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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To put flyers through peoples door

47 replies

Lucyellensmum95 · 16/03/2013 12:12

and hope that they are not just put in the bin?

Its for my DPs building maintenance business and his specialism in box sash windows

Is this a worthwhile route of marketing? or a waste of time/money ?

OP posts:

Milliways · 16/03/2013 12:14

We have had some business from flyers. I bin most of them, but they do get a look and some local business ones I keep for future use.

Good luck - it's hard being self employed.

exexpat · 16/03/2013 12:14

A lot of them - probably 9 out of 10 - will go straight in the bin, but they may catch the eye of anyone who is thinking of getting work done. I have kept a few flyers for that sort of thing so that I can call for quotes when I finally get round to getting my masonry and roof done.

lannyshrops · 16/03/2013 12:16

I look at them to see if they are advertising anything I or a friend may need/want.

exexpat · 16/03/2013 12:17

I also look for ads for that sort of thing in a local free mini-magazine we get every month, and in the local Denton's directory. The carpenter who did my built-in bookshelves came from an ad in a shop window. But like most people, I think, I am most likely to go by personal recommendation when it comes to building work.

JennyPiccolo · 16/03/2013 12:17

My friend used to have a flyering business. It does work. You should flyer houses in conservation areas for the windows.

VenusRising · 16/03/2013 12:20

You might be better off handing out flyers for an hour in your local DIY shop.

Getting a website also is a good idea. Also get an ad into the parish magazine.

Also, use free and next to nothing printing with vistaprint.co.uk - they do some great deals.

Piercy · 16/03/2013 12:20

We're self employed, we found leaflet drops didn't work, what we did do was take adverts out in parish magazines as it is repetitive appearance and goes out on a regular basis to all the houses - saves you having to do it.

Good luck it is tough out there at the moment

VenusRising · 16/03/2013 12:23

Hey Piercy, I see you do the parish mags too - they're great aren't they?
I'm also self employed.
Good luck OP.

Original poster

Lucyellensmum95 · 16/03/2013 12:25

exexpat, we do get the majority (well all) of DPs work via word of mouth and have done for about seven years but lately the work has dried up to a trickle and DP is wanting to specialise in the box sash things, he is a carpenter by trade but is very flexible and will also do plastering and bathrooms.

Jenny, we are targeting those areas yes.

Ironically we have got one enquiry from the 100 leaflets we put out the other day - but it was one i cheekily left befind on the shelf in the cafe we stopped for a coffee in The lady asked to see an example of DPs work, the best part of it was we were able to tell her to look out of her window because he had done the window/balcony in the house opposite :)

OP posts:

catgirl1976 · 16/03/2013 12:27

We have a little magazine of local businesses that comes through the door once a month

I keep it and have used businesses out of it before and a joiner friend and an electrician friend get a lot of work from it. I don't know if you have anything like that in your area?

I do scan fliers but I don't think I have used them. If I was looking for a service at the time they came I probably would but I don't keep them for future reference (if that makes sense)

DeepRedBetty · 16/03/2013 12:32

I've still got about five hundred flyers left over. I poked the other 1500 through all the local letterboxes. I've never had a single enquiry as a result.

Word of mouth and the website seems to be the most effective.

As for the flyers that come through my own door - the only time I ever responded to one all I got was a visit from a very pushy salesman followed by an avalanche of calls - so they go straight to the recycle bin.

Snoopingforsoup · 16/03/2013 12:32

Ooh, he'd do well in our Victorian Neighbourhood.
Maybe if you only put them through the ones with wooden box sash windows you'll save paper? We've had ours overhauled a couple of times now. I keep builders leaflets - it's getting the buggers to provide a quote that's the problem.

Snoopingforsoup · 16/03/2013 12:34

Agreed the local mags are always a good starting point when l

Snoopingforsoup · 16/03/2013 12:35

lovemyphone
Looking for builders etc. ditto Property Mart

youllneedthisfish · 16/03/2013 12:45

Do you have a website? Do you monitor you presence on local internet forums etc? I would get a Wordpress website up and running (easy - free - and upgradeable if you want to spend £60 on a nice theme a few months later). Get a facebook page linked to it. like lots of local businesses and news from the facebook page. Ask happy customers to give you testimonials that you can drip-feed onto the facebook and website. Get customers to like you on facebook or put pics of windows for their friends to see.

