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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:01 am
by local patios and driveway
Ive got two choices at the moment, struggle on and hope work picks up in the new year or spend some money on extra advertising.
I wanted to ask you lot what is working for you? Ive found adwords not too good for landscaping yet good for plant hire. How about local papers etc? Im in the south east so dont think im on many patches with you guys competition wise.
Good tips welcome, kids to feed, missis to paint in youth creme etc...
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:26 pm
by London Stone Paving
I always used to get on the phone and start ringing people. Got a lot of success from cold calling garden designers, they are always looking for contractors to install their designs. You could also ring up builders and developers too. You'll get a lot of rejections but you should also make a few contacts too
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:27 pm
by London Stone Paving
Where are you based btw?
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:59 pm
by local patios and driveway
Good tip steve thanks. We are based out of gatwick, covering kent, surrey, sussex and middlesex.
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 2:35 pm
by Carberry
Any advertising I do is done locally, small local papers, church newsletters etc
Most of the business comes from word of mouth, people seeing my signs out on the jobs I'm doing or from me chatting to people who buy gas and red diesel from me.
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:54 pm
by henpecked
Just saw THIS for a .99p start :;):
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:35 pm
by Pablo
London Stone Paving wrote:I always used to get on the phone and start ringing people. Got a lot of success from cold calling garden designers, they are always looking for contractors to install their designs. You could also ring up builders and developers too. You'll get a lot of rejections but you should also make a few contacts too
This has worked very well for me too but rather than calling I got a better result whenever I sent letters out I found that people are very defensive if you call them but a well written letter on headed paper can get around that. You can also contact more people in shorter period of time. My letters had a short speil introducing myself and the company and then went on to express an interest in quoting for any upcoming work. I was careful to sound professional and keen but not desparate and it really came through for me. I also appoach agents and foremen on new builds whenever I see them and give them a card telling them we'd be intereste in the groundworks and paving landscaping etc and to give us a call if they want some pricing. It's a bit cap in hand but pride and ego shouldn't stop you doing it because it's led to some of the largest jobs I've ever done and a lot of repeat stuff too.
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:57 pm
by local patios and driveway
Thanks one and all. Great tips and im gonna try them all
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:31 pm
by London Stone Paving
Pablo wrote:I also appoach agents and foremen on new builds whenever I see them and give them a card telling them we'd be intereste in the groundworks and paving landscaping etc and to give us a call if they want some pricing. It's a bit cap in hand but pride and ego shouldn't stop you doing it because it's led to some of the largest jobs
Dont think its cap in hand at all Paul. Its networking which is the best wasy to get business. Its something a lot of people dont like doing but its very effective.
Its good to talk
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:33 pm
by lutonlagerlout
pride comes before a fall
I dont like subbing work,but i try and do even the smallest jobs well as you never know who that little old lady may be related to or friendly with.
obviously as you get older a lot of people you socialise with are in a position to pass work to you to price
not keen on flyers,only ever saw one i liked
LLL 
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:48 pm
by ken
I’ve all ways used Thomson local, 400 quid a year for a listing in two books. Id always had good results until this year, had only one call through Thomson this year. A mate of mine started using mybuilder.com 3 months ago, advertising as a builder. (House extensions, garden walls ect) He wasn’t expecting much from the site, but has received over 60 genuine requests for quotes all within 25 miles of where he’s based. And now has work booked in till March. I’ve never been a fan of sites like that which you have to pay to go and give a quote, but as its only 6 quid a time im going to give it a go my self next year.
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:53 pm
by London Stone Paving
I started out my career doing garden maintenance about 12 years ago and we used to put leaflets out for that and we generally got a decent response.
Tried the leaflets with more specialised landscaping and got no response whatsoever. People might be prepared to spend £30-£40 on garden maintenance from a leaflet through the door but IMO are not prepared to spend real money for a proper landscaping project on the back of a leaflet through the door.
Something i forgot to mention also is these local breakfast meetings. I know quite a few people who absolutely swear by them. Do a google search and you will find one local to you. you pay £15 or whatever and get breakfast and the opportunity to talk about your business for 30 seconds and then you hand your cards around to everybody at the meeting. you will also be sitting with half a dozen people for breakfast at your table so its a really good chance to meet people. The thinking is that everbody who attends pushes everybody elses businesses and if you reccomend a graphic designer who you have met at the meeting for example he will then be motivated to reccomend you to other people
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:56 pm
by DNgroundworks
I too have sent hundreds of letters out in the past, has brought in some fantastic work, sent a letter out to a local structural engineer, got the groundworks for a new build on his plot of land (were i bust that gas main) next year we are involved in the groundworks of 30 newbuild bungalows and a nursing home for his brothers construction company, he was on about getting us some work on the olympic village, he supervises 5 jobs down there - all that off one letter. Did dome subcontracting, labour only to a civils outfit all off the back of a letter.
I also in the summer sent letter out to all my previous customers and people with whom i didnt win work, got a few jobs outta that as well.
And finally the back of my local newspaper, it is truly amazing how much work i get outta that!
Thats what i do, but i do spend alot of time chasing work and charming folk, pm me your email, and i will send you a copy of the letter i send.
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:46 pm
by ilovesettsonmondays
stay away from olympics dn . its last resort for most people down here looking for work . full ppe including specs cctv watching you allday .
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:11 pm
by mickavalon
I find a bit of everythings good, networking especially with local suppliers and others in similarlines of work, local media, Vehicle liveridge and sign boards, and just doing a good job, and being as pleasant and professional as possible. Not ken on the likes of Yell and Thompsons, I've paid out a fair whack on them both over the years and I think their both fast becoming outdated, and way to expensive. I advertised with Thompsons this year, as the deal gave me wider coverage than Yell, and cheaper. Phones hardly rang, same last year with Yell. Google is the place to be seen, so if you've a website boost your own SEO's and limk into as many other sites as possible.