grrrr!!! so annoyed!!!!

[marcpunter]

why am i annoyed????

well it started here ive just started up my own home salon as a lot of u know, and all was going well i had a quite a few clients so i was really happy it was taking of but i needed to do some more advertising to drum up some more clients, so i decided to do a leaflet drop, i printed thousands of leaflets (very well designed if i must say) and dropped a bundle at loads of different hair dressers, tanning salons, gyms, colleges etc etc

but now all of a sudden ...zilt! nothing is happening, my business had ground to a halt, no clients!! the leaflets had returned no results! so as u can imagine im soooooooooooooooooooo annoyed!!!!
i even invested in a new business mobile and i hold on to my phone for dear life hoping for calls but nothing..i could cry! why had this happened....
i have been told leaflets arent nessassary the best form of advertising because people tend to look and throw them away...i mean how many leaflets do u look at that get deleivered to your house and then chuck them away..i wish i realised this before i did it....i also found out getting a priority advert on yell is rubbish...my friend advertised on there last year and he only got one call through yell.com about his business...and it werent even a client....wrong number!!

so if anyone had any advice on advertising and how i can boost my business some more i would appreciate any help from u peeps!

im going to advertise a month worth in my local paper but i need to do more...im pulling my hair out

luv marc
x

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Hi Marc
Right you said every thing was going quiet well and you wanted to increase your client base........
There are always flat times in any new business and it is the established clients that can help you there......... Client referral incentives.......... introduce a frind and get xyz!!!....If it has ground to a halt, find out why ???? Why are the clients not coming back, why are they not talking about your nail service, can you improve in any area's ????
It took me a good 2 years to get a sound client base, a base that could see me break even in my investments...... it all takes time Hun....
Get in touch with wedding co-ordinators in your area, brides and their family have their nails done....
Florists Brides order their flowers from them..........
Limo and Wedding Car Companies........the bride has to get there somehow.....
in return offer these companies are referral back to them ......
Ride the waves, dont get dispondent it takes time to build up a sound business...
I hope it all turns round for you soon xx

 

[marcpunter]

thanks for that i will deffinately take that advice on and see what happened..sorry if i sounded abrupt in my post i just became frustrated so thanks for the reply xx

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

No worries Marc, good luck xxxx

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Marc, I monitor where all my clients come from, and apart from the word of mouth ones, this is what I have found works:

Yell .com
Yellow Pages
Thomson Local
The reason these work is that they are "directive" advertising, when peeps need a specific service they tend to turn to a directory, so you need to be in it to win it! They are in eveeryones home & business 24/7.

but make sure you REALLY clarify where they got your number cos 9/10 say YP when they really got it from Yell or Thomson, they just use YP as a generic term

Things that don't really work ...
Leaflet drops
Newpaper advertising
Freebie paper advertising
Thomsonlocal.com
Ads in shops
The reason these don't work immediately is that it is "stimulative" advertising, it has a restricted audience and is "tomorrow's chip paper". People only respond if they have a need at that specific time when they get your ad (unless they hang on to it), or you produce an offer that is too good to miss. The only way this form of advertising works is if you CONSTANTLY do it. For example, look in your nail mags. EVERY month the same advertisers are there, because if they don't then they will lose out to the competition as people will only respond to what is in THAT mag that they are reading. Therefore the only way your leaflet drops will work is if you do them every week or every month - TO THE SAME AREA. Randomness won't work.
This then becomes very expensive to you and so Directory advertsing becomes more cost effective.

HTH Marc, don't lose heart. Things are quiet at the moment, you only have to look in the High Street shops to see that all retail trade is struggling. Try and up your retail sales, or add-ons such as a pedicure, from your current client base - get them to spend more with you. :hug:

 

[wondernail]

I found the problem with leaflet drops is that for every 500 you deliver you only get 1 maybe 2 clients, which is a very low return....

HOWEVER.....I did get some great responses from a leaflet drop when I offered free wine for my opening evening and had about 10 clients per 50 leaflets which is amazing and whilst some of the clients where one-offs many of them have been regulars and are still with me!

Try offering a special offer on your leaflets. Failing that Yellow pages I think maybe your best bet....I have not tried them but apparently you can spread the cost of the adverts on a monthy basis which is easier than forking out a large amount up front!

Good Luck

 

[wondernail]

PS...as Sassy said it is quiet at the minute...I think it could be down to the fact that many people are on their hols or saving up for them.

Don't lose heart it will pick up again!

 

[dee]

hi i have done all sorts of advertising, from newspapers , to leaflets, yellow pages ad, everything , and i am still slow , and its not like the clients i do never come back, coz the ones i do i manage to keep :green: (thank god ) but i just never even get enquiry's
i think it depends on where you live aswell, as my area is chokka full with salons , so dont give up, you will get there :green:

 

[*JOANNE*]

i had to start over last august due to moving from portsmouth to merseyside so i needed good advertising to bring me in my initial client base.
i took out a payed box in the yellow pages which came out here march, well scince april i have been non stop it has well paid for itself.
hopefully next year if i am still as busy i can reduce the ad to a free line......or get really greedy and increase it :green:
but it has been well worth it and i have built up lots of regulars who all book me in advance for their mainenance as well as nice refreshing new full sets

 

[cakesc69]

im sorry for tryin to give any advice, but what ive noticed that works for me is my business cards. Ive tried advertising through papers and everything, but ,y cards, i put stamps on them. After every fifth visit i give a free fill in and for some reason they always come to me after the first visit or ev en the first. Just a little thought!!!:wink2:

 

[*JOANNE*]

thats brill advice cakes

 

[Urban Geek]

Yellow pages works very well for me.

 

[marcpunter]

hey guys thanks very much for all your advice...ive decided to try and advertise in my local paper because the citizen paper in milton keynes is quite big and is read by everyone in mk so will try that first im also going to take ur advcie and advertise a prority in yell.com and yellow pages...will also think about thomson local...


thanks for ur advice guys been a great help

marc xx

 

[Lellipop]

Good luck Marc, Get back at it