Is it worth paying to advertise (Sponsored ads)

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Hi all.

I have been running my Sole Trader business for just over a year now and have been quite successful in keeping myself in work.
Word of mouth and regular repeat business is keeping me afloat but I always have my eye on the next 3-6 months and I'm starting to wonder how long this streak of work is going to continue.
If it all dries up, I will be up the creek without a paddle and I can't allow that to happen so I'm considering paying to have my business pop up on google's search feed for local electrical searches.

Do any of you Sole Trader/Business owners do this and do you feel the cost is worth the reward?

I have a free ad on Yell.com but to be honest, who even looks at Yell.com when google is the primary search engine these days.

It's a tough decision to make as a business owner as I have to justify all expenses.

 

[123]

Do you have a good website? Also Google My Business (I think it's going be integrating into google maps) is pretty useful to get you up the search listings without having to pay (much) for it.

I know a few that just use Facebook for advertising and it works quite well for them (it's not for me at all though)

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Do you have a good website? Also Google My Business (I think it's going be integrating into google maps) is pretty useful to get you up the search listings without having to pay (much) for it.

I know a few that just use Facebook for advertising and it works quite well for them (it's not for me at all though)

Hi bud.

I do have a website yes, by all means take a look and give some constructive criticism if you wish: About | MB Electrical Services - https://www.mb-electricalservices.co.uk/about/

I am on Google my business too but I don't get many hits (if any) but I'm not paying anything to push it right now as I'm unsure how it works and the costs involved. I'm led to believe the cost is based on the amount of clicks you receive but I'll have to look a bit deeper into that.

I'm on Yell.com as I said but again, not paying for sponsored links etc.

Facebook.....I'm not on it and, if I'm honest, I'm not a fan of it. It's too intrusive and I have concerns about the type of client it may attract. Don't get me wrong, I was brought up on a council estate and there's nothing wrong with that but I'm also very familiar with the type of people that you could end up dealing with and I don't want to open myself/business up to that kind of work.

I've been pointed towards Linked-In a few times but I've yet to look into that.......

 

[loz2754]

Hi bud.

I do have a website yes, by all means take a look and give some constructive criticism if you wish: About | MB Electrical Services - https://www.mb-electricalservices.co.uk/about/

I am on Google my business too but I don't get many hits (if any) but I'm not paying anything to push it right now as I'm unsure how it works and the costs involved. I'm led to believe the cost is based on the amount of clicks you receive but I'll have to look a bit deeper into that.

I'm on Yell.com as I said but again, not paying for sponsored links etc.

Facebook.....I'm not on it and, if I'm honest, I'm not a fan of it. It's too intrusive and I have concerns about the type of client it may attract. Don't get me wrong, I was brought up on a council estate and there's nothing wrong with that but I'm also very familiar with the type of people that you could end up dealing with and I don't want to open myself/business up to that kind of work.

I've been pointed towards Linked-In a few times but I've yet to look into that.......

Nice looking website.
It's address is just 1 letter different from my own!

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Nice looking website.
It's address is just 1 letter different from my own!

Really!! That's amazing that!

Are you Sole Trader too or Ltd with employees?

 

[loz2754]

Really!! That's amazing that!

Are you Sole Trader too or Ltd with employees?

Just me.
I use Google Ads but it can be quite expensive. You can pause it though at any time.

 

[DPG]

Hi bud.

I do have a website yes, by all means take a look and give some constructive criticism if you wish: About | MB Electrical Services - https://www.mb-electricalservices.co.uk/about/

I am on Google my business too but I don't get many hits (if any) but I'm not paying anything to push it right now as I'm unsure how it works and the costs involved. I'm led to believe the cost is based on the amount of clicks you receive but I'll have to look a bit deeper into that.

I'm on Yell.com as I said but again, not paying for sponsored links etc.

Facebook.....I'm not on it and, if I'm honest, I'm not a fan of it. It's too intrusive and I have concerns about the type of client it may attract. Don't get me wrong, I was brought up on a council estate and there's nothing wrong with that but I'm also very familiar with the type of people that you could end up dealing with and I don't want to open myself/business up to that kind of work.

