More ways to promote your business

[Cassandra86]

Hi ladies loving the ideas. Ive been a mobile nail technician since September. I currently give out loyalty cards too all my clients. When they have 5 treatments the 6th one is free.

I also love the idea of the packs which were previously mentioned

 

[Cassandra86]

while promotioning your business do you offer treatments at a cheaper rate ? Or keep it the same ?

 

[alanaabdn]

Following

 

[myzenjourney]

Hello all. I'm not sure if I'm writing in the correct place - please feel free to tell me off and send me in the right direction as I'm new to posting on here. Thought I'd stick to this wonderful thread.

I'm a very new business, only 4 months old and I am looking for ways to earn some extra cash and potentially bring new business in. I'm a sole trader and work from home. I have 18 years experience and my prices are middle of the range - I don't want to cheapen my services and I use top brands. I have no previous client base as I am not origionally from the area and don't know many people here.

When I first opened it was during the summer months and my diary was around 2/3rds full where as now, it's very quiet and only around 1/4 of my diary is taken up. I know I'm new and I'm must be patient and I'm aware that Christmas is coming up but I like being busy. I was wondering if anyone knew of a deal website I could put some offers on? Groupon won't touch home businesses even though my salon is completely seperate from my house with a seperate entrance and its own toilet facilities. However, I do appreciate why they choose not to promote home salons. I've been trying to contact WOWcher but they never get back to my emails or phone messages. I have just signed up on Wahanda but from what I've heard it doesn't drum up much business. Any other ideas? I've done near on everything Lynne Baker (hello Lynne, good feed ) and others have suggested on this feed so I was thinking more along the lines of a groupon style deal. I've done my own "groupon style" deal but out of 100 plus emails sent, only 24 were opened and only a few have booked in. I also do Facebook shout outs with interesting pictures or quotes to catch attention but it hasn't been drumming up much business. I've done leaflet drops (around 5 thousand), magazine ads, sent vouchers into schools for raffles, spoke with shop owners to offer them 50% off first visit and then vouchers each time they send someone my way but not one shop owner has taken me up on the offer which I was really surprised by.

I have a stall at 2 local Christmas fayres so hopefully that should get some more custom.

I am getting a fair amount of repeat custom but I need a larger firm regular client base rather than people just looking for bargains. I want to be earning from my full prices with a regular customer base. Am I jumping ahead of myself and do I need to just sit patiently? I know it will come to me eventually as I feel confident I am a good therapist and my room is very nicely done out, I just want to avoid having to get a part time job somewhere whilst I built my client base up.

Thanks in advance to anyone who read through my long winded post

 

[Grace_Hair]

So, I want to get more email addresses.
I'd like to send newsletters, although I don't know what to send?

If I put on my Facebook a little status saying to private message their email addresses to me, and they'll get a Christmas gift.
Which I was thinking could be a free conditioning treatment with a cut and finish or colour and maybe a little take home treatment? I think Fudge do a small sachet?

What do you think? Good offer? Will it get people in in January and February?

I also want to do a blog, but need some inspiration?!

 

[Laura Victoria]

Hi chaps!
I've just spent a couple of hours sending emails to all the local golf clubs, day nurseries and independent schools offering a gift voucher for their Christmas Fayres/Raffles/Draws.
Given that of the several hundred pounds worth of gift vouchers I have sold only 3 have been redeemed, I decided that it was worth a gamble. It gets my name into even more local venues (I shall drop off a load of flyers when I drop off the gift voucher) and puts me in a good light in the eyes of the local businesses.
Already I have had one of the clubs ring to take me up on the offer!
Remember to keep promoting your business during these straitened times!

Hi Lynee

If just recently set up my mobile company and have been racking my brains on ideas for what to do that's a fab idea!! When you started how did you save for your stuff ect if got my couch and massage oils things formfacials its just other stuff any advice would be much appreciated x

 

[Laura Victoria]

Here are a couple more things I found out about this morning.

Ladies Who Latte - business networking for ladies (for most of us they're our target audience!) and it's free!

Business Women's Cafe - again, basic membership is free

Hope these help!

Hiya hun when I click on these links they won't work?x

 

[Laura Victoria]

Thank you!
I was beginning to think that my ideas were falling on deaf ears as nobody replies to my threads.

Your ideas are fab hun I'm finding them really helpfulmiv been trying to think ofnwaysnto get my name around my local area and these have recall helped!xx

 

[Laura Victoria]

hiya
I'm new to forums so I hope people can see this!

I'm wanting tomhldo hold a charity event but not sure where to start,has anyone ever done this? If so how? Any advice would be great

Thankful in advance!

