In the property and casualty industry we all know that Mother Nature can throw your restoration business some curve balls every now and then. However, you should always be prepared to handle increases in claims as they arise.
Efficiently managing fire, water, wind and other types of claims you encounter routinely is no easy task. Fortunately for you, taking the right steps to improve your core business processes and overall strategy is something you can control and manage. One of the best ways to improve a business is to step back and reassess the overall strategy. Doing this can highlight some of the most overlooked problems in your company.
How are you organizing data?
Keeping a record of every single insurance claim, client and related documents is a
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“Most of us spend more time on what is urgent, not enough on what is important.”
– Stephen Covey
Time cannot be stretched or recycled; it is finite, precious and in great demand. The truth is, we all have the same amount of hours in a day to work with. While some have mastered the art of managing their time, others have allowed the constant demands and responsibilities of life to dictate their days. At Next Gear Solutions we believe in the mantra that says, “work smarter, not harder”. The key to being more productive and having better time management skills is working smarter. Studies have shown that working smarter can boost
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21 Sep 2015 / Blog
What’s the Hype with Software Integrations?
It seems that everyone is talking about software integrations. With the ever-increasing popularity and buzz, you may wonder what this means to you as a business owner, and you may be surprised by all the benefit it can actually offer to your organization.
What is a Software Integration?
A Software Integration is a development effort to bring two unique software entities together to automate and systematize redundant data entry tasks through data transfer, to automate actions from one system to another, or to perform other complex functions. Most commonly, a software integration will automatically populate data entered from one system into another to save the user time from double entry.
Integration Designed for Contractors
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Most everyone has heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder,” but what does that truly mean? It’s the idea that you can get what you want out of your business if you work hard at it. According to Inc. Magazine, while you can work hard, you can’t always work harder. However, you can almost always still find a way to work smarter.
Specifically in the restoration industry, contractors juggle numerous jobs and handle massive amounts of paperwork from insurance companies to get paid for the work they’ve completed. At the same time, this causes restorers to wear many hats, which means it’s easy to work hard.
Restoration contractors know the industry is demanding, and working harder isn’t always an option. However, when you work
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Creating a business is no easy task. According to data from Inc. Magazine, only 0.1 percent of small businesses ever obtain $250 million in yearly revenue, which means budding companies have to prepare themselves in the most efficient way if they truly want to be successful.
Specifically in the restoration industry, business plans are tough to follow, as regulations, insurance guidelines and other permit processes change regularly. Successful restorers work nonstop on making their business flourish, but smart contractors know putting too much time into their company could actually be detrimental.
Handling paperwork for jobs, providing photo updates and giving clients up-to-date reports is critical for restoration contractors. However, it’s also essential to plan for the future and be ready to handle the
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During a disaster restoration project from wind, fire, storms or water, there are numerous parties involved to get the commercial or residential building back to normal. With all of these eyes on the project, there’s a demand for transparency. Your customers will want to know you’re getting the job done correctly and efficiently.
Your restoration company has to show transparency to lessen the liability of your project as well. One misplaced document or insurance form could halt the project and keep homeowners or workers out of a building for longer than expected. If this occurs, your business could be on the line for the additional costs due to the delays from being unorganized or not fully transparent.
Dealing with contaminants
In the case
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Using a cloud-based management system has several advantages for a restoration business. The technology allows workers on multiple job sites to access and input information instantaneously. By expanding the information, workers can bring up and review the data at any given time, and work can be done more efficiently. Notes can be shared by coworkers, helping the entire company finish multiple projects simultaneously.
Cloud computing also assists a business improve its customer service. By helping workers save time and money, the technology can be a great asset to people who are eagerly awaiting the restoration of their home, garage, office or any other type of property that needs to be completed. Restoration businesses can use the cloud to their advantage by utilizing all that the
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The wave of mobile technology has allowed several businesses to take advantage of working remotely, filing papers out of the office and increasing communication through constant contact. Simply put, mobile technology has changed the way jobs are completed, and especially so for those who often work in the field.
Specifically, restoration contractors know a thing or two about working on a new site for each job. The demand for restorers can heighten in any area after a natural disaster, which means those in this field have to be ready to move and work in difficult conditions.
The only problem is many restorers have yet to adopt mobile strategies to increase business and stay competitive. Adopting a massive change like a mobile strategy is
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There’s no way around it: Restoration contractors spend most of their time out of the office, without the right technology travel can quickly chew up most of your day and can leave you burning the midnight oil on administrative work. In addition, excessive travel also costs money.
Restoration contractors know they have to be constantly available and ready to meet anywhere. Investing in the right cloud based technology will improve your company’s overall performance. It is also critical to limiting delays in projects and in improving client communication.
Here are a few tips for how restoration contractors can reduce their travel times and streamline your operations:
1. Move to a paperless office
As a restoration contractor, you’ll waste a lot of your valuable
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