Business Generation

[T0M0]

Hi All – first post,

I’m looking for advice regarding work generation.

A bit of background:

I’m thinking of returning to contracting after a break of 10 years. I am time-served and qualified. I sub-contracted for 15 years before my break. Within the last 10 years I had a 2 year stint as a bathroom fitter that required part P. I am 16th edition and 2391. I had NAPIT registration and this can be resurrected quite easily.

I have enough money to replace my income for upto 4 months (the more I make during this period, the longer I can support myself). So as I have no work I need to generate some to spread word of mouth.

Does anyone have any ideas beyond the usual marketing? ie, flyers, DIY car parks, Van signage, Yellow Pages directory and online, Thompson local, website; calls to B&B’s, hotels, offices, businesses etc etc

Regarding flyers, can anyone see any problem offering a free safety check? In the past I worked for Norweb that offered its customers a free check. We went in and sold repairs to the faults. Worked quite well.

Regarding calls to businesses, has anyone done this and do they not usually prefer full approved NIC?

Regarding yellow pages, is it worth it? Plenty of people say not but like to hear from anyone that has success.

Can anyone point me to logo creation ideas? Always struggled with creativity.

Sorry for the brain dump but any help appreciated.

Cheers - T0M0

 

[petegibbons]

Hi All – first post,

I’m looking for advice regarding work generation.

A bit of background:

I’m thinking of returning to contracting after a break of 10 years. I am time-served and qualified. I sub-contracted for 15 years before my break. Within the last 10 years I had a 2 year stint as a bathroom fitter that required part P. I am 16th edition and 2391. I had NAPIT registration and this can be resurrected quite easily.

I have enough money to replace my income for upto 4 months (the more I make during this period, the longer I can support myself). So as I have no work I need to generate some to spread word of mouth.

Does anyone have any ideas beyond the usual marketing? ie, flyers, DIY car parks, Van signage, Yellow Pages directory and online, Thompson local, website; calls to B&B’s, hotels, offices, businesses etc etc

Regarding flyers, can anyone see any problem offering a free safety check? In the past I worked for Norweb that offered its customers a free check. We went in and sold repairs to the faults. Worked quite well.

Regarding calls to businesses, has anyone done this and do they not usually prefer full approved NIC?

Regarding yellow pages, is it worth it? Plenty of people say not but like to hear from anyone that has success.

Can anyone point me to logo creation ideas? Always struggled with creativity.

Sorry for the brain dump but any help appreciated.

Cheers - T0M0

I'd like to help you mate but I don't really advertise myself however I believe the free safety check would be very successful and is something i would definitely pursue if I was you.

I'd be interested to know how you get on if you do it, please let me know.

 

[Johno]

I relocated 5 years ago and i rang lots of local builders, kitchen fitters, conservatory firms etc and made a few very useful contacts who i still work with now. Also i used to always carry a wad of (good quality) business cards in my jacket and anyone i met in the pub, shop, street or where ever i would get chatting and give them a card. It doesn't take long before the phone starts ringing and if you're good, reliable and reasonable then reccomendations take over. Good luck

 

[Forde]

No offence but I found the idea of free inspections really depressing. It'll definitely help you get the business off the ground but will screw another electrician whose business you'll take. Although we've all got to put bread on the table surely this isn't the way to go especially as a lot of people out there think they can get a qualified electrician on the cheap already?

 

[T0M0]

No offence but I found the idea of free inspections really depressing. It'll definitely help you get the business off the ground but will screw another electrician whose business you'll take. Although we've all got to put bread on the table surely this isn't the way to go especially as a lot of people out there think they can get a qualified electrician on the cheap already?

None taken fella - just one idea based on what the electricty board did in the mid nineties.

Not sure I understand the issue though. If a person has an electrician they are happy with, they will ignore a flyer through the door. Good tradesmen are very hard to find, once found they tend to stick with them.

Surely canvassing businesses is more akin to steeling customers?

Cheers

 

[Forde]

None taken fella - just one idea based on what the electricty board did in the mid nineties.

Not sure I understand the issue though. If a person has an electrician they are happy with, they will ignore a flyer through the door. Good tradesmen are very hard to find, once found they tend to stick with them.

Surely canvassing businesses is more akin to steeling customers?

Cheers

Hi Tomo sorry about being negative, I lost a job yesterday to a ridiculous price and was feeling moody when I posted. Good tradesmen are hard to find and I suppose if you give it a go to get your foot in the door why not. Your not in North London are you.

 

[T0M0]

Hi Tomo sorry about being negative, I lost a job yesterday to a ridiculous price and was feeling moody when I posted. Good tradesmen are hard to find and I suppose if you give it a go to get your foot in the door why not. Your not in North London are you.

No worries - I'm from the sunny north

 

[steamboatwilly]

.....Can anyone point me to logo creation ideas? Always struggled with creativity.

We had ours done by some design guys in India....£50 and you get dozens of examples/colours/styles. You just tell them the basics of what you want and they do all of the ideas stuff. Superb service.

Logo Design Company, Custom Logo Design, Logo Designer, NZ, UK, Australia, USA, Canada, Dubai, UAE, Europe

....and no, I don't have any interest in this company but I have had them do 2 logos for me.

 

[T0M0]

We had ours done by some design guys in India....£50 and you get dozens of examples/colours/styles. You just tell them the basics of what you want and they do all of the ideas stuff. Superb service.

Logo Design Company, Custom Logo Design, Logo Designer, NZ, UK, Australia, USA, Canada, Dubai, UAE, Europe

....and no, I don't have any interest in this company but I have had them do 2 logos for me.

Thanks for that - all help appreciated

 

[bugsy]

Hi All – first post,

I’m looking for advice regarding work generation.

A bit of background:

I’m thinking of returning to contracting after a break of 10 years. I am time-served and qualified. I sub-contracted for 15 years before my break. Within the last 10 years I had a 2 year stint as a bathroom fitter that required part P. I am 16th edition and 2391. I had NAPIT registration and this can be resurrected quite easily.

I have enough money to replace my income for upto 4 months (the more I make during this period, the longer I can support myself). So as I have no work I need to generate some to spread word of mouth.

Does anyone have any ideas beyond the usual marketing? ie, flyers, DIY car parks, Van signage,[ good but also advertises to potential theives]Yellow Pages directory [expensive and there is lots of compertition need a fairly large and eyecatching ad ]and online,[free sites available] Thompson local, website;[free sites available] calls to B&B’s, hotels, offices, businesses etc etc [cold calling not a good idea makes you sound despetate ] things are very difficult at the moment even for established firms and self employed sparks - where are you located?

Regarding flyers, can anyone see any problem offering a free safety check? In the past I worked for Norweb that offered its customers a free check. We went in and sold repairs to the faults. Worked quite well.
[thats ok but will they want to get estimates from others?]

Regarding calls to businesses, has anyone done this and do they not usually prefer full approved NIC? [depends on size of business]

Regarding yellow pages, is it worth it? Plenty of people say not but like to hear from anyone that has success.

Can anyone point me to logo creation ideas? Always struggled with creativity.

Sorry for the brain dump but any help appreciated.

Cheers - T0M0

Hope this helps