Check a Trade

[Nathanzac]

Has anybody on here had experience with check a trade? Is it worth the money? I'm struggling to get myself going and the information that they have provided seems very promising

[alistairmagee]

I used it for one year up North about 4 years ago, I was very hopeful to be honest.

 

I paid something like £800-900 up front fees, as I used it, it became clear that the concept was slightly flawed, as I had to give 5 customers of my own to start it going which hadn't come from that advertising, and trying to get people to fill in their detailed report cards was a complete hassle.

 

I can honestly say it didn't work for me, I had more people call trying sell me stuff than genuine customers wanting work done, every time I tried to get it to work for me, I struggled because many of my feed backs were from existing customers and not from Checker trade, so I declined to do another year.

 

I hope others have had better luck with it than I? I'd say you should get a well maintained website going, keep up dating it and using social media. 

 

Village magazines, small adverts in little publications and try and remember that despite what you see others doing ( other companies) they have most likely had the same difficulties as you and will continue to do so, just keep trying, it will come right in the end, don't give up! 

 

Hope you get sorted.

[Shane]

My concern is the number of different 'approval' type sites now coming into being.

 

It's a bit like having to have sky sports, BT sport etc. to see all the live sports.

 

Eventually there will need to be a central website that shows which of the 'approval' sites are reliable.

 

I've never used any of them but am lucky enough to have been going for years so I get more than enough work through recommendation (or threats to the old and infirm).

 

 

[john p]

I’m on checkatrade, I feel it’s worth it, don’t think your gonna get inundated with calls (which is what I thought!), but it keeps work trickling in and they tend to be ‘good’ jobs with a decent profit margin, cost me 750 a year and probably brings in 5000

[Mick Dempsey]

26 minutes ago, john p said:

I’m on checkatrade, I feel it’s worth it, don’t think your gonna get inundated with calls (which is what I thought!), but it keeps work trickling in and they tend to be ‘good’ jobs with a decent profit margin, cost me 750 a year and probably brings in 5000

I’m not a business guru or anything, certainly not versed in the ratios of advertising versus revenue. But that seems like a lot of money for not much return.

[john p]

I’m not a business guru or anything, certainly not versed in the ratios of advertising versus revenue. But that seems like a lot of money for not much return.

I’m no guru either but it’s money I wouldn’t have had if not for being on it, I could probably invest it more wisely but apathy prevents me getting to round to it!

[Mick Dempsey]

Sure, but remember that 750 comes out of the profit of the 5k.

 

I have no answers of course, it’s 13 years since I was touting for work in the UK.

 

I used to find the local paper the best, things have moved on of course.

 

I just find these check-a-trade things a bit of a scam. (Not as bad as yellow pages of course)

[john p]

Sure, but remember that 750 comes out of the profit of the 5k.
 
I have no answers of course, it’s 13 years since I was touting for work in the UK.
 
I used to find the local paper the best, things have moved on of course.
 
I just find these check-a-trade things a bit of a scam. (Not as bad as yellow pages of course)

Pound for pound the parish magazine is easily the best advertising £100 a year and must bring in 8/9000 a year. ( I really must sit down and work it all out one day!)

[Mick Dempsey]

Me too.

 Actually, thinking about it, I do know, I use a local monthly French paper  (pricey but where the majority of my work originates) and an annual, cheapish, ad in a countrywide expat paper. 

 

 It’s relatively easy for me to work out which client came from where of course!

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[voj maintenance]

Haven't used check a trade but I am on my builder, there's no up front or monthly fees, you get sent leads, if you show interest in that lead and get selected then you pay a fee( don't ask me how they calculate the fee but I have seen jobs for a tree removal where the fee is only £3.50 for example), you then contact customer to give a quote. Don't get me wrong there are some time wasters on there and if you do get your time wasted you still have to stump up the fee. But at least you can look at the job description etc and you can usually tell if they are genuine. There was one recently for example who was looking for 'advice' on a problem tree, obviously you're not going to pay to go and give them advice!

I agree with others, try local community magazines, usually fairly cheap. Good luck.