Marketing

[davetaz]

Log on to Google maps, I think you can place a free advert on there. I've had a few customers from it. They click on their local town/village etc and type search words in. The map then produces a list of local suppliers - and it's free.

[Yeti]

Log on to Google maps, I think you can place a free advert on there. I've had a few customers from it. They click on their local town/village etc and type search words in. The map then produces a list of local suppliers - and it's free.

 

Thanks davtaz.I never thought of google map it sounds like it should be worth a go.I'm just happy I have stockpiled a really good amount of wood and it's all seriously seasoned.So hopefully the customers should be happy

 

any tips on bags or nets?and in your opinions which look better to the customer?

[davetaz]

We use barrow bags, 0.2 cubic metres each, £20/bag, quite easy to handle with a sack truck. Customers like the look of them when full of logs - I thinh it works well as people don't mind £20 for a good sized bag and they are usually happy to buy 5 or more at a time. I also have many customers with out loads of storage space so they only order 3 bags at a time.

[davetaz]

in the last 12 months I've tried various bits of advertising.

Local papers cost too much say £100 for 3 months for a small ad and only had 1 customer from it. Placed a decent ad in local parish/church magasine £120 for 12 monthly issues and have had 5 new customers.

I have magnetic notices on the L200 and plenty cards to hand out

A good number of customers find us on T'internet so a web presence is useful although will set you back a couple of hundred quid. May be worth looking at self-build websites and just do one page.

I reckon you got to try a few ways of advertising and see which works best for you in your area

[Yeti]

I was considering the barrow bags also.Look really easy to move about compared to the massive builders sacks.My local papers prices a really high aswell and just couldn't factor that into my business plan just yet.

Anybody us facebook succesfuly?

[Littletree]

All my advertizing comes from my postcards I get them done by the thousands and I go and deliver these by hand house to house .

I select my houses that I can see needs my attention

 

The next type of advertizing is me talking to everyone and telling them what I do so in a day you can chat to so many different people and get cards into the hands just by chatting I have drumed up so many jobs as everone that you chat to 99 percent of them will have a garden and mabe some trees or work needing doing . if you dont tell people they wont know what you do .

 

I get all my cards into all the shops i give custom to for free.

I visit Tea shops cafes pubs fish and chip shops any where I go and give custom to get my cards to display for me for free.

 

Then I do care boot sales with my old rubbsih and I have my company displayed on a board and have all my cards on my table anyone one that buys my bits gets a card and I get chatting and then it turns to there garden very quickly .

 

Dont bother with the local papers they are expensive and dont yeald

 

A personal aproach will get you in the business also word of mouth is very important . all the customers you work for make sure they have a stock of cards to give to there friends .

 

I also now have a website so that people can go and have a look at some of the work I do and also see a bit about me and the fun stuff I get up to aswell .

AlsoI have a guest book that I direct all my customers to to leave there references for me about the work I have done for them so that new prospective customers can see what other customers are saying about my work .

 

remember when you get your van truck serviced make sure they have some of your cards .

 

I am also in my local parash mag for 12 quid for 6 months . I had 5 days work out of one customer that came from the mag.

 

I am allways looking at differnt ways of advertizing for free its amazing how many ways there are .

 

I got a days work on wed this week from a builder that was working on the next doors place I went and chatted to them and gave them a card . the next day I got a call and they wanted me to go and qoute for a job at a house there were working on as they had a garden to clear . I got a days work out of that chat .

 

your own motivation and passion about the work you do will draw in customers to you as if they like you and what you are about they will give you the work .some of the advertizing you do is sometimes unspoken and it can go a very long way .

 

Hope this helps

Littletree:thumbup:

[eddie8217]

Thanks J.laminated sign in window of vehicle as I type and ordered cards from vistaprint 250 for nothing but shipping of £3 87 thought that was very reasonable.

I'm lucky with the land my lane is on the only road in and out of my town,I was just concerened with advertising then maybe getting broke into again...or am I just being paranoid haha?

 

4 acres. devide it by 7 and plant alder on 1/7th evry year for seven years, you will have a cash crop steady supply and nobody could beat that, best burning wood and you could get a grant over 5 years each and evry year. good luck

[Yeti]

I've been lookig into a few of the forestry development grants for this reason alone,I'd have to deer wire my entire land tho as the little blighters sure lve to nibble the young saplings haha.

Littletree thank you for the very helpful info,I have found a good way in at th local builders merchant,my friend works on the counter and they are flogging loads of burners and chimneas,for every sale of one he hands them my flyer

Hopefully that should help a bit.Thanks again everyone for you well thought out replies.

[dave fox]

hi yeti, my girl friend does vehicle graphics for a living and she says that magnetics are ok but can rust and mark paintwork if dirty or wet underneath. Vinyl graphics straight onto vehicle are the best option and can be easily removed with a hairdryer if needed. and do you do any power lifting?

[dave fox]

4 acres. devide it by 7 and plant alder on 1/7th evry year for seven years, you will have a cash crop steady supply and nobody could beat that, best burning wood and you could get a grant over 5 years each and evry year. good luck

can you get a grant for planting alder ? was thinking of planting 500 meters this year as a headge ! any info on this ?