Allen has witnessed the transition from Yellow Pages dominance to the modern era of pay-per-click advertising.“In the old days, I was king of the Yellow Pages. I knew how to dominate them. When I started using Google Ads in 2005, the cost was three or four dollars. Now those same ads are $100 to $150. You must be very careful because if you get a click and don’t respond, you’ve wasted your money.” Despite these challenges, Allen remains focused on fundamentals. “Word of mouth and referrals are still the best. Our repeat customers make up 70 percent of our calls. That’s where you want to be because retaining customers is far less expensive than acquiring new ones,” he says. RESILIENCE THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS In business, Allen has learned that relationships with vendors and suppliers come down to trust and respect. “In the wholesale business, the best customer is the one who pays their bills on time. That’s been my philosophy from day one. I don’t ask 201 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 10 ALLEN’S PLUMBING
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