[andy east sussex]

also this year im doing keyrings with contact details etc and give them to customers once job completed il see next year if they are working or not only works out 15p a key ring so isnt to bad

[Mike Halliday]

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.

Mine is with a local village magazine an 1 other leaflet.

 One other piont is I actually get more calls but don't book in every job so the response is proberbly 3/1000 but I don't get every quote.

I'm paying £20/1000, which I know is cheap if I was paying £40 like some do I would not be leafleting.

I pay £200 every week in advertising,  I accepted a long time ago if I want to busy I need to spend the money.

[John Kelly]

In the franchise marketing manuals, Chem Dry etc they state that to grow your business you need to be spending 20% of your turnover on marketing. To stand still you need to spend 10%. These are substantial figures and I don't think very many carpet cleaners will be spending this but well worth thinking about.

Also worth considering employing pro sales people to expand your business. We did this years ago for our flood business. Cost 6k but has generated hundreds of thousands in work. Its amazing the doors that can be opened if you use someone with the skills to do it.
This business is all about marketing to get people to ring you.

[Ferenc G.]

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.

Mine is with a local village magazine an 1 other leaflet.

 One other piont is I actually get more calls but don't book in every job so the response is proberbly 3/1000 but I don't get every quote.

I'm paying £20/1000, which I know is cheap if I was paying £40 like some do I would not be leafleting.

I pay £200 every week in advertising,  I accepted a long time ago if I want to busy I need to spend the money.

I received a quote from one of the local leaflet distributors, they want £100-£110 per 1000 depending on the quantity (solus).     I wish I could have them delivered for £20/1000.

[andy east sussex]

i had a lady and husband starting distribution £20/1000 but gave them 15k leaflets and never got 1 job i found out they just went in friday ad for people to put them out which i guess they just dumped them aint had much luck with distributers i dont understand because they charge enough to put them out

[andy east sussex]

it would be and is fantasic idea this forum to help our business not stand on each others feet nor go to area to say nick work of the other its just to help us when things are hard just to network ideas to hep us all stay in buisness

[Ian Gourlay]

I believe Simon has already said it and it is was Carpet Cleaners did in the Early Days if you read LLoys Owen Manual  Go Door Knocking

Last night I watched Be Your Own Boss where one of the founders of a leading Smothie Brand is investing money in  Young People with good start up ideas .

But what he said about his own early days was they went door to door by postcode . Each day they set themselves a target of 8 new outlets
He recentley sold out to CoCola for many millions.

So if he was prepared to do it and we cannot afford Leaflet Distribution etc thats what you have got to do.

Mike am wondering what you would do if your Leaflet costs doubled or trebled 

[robert meldrum]

Unfortunately things are changing rapidly with everything associated with running a business of any kind and what worked for over a century right up 'til as recent as the past 4-5 years no longer work as well.

We live in a consumer driven market where access to service providers is almost instantaneous via modern phones, i pads, etc and traditional avenues such as Local Newspapers, Leaflets and so on get a smaller return.

The best suggestion I ever saw to increase your volume of work was to ; -

DO WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING .......BUT TWICE AS MUCH !

[andy east sussex]

very very true

[Mike Halliday]

Mike am wondering what you would do if your Leaflet costs doubled or trebled 

Double or treble my prices


If I was asked to pay over £35/1000 I would employ my own people to do it, was doing it this way last year, had 2 people delivering them solus. Didn't do as many but the figures worked out the same.... Just more hassle so went back to the company

[benny d]

Hi Mike,
Your so lucky to have a decent company doing the delivering at such a good rate!

[davep]

What's your repeat and referal rate like Andy?

[andy east sussex]

referal rate is 35-40% of my initial work

[Warren Aldridge]

There are leaflet distribution companies who's workers carry GPS trackers so you can monitor them via PC.

Why not look into that if you are concerned about lack of delivery, or start your own GPS tracking leaflet distribution service

[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.

Mine is with a local village magazine an 1 other leaflet.

 One other piont is I actually get more calls but don't book in every job so the response is proberbly 3/1000 but I don't get every quote.

I'm paying £20/1000, which I know is cheap if I was paying £40 like some do I would not be leafleting.

I pay £200 every week in advertising,  I accepted a long time ago if I want to busy I need to spend the money.

Interesting Mike as I always thought your leaflet went out on its own, is it inserted in the mag or just delivered at the same time?, the reason that I ask is that i have a similar mag, glossy a5 size that is delivered to 3 area's near me with a distribution of 33,000 and they also offer leaflet distribution along with their mag at £25 + vat per 1,000

[Mike Halliday]

its delivered with it not inside which i have had quite a lot of arguments with the company about.

it falls onto the door step separately

[Hilton]

Do any of you chaps use door2 door for your leaflet delivery...(I think that's the  name), its a franchise......they are always advertising in our area for distributors...
 

[mark_roberts]

40% referral rate.  So you do 10 jobs and get 4 referrals/jobs from domestic work.

I find that hard to believe.  Either your amazing or Im terrible.

Mark

[Jamie Lindsay]

hire 2 ppl to deliver mon - thu... then hire diff person to knock on ppls doors that the drop has been done all week or even do that bit by yourself

also must add we have to types of buyers ppl who go with price and ppl who want quality imo

[Craigp]

Yeah pretty impossible, I am actually a bit of a perfectionist in my work which believe me is not a good thing, get me reseaonable repeats though, but referals are never 40%.

repeats are higher than referals.

Referals are almost a miff, they are so small in number.

I guess  id say if repeat are 20% referals are 3%

You see if a mate says this co is great whats the chances they need their service?