There has been a lot of talk about whether trade shows are worth the money and time or if you would be better off staying back and surfing the internet for help and information. Both are capable of providing you with a fair amount of information for your field service management business, they just do them in different ways and at different costs.
Trade Shows
As a previous landscape management owner, I cannot say enough good things about trade shows. They are filled with benefits not only for myself but for my employees and the entire business.
What I personally liked about trade shows are that they always seemed to help to get my guys’ minds ready for the upcoming season. It felt like after going to these shows, they were more eager to get out there and use what they had learned or try out the new piece of equipment we purchased at a show. Since we were not a snow plowing business, I appreciated the trade shows as a good kick in the pants for my guys.
There are instances where not every trade show will be beneficial, however. I have seen that while the larger trade shows still have the funds to offer a great experience, some of the smaller shows have lacked in quality mainly due to the economy. When you configure your budget for the year, you may want to estimate how much you can afford to spend on trade shows, and from there, choose the shows that you will get the most out of.
There have also been shows that simply do not provide me with very valuable information (or enough information and benefits to be worth the trip). Perhaps the seminars and presentations they are offering are not beneficial or perhaps you have already seen the speakers or new equipment at other trade shows. If this is the case, there is no real point in spending time or money on these shows.
The Internet
The Internet is an amazing tool. I can open up Google and type in any number of search terms and find answers to what I am looking for within seconds. The best part? It’s free! My business spends no extra money (besides our internet bill, of course) to get answers to our questions or to learn something new from an expert in our field. There are no travel fees or worries that my guys are not using the time to their fullest advantage.
One of the best tools I use the Internet for is forums. I can post my question or look up similar questions asked and get answers from others within my industry. It is free to join most forums and I have gathered a lot of beneficial information just by scrolling through conversations on a Sunday afternoon. Some of the forums I attend regularly are:
- LawnSite
- PlowSite
- LinkedIn - If you join groups on LinkedIn, like PLANET's for example, there are many discussions to get involved in.
The one downside to forums it that you don’t know if you are receiving information from an industry expert or just a random guy down the street, and sometimes people will not answer your questions, either because they miss your post or simply don’t have a good answer for you.
The other downside to the Internet? If you don’t know what you are looking for, you’ll never find it. With trade shows, new products or better business management theories are put right in front of your nose. With the Internet, you may not know there are new products out there, or that many of your competitors are taking on new services for their upcoming season.
A general consensus I have come across (and agree with myself) is that the Internet is convenient and valuable, but it cannot replace the face to face contact. If you haven’t been to a trade show in a while, I strongly suggest you check one out. You don’t need to take along your entire company with the first time, it can just be you. Get a feel for the shows and see if they benefit you. You may find that they are not your cup of tea and you’d do better to stick to free online searching. Or you may find the one on one experience is more beneficial for you and your business. Test out both and see what works for you!