Best way of getting in work for a new business???

[Carl]

Any ideas will help

[Stephen Blair]

hard work in every thing you do, people need to know what you do and who you are.

[GMan]

Along the lines of Stephen here.

 

Put 100% effort Into everything you take on, do everthing the way it should be done, always leave the site clean and tidy, think 100% customer service at all times, if you give a fixed quote, stick to it!.

 

If you follow these basic rules, what little work you get Initially, "WILL" have a knock on effect, your customers will refer you to their friends, family and work mates.

 

This kind of advert for your business/service is worth 10 of any fancy add in any publication :]

[Highland Forestry]

By providing a slightly different/better service than your competition and having the knowledge, experience and know how to back your work up.

 

Word of mouth advertising is the best, look after your customers..

 

Be firm, fair and by the book, be a professional not a p i k e y!

[treequip]

Any ideas will help

 

Any details will help.

 

Let’s start with what you do, arb, forestry, firewood or other

 

Then where are you

 

Then where are you at with your current advertising (if any)

 

What’s your target market are you looking for sub contract, freelance or your own contracts?

 

Are you kitted for big works or are you looking small scale.

[s.varty]

Along the lines of Stephen here.

 

Put 100% effort Into everything you take on, do everthing the way it should be done, always leave the site clean and tidy, think 100% customer service at all times, if you give a fixed quote, stick to it!.

 

If you follow these basic rules, what little work you get Initially, "WILL" have a knock on effect, your customers will refer you to their friends, family and work mates.

 

This kind of advert for your business/service is worth 10 of any fancy add in any publication :]

 

Remember the above and you wont go far wrong.

[Paul Barton]

Be punctual.

 

Be polite.

 

Be fair in your pricing.

 

Don't ignore the phone.

 

Spend money on a decent designer to give you a brand/identity.

 

Ask customers for references.

 

Good luck - it's tough at the moment!

[John Russell]

There is no way of getting loads of work quickly; it's about reputation and that takes time. It's constantly being there when people are looking for you; answering the 'phone in a business-like manner, sounding enthusiastic and helpful at all times; keeping kit in good nick; always working with colleagues you respect and trust and -- as others have emphasised -- doing a great job. Word of mouth is far and away the best for all service activities.

 

Having said all that, here are a few marketing ideas. For the purposes of this exercise I've made the assumption you're a jobbing tree surgeon.

 

1) Who recommends people who do your line of work in your area? Go and talk to them, try to develop a relationship where they might give you a try out. Who might need additional resources at times? Talk to them.

 

2) If you decide to advertise, forget big one-off splashes where you blow a load of money. Much better to decide on a budget, decide where people are likely to see you and then advertise with a tiny but distinctive ad in the same place all the time. Go to your local newspaper and ask the advertising department how much for a permanent ad in the bottom left hand corner of page 7 for the next five years. If it's too expensive then reduce the size of the ad until you can afford it. It'll be there, day in, day out, every time people open that paper. What's more if they suddenly need a tree surgeon (which is the way it goes, I would think) they know exactly where to find you.

 

3) Sign your van so that it reminds people of the ad in the paper; for obvious reasons -- "oh there's the chap who advertises in the paper".

 

4) Have a website: use plenty of pictures of examples of your work, use plenty of testimonials. Make sure it incorporates the ad that appears in the local paper on the home page. This ties you in -- if they've seen the look often before, they'll feel they know you.

 

5) If you want to have a push (sounds like you do) have some postcards printed up (same style as the newspaper ad) and push one though the door of any house that looks like it could use a tree surgeon (I don't know whether this would work but if I was starting out in your business I'd give it a try).

 

There's a few ideas based on forty years of helping people promote themselves. Hope it helps.

 

Best wishes,

 

John Russell

[Carl]

Brilliant gents thanks very much and thanks for all the good ideas