Replies

1. 
   DanH | Aug 17, 2007 06:13am | #1

   The trick is finding advertising techniques that work. Depends on your specific business, the local community, and the competition.

   In some cases your best advertising might be to make your availability known to folks at local lumber yards, etc, where homeowners might ask.

   For some specialties, and in some communities, buying booths in "home improvement" shows and county fairs can be worthwhile. (This is where we've connected with about half of our contractors.)

   And don't overlook the bulletin board at the local grocery, etc.

   Get some business cards (if you haven't already) to leave in these places.

   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
2. 
   MSA1 | Aug 17, 2007 06:15am | #2

   Depends. I've pulled a 50k job off a flyer. Conversely I put my name / number in the yellow pages (no ad just the name). I paid $480 for that and got nothing.

   Church bulletin was nothing more than a $600 donation.

   Then I found a local phone book.

   I have advertised in "The Blue Book" for three years now and that as has ALWAYS paid for itself, best thing I ever did.

   There's too many of us to go with big books, why do you stand out?

   Try the more localized books.

   Good Luck

3. 
   JourneymanCarpenterT | Aug 17, 2007 06:22am | #3

        You could try the newspaper since your just starting out.  Once you've done your own project, your best form of advertising is warranty work.

        Make sure you do the job perfectly so that warranty work isn't needed.  Then instead of spending your money on typical advertising, periodically call back after you've finished the job.  Offer to do something, anything they could possibly think of, just to do some kind of warranty work.  Offer to maintain the project until their almost sick of it.  Once you do that, word of mouth will travel faster than any type of media imaginable.

        If that doesn't work - just move - you'll never find many jobs there. 

   -T

4. 
   bambam | Aug 17, 2007 04:12pm | #4

   As far as phone books here is something a friend of mine tried. He went door to door and asked people to look  up a number in the phone book.( he did tell them he was doing a survey BTW) When they brought the book to look up the number he noticed which one they were using. Thats the one he advertised in. It worked wonders for him.

   Here the paper is pretty good for ads. The phone book gets a lot of tire kickers but sometimes gets a job.

   All good advice so far from other posters but I would add that you should advertise even when things are going good. Keep your company on the tops of peoples minds.

    

    

5. 
   Dave45 | Aug 17, 2007 04:53pm | #5

   Since you're in a large city, try posting ads on Craigslist.  It's free and you wouldn't believe the traffic it gets.

   I post an ad whenever I see things slowing down and almost always get 2-3 calls.  My personal best was six calls from one ad.

6. 
   hasbeen | Aug 17, 2007 07:50pm | #6

   Advertising books typically say that the best return for your dollar is from signs. You might try getting a few yard signs ( I get them from Dee Sign Company $40-70 each depending ) and keeping one in front of jobs you are working on or recently finished (with owners permission).

   Marketing and branding are big important topics. If you plan to stay in business you might want to do some reading.

   "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

   ~ Voltaire

1. 
   DanH | Aug 17, 2007 07:57pm | #7

   A very important rule for any advertising is to make sure that spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. Have someone else read over everything very carefully, since we're always blind to our own errors.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

1. 
   CAGIV | Aug 17, 2007 08:18pm | #10

   Have someone else read over everything very carefully, since we're always blind to our own errors

   That's some very good advice.

   We made up a double sided color brochure for our homeshow last year,  I spent a few days on and off working on it.  I was sure it was just perfect when it was finished and no one was around to proof it... and it needed to go the copy store for the copies (short run, copy place was cheaper then printer).

   The guy behind the counter just happen to read it while he was waiting for another job to finish before running ours.  He caught two pretty dumb errors on my part.  Thankfully he called me and I was able to make the corrections.  If not I would have 500 copies at a cost of around 350.00 showing me how smart I was

   Edited 8/17/2007 4:42 pm ET by CAGIV

2. 
   hasbeen | Aug 17, 2007 10:17pm | #16

   Good point!I went to get a massage once and noticed that the sign over the door said "Massage Thearpy". The place had been in business for two years and the owners had never noticed.

   "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

   ~ Voltaire

1. 
   Sphere | Aug 18, 2007 12:39am | #17

   My buddy in NC, is kinda rough around the edges, if ya know what I mean. His wife has a gem shop on the town's main drag.

   One fine day he was drinking from the night before still, and decided to speak his peace on her over head sign.

   I drove by and saw it a few hours later it said..

   "Death to the New World Oder"  I know he meant order, but cheap beer in quantity above 1 per hour, for 36 hours or so will do that to person..(G) 

7. 
   JMadson | Aug 17, 2007 08:02pm | #8

   What type of business exactly? Any employees? Have you completed any jobs on your own yet?

