£800k bespoke kitchen company needs to think bigger

In today’s episode of the Grow with Evergreen podcast, we’re diving into a fascinating conversation with Brandon, the owner of a bespoke kitchen-making business based in Essex.

Brandon’s business Crabtree and Hargreeves is known for its high-quality, custom-made kitchens, and is doing well with an annual turnover of about £800,000. However, he’s facing a challenge that many businesses in the home improvement space encounter: the need to scale and attract bigger, high-value projects.

The challenge

Brandon’s business has primarily grown through referrals, partnerships with architects, builders, and interior designers, and a small percentage of direct clients from their website and social media. However, with the economic downturn affecting his partners, Brandon has seen a corresponding dip in his incoming projects. He’s ambitious and sees potential to significantly grow his business, but he’s unsure how to attract more direct clients and, more importantly, how to secure those higher-ticket customers who could transform his business.

The growth strategy

To scale the business effectively, Brandon needs to shift from a reliance on referrals to a more proactive marketing strategy. Here’s a breakdown of the strategic approach discussed on the podcast:

• Define success: First and foremost, Brandon needs to define what success looks like in concrete terms. For instance, if he aims to reach a turnover of £5 million in five years, what does that mean for the next year? How many projects does he need to secure monthly to hit his targets? This kind of backward planning is crucial to setting realistic and achievable goals.
• Understand customer value and conversion rates: Brandon needs to understand the average value of his customers and his conversion rates. For example, if an average kitchen project is worth £50,000, and he needs 20 more projects to hit his growth target, how many leads does he need to generate those 20 projects? If his conversion rate is 10%, he’ll need to attract around 200 leads.
• Shift to intent-based marketing: Unlike social media ads, which often target people not actively looking for a new kitchen, Google Ads can capture potential clients who are already searching for kitchen services. By focusing on highly targeted, localised Google Ads campaigns, Brandon can attract clients when they are most ready to purchase.
• Retargeting and building brand trust: While intent-based marketing is crucial, building brand trust through consistent, high-quality content is equally important. Brandon should use retargeting ads to stay top-of-mind for potential clients who visit his website but aren’t ready to commit immediately. Additionally, leveraging video content to showcase his work, including before-and-after transformations, client testimonials, and behind-the-scenes looks, will help humanise the brand and build trust.
• Experiment and measure: Marketing is an iterative process. Brandon should start with a budget that allows for meaningful data collection—around £3,000 per month for Google Ads is a suggested starting point. This budget should provide enough data to refine and optimise campaigns over time.
• Offline marketing: In addition to digital strategies, Brandon can benefit from targeted offline marketing efforts. Direct mail campaigns featuring his lookbook sent to affluent postcodes, local newspaper ads, and even bus stop advertising in high-income areas can help raise brand awareness in his target demographic.
• Email marketing: Capturing leads through a pop-up on his website offering a downloadable lookbook or kitchen planning guide is another way to nurture potential clients. An automated email sequence that follows up with useful content will keep his brand top-of-mind as these leads move closer to making a purchase decision.

Conclusion

The key takeaway for Brandon is that scaling his business isn’t just about getting more leads—it’s about getting the right leads and converting them into high-value customers. By implementing a strategic marketing approach that combines targeted digital advertising with offline efforts, and by focusing on building trust through content, Brandon can take his business to the next level.

If you’re in a similar position and looking to scale your business, consider how you can combine these strategies to create a comprehensive growth plan. Remember, success in marketing often comes down to understanding your customers, setting clear goals, and being consistent in your efforts.

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