WISH

        by The Fix It Queen

        September 29, 2021

        Working with your Contractor

        0 comments

        “A wish is a desire with belief that it will be done, not DESTROYED.”

        @The Fix It Queen
        Wishes get DESTROYED in anger from missed expectations.

        From simple repairs to a complete design project, the way the project is communicated in “examples” and in steps to deliver those expectations is CRUTIAL. All aspects of the WISH LIST and the expectations on both sides being expressed and understood will dissipate any frustration before it’s created.

        When contractors destroy their hard work it can be for a number of reasons. Non-payment is the main reason and that comes with patterns of withholding payments until the desired outcome is gained. One would think that holding a payment until work is corrected is ok. Unfortunately withholding the entire final phase of payment can lead to DESTRUCTION! On the other hand, withholding a margin of warranty could be a middle ground. If the phase called for 50/50 in an example, it would be expected that the contractor would want the 50% upon completion.

        HOW TO SEE RED FLAGS!

        But, what if there is an issue with the work performed? Well, should there be a dispute in quality or delivery of the work, a middle ground could be to release the material costs and discuss the other budgets or allow it to go to civil dispute. If a contractor is unable to discuss budgets and margins it could be a red flag. Generally contractors do not think about disputes or the cost of them and often have vague terms or clarity of expectations outlined contractually and this can be a red flag as well.

        Contractors that have a low-hourly rate are more likely to become upset if payment is withheld or other issues arise after or during the work phases. This is because cashflow is usually imbalanced and the timing of phase payments and the delay of them could create hardship.

        For service businesses that operate with a fully marginalized business but fail to reserve the margins, the same issues can arise as the low-rate contractor. This is because on a corporate level the company may have fiscal irresponsibility that leads to high turnover and constant management changes. There are plus and minus aspects to working with both small and large contractor organizations. The biggest key to protecting the WISH so that it becomes what is expected it to ensure 2 assessable aspects.

        HOW TO SEE GREEN FLAGS!

        A quality contractor (Big or Small) will understand how to prepare a bid with concise steps as to what the are doing and how the plan on doing it as well as price-points that include not only material and labor, but margins for set up, clean up, administration support, marketing, warranty, profit and other allocations that help the business sustain over time. This is usually calculated in the hourly rate verses separate items on the bid.

        HOW IDENTIFY CONTRACTOR BUSINESS LEVELS

        Aspect 1: Are rates LOW, MID or HIGH? Each level equals a different picture as to the longevity of the warranties and quality of execution with ties to the 2nd aspect.

        Aspect 2: How long has the company sustained?

        Small contractors can be in business for decades but still have high-turnover in CLIENT return which causes them to have QUICK availability. Though this is not always the case when it comes to simple service and repair needs, this is more relevant to projects and the scheduling of them.

        Small contractors that tend to schedule out 2-4 weeks or more are generally sustained in repeat clients and offer a deeper quality of work so the schedule stays full. Be weary of the contractor that does not care about the image of the small company, that can be an indicator of the work not execution in a less than professional quality of delivery.

        Large and Mid-Size contractors can be in business for decades but still have high-turnover in EMPLOYEE retention which is an indicator of potential fiscal misappropriation. Companies that have long-time staff offer culture and compensation that allows for continued engagement. Watch out for companies that continually have NEW hires and no processes of quality to duplicate the service expectations.

        The reality is that small businesses often fail to marginalize the cost of TIME. This leads to a stand-off in final phases of work where contractors may destroy the installed work or attempt to repossess it out of frustration. Wishes are best in creation when the contractor and client have a CLEAR idea of expected results of the shared WISH of the client. Contractors should be able to extrapolate the tasks to a schedule that is tied to the availability of the products and materials.

        WANT TO SAVE TIME CONNECTING AND QUALIFYING CONTRACTORS?

        What better way to communicate YOUR NEEDS than through the most descriptive and powerful tool, video! Using BidMyVid® allows for communication in the easiest manner. SPEAK your expectations and desires! Communicate on the highest level the needs you have. This empowers your contractor with an eyes-on-site opportunity to fully understand your request.

        Remodel projects and repairs start from desire. Communication of the outcome by how it feels and looks is important. Wish lists are a great way to start discussions with your contractor. Finding “looks like” examples to communicate your wish list will allow your contractor to reference supply sources in a way to determine what is available as a solution to your request.

        As your request is assessed, your are more apt to receive a better comparison of project price points as each service professional has the same variables of information provided your your detailed narration of your repair or remodel needs. The power of video is the way to offer so much to users an experience that fosters a depth of aligning service needs with service delivery in a closer expression to the desired outcome.

        Save time today!
        Android App Download
        Get repairs done in one take!
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        Electrical Wiring

        Electrical Wiring – House Wiring Diagrams – DIY Electrical Switch Board Wiring

        by rbenvin

        March 11, 2020

        Electrical

        0 comments

        How to Rough-In Electrical Wiring

        Do-it-yourself guide with professional techniques for a safe wiring job.

        You can save a lot of money by doing your own wiring. Here we’ll show you to wire an entire room. Even if you’ve never picked up an electrical tool in your life, you can safely rough-in wiring by following the directions in this article. You’ll learn all of the pro techniques for a wiring job, including choosing the right size receptacle boxes, running cable throughout the room, and making the electrical connections…

        House Wiring Diagrams and Project Guides

        Numerous diagrams for light switches including: switch loop, dimmer, switched receptacles, a switch combo device, two light switches in one box and much more…

        Electrical Switch Board Wiring Diagram – DIY House Wiring

        What is the difference between a switchboard and a panelboard?

        What’s the difference between Switchgear, Switchboard and Panelboard? A switchboard is typically a low-voltage (240–690V) three-phase panel containing manually operated molded-case circuit breakers. A panelboard is typically a low-voltage single-phase distribution panel with single- and two-pole circuit breakers…

        Electrical Systems: 101

        To understand how a Ground fault circuit interrupt or GFCI works we must understand little bit about electricity. Electricity is the flow of electrons.

        2. The flow of electrons can be used to do work the same way the flow of wind can spin a wind mill.

        3. Electricity works like the flow of wind around the earth powering the wind mill only it moves in a circle or “circuit” traveling through a wire. Electricity flows from the power grid through a home or building and then returns to the power grid…

        READ MORE

        Read more