Need some advise!

G

gpdriver17

New member
Hello, I have been trying to gain business the last 2 years and just haven't had enough money for proper advertising. I invested about 14k in equipment, but I don't know how to get this thing off the ground. I spent a few weeks putting out fliers, and got one response. Tried craigslist, got nothing. What does it take to break into this business? Do you guys have any recommendations for relatively cheap marketing? I'm trying to get through college with this, but I'm starting to think it might be easier to just sell the equipment and take out loans.
 
Agree with Pat. Develop an attractive website and get it to show up at the top of page 1 on Google. You will look professional and your phone will ring! I also send out a lot of postcards.
 
There are people here that just go door to door and get a lot of business. Just be thick skin when you do. I know there are signs in some neighborhood that reads no solicitation but I never know anyone that has been arrested for it.
 
Thanks for the replies! Any good websites that help you build one? 1&1? What do you guys think the odds are that I'd get 5-10 hours of work a week with a decent website? I'd love more, but if I can't at least average 6 hours of work a week this summer it seems like I'd be better off just selling it.
 
1&1 is almost as bad as GoDaddy for hosting. Try here and go with wordpress. Oh and pick the Chicago data center as it will be closer to your customers than london or Australia... LOL
 
Get some Bandit signs from Signsonthecheap.com You design them yourself. They cost a $130 for a 100 12x18's Only put no more then 4 lines and remember AC's 55 mph rule. (BIG LETTERS) Also you only need to put about 20 signs a week. Put them at stop lights and stop signs. They work, people love there cell phones and they only have on name in front of them. Less Shopping at the end of the day
This is one of my 12x18 signs
Proof roof washing.png!
 
gpdriver17 said:
So I'll try a website and some bandit signs. How hard was it for you guys to get from 0 to 5-10 hours of work a week?
Click to expand...

Took me quite a while... sorry to say, but you gotta figure out what works and what you can afford. I've got thousands of post cards (for door to door) and bandit signs to leave in customers yards for a week or so. Next I'll be vinyling up my truck a bit. It all adds up in the end. I'm also working on a website, but that may take longer not knowing exactly how to get the best SEO strategy going.
 
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Make sure your truck and trailer are lettered and kept clean. Image speaks for itself. Much of the business I gained was the result of my setup. Most of the time when you do a job the neighboors will contact you. Word of mouth is your best advertisement.
 
I put magnets on mailboxes, I still occasionally get a call 7 years later, I know because I operate under a different name now. People use them on the fridge. Yard signs after a job and rock flyer on 30 homes nearby on the way out. Or since I was working a full time job at the same time go after repeat business that you only have to sell once. I picked up 8 McDonalds and that was over $2,000 a month and about a night and a half of work a month. Most importantly DO OUTSTANDING WORK. I made the mistake of not getting email addresses to follow up with a year or so later, I swear if I had done that my residential business would be double what it is now.
 
Jeff, sent you a pm, had a question for you.
 
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