Best way of advertising
 

My partner is in the middle of setting up his own business and just want some advise off you guys.
If you were in need of a plumber were would you look?
We have put an advert in yellow pages but not out till may thinking about the Herald.
Any suggestions?

Re: Best way of advertising
 

If he's got a van, sign write it.

Get some leaflets done up, when he does a job, put them through doors ten either side on both sides of the street.

Yellow pages is ok, thomson too but you only get work for the first few weeks after.

Tell him to get some refferences of satisfied customers too, they can come in handy.

If you advertise in the paper you have to keep it in for weeks before it starts to work, a lot of people think about having jobs done for weeks or months.

Don't forget cards too.

Be very careful about people ringing you up selling advertising space. It's often not worth it.

Those leaflets, it's worth going round to houses that have for sale and sold signs up, and pushing one through.

If he does an emegency call out service, put it on all your adverts.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Tell him to go to Hyndburn Enterprise Trust. They help people set up their own businesses, give small start up grants and give marketing courses.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

And most importantly, do a good job, word of mouth is free. tell the customer if he knows of anyone wanting any work done youd be greatfull if they recomended you.
AND emma note the YOU, for it to work you have to support him every bit of the way, not that I'm saying your not cos by asking that you are.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Madhatter some good ideas there. Have done some cards and drawn up a leaflet for him.
We are going to do all this slowly and not rush in to much as he still working at min. Van we have got and signing is the next stage just had it all resprayed.
He has seen the enterprise trust and received some good advise off them booked in for some one day courses with them.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

u need to put it on the internet and do a leaflet drop around all areas pay some1 cheap to do it!dnt forget loot and maybe pay some1 like a curry house or a taxi firm to advertise you on the back of their cards nt sure how much it will be but worth a try!

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Support!! Im his bloody rock. I have organised everything for him. I have designed his invoices, cards,leaflets, and advert for yellow pages im just waiting for my first wage. ha ha

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Internet yeah we kinda got that covered on yell.com

Re: Best way of advertising
 

....and on here, lol

Re: Best way of advertising
 

To be honest, a good plumber doesn;t need to advertise once they have done a few good jobs as they are as rare as hens teeth. beyond yellow pages stick to local interest groups such as on here, try asking places like Age Concern if he can put a card up. Once he has dome a few good jobs teh work will come looking for him.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Another idea - and I know no one really likes doing stuff for free - but, he could volunteer to help a local community group or a charity shop or something and then let the papers know about it.

The amount of newspaper coverage that he'd get for that would be 10 times better than placing an advert in the same paper.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Also it might be worth while contacting somewhere like Age Concern or Homewise......often pensioners want someone who is reliable to do work for them.
Yes....word of mouth is good......and cheap.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Yeah

S.T.PLUMBING & HEATING

All general plumbing and heating work
Full installations, Bathroom suites, water mains, boiler and gas fire services etc.

OVER 16 YRS EXP. Competitive rates Excellent customer service.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

no need to b funny gayle internet dosnt just mean yell.com so no need to be clever!there is loot and google!!!

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sorry gayle i meant emma jackson

Re: Best way of advertising
 

i was just gonna say it was me that said that. poor gayle.
I wasnt trying to be funny just saying that we had been put on yell.com
So what is the google and loot not heard of advertising on them?

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Oh by the way my avator is not my partner ha thats my lad so dont let him put you off.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Absolutely fantastic, getting the main problem plumbers have to deal with into the name of the company!

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Emma........ word of mouth is the best by far.. but that is not so good when you are just starting up. A first class job a a good rate will have the mouths talking quick enough.
Never undersell your service, or you will become a busy fool, everyone knows a good job has a value.Anyone that does not understand that aint worth working for.
If you are advertising in the yellow pages soon, I know a trick that will put you at the front end of the listing, and that will increase its effectiveness..pm me and I will tell ya :)

Re: Best way of advertising
 

less
I dont get it will you please explain we are baffled!

Re: Best way of advertising
 

AAA
ZZZ
now who would have thought of that, just put your spurs on, 'cos that's the one cowboys use!
(They are always the ones to avoid).
:rolleyes:

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Gawd lol.
You can get free listings in both yellow pages and thompson.
That reminds me, always a good idea to ask how people found out about you, that way you can find out which advertising is working best for you.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

I think that comment shows that you dont spend any money with yellow pages.. or depend on it for your livelyhood...

Re: Best way of advertising
 

And also it's changing the name of your company. if your listed in thompson as AAA st plumbers and they look in the listings by names part for st plumbers they arent going to find you are they. People want a local plumber, and thats what they look for in a phone book.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Well personally I agree with less, it's cheap and tacky, and I avoid AAAAAAAAA plumbers like the plague. And everybody I've asked who got my number from the book based their choice on location, not order of listing in the book.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

In the yellow pages ( local ) we are going to be listed under s.t plumbing and heating on a colour advert. Under the central heatings part we again are listed for free just company name tel nos and addresses. We only chose st which was shortb for stes name and obviously plumbing and heating wanted to keep simple.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Well madhatter if you were to see the advert you will know we are not cheap and tacky by far and I have just asked for advise not nasty comments.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

But madhatter thankyou for your very good comments and advice and you will receive a free gasfire service when in need. ;)

Re: Best way of advertising
 

missunderstanding there.

Only cheap and tacky, in my opinion if you put AAAAA in front.
I don't see anything wrong with S.T. plumbing.
I used J.N. the only problem I get is people think i'm saying jane.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Re: Best way of advertising
 

It's a long way to service a gas fire. but thanks.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Yes a misunderstanding didnt understand what everyone was talking about AAAAAA know I do.
It dosent matter how far you are we will give you a gas fire service just for all the good advice you have given.
As long as you are not to far away. ha

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Hi willow

I have thought about it but not just yet as we get more established it will be a good idea. We are only in the very early stages yet and keeping it slow to start with. Thanks anyway.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

I commented on the ST because I worked for an alarm company that used those initials and not a day went by without someone asking if what they thought was what it meant! Believe me you soon get fed up putting on a false smile and pretending you've never heard that one before!!!

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Oh ST means stephen turner but on his card his name also appears there so hopefully people wont ask but if they do I will just point it out.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

A honest, hard working, reliable, thoughtful, considerate, pleasent, cheerful tradesman can get work based on word of mouth and recomendations from people he has done work for.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Yes.....I think word of mouth is good. We had our roof re-tiled this time last year and the guy got 4 other houses in our street because we were pleased with the work he did and told everyone about him.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Is he Corgi registered, because if he is you could use that in your advertising?

When I lived away, and couldn't get a personal recommedation, I would use the Yellow Pages, and would very often get ripped off.

Much like everyone else, word of mouth is much the best advert for you.

Best of luck with your new business.:)

Re: Best way of advertising
 

To be honest willow, I wouldn't bother with a website for a plumbing business. I certainly wouldn't look there for one and I'm probably the most likely of anyone.

Websites work for sites that need to be interactive. Plumbers aren't that sort of trade.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

I can't say that I have ever had a need for a plumber.
If I did I would probably look in the Yellow Pages

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Re: Best way of advertising
 

hmmmm. depends on how much the site costs. what it could do is help convince people that see your number that you'll do a good job, put the address on your cards etc. list what work you do, qualifications, referrences/recomendations off existing customers.

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Whenever possible, in fact 99% of the time I only use friends recommendations. So it must be difficult when you are starting out to drum up the business initially

Re: Best way of advertising
 

Thank you for all your good advice. Already had some people contact us.:)