How far is too far?

Distance is the wrong measure

A radius on a map treats twenty minutes of motorway and twenty minutes of town traffic as equal, but they are not comparable.

Drive time is the true measure, and it varies by the hour. A job thirty minutes away at ten in the morning can take an hour at four in the afternoon, turning an efficient afternoon into just one job.

Practically, a mobile fitting coverage area should be shaped, not circular. It follows fast routes and stops where they slow, looking nothing like a perfect circle.

Set the boundary by job value, not goodwill

At the boundary, the question is straightforward: does this job justify the time taken, including both ways and the risk of cancellation?

A minimum job value at distance resolves that without needing a decision each time. So does a rule that distant jobs are only offered on days you're already heading that way, which costs the customer a wait and costs you nearly nothing.

Deciding on a case-by-case basis out of goodwill doesn't work. Each yes seems reasonable, but it leads to a van making long unpaid trips.

Clustering outperforms coverage.

A densely worked small area earns more than a sparsely worked large one, which is counterintuitive for growth.

• Two jobs on the same street cost about the same as one job.
• A compact area generates repeat customers and referrals that support each other.
• Short gaps between jobs absorb overruns, while long drives increase them.
• Stock decisions become easier with a familiar vehicle mix in your area.
• A reputation grows quicker when the same neighbours see you regularly.

Expanding the boundary seems like the obvious growth strategy, but it's often wrong before the current area is saturated.

Be clear and prompt in saying no.

The worst outcome is not turning down a job; it's accepting one you shouldn't or letting the customer find out the issue at booking.

Coverage must be clear before someone books. A customer informed early that they are outside the mobile area and offered a workshop option may still be retained. One who reaches the final step and is then turned away will not.

Declining gracefully is a marketing tactic. Being told clearly that someone is too far away, with a recommendation of who isn’t, is remembered more than silence.

Let the boundary shift with the day.

A fixed boundary oversimplifies; a more useful version is flexible.

If the van is already heading a certain way, jobs further out cost less than on another day. A booking system that knows the van's location can offer those slots and decline others, without daily calculations.

This distinguishes a coverage area as a marketing claim from one as an operational rule. The first is just a number; the second determines what the customer receives.

Examine it with actual figures.

Most businesses set a radius once and never reassess, meaning the boundary is based on assumptions from the first month of trading.

Key figures to check biannually include drive time per job by area, the proportion of edge jobs worth taking, and the reasons for declined enquiries.

The last point often surprises. A pattern of declines from one direction indicates a market to serve properly or a boundary to honestly redraw, both better than accidentally saying no.