Benefits to Hiring Local!

There are many advantages to hiring local professionals with one of the biggest ones being savings! With a local company they do not need to tack on travel time to their pricing which can really add up for crew and equipment over the course of a larger project as well as extend the timeline for a project. Daily travel charges for a multi person crew can add up to thousands of dollars. There is also local knowledge of suppliers and a mindset to support local businesses as well. Getting materials locally saves expensive delivery charges and sourcing products from vendors that may not be in the area, and the contractor may not even have knowledge of good resources from that area. Local companies also understand their respective permitting requirements, local municipal by-laws and how to navigate their local City Hall. When searching for local companies you will often come across outside companies that will target certain areas trying to get a foothold in that market by using sponsored ads through Google or Facebook and trying to outcompete the local companies. These ads can be very geographically specific almost right down to certain neighbourhoods. The companies will often create ads claiming to be local but unfortunately it is just a front, as well as often a call centre with trades dispatched from different areas throughout the lower mainland. I have personally experienced this tactic myself when trying to find trades for various things to do with my own home here in South Surrey. Always ask where the company you are talking to is located. I will always make a point of hiring local. Referring to the landscape companies again, they may even offer incentives like free consultations or so-called “free” designs but work those costs back into the project later with hidden charges buried in line items of change work orders etc.. There are also other reasons they are having to do sponsored ads. Firstly, they are not getting organic exposure in those areas as they are obviously not local, but secondly, they are not resonating with their audience of potential clients who are looking at companies for their projects. As a local landscape design build company in South Surrey we see sponsored ads for landscape companies coming as far away as Chilliwack! This ends up costing homeowners far more money in the end with the above-mentioned costs of having to move crews and equipment these extended distances every day. Additionally, the more people that hire outside their local area the less options they will eventually have locally as companies will not be able to compete with these often lower standard companies that are trying to work into those markets. So, when you’re looking to hire, make sure you find a reputable local company, and watch out for those Sponsored ads on Google and Facebook! These companies may also offer incentives to hire outside your area, but you will pay substantially more in the end!