UK What’s the best way to drum up buisness

[davidanthony41]

Hi I’ve just started up on my own .my nappit membership is about to go live.I need a website(free)to build myself.what’s the best way to drum up buisness and put myself out there.would be happy to hear your recommendations thank you

 

[Paul the Spark]

Hi I’ve just started up on my own .my nappit membership is about to go live.I need a website(free)to build myself.what’s the best way to drum up buisness and put myself out there.would be happy to hear your recommendations thank you

Hi I’ve just started up on my own .my nappit membership is about to go live.I need a website(free)to build myself.what’s the best way to drum up buisness and put myself out there.would be happy to hear your recommendations thank you

Get your van sign written up and also get a web site.

Have business cards printed and leave with customers and if you do a good job and don't rip them off they will always use you again and also recommend you.

Good luck go for it.

 

[Dustydazzler]

As above 3 basic things

nice clean sign written van

good looking website

and most importantly do a good job at a fair (not cheap) price as most work is recommended word of mouth

if you are too cheap and rush jobs people lose faith that you are Mickey Mouse and a badger

a higher price gives the customer you are confident and know what you are doing

 

[Mike Johnson]

Go into your local estate/letting agents and leave them a card or company details, try to see as many as you can, that's a good starting point, in each house they send you to leave a card on the CU or give one to the occupier word soon gets around if you do a decent job.

 

[DJAndy]

I did IT as my main hustle for a while and have a 200 site business hosting package so could offer you space for a site in return for occasional advice.

I'd suggest using something like WordPress if you've no experience, I can install it, all you'd have to do is add text & pictures. Other site building tools are available.

Main thing with most of these tools is keeping on top of updates and disabling things you're not using. I'm happy to keep your site up to date for something like a tenner a year.

Also got an account with a registrar so can register domains and configure website addresses and redirect email etc.

 

[DefyG]

Recommendation and word of mouth are by far the best way but something that needs to be built up by offering a good fair priced service. Something I believe we've been doing for nearly 35 years (BW - Before Websites!) and still working for some of our original clients on projects for peanuts to over £100k! Never had or felt we needed a website and still don't but times do change and maybe today its expected!

 

[Mike Johnson]

In the early days you want local work to build your reputation, put an add in your local AdScene or a local newsletter/newspaper, get to know the local tradesmen in other fields in your area they can be a valuable source of local work, look for a local networking club they exist, a web site is valuable to show case your work and let others know your qualifications, but is normally what you would refer someone too who asks for it, the likelihood of getting work from a web site that someone stumbles across is pretty remote.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Word-of-mouth is the biggest and best ad network. The website has to be there to show people that you are a real organisation rather than an unknown man and van, but don't assume it will bring in loads of traffic by itself. Less is more - use it to say what what do and how to contact you but don't harp on about how customer-centric and wonderful your service is. Make it simple, clean and accurate (you're looking for business, not buisness) Likewise, make sure any local directory listings that pick up your details show up-to-date information.

Do a good job and charge proportionately from the outset, accepting that you will occasionally have to suck it up when you make a mistake. As mentioned above, too low a price helps no-one; the customer wonders whether they are getting second-rate quality and you struggle to keep afloat. This is a mistake I made early on, I did high quality work but set my rates too low and had difficulty completing work on time etc because my cash flow was too shaky. It took a while to develop the confidence to charge what I needed to charge to justify the quality of work, but when I did, the only jobs I lost were the ones I didn't want to do anyway. Once I was able to offer a more reliable, faster service, the work was just pouring in.

One of the good things about offering a commodity like electrical contracting is that there is a fair percentage of customers out there who are ready and willing to pay for a decent service, without you having to justify it. You are not offering rabbit yoga or on-site turnip carving, where you have to convince the customer they need you in the first place. Be available; do what they expect plus a little more; prove you're a quality act and don't soak them; and the work will build up as quick as you like.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Back then, I used to get quite a lot of work from local parish magazines. They are cheap and last longer than most.
These days, many towns have a local “Anytown Recommendations” group on Farcebook. Keep an eye on people looking out for electricians and ask a relative or friend to recommend you.

As above, property letting/rental/landlords have a deadline of 1st April 2021 for ALL let properties to have an EICR carried out and 28 days from an unsatisfactory report for remedial work to be carried out. There should be gold in them thar hills!

 

[Deleted account]

Leaflet drop.

don’t knock it.

I did 5000 leaflets professionally done and delivered Seven years ago when I went on my own.

from day 1 I was stowed out. I’ve never been quiet since.

after the initial 10 or 20 jobs no advertising will be needed if your good.

I still get calls from people saying they’ve just had a leaflet delivered they need some electrical work. That’s from 7 years ago.

the oldies just pop it in a draw for a rainy day. They have no consept of time.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Love a good leaflet drop , also adverts in local shop windows and business cards on the wholesalers counters (if they still let you)

 

[Mike Johnson]

Keep an eye on people looking out for electricians and ask a relative or friend to recommend you.

Charlatan. ?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Charlatan. ?

It was a tongue in cheek comment.

 

[juanmanners]

When I first started I used rated people a lot which some people aren't a fan of but I got loads of work from it and still have a lot of the customers today. Other than that, find one or two local mags and put an ad in, pretty cost effective marketing. Starting out is always a grind, good luck!

 

[Dustydazzler]

I almost forgot

the obligatory YouTube channel

post some interesting videos and wait for the phone to ring

 

[Mike Johnson]

the oldies just pop it in a draw for a rainy day. They have no consept of time.

I resemble that remark. ?

 

[Deleted account]

I resemble that remark. ?

I presume resent Was the word.

 

[ipf]

I resemble that remark. ?

I would, if I could remember it.

I've got some sort of concept of it though.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I presume resent Was the word.

Never heard of a malapropism?