Building your Mobile/Home Business

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Which has been the best method of building your mobile/home business?

  • Standard Directory Listing (Yellow Pages/Thompson etc)

    Votes: 42 12.4%
  • Full Advert Listing (with above directories etc)

    Votes: 12 3.5%
  • Local Newspaper Advertising

    Votes: 25 7.4%
  • Poster/Flyer Ads in Local Stores/Boards

    Votes: 31 9.1%
  • Flyer Drops (door to door etc)

    Votes: 57 16.8%
  • "Accidental" dropping of your business card at every opportunity!

    Votes: 35 10.3%
  • Recommendations/Word of Mouth

    Votes: 233 68.7%
  • Going everywhere in uniform, badge and a pocket full of cards and a fab set of nails on!

    Votes: 38 11.2%

  • Total voters
    339

Hollyballoo

Truly, Madly Geeky...
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Okay, today I thought that, in view of all the messages posted about increasing business/methods of building your clientelle for mobiles and those working from home, I'd throw up a poll on which methods you have personally found most effective for bringing in more clients - I think it would be quite useful to see just what people have had success from. I've tried to include everything I can think of that has been mentioned, but if there is anything else, just let us all know below what has been the most effective method for you personally!

Look forward to seeing the results so I hope you'll get voting ;) !
 
Hi paola. It's a tough one really, cos word of mouth is the best, but I only got that as the result of an ad in YP, so I put Yp full advert as that is where it all started from!
 
hi well for me newspaper ads have not got me one single client!! , i have had a few from business cards, and word of mouth, i still havent got lots thought , i am in babtac and i am doing the daily express promotion , its a buy 1 get 1 free so i lose out a bit but it might make them long standing clients (one can hope) lol , i have also just done a sign made from a piece of wood and some blackboard paint that sits at the end of my drive with my cards stuck to it for people to take!! a few have been taken , and my latest idea lol was to print out my name and what i do in big letters and put them on a white background and stick it in my spare bedroom window, it actually doesnt look too bad, i have also put flyers in the car , ok you can all take the p### now lol :biggrin: , but anything is better than nothing and at least people will know where i am , i just hope it works
oh and i am waiting for my ad to come out in yp
 
My website has brought me lots of pedicure clients this year and my lovely friend Tash who always looks after her pink and white extensions has reccommend me to some lovely ladies. :D

And I never leave home without my business cards! :D

Kx
 
Has anyone put flyers under the wipers on people's cars. Have thought about doing this after a client of mine who has her own business (an undies shop) did it and got a good response, or handing out flyers in the street? Just wondered if there were any legal applications with this - my client said just do it and then if there's any come back then plead innocence and promise not to do it again!!
 
we'l if you dont try eh Sarah !!! what time shall i pick you up ! lol

Thing is though i get really fed up with leaflets on my car and dont even look at them !!! sorry

i have done preferential rates for a couple of large businesses - great responce, waiting to see how yellow pages does for me, local ad sheets that have my details in does really well too and of course recommendations

kx
ps missed you today x
 
Karren said:
ps missed you today x

I know..I know...still sulking.... :cry:
 
Hi

I am a salon, but i will post anyway. Found the best way for the longstanding clients has been word of mouth. Yellow pages has been good to though.
 
To date 40% from leaflet campaigns (as done by me and Dean) and rest are recommendations, to many one offs for special occasions though, so an advert going in yellow pages this month
 
As I'm new to the Bolton area and therefore know zero amount of people AND haven't been able to get out and about I have enlisted the help of my neighbours daughter, for every client she brings me she gets £1 off her next appointment! She works in a pub, is 20 and knows just about everyone! We will soon see if this works or not!! J xx
 
Hi.
the best way for me is word of mouth. I put advertisement in newspapers and magazine - 1 person phoned me (during 3 month of advertising).
 
My mother-in-law works in the local cottage hospital and she put one of my leaflets on the notice board and I have had quite a few clients that way.

Also by word of mouth though.
 
Will you let us know the results please? I haven't started advertising so probably can't contribute much. I was going to put ads on school notice boards, do some ladies evenings at school. That's my starting point.
 
I know it hasn't been effective for many other but I would say 70% of my clients have come from my local paper.
 
plaoh said:
I know it hasn't been effective for many other but I would say 70% of my clients have come from my local paper.

Me, too - the freebee newspapers that are put through the doors. Closely followed by YP since my largish ad went out in April, have had lots of calls from it.
 
When I first started up I spent loads on advertising and didnt get very many clients compared to the financial outlay.

Word of mouth brings in most of my new clients. The only advertising I do now is Yellow Pages, and I offer a 10% discount to employees of a few large businesses in the area which works well.

The only other thing I do is to carry business cards with me everywhere. Then if anyone asks about my nails, I have a card to hand - make sure your nails always look good and are your own best advert! A bit of nail art catches the eye and gets the conversation turned to nails too!
 
heres one you might like to try: stick up an ad in your local shop / post office / supermarket and place with it an A4 sized pocket place in it a load of pieces of paper with your name and number for peope to tear off and take, people love to take things ! its a lot easier for them rather than fumbling for pen and paper and it works. ;)
 
I have got a few customers from the school gate and now word of mouth is spreading. I also put a poster in my husbands shop and i have got a few calls from that. I have only just started after my training so maybe it's beginners luck! I am also going to get yp add and start a web page.
 
I only started up at the beginning of this year and have already got 15 regulars - it has been by word of mouth. I tried a leaflet drop with no success. Have not advertised in the local paper yet - still considering this. Am waiting to go into the new Yellow Pages - have already spoken to them about an ad - hopefully this will bring in more business. Anything is worth trying to get off the ground.
 
I think that word-of-mouth is the best advertisement. People will be more likely to be influenced by recommendations from people who have been to you than by a pretty poster. As a salon owner I use a recommend-a-friend offer, when an existing client brings me a new client I give them a 20% discount on their next appointment. It saves them a few pounds & encourages them to bring in more people! Plus I can make the money back on retail items as a customer saving money is more likely to spend extra on these or on nail art. I have tried advertising & nothing has worked significantly for me, word-of-mouth works wonderfully, costs nothing & improves relationships with your customers, who isn't pleased to save a few pounds or receive a free treatment or other reward?

I have a question though, where can I get decent business cards made? I give clients price lists with my number on but they are a little big to carry around in a purse! And does anyone know where to get keyrings made or if you can get a kit to make your own? If clients have your number handy they can pass it on easily to others!
 

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