Monitor how you come up on google - do you have correct contact details on 192.com etc - I have given up on people this way...

Its a big purchase (which I am saving 10k to do on my big casement windows - the person I will use did my neighbours - and we watched him work)

I have used an electrician from a very well-used local messageboard - lots of recommendations. He was incredibly busy. He was also good. Its worth noting that he did ask me to post a recommendation on his behalf if I liked his work, and he did ask me where I found him. Good for him - there's a man who knows where his business comes from - and how to get recommended. Don't ask -don't get!

KatyTheCleaningLady · 16/03/2013 13:01

The response rate will be less than 1%. They need to be targeted to the right homes, and they should be put through individually, not folded into a pile of other leaflets. The Royal Mail service tends to do this :your leaflets will be inside a large leaflet from a supermarket.

My leaflets are very good, personally delivered to the right sort of homes, individually. I get maybe 4 calls per 1000.

41notTrendy · 16/03/2013 13:08

I flick through them and if its something I know we may need I keep. But tbh, I research best I can and/or go with personal recommend. And for some reason I get put off if the only contact info is a mobile number or unprofessional email address.

BawbagBiggins · 16/03/2013 13:10

As well as hand picking the homes you leaflet I would suggest only doing it on a Saturday afternoon/sunday morning so it doesn't get binned with the mountains of leaflets the postman pushes through the door every morning.
If it's the only thing landing on the door mat I think there is a higher chance of it being read at least x

KatyTheCleaningLady · 16/03/2013 13:10

Before buying advertising in a local magazine, call a couple of the advertisers with trades similar to yours and ask if they've been happy with the response.

I haven't heard encouraging things regarding cleaning advertising in them, but other trades may do better.

I can get 10,000 glossy double sided A5 leaflets printed for about £110 including delivery. I can get the design of both sides for less than £40.So,for £150 I can get about 20 repeat customers. If I am not cleaning, then I am putting out leaflets. About 100 an hour is the rate. Tuesday I have no cleaning jobs, so I will put out 500 and probably gain a customer or two.

Google ad words works well for me. I only pay per click after people have searched for something like "house cleaning in Mytown."

GinAndSlimlinePlease · 16/03/2013 13:11

We're having lots of work done on our crumbling house.

To be honest, leaflets go straight into the bin.

We found a plumber through a good advert in the local paper.

A roofer through word of mouth.

A tree surgeon through the council's website.

A garden clearer who was doing the garden several houses down, who was being friendly as we walked past.

Not sure if this helps? !

scottishmummy · 16/03/2013 13:14

Sorry but i bin all flyers
Have used rated people and rod of mouth
Best wishes with business, it's hard getting established and client base for word of mouth

GinAndSlimlinePlease · 16/03/2013 13:16

Extra things that help...

I don't book anyone with only a mobile number.

a website helps, but no website is better than a bad website.

Our council do a registered trades thing, which definitely gives me confidence.

Because (like most people) I'm busy working the same hours as my trades people, I like to be able to email. Or be able to call out of normal hours. I know that's really disruptive to family life, but I want to employ someone who is contactable.

cozietoesie · 16/03/2013 13:17

I read all the flyers but most of them do then go in the bin. Most of my work is done through finding firms in the free newpapers or on the net - lately, mostly on the net so be sure you've got a website/presence there.

Wish you were in Scotland. My sash windows glare at me nightly!

TheSecondComing · 16/03/2013 13:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 16/03/2013 13:20

If you are going to do the leaflet drop, push them right through - anyone who leaves a leaflet sticking out of my letter box gets it binned without reading. I only save them if I am thinking of having that thing done.

I use Which Local and Checkatrade as well as asking around and looking at the local mag. I am happy to like FB pages of small businesses that I have used and that have been good. Does he have all his details on the side of his van? I sometimes make a note of website names form tradesman's vans and check them out if they seem to be getting a lot of work locally.

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