I've been pointed towards Linked-In a few times but I've yet to look into that.......

The website looks good.

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Just me.
I use Google Ads but it can be quite expensive. You can pause it though at any time.

I'll look into starting that up then as I feel I need to get myself noticed a wee bit. No point in spending all that money on a website if it isn't being noticed!

How long have you been trading for and how are you getting on? (if you don't mind me asking)

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

The website looks good.

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

 

[LukeD]

Depends if you want to be on the end of a phone all day long giving free info and quotes etc etc ? Instagram/facebook and your own customers are the best advertisers.

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Depends if you want to be on the end of a phone all day long giving free info and quotes etc etc ? Instagram/facebook and your own customers are the best advertisers.

You're right Luke. I seem to be doing ok for now with my own customer base without any advertising.
If the worst ever came to the worst, I could always go subbying for a bit.

 

[LukeD]

A good customer will always recommend you .Ive used this method for 30 years. I have little time to mess around with "cold callers"

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

A good customer will always recommend you .Ive used this method for 30 years. I have little time to mess around with "cold callers"

Agreed. I seem to be doing ok on recommendation alone but, as I said, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket so to speak.

Gotta have your eye on 6 months time for a small business like mine with just over 12 months under my belt.
There's a ton of competition out there at the moment too with a huge amount of small electrical sole traders knocking around.

 

[jedisparks]

Hi exponential,

Just wondering if you went any further with your advertising? Trading for 17 yesrs and I haven't advertised for about 5 years - just repeat customers and word of mouth has kept me very busy. BUT, this year the demand has completely dropped off and have been quiet for the first time in ages.

Anyone else notice a bit of a slow down?

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Hi exponential,

Just wondering if you went any further with your advertising? Trading for 17 yesrs and I haven't advertised for about 5 years - just repeat customers and word of mouth has kept me very busy. BUT, this year the demand has completely dropped off and have been quiet for the first time in ages.

Anyone else notice a bit of a slow down?

Hi bud,

I rang the people who built my website to ask the question about it and he was quite honest in saying that you've gotta spend a few quid to keep your business at the top of the list on google etc. He's going to send me a price list and I'll decide from that whether I think it's a viable option. I'll post an update when that comes through for any that may be interested.

I have definitely seen a significant drop in enquiries over the last couple of months! It's a worrying trend to be fair and I have found myself wondering if I'll be able to see the next few months through! I think with the recent increase in energy bills, that has made people think twice about spending any money.

Another thing I've noticed is the saturation of the sole trader sector. I have never seen so many sole trader electricians on the roads! People are being undercut left right and centre including myself. It seems to be a race to the bottom which is driving our trade down somewhat.

What are your thoughts on it?

 

[LukeD]

Hi bud,

I rang the people who built my website to ask the question about it and he was quite honest in saying that you've gotta spend a few quid to keep your business at the top of the list on google etc. He's going to send me a price list and I'll decide from that whether I think it's a viable option. I'll post an update when that comes through for any that may be interested.

I have definitely seen a significant drop in enquiries over the last couple of months! It's a worrying trend to be fair and I have found myself wondering if I'll be able to see the next few months through! I think with the recent increase in energy bills, that has made people think twice about spending any money.

Another thing I've noticed is the saturation of the sole trader sector. I have never seen so many sole trader electricians on the roads! People are being undercut left right and centre including myself. It seems to be a race to the bottom which is driving our trade down somewhat.

What are your thoughts on it?

NEVER EVER join in the race . Its suicide .Whats going to happen is the arse will fall out , many will bin their tools /vans etc .Those that work well, charge the right money will always have work . Just stick to good wealthy people who pay on time .

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

NEVER EVER join in the race . Its suicide .Whats going to happen is the arse will fall out , many will bin their tools /vans etc .Those that work well, charge the right money will always have work . Just stick to good wealthy people who pay on time .

Well my wife who helps with the admin side of things is quite stern when it comes to clients asking for a drop in price etc.
We are running a business not a charity. I feel our prices are fair so in future, we are no longer going to entertain this penny pinching method of obtaining work.
We do a nice, clean and professional job and the price reflects this.

