best way to advertise my new business with not much money?

Question

hi im struggling to get much work throuh advtising im currenty in yellow pages and yell .com co but not getting many calls im a plasterer and damp proofer

Answer 1

www.addme.com will post your website in the top search engines.

also try epage.com classified. It is free!

Answer 2

The reason I feel you're having difficulty is base on this very small and yet powerful factor which can and will being more business to you:

1. Business is about people, relationship. So if you are not involving yourself in getting yourself known as a plasterer and damp proofer by visiting business forums, and getting involved in organisations that have meeting of regeneration development, then you are going to have some difficulty.

2. Many plasterers and builders I know, realise that by themselves it's very hard and so, they begin to use their best asset. THEMSELEVES. They network with property owners by going to meetings and conventions and business forums that are full of people, who have properties, who are developing properties, who are selling properties.

They then work together and pass work to each other. This though needs just a little time because they have to trust you first and get to know your skill, your reliability and your professionalism, So, give time for them to know more about you and build relationship. Business is not about properties or making money. It is first about people and people who trust you, bring you business. That's what a lot of business people forget.

The more people know you, the more they see your face, the more the trust is going to grow but remember - one mistake, and it's over.

3. So, the above are the things that you need now because end of the day - you advertise and there are many in your business who advertise and when people read those advertising, they don't know the difference between you and the hundreds of other businesses in your area of professon that advertise.

The difference is you going the extra mile and going to the community. You do this as I have said:

1. Find out community forum meetings and join them. Just go once a week and get to know people.

2. Find out network business meetings for builders, plasterers, damp proofers and join them...OR..

3. If there isn't any such network business meetings - SET ONE UP. It will be good for business and people will know you for doing this and it will bring business your way.

Hope the above helps but before doing all yellow pages adverts, you need to first do the above. It has helped a lot of people in your profession that do just those steps.

Don't lose heart. If it is your passion and you made a decision, a solid one, you'll make it happen. End of the day, your skills are needed and people are always building or wanting to sort out the damp or need plastering. You just need to get the word out that you exist but using a different kind of method.

Hope above helps.

Answer 3

Make up flyers using your own/or others pc and printer....print one copy then photo copy lots, phot coping is cheaper than printer ink....or if you have a friend working in an office who has access to a photo copies...all the better. Either put these through peoples doors and/or ask your local newspaper/agent how much it would cost to have some enclosed in local deliveries.

Yellow pages are more exspensive than an local newspaper ad...check out the costs.

Have a sign made up so when your working at someones house you can have it displayed outside.

Advertise in local notice boards/shops chip shops etc.

Know anyone in the building trade??...let them know you are looking for work

Answer 4

yellow pages only work for people 30 and over for the most part as they are the ones who grew up with phone books.

otherwise I'd have a web site or a blog for the company. also make up a myspace page and a youtube account. as both of those along with a blog already get much attention via the web.

so hit GoDaddy.com and get a dot com for $10 and get a free email. get a blog, make it your site and use the free forwarding from the dot com to the blog. Then make up the youtube and myspace accounts and link all 3 together via links.

Now you are on search engines, exposed to the masses in the most trafficed areas and all you spent was $10 plus time.

Blogs, MySpace, YouTube you don't have to know how to do anything as its already done for you. Just pick themes, colors, etc.

Answer 5

Walk the streets with a 'Sandwich Board', advertising your business.

Use on of those machines that prints out business cards and try posting them through letter boxes or placing them in shop windows.

Being on YA may get you a couple of jobs!

Answer 6

Two strategies you can try without cost.
First one: Call all your existing clients and tell them that you are experimenting with a new way to expand your business and ask for 3 referrals. In return, you give them a discount on their next job.
Second strategy: Identify other suppliers or line of business that compliments your service.
Propose a joint-venture with them. Offer free check or discounted pricing for their current customer. The deal for them...their customers see the arrangement as if they are providing value-added service. The deal for you...you get instant leads.
I don't know exactly what a plasterer/damp proofer.Hence the above ideas may need modification to suit your business.

Answer 7

Try Guerilla Marketing. It's been around for a long time and actually helped me a lot when I was starting my own business. At first, it was just a book, but now they've got a really nice website with a great message board. You'll get TONS of proven techniques there and lots of ideas ... all very low cost and high impact. Here's a link:

http://www.gmarketing.com/

Answer 8

Go see the Small Business Development Center for advice. Their services are free.

Answer 9

if you have access to a comp and printer u could print off leaflets and post through letterboxes at posh end of town. Put ad's in supermarket, local post office etc notice boards as usually fairly cheap. good luck

Answer 10

advertise your self under 'a' in the yellow pages because you'll be the first 1 seen. Also i'd reccommend leaflets as a good cheap way, 10,000 for 80-90 quid, a3 size.
if your persistant with it you'll get customers i gaurantee.

Answer 11

Word of mouth is your biggest and best advertisement starting out. From there (if i were you) mean what you say.