[Dusty]

In Derbyshire we have a scheme run by the County Council called the "gold card scheme" which is for the disabled and over 6o's. Local businesses offer discounts usually about 10% and are listed on the council website and in a 20 page directory that people pick up from the post office and council offices for free.

May be worth checking if your local council or county council run such a scheme.

I'm not a CC so if your in Derbyshire feel free to dive in

[Big_Fish]

Hi,

Part of Herts CC have a directory available to OAP's, disabled & people on means tested benefit.. We have advertised in it for 2 years and we are not going to continue.
I will list our reasons for this but hope not to be taken the wrong way as I know this could sound prejudice.

1.The jobs are usually very small.
2. The directories are aimed at people on low income. They can't afford to pay for a professional clean (even with 10% off). It would be easy to end up being a charity and doing it for next to nothing.
3. Sad fact but a lot of the enquiries will be from the poorest social housing & flats. Have to weigh up the risks to leaving van & valuable equipment in these areas.
4. In the 2 years that we've been in our directory, we have answered dozens of time wasting phone calls. Surveyed dozens of filthy, stinking salvage carpets. Cleaned about 2!!

Depends which end of the market you're aiming at I suppose...

BFN

[Dusty]

I don't think that would be the case in Eastbourne or other affluent areas with a high OAP count, I know alot of quite well-off older people.  I can see why adding people on means tested benefit would dilute the equation, but I don't think all of these types of schemes include people on standard benefits.

There is provision in the directory I saw to specify which towns/villages you operate in, so choosing better demographics could prove more profitable.

Obviously you have been unfortunate enough to have advertised in a bit of a run down area and had really bad feedback from it, but I am confused as to why you advertised for the second year.

ADYOR

[Big_Fish]

This part of Herts is also very affluent, but the bits that the majority of the calls related to are somewhat run down. All areas have less desirable bits!

We advertised for a second year because they added a website and I decided to give it another go.

Interestingly, the 2 jobs that we have done have been from OAP's in a nearby village. They seem to be the minority because the majority of well off elderly/ disabled people don't look in a directory that's targeted at people on benefits.

I agree that it's worth giving it a go. I hope your directory works out better for you than the one in our area has for us.

Good Luck with it.
BFN