You have to know your worth really, I'm not 100% there yet with my confidence in pricing but it'll come with time.

 

[LukeD]

Well my wife who helps with the admin side of things is quite stern when it comes to clients asking for a drop in price etc.
We are running a business not a charity. I feel our prices are fair so in future, we are no longer going to entertain this penny pinching method of obtaining work.
We do a nice, clean and professional job and the price reflects this.

You have to know your worth really, I'm not 100% there yet with my confidence in pricing but it'll come with time.

You charge 20% for doing the right work. 80% for turning up on time to do a quote ,start the job when agreed and leave the place clean .This is what really matters to a lot of busy wealthy clients !

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

You charge 20% for doing the right work. 80% for turning up on time to do a quote ,start the job when agreed and leave the place clean .This is what really matters to a lot of busy wealthy clients !

Couldn't agree more Luke.

Funnily enough, my web designer has got back to me on pricing and he's asking for £50 a month for a maintenance package where all website/email maintenance and social media/google advertising is included in the price.

That's £600 a year to pay out but if it brings in a couple of grand in business then I guess it's a pill worth swallowing.

I'll ask if I can opt out at any stage and if so, I might give it a shot for 3-6 months to see if I get any extra business.
You've got to speculate to accumulate I suppose.

 

[jedisparks]

When I noticed that my phone had been a bit quiet I thought I'd try and be more active on Facebook. I joined a few of the local community groups. I quickly noticed that if someone asks for a recommendation for an electrician within half an hour there's 7 or 8 replies with names put forward and they're all names I've never heard of. So I agree, there's a lot of sole traders sloshing about.

 

[jedisparks]

I've joined checkatrade which I had used before 7/8 years ago and seemed to work well then. But again, loads of sole traders on there covering my area and its a lot more expensive now.

Never tried Instagram, I feel like a dinosaur. Is it like Facebook lol?

It's so weird because I'm usually turning away work all year round because I'm pulling my hair out busy.

Hey ho, I'll hang in there for a bit. Will push myself on Facebook, Google (the free stuff) and give checkatrade a year. Maybe I'll have to find an employed job, which having been self employed for 17 years and now in my early 40s is a bit daunting tbh.

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

I've joined checkatrade which I had used before 7/8 years ago and seemed to work well then. But again, loads of sole traders on there covering my area and its a lot more expensive now.

Never tried Instagram, I feel like a dinosaur. Is it like Facebook lol?

It's so weird because I'm usually turning away work all year round because I'm pulling my hair out busy.

Hey ho, I'll hang in there for a bit. Will push myself on Facebook, Google (the free stuff) and give checkatrade a year. Maybe I'll have to find an employed job, which having been self employed for 17 years and now in my early 40s is a bit daunting tbh.

Yeah, I'm the same as you bud. Instagram is alien to me and I've no intention of jumping on that in my mid 40's!
It's sad to see you say that though, that you're considering going back to "employed" after 17 years of being your own boss.

Like you, I'll give this Google ads thing a few months to see if there's any benefit.
If my phone isn't ringing after giving it a go then I'll be looking at being a subby for a while.
Don't want to do that really though but you've got to do what you've got to do.

 

[LukeD]

When I noticed that my phone had been a bit quiet I thought I'd try and be more active on Facebook. I joined a few of the local community groups. I quickly noticed that if someone asks for a recommendation for an electrician within half an hour there's 7 or 8 replies with names put forward and they're all names I've never heard of. So I agree, there's a lot of sole traders sloshing about.

A few of them might be the same person ! I also have posted on the worst ever social media App "Next door" . The amount of people claiming to be any trades ready to work straight away is madness. When I mention about checking insurance and scheme memberships etc .It suddenly goes super quiet !