 

[Makeupandbeauty]

So, I want to get more email addresses.
I'd like to send newsletters, although I don't know what to send?

If I put on my Facebook a little status saying to private message their email addresses to me, and they'll get a Christmas gift.
Which I was thinking could be a free conditioning treatment with a cut and finish or colour and maybe a little take home treatment? I think Fudge do a small sachet?

What do you think? Good offer? Will it get people in in January and February?

I also want to do a blog, but need some inspiration?!

Go on the girls mean business Facebook page. There is an excellent free e book about this, I think it's called 55 ten minute marketing ideas.

 

[beauticianwebsites]

I think its better to promote any kind of business through web. Now a days, its very much trending that people go on internet to find companies to get every kind of service. Thus, its better to promote their even for your salon or beautician businesses. Social media platforms can also play a vital role in your business exposure.

 

[Grace_Hair]

I think its better to promote any kind of business through web. Now a days, its very much trending that people go on internet to find companies to get every kind of service. Thus, its better to promote their even for your salon or beautician businesses. Social media platforms can also play a vital role in your business exposure.

That definitely depends on your clientele!
I have a lot of 50+ that haven't started using a mobile phone yet. Let alone Internet and social media!

 

[AcidPerm]

That definitely depends on your clientele!
I have a lot of 50+ that haven't started using a mobile phone yet. Let alone Internet and social media!

I agree. Around here, it's all word of mouth for me and most of my clientele think shopping online is a step too far.

 

[beauticianwebsites]

Yes, that's obvious to know about your clientele first, that is the basic research for your business promotion. But you can't avoid your huge mass of customers that can be found on web.

 

[KHS]

Yes, that's obvious to know about your clientele first, that is the basic research for your business promotion. But you can't avoid your huge mass of customers that can be found on web.

Bit unless you seek your clientele in every way possible you'll never know what your general client Base is.

I personally found when setting up my salon door to door flyer drops work, adverts in local distributed publications work far better then shoving technology out there. You're losing half of your prospective audience. Face to face, word of mouth - being listed on all online Google directories for the ones who use them.
You can't soley rely on the Internet. Someone could have a fabulous professional website but could be the worst place in the area...it's all about rapport not technology

 

[Nadia Majid]

Hello

I am new on here.. found you through trying to get my makeup business off the ground,,,,, i'm struggling at the moment and need as much help possible yet a friend of mine is blooming ..... ive been reading through the posts and definately going to give the various form of advertising a go..

Do you guys get 'free' money from the government for your start up business and that's the one thing stopping me... i don't have much money to advertise.... i need an a board but they are really expensive at the moment..(i'm able to use a photography studio as my base and its infrom of some traffic lights so the a board will catch the passing traffic)

thanks for reading

 

[Nadia Majid]

This is what I wrote:


Hi there
Please forgive my contacting you this way!
I have recently opened a professional beauty salon in Kingsclere. I would like to offer you a Gift Voucher redeemable against any treatment at my salon as a prize, if you are having a Christmas Fayre or Raffle
If this is acceptable to you perhaps you might contact me on 01xxx xxxxxxx to discuss.
I have taken the liberty of attaching a link to my website so you can see the range of treatments I offer.
Many thanks, and best wishes

omg this has given me the idea for a valentines makeover redemption ..thank you

 

[Grace_Hair]

Hello

I am new on here.. found you through trying to get my makeup business off the ground,,,,, i'm struggling at the moment and need as much help possible yet a friend of mine is blooming ..... ive been reading through the posts and definately going to give the various form of advertising a go..

Do you guys get 'free' money from the government for your start up business and that's the one thing stopping me... i don't have much money to advertise.... i need an a board but they are really expensive at the moment..(i'm able to use a photography studio as my base and its infrom of some traffic lights so the a board will catch the passing traffic)

thanks for reading

Nope no grant from the government. You should have really had some sort of budget for advertising. Which your A board is.

You can always apply for a business loan.

 

[CFBS]

Perhaps you could get in touch with The Princes Trust.
They help businesses start up with small loans but more importantly you will be given a business advisor for on going support

 

[solomarketinggeek]

I am getting a fair amount of repeat custom but I need a larger firm regular client base rather than people just looking for bargains. I want to be earning from my full prices with a regular customer base.

Great point you made right there. Even if you could get into Groupon and the other coupon / deal sites, they'd be doing you something of a disservice. As you said, the people those sites attract tend to be bargain hunters. They're not as loyal to a service provider and willing to pay full prices.

One of the best sources of business is referrals. Specifically, who do you know who has the clients you want?

For example, if you do hair and you know a great gal who does nails and charges a good price for services, then you can refer clients to each other.

How many people like that do you know? And where could you go to meet more?

Sunni