Marketing Ideas

redskinsdude

Alright, the referral business isn't working out like I'd hoped. I've been talking with a lady friend who does marketing and she had some hints for me. Has any of this worked for you?

Having some pamphlets made up and putting them on cars?
Stopping off at businesses and leaving your card?
Taking donuts or other food to realtors/business owners offices?
Logo shirts, decals, magnets?
Getting a booth at home improvement shows?
Internet leads/website?

I did have a pretty steady business with a local realtor, but his business has kind of dried up and I need more work.

thanks for the help

Carport King

Yes it will stick! Do you work your backend of you clients?

You are a handy man so surely you have past customers so do you have away to get repeat work from them.[backend]

Who is your customer? High end? Retired? Working class?

Once you know then you will know how to market to them. Realtors are good but banks are better now.[repos] fix them up.

Condominium associations are good. Manufactured home communitys. What do you do most of? Outside repairs or inside repairs.

There is no shortage of work for the handyman that wants to work. I believe this because when things get tight with money they most always lean on the handy person first. At least in my area and yes they do have a place in our business.

When we all reach a certain place in business we sometimes can not do anymore jobs under $1000.00 and to me this is where I have a relationship with my handyman. Good Luck

rbsremodeling

He is right It is hard for bigger contractors to do the handyman stuff. I know I turn down 100k a year in handyman stuff. Some days I wish I could go back to those days. Life was so much simpler

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Jason Whipple

Try a mailer to all your past clients. You must have a list right? Thats always good for a few small jobs. I would think an add in a local paper might work for your type of work too.

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Jason E Whipple, General Manager
Historic House Restoration, Cincinnati, Ohio
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yockremod

Website Website Website. Get a website. Market it right and you will get a return. We got our site up in Feb. We receive at least 2 contacts a week from it. We don't always get the job but It gives customers a chance to see what we can do. We hang business cards up anywhere we can for free. Sign on to free directories. We get referrals....The wife works in advertising. She tries to do what she can without spending alot of money. The website has been huge!

Check it out if you get a chance. www.yockeyremodeling.com

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redskinsdude

Thanks for the input. I'm working on the website now. The past customers and repeat business mailers is a great idea.

brooksh

Yockey, how did you advertise your website, to have customers visit? Just submitted to search engines? Adwords?

Chuck A

Redskinsdude,

The advice you've been given here is pretty good. However, I think you may have answered your own question:

"I did have a pretty steady business with a local realtor, but his business has kind of dried up and I need more work."

Go call on more realtors! Make up some flyers showing typical before and after photos, paper clip some business cards to them, and go shake hands!

Be sure to put your website URL on the flyer. And tie the flyer graphically to the website. Then you'll have something you can also mail to past clients and take to bigger contractors who turn down handyman work.

morganexteriors

the donuts to the realtors....i like it..may in fact try that.

NH Remodeling Company With Services for Sunrooms Windows and Vinyl Siding

yockremod

Submitted to search engines. Put our name on any free directory that has to do with Northern Ky since that is where we are based. Then we did a little research our selves as far as keywords go. You know what would the customer Google....We then tried to incorporate those types of keywords into our website copy. We do the whole meta keywords and meta tags, alt tags...We keep track of our progress using Goggle Analytics. After we go our site up we sent a mass email out to friends and family, previous customers, letting them know we have our site up and to pass it on to anyone they might be interested. That first week we had it up after sending the email we had close to 100 views and got 3 requests for bids. Our website is on our business card. I place those everyplace I can for free. Grocery stores, bakery, hardware stores, those little covienent stores, gas stations, library...etc. People take your card and check it out. We did place 2 ads in the Yellowbook...cost us $1200 and we only got one call...we have had more luck with just placing business cards out. We do not do any direct mail, ads, etc. I just throw that stuff away...why would anyone read mine....

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