Many of the businesses were hereditary, passed down through the generations with long standing clients. Word of mouth is their primary source of business. Well over half of the businesses did not have a website.
Recommendations
I knew telling the audience that each and every business must have a website would instantly turn them off, and in reality for an industry that was truly local three substitutes would work wonderfully. It would also help potential customers find them when the word of mouth is only 'oh Bob Smith in Hawera can help you':
1. Their association website had a top google ranking. Consistently. So the easiest and first action was to ensure their listing on the website not only had full details of their location and address; but also every single 'job' they could do as well as listing the towns and regions they cover.
(Do you belong to an association? Have you checked done the above for your listing?)
2. To create a Google+ Business page, and fill in similar details as above to get their business listed and the pin on the map for Google searches.
3. To create a Facebook fan page. Not only is it a great way to get a listing in search results, it's a super way for rural families to communicate. An example is a closed group of over 4000 called Farming Mums NZ.
2. Speeding processes with cloud software
The industry (like many others) have to implement new health and safety regulations. They need to share information with their clients and employees such as which fields need to be worked, where hazards are, documentation of work done.
Recommendations
To look at using Xero for accounting as it gives them instant state of their business information (a problem many were worried about) as well as the plug ins such as Figured which integrates Fonterra pricing daily as well as livestock management.
Applications such as Dropbox,OneDrive or Google Drive to enable them to share documents with their staff and customers in real time - forms, documents, images.
Additionally with a Google account they could create their own google map overlaying which field to work, where hazards are and sharing the map.
3. Smartphones
Happily, almost every member had a smartphone in their pocket. So I gave them a few recommendations on how to put the power of that phone to work for them.
Recommendations
First and foremost to use the power of the camera more. Capturing the beauty of early morning and sharing images on Facebook (and their Google+ business page). Capturing images of the work they do. Broken parts that need replacing. Most people don't use voice recognition and dictation which can save time and ease using the phone. Finally there are a world of apps that pertain to the work they do that are free or inexpensive to get.
4. Improving Communication
Often just knowing the software at your fingertips better can free up heaps of time wasted doing things manually. Also by using the contacts feature (or your accounting software contacts), business building and relationship enhancing activities can be conducted in a blink of the eye.
Recommendation
Their partner, their office manager to learn their software better. In example if they categorise their contacts (or filter their accounting contacts such as smart lists in Xero) they can do personalised email merges to clients such as: it's been several years since we built that fence, is it time for a maintenance check? How quickly time passes, the 'x' season is about to start, would you like to book us before others do?
There we are. The four strategies. What do you think of them?
Written by Debbie Mayo-Smith, One of New Zealand's most in-demand speakers, trainers and bestselling authors. Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff. For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter. 
