Sup /biz/.
I'm a one-man LLC that offer services in a 60-70 mile radius.
As any of you, in similar form would know, times are up and down. I'd like to exchange what I've learned and where I've learned them from to help you further YOUR experience, as well as mine.
If you have any tips, tricks, secrets or lessons you've learned to help bolster your income, come on in and feel free to share.
Craigslist:
CL has be VERY useful with helping me garner business. I'd suggest everyone to start using it. Diversify your advertisements to pander to different clients using different hot words. For instance, if you offer handyman services, don't just have a "Handyman for Hire" ad. Have a "Window Specialist", "Framing and Electrician", "Drywall Hanging" ad.
Also: Load your ad with as many relevant keywords at the BOTTOM of your ad as possible. You don't want to be missed when people type in "Windows" into the CL search bar and YOUR ad doesn't come up because you don't have the hot word in your description.
>>1129764
Also, keep an eye open for your competitors. You COULD learn something by reading THEIR ads. The reasoning for having multiple ads is to be able to keep renewing them as your competition renews theirs, essentially, bumping you OFF the the page and out of sight.
Refresh/renew your ads several times a day.
Google your business regularly. There are enough FREE sites to list yourself on to fill the first 2 pages of your search:
Yelp
eLocal
FB Business pages
AngiesList
Merchant Cricle
Yahoo
Bing
FourSquare
eLance
YellowPages
WhitePages
PennySaver
Are a few.
A GOOD business card goes a LONG way and SHOULD speak volumes about you. Don't be afraid to spend a little extra for a texture, embossing or gloss, if applicable.
When you give someone your card, they should respond like you just gave them a dollar ($1) just for being in your presence.
Refrigerator/Magnetic magnets are a GREAT idea. Not to just give away, but to put places where they can be seen in the most high traffic areas. IF you can, place them in office breakrooms, metal doors, gas station pumps and ANYTHING they'll stick to and ALWAYS at eye level. ALWAYS.
Good thread Im starting an extremely small business to make money after work and these tips are awesome. Got any ideas for advertising to older homeowners for a home refurbishing/handyman style service?
>>1129781
Along with the cards, always have a few extra with you. Drop them off everywhere you go, carry-outs, diners, smaller chain store. If you'd like to keep the cards and work with flyers instead, you don't have to pay a company to design them for you. Print out a few at work, at school, have a colleague do them for you. DON'T do 1 ad/page. Reduce it to 1/4th it's original size and have 4 ads/page. Cut them into quadrants. 20 pages = 120 flyers.
Go to a church, bar, nightclub, shopping center or the parking lot where you live and distribute them under windshields.
Everyone knows someone who may need your services.
>>1129799
For you, I'd suggest canvassing retirement communities and places like Firehouses on bingo night, (see the parking lot comment), or some physical therapy offices. Most of these communities have a recreational building where you can post your ads on their "Community News" bulletin boards and a main building to get a pass or something. Just ask if you mind if you "just leave a few flyers for persons in your property who may need a service I provide." Who knows? The property manager, themselves, may contact/contract you for steady work. They LOVE to get work done, for LESS than retail with NO CONTRACTS.
>>1129815
Good stuff. Didnt think of property managers before. That made me think of real estate agents as well. Thx bro ill be lurking.
Ill contribute this since I've gotten a lot of work from Craigslist in the past. Never use a personal email for correspondence even if you hide it with the CL reply feature. Somehow a lady I did a job for found my FB and checked me out on there. Luckily I didnt have anything dumb on there . Still likely not something you would want clients to see
>>1129830
I DO use a personal e-mail (1 of about 6), but it's NOT connected to any social media accounts.
Speaking of social media and business: Once you program a persons phone number into your mobile device Facebook starts to suggest them as friends. Under no circumstances are you to ADD them, LIKE anything or COMMENT to them. This is a HUGE "NO NO". I don't give a shit HOW cute/handsome he or she is.
After a few weeks of NOT adding them FB will rotate them out of your "People You May Know" box.
..........I hate that shit.
Take some pride in your fucking work. Entrepreneurship is NOT get rich quick, for those who are lurking.
It's a LONG, tedious path of small wins, larger losses JUST to break even and move along to the NEXT tier of wash, rinse and repeat.
I'll understand that you'll WANT to ask $550 for the job, but you CAN do it for $300. It goes like that sometimes, but for the people you've helped SAVE money...they will be the ones keeping you employed for the days, weeks, years to come. Your instinct will kick in and let you know WHO is looking to get over. Owning/Operating a business FORCES you to do the worst thing ever, at times: Put FAITH in PEOPLE.
You'll REALLY be surprised at how THAT is reciprocated......like......REALLY.
Having a website is COMPLETELY overrated and not needed in MOST cases. Unless you just WANT to own a .com to showcase your work, it'll just become another monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, annual bill that may add to your frustrations.
Ex. A - If you're a local Plumber you'll have your landing page, "What we do", "About us", "Follow/Like", "Contact Us". The reality is the kitchen is flooding NOW. Potential clients don't want to see pictures of your tools, truck or MORE pipes. "Contact Us" is a digital form: Name, address, phone, etc. and you take all day to reply back. What you WANT is the call, ITSELF.
> Be you, "On My Way!"
Ex. B - Local Photographer/DJ/Catering. Have a website because THESE are pictures for things potential clients are PLANNING for. They're organizing something and inviting people. They WANT to see the quality of your photos/people dancing/food. Create a light, fast, easy to navigate website to be considered.
> Be you, "Yes ma'am/sir. I have you scheduled for July 9th at 3pm. Feel free to contact me if anything changes between now and then."
>>1129950
im starting a cleaning company, cleaning houses what should I do to advertize?
>>1130068
Give me a few mins. Got a call. Gotta run
What do you do, OP?
>>1130068
Everything previously stated, additionally, gather a group of friends on foot/bike and canvas upper echelon neighborhoods with the fliers. Spend a bit of change of one (or a few) road signs on a high traffic zone/ main artery of traffic.
>>1130498
This CURRENT business venture is Pest Control. Previously was Transit, Marketing, D2D/B2B (Door to door/Biz to Biz) sales, Web Design, Advertising & Product placement
>>1129950
Love your thread OP, killer advice to the entrepreneuer here.
But I have to disagree with this post.
Not having a website screams that you are not legit and that your business is young.
Many people immediately look for a website when they are considering a company. Having a website is responsible for 50% of my business.
JMO.
Use your mobile device to keep your contacts in order. Eliminate pen/paper shreds everywhere. When you get your contacts make sure you gather their addresses and email (if applicable). I'd really hate to endorse the Googl-ology of this but: Managing via Google Calender and Google Maps works best (for me).
>>1130725
What's your field of expertise, if you don't mind sharing?
>>1130725
I "get" what you're saying, however, I'm only speaking on a local level.
> Have website
> Collect MASSIVE amounts of genuine interests/request
> 1 man / 70 mi. radius
> Get requests from 2 states away
> Kills self because you haven't (YET) established another (multiple) location(s)/employees = "DAMN! I MISSED THAT $!!!
Websites, ALSO, make you LOOK like you SHOULD be sued if they don't "like" your work. ONE (1) lawsuit could CRUSH little guys like us. Loose your licences, fines, audits, commercial insur. increases,ban from profession.
I think it's alright to be professional without a website until you can handle that kind of work.
>>1130793
SOME violations, respectively in whatever your specialty is, carry jail time, as well.
