[andy east sussex]

right guys im not ashamed to admit it im now begining to strugle to get work in. i dont know what to do i would gasp any help i can get i would like to network with someone around the country . if no one can its fine just thought id ask.
thank you
andy vine
a.c.s2009@live.co.uk

[Paul Moss]

Andy your not the only one, times are hard at the moment and are about to get a lot harder. Carpet cleaning is near saturation point now with so many people doing it as an ad on. I could see the industry being diluted about 3 years ago.

My only advice would be to diversify and become expert in as many disiplines as possible.

[markpowell]

I keep in touch with several Carpet Cleaners around the country mate, you are not alone. I have been up and down all year, seems to go mad then the week after not a single enquiry. I been in this game 18 years and never known a year to be so unpredictable.
I

[Carpet Dawg]

how long have you been trading for Andy?

Have you tried  the usual proactive things like leaflet droping all day? knocking on the doors of offices, letting egents, commercials etc?

Do you keep the contact details of customers on a database? Maybe an idea to send out an offer to customer on the database? Not something that I do but alot of other carpet cleaners swear by it.

Tony

[andy east sussex]

trading for 9 years and 1 year with someone else before i went in to it by my self we have aproached all aspects to get work in we currently have 4k leaflets going out a week we use to get 0.5% return which worked out 4 per thousand plus the recomendation work. calls have really slackerned off its either companies not putting advertising out or the work just isnt there as 1 week we can be really busy with calls the following nothing cant win. i know if i put them out myself i know their getting done which i am currently doing in these quiet times everyday

[Mike Halliday]

10yrs ago 12k per month leaflets kept me in work for the weeks, 3yrs ago I was putting out 20k now i'm doing 30k.

 working is getting harder to find

[Simon Gerrard]

Feel for you mate. There is work out there it's just a matter of finding it and perhaps more importantly believing you can find it. Whatever you do don't try throwing money at it as the returns on advertising are likely to be poor if things are that quiet and that could just make your financial position even worse. Best to do things that cost nothing, emails, leaflets, door knocking, mail shots to past customers, making contact with lettings agents, contract cleaning companies, tele sales calls to prospects etc.
stick with it.

Simon

[andy east sussex]

id love to be able to afford to get 30k+ a month to go out but i just cant afford to this is the trouble im finding i do belive if i up the distribution my jobs would up i guess but with the distribution costs so high makes it difficult i have family and friends doing as much as they can to help me get more out but just isnt enough

[feldon]

What sort of return do you get Mike per 1,000?

[Carpet Dawg]

alot of people are going to moan here but do you put your prices on the leaflet Andy? I know we shouldn't sell on price but desperate times and all that..!

[Mike Halliday]

Richard I do 15-17 jobs a week  i would say the majority of them are the result of the person receiving a leaflet......... ALTHOUGH SOME ARE EXISTING CUSTOMER WHO ARE PROMPTED TO CALL BECUASE THEY GET A LEAFLET

so say 60 jobs a month from 30k leaflets...... that 2/1000

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I agree mike but you used to have affordable prices with them printed and offers where as now you are casting the net the conversion may be high but the impulse calls may be less although profit is higher.

Shaun

[Neil Williams]

I feel for you Andy. The thing is no one area of the country runs at the same speed as the other.
I've been on here before when work is dead and others are flat out. Alternatively I've been flat out whilst others are dead, it's just a case of accepting it as hard as that is.
I'd never go down the route of prices on leaflets. Too easy for potential customer to use that to haggle a lower price with someone off a google search. If I were to run with mentioning prices on leaflets then I'd go with 'Cheapest in (name of area)' which at least gives you a better sporting chance of getting the customer with a bit of sales patter.

[feldon]

Cheers for answering Mike. I've had mixed results on returns on leaflets but it seems to average around the same as yours. Just having trouble getting the numbers out as there isn't a decent local leaflet delivery company for my area. I've decided to try to get a self-employed leaflet person to deliver them for me. Are yours delivered solo Mike? As I'm thinking of approaching other businesses to deliver their leaflets along side mine, max of 2 others, and hopefully be able to cover my advertising costs. I know response rates drop if they are dropped with lots of other leaflets but by limiting them to only 2 others hopefully not too much.

[andy east sussex]

yea prices are on my leaflets as thats all ive ever done and tbh scared to try it without in case i get no calls or work ive always stuck with what has worked

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I used to get loads of work from prices on my leaflets but that was pre Internet, I think mike has it right where he pumps out regular leaflets and has done for years the returns on all kinds of marketing at the moment may be lower but you do have to work at it.

Shaun

[markpowell]

If doing drops i have always had better conversion rates early evening, saturdsay afternoon and anytime sunday.
Stops getting thrown away with all the junk from royal mail.
Mark

[andy east sussex]

worst ones here are take aways i guess its same every where but god they hammer it to much

[Mark Slaney]

  Get yourself out there, restaurants, offices, offer free demos!! the works out, don't rely on domestic work and leaflets. Go sell yourself.

  Good luck

  Mark.

[andy east sussex]

what program do you guys use for customer database i just go excel at moment for it only basic but does job wonderd if anything else beacuse got 100's of previous customers to try again