    

1. 
   Derr82 | Aug 17, 2007 08:13pm | #9

   Thanks guys for the input.  I do interior remodeling, kitchens, baths, tile, etc.. Yes I have done some small jobs (1 to 4 days), one kitchen and one bath, but most of my work is from the former employer.  Have no employees, yet. I just started up in April.  

1. 
   JMadson | Aug 17, 2007 08:20pm | #11

   Be careful not to advertise too much. You don't want to lose any customers because of a lack of contact or action.

   I got a few customers from sending out a flier to my neighborhood. I also put an ad in my local neighborhood association newsletter. My wife is actually my best salesperson, she works in a school. She gives out my cards at a rate of one or two a week. She's not pushy either, it just comes up in conversations somehow. Make sure you get some cards made up and start giving them out to family and friends.  

1. 
   DanH | Aug 17, 2007 09:24pm | #14

   Additionally, you don't want to advertise so much that it makes you appear to be "all hat and no cattle". People become naturally (and rightfully) suspicious of things that are over-advertised.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

8. 
   jocobe | Aug 17, 2007 08:34pm | #12

   I have a website and use Google Adwords. I've gotten some great orders and leads in just the past couple of weeks. You only pay for the ad if someone clicks on the ad. You can set a monthly budget for any dollar amount you want. The ad only shows in a radius of thirty miles of my home. I also play around with my website so it gets lots of hits by homeowners looking for my services.

   I use Google Analytics to retrieve all kinds of useful information. Like keywords used, referring sites, length of site visit time and pageviews.

   I have a one liner in the yellow pages for non-computer type people. I've had larger ads, but they were worthless...for me anyway.

   Right now I'm quoting a job for replacing doors, windows and a deck for a homeowner that googled. I've done four other window and door repairs in the last two weeks from Google leads.

   John

   View Image
1. 
   jocobe | Aug 17, 2007 08:36pm | #13

   Also, put an ad on Craigslist, with a link to your website if you have one..View Image

2. 
   DanH | Aug 17, 2007 09:26pm | #15

   Yeah, Google Adwords is a very inexpensive way to get traffic to a web site, and assure that they are actually interested people vs just bored HS students.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

9. 
   katiewa | Aug 18, 2007 03:43am | #18

   If you have kids, try being around for PTA meetings, soccer practice/games, whatever their interests are.  Presenting yourself as a friendly, concerned, involved parent gives you almost instant credibility with a group that is generally pretty stable.

   Best of luck.

   Kathleen

10. 
    Hazlett | Aug 18, 2007 02:41pm | #19

    Derr82,

    church bulletin----if it is YOUR church--and if you are pretty well known there---is an excellent investment. I have run an ad in mine for years and years---and dollar for dollar it pays really well. I have run ads in OTHER parishes bulletins---never  broke even on those- I am not "known" in those parishes.

    A lot of things over lap----for me--basic strategy is to put some effort into being a man of the local community----it takes time to develope----but then the work is steady---even un-relenting. I had a head start in that my core market is  the neighborhood i have lived in for 45 years----AND the church parish is located  smack in the center of that neighborhood AND 3 generations of my family attend that church AND all 6 of us siblings attended the parish school AND my 2 sons atteded the parish school AND my wife teaches in the school AND my sister-in-law taught in the school AND I coached sports teams at the school for years AND I buy ads in all the sports teams fund-raisers AND--so on ans so on--------------------------

     things overlap----since I work the same neighborhood--- my yard signs are always visible to my primary market, my truck signs--same thing.

     If I work outside this neighborhood--it is almost always on a referall from someone back in my core area

    My neighbor---a landscaper-------does something similar. He has an installation crew and a lawncare crew------when my oldest son is home from college he works for the landscaper. son reports that virtually ALL of my neighbors business comes from 2 sources. A minor percentage comes from the extended family that owns a local beer distributor-----and the vast majority of customers are connected with alumni of a catholic highschool we all attended.- so my neighbors core customer base is the community composed of St.V-M alumni--------again-- neighbor is a man of the community---just a slightly different community.( personally--even though my wife and I are also alumni of that same school--- I have never been able to quite tap that market)

    Also--keep in mind all of this is heavily referall based---so that is really your primary objective---------- under promise,over-deliver and do everything possible do develope customers who fanatically referr you.

     Very best wishes to you,

    stephen

1. 
   Robrehm | Aug 18, 2007 04:21pm | #20

   Check with your suppliers and see if any of them have a booth at a an upcom,ing home show. IF they will let you work a shift or 3 you might be able to fill your winter schedule. I"ve a done this a few times & it really works well.