 

[mattg4321]

Next door is a load of turd. You get 3 million emails and notifications from them a day and nothing is even local. Miles away in my case.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

I dont advertise as such anymore but do have a paid for feature in a local magazine about ev chargers that will go through a few thousands letterboxes of middle to high earners who are the people I target.
I get a lot of word of mouth and repeat business so have not felt a need to push the business out there.
I am though as i look to recruit and get into solar pv to compliment the ev and battery offering going to advertise.
at the lower down level the local magazines for each part of town and village magazines are a lucrative source of work and advertising is much cheaper.
I dont use checkatrade now as the good deal came to an end and over time they let every man and his dog join and even using your own postcode you wouldnt appear in results!
i do sometimes use mybuilder as if you dont use it for ages they give you free 'credit' only use it for ev charging jobs, im often told that even though my quote wasnt the cheapest they went with me because i explained in detail what i would do and why it is necessary. others just give a price and basic description.

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

I dont advertise as such anymore but do have a paid for feature in a local magazine about ev chargers that will go through a few thousands letterboxes of middle to high earners who are the people I target.
I get a lot of word of mouth and repeat business so have not felt a need to push the business out there.
I am though as i look to recruit and get into solar pv to compliment the ev and battery offering going to advertise.
at the lower down level the local magazines for each part of town and village magazines are a lucrative source of work and advertising is much cheaper.
I dont use checkatrade now as the good deal came to an end and over time they let every man and his dog join and even using your own postcode you wouldnt appear in results!
i do sometimes use mybuilder as if you dont use it for ages they give you free 'credit' only use it for ev charging jobs, im often told that even though my quote wasnt the cheapest they went with me because i explained in detail what i would do and why it is necessary. others just give a price and basic description.

Well I've instructed the web site designer to go ahead and start the ball rolling. I've already selected a load of pics to upload and altered my wording. I might also reduce the list as far as what I am capable of doing as its like reading War & Peace!

I'm like you, my quotations/estimates are very detailed and it does win me work but I fall down on pricing sometimes and go a bit overboard and lose the job. Have to work on that one.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Well I've instructed the web site designer to go ahead and start the ball rolling. I've already selected a load of pics to upload and altered my wording. I might also reduce the list as far as what I am capable of doing as its like reading War & Peace!

I'm like you, my quotations/estimates are very detailed and it does win me work but I fall down on pricing sometimes and go a bit overboard and lose the job. Have to work on that one.

I would also encourage you to get adobe acrobat - full version so you can open, edit create proper pdfs, it allows you to open an quote, sign it yourself and then send to customer for signing digitally, makes contracts and agreements so much easier, just in case you get one who doesnt pay etc you then have the paperwork to recover the money. its quick to use and only £13 per month

 

[jedisparks]

Yes, I noticed this with checkatrade. Even if I put my own postcode in I find I'm 4 or 5 down the list and below someone 20 miles away. Didn't used to be like that. Funnily enough though I've been on it for around a month and had a few decent jobs come from it, as well as a few enquiries where I'd be frankly wasting my time.

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

I would also encourage you to get adobe acrobat - full version so you can open, edit create proper pdfs, it allows you to open an quote, sign it yourself and then send to customer for signing digitally, makes contracts and agreements so much easier, just in case you get one who doesnt pay etc you then have the paperwork to recover the money. its quick to use and only £13 per month

Hi Gavin,

I did consider that to be honest but as a small business owner, I have to justify every expense and paying £13 a month (although a small amount) adds up over time. Maybe something for the future though.

I would benefit from it though so it's not totally off the table!

 

[M-B-Electrical-Services]

Yes, I noticed this with checkatrade. Even if I put my own postcode in I find I'm 4 or 5 down the list and below someone 20 miles away. Didn't used to be like that. Funnily enough though I've been on it for around a month and had a few decent jobs come from it, as well as a few enquiries where I'd be frankly wasting my time.

It all comes down to cost vs clicks and I'm looking forward to seeing what strategy my web designer comes up with as far as promoting my business is concerned.
Example: My business profile on Google was accessed 1.3k times last month yet I didn't get a single enquiry via Google during that time so how do I turn those "views" into potential sales? That's the big question!

I'm still only 13 months into to running my business though so I can't beat myself up too much! At least my business is still active and viable. Lots of business' fail within 12 months so I must be doing something right.