Christmas period?

[Designer1]

Hi, hope you all had a very merry Christmas. Do people find there's a mad rush at christmas or people stop accepting quotes?

I had about one job a month all the way up to mid November, then it just fell flat. I'm currently getting a lot of my work from MyBuilder, about 4 jobs have come off of there, the only gripe with MyBuilder are the people that shortlist you, then don't even bother replying to you and just waste your time and money, or the ones that ask for a quote, then you tell them and they don't get back.

Quoted £1,000 for some alcove cabinets made and sprayed and fitted, didn't get back to me. I'm charging about £1,200 per linear metre floor to ceiling for sprayed furniture, and they were only base boxes so around £500 per linear meter. Is this too expensive? Or are people just holding back because it was Christmas? The success rate on MyBuilder lies around the 20% mark for me.

Has anyone got other advertising ideas? I've tried the local advertising mag for 4 months and had about 1 job, so I didn't find it paid off for me. Customers have got my business cards and have passed them on to friends etc but nothing has come of that yet.

thanks, designer1

 

[Adam W.]

The parish mag worked very well for me, but I specialsied in repairs to historic houses and there were many in the parish. I had a quater page ad for about £40 a year.

 

[Designer1]

The parish mag worked very well for me. I had a quater page ad for about £40 a year.

This one was £600 a year...

 

[Adam W.]

Jeez! That must be a posh parish.

 

[Designer1]

Jeez! That must be a posh parish.

It's more of a local area magazine, goes to about 20,000 homes I think. Not strictly a parish magazine

 

[Adam W.]

Try the parish mag then, you might get a nice surprise.

Christmas for me was always a bit of a lull, but I was glad to take the time off. Good luck.

 

[Designer1]

Try the parish mag then, you might get a nice surprise.

Christmas for me was always a bit of a lull, but I was glad to take the time off. Good luck.

I'll have a look now, I did have one from Hull harassing me at one point... Their number remains firmly on my blocked list. Rang me up 3 times. The end of the second call went something like no I'll contact you if I change my mind, then blocked them.

So they rang on a different number! Then tried emailing me, I just blocked correspondence as time went on haha, who's that, oh them again, add it to the blocked list.

 

[Adam W.]

Sounds like a stalker from the Jahovas.

 

[RobinBHM]

Hi, hope you all had a very merry Christmas. Do people find there's a mad rush at christmas or people stop accepting quotes?

I had about one job a month all the way up to mid November, then it just fell flat. I'm currently getting a lot of my work from MyBuilder, about 4 jobs have come off of there, the only gripe with MyBuilder are the people that shortlist you, then don't even bother replying to you and just waste your time and money, or the ones that ask for a quote, then you tell them and they don't get back.

Quoted £1,000 for some alcove cabinets made and sprayed and fitted, didn't get back to me. I'm charging about £1,200 per linear metre floor to ceiling for sprayed furniture, and they were only base boxes so around £500 per linear meter. Is this too expensive? Or are people just holding back because it was Christmas? The success rate on MyBuilder lies around the 20% mark for me.

Has anyone got other advertising ideas? I've tried the local advertising mag for 4 months and had about 1 job, so I didn't find it paid off for me. Customers have got my business cards and have passed them on to friends etc but nothing has come of that yet.

thanks, designer1

MyBuilder and other online lead generators are alright for starting out but they are they are the low end of the market. Ditch them as soon as you can.

my advice would be to sign up to local Facebook groups, say pick 3 villages and join the group. They don’t like people spamming, but if you are promoting your business, often they will allow if you donate to the group. The strategy is not to be seen to be selling anything - just do a post along these lines:

“Hi all, If anyone is looking for fitted wardrobes, I have some availability in January“

note: set up a Facebook business page and start posting on it. (That way people seeing your message on Facebook can have a look at your Facebook page and see some images etc.

get yourself an Instagram account and start building that

Also nextdoor is worth a try - for the same thing.

 

[Designer1]

MyBuilder and other online lead generators are alright for starting out but they are they are the low end of the market. Ditch them as soon as you can.

my advice would be to sign up to local Facebook groups, say pick 3 villages and join the group. They don’t like people spamming, but if you are promoting your business, often they will allow if you donate to the group. The strategy is not to be seen to be selling anything - just do a post along these lines:

“Hi all, If anyone is looking for fitted wardrobes, I have some availability in January“

note: set up a Facebook business page and start posting on it. (That way people seeing your message on Facebook can have a look at your Facebook page and see some images etc.

get yourself an Instagram account and start building that

Also nextdoor is worth a try - for the same thing.

Solid tips mate thanks, the local pages for me have strict no advertising rules on, it's ridiculous. They just delete any mention, they only allow recommendations, I'm gonna get a mate to "ask for some wardrobes" and then swoop in.

Facebook and Instagram are already up but not generated any leads yet.

What's nextdoor mate?

 

[RobinBHM]

Solid tips mate thanks, the local pages for me have strict no advertising rules on, it's ridiculous. They just delete any mention, they only allow recommendations, I'm gonna get a mate to "ask for some wardrobes" and then swoop in.

Facebook and Instagram are already up but not generated any leads yet.

What's nextdoor mate?

nextdoor is a local community site, when you join it puts you in a local group where you can see like 3 local villages or regions in a bigger town.

im In 3 local Facebook groups - they don’t mind one line mentions esp if you donate.

if You are in York your Facebook group might be resistant to advertising. Are there any nearby villages that have Facebook groups. Big towns often have a mothers and babies page - if you have a wife, get her to join.

 

[TheTiddles]

Local mother’s groups are one way to advertise, depending on the rules. They’re also a window into an alternative reality, one of our favourite… someone actually asked, “how do you make apple slices?”

 

[Joshjosh]

Solid tips mate thanks, the local pages for me have strict no advertising rules on, it's ridiculous. They just delete any mention, they only allow recommendations, I'm gonna get a mate to "ask for some wardrobes" and then swoop in.

Facebook and Instagram are already up but not generated any leads yet.

What's nextdoor mate?

What's your Instagram, I'm give you a follow
What range of work do you take on? I've got a full 8 months and I'll happily pass on your contact details to clients who can't wait. ( If you're happy to travel down to Leeds?)

 

[dzj]

I have done a lot of work for churches of many denominations. I always try to break even in such deals, but the amount of
word-of-mouth business you get from such work can't be compared to anything.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Keeping a note of any houses for sale and leafleting them once the sign goes down may catch people at a time they are thinking about having work done.

 

[Cabinetman]

Keeping a note of any houses for sale and leafleting them once the sign goes down may catch people at a time they are thinking about having work done.

That’s a good one, A removal firm near me, as soon as your house goes on the market you get contacted – nicely.

 

[baldkev]

Local mother’s groups are one way to advertise, depending on the rules. They’re also a window into an alternative reality, one of our favourite… someone actually asked, “how do you make apple slices?”

What was the answer????

Keeping a note of any houses for sale and leafleting them once the sign goes down may catch people at a time they are thinking about having work done.

Yep thats a great Idea

 

[Designer1]

What's your Instagram, I'm give you a follow
What range of work do you take on? I've got a full 8 months and I'll happily pass on your contact details to clients who can't wait. ( If you're happy to travel down to Leeds?)

I'll dm you mate

 

[Designer1]

Keeping a note of any houses for sale and leafleting them once the sign goes down may catch people at a time they are thinking about having work done.

This is the smartest thing I've heard in ages, thank you

 

[Designer1]

That’s a good one, A removal firm near me, as soon as your house goes on the market you get contacted – nicely.

Always gotta be nice like you say, none of that "buy it right now" talk, horrible