....says Andrea Renner, owner of Ada Spray Foam & Insulation, located in Ada, Ohio. Andrea's company specializes in providing spray foam insulation for the residential market throughout northwestern Ohio. Her first year in business was met with several challenges which she overcame to become a successful spray foam entrepreneur. One of her greatest challenges was in understanding equipment operations. She immediately sought out expert training to bridge the gap. This move was to serve her well in marketing spray foam services to her customers. The training gave her a greater understanding of equipment operations and maintenance which allowed her to eliminate down time and get the jobs done smoothly. The knowledge she gained about thermal conductivity allowed her to educate her customers about heat loss. This made the process of selling spray foam insulation a seamless task. "I always look at the bigger picture and apply my training", says Andrea
Andrea's attributes her success to using an honest, up-front approach with her customers. With thermal camera and thermal gun in hand, she literally walks her customers throughout their homes and does an energy audit showing them first-hand where they are losing heat. "This is always a huge eye-opener for the customer, and they are far more willing to spend the money because they see the issues for themselves," she said. Then, she sits down with her customers and does an evaluation of all of their problem areas. Next, she explains how much money they will save over time, how the product strengthens the integrity of their home, and the level of worry-free comfort they can achieve. Another key to her success is listening carefully to the customers needs and addressing all of their concerns. "This builds customer comfort, trust, and satisfaction up-front", she says.
Andrea's advice to start up spray foam companies is to get training and apply it every day. Her motto, "Never shy away from a challenge", means that there will be days when new problems arise. Those who succeed seek out resources, get their questions answered, and keep moving forward. "It's important to maintain long-lasting relationships with spray foam trainers and suppliers because those are the people I turn to in order to find the best solutions," Andrea explained.