[jeff1]

Hi Guy's
The Boss phoned them up today to get me my free line booked, so I know within the next few day's I'll get a call from them trying to flog me a bigger section?
What I need to know, is it worth paying several hundred pounds out for the advert, will it pay for its self or is it a waste of money?

I understand its a hit and miss affair, but in 9yrs I have never had to advertise, so I need a little guidance.

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

[LSB]

i managed for many years without a yellow pages advert !
i did try it out a few years ago ( and still do advertise with them ) , i did  ( and still do ) get calls from y.p not all in the areas i would like !
i think youll find its cheaper for the first year , and then obviously goes up each subsequent year !
the deciding factor for me was that there werent many w/cs advertising in yp in my area ! 

[Easyclean Windows]

Me 4 years .....over 400 customers monthly but most are large houses and flats never been in yellow pages all word of mouth but i know a few that have and never worked.But it may be different in all areas

P.S why are you now advertising after 9 years?

[jeff1]

Me 4 years .....over 400 customers monthly but most are large houses and flats never been in yellow pages all word of mouth but i know a few that have and never worked.But it may be different in all areas

P.S why are you now advertising after 9 years?

Many Thanks
The reason I'm advertising after 9yrs, is I have just changed to wfp and by the end of this week, I will have run out of work, 2 weeks ahead of scedule, so in a way its good news.
I didn't really want to spend hundreds of pounds just to fill a 2 weeks gap, if I filled that gap within say the first month of advertising, then I would have to turn most of it away, so it would be 11 months wasted.
I think I'll stick with just the free line.

[Easyclean Windows]

yeah i would word of mouth as soon as people see you wfp they will ask you in the street ...best way easiest way...cheapest way

[jeff1]

Always been a little behind with my work, and word of mouth has always been the way I got work, but this wfp lark is the dogs danglies  2 weeks extra work needed, so thats a lot of extra money that will be coming in, well worth the investment.

[Easyclean Windows]

Sure is look at some of my posts with pics all due to wfp working

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=31459.0#msg244996

[jeff1]

I have read all your posts on your work and all very nice jobs. well done

Being an old fart ( well 50 ) its hard to make a change to your old habbits. but I think changing over to wfp is the best Decision  I have ever made, all the jobs I hated doing are now a dodle, jobs were I needed my boss I no longer need her feet on the ground, I don't mind walking back and stepping into the odd pond like I did friday work quiker work safer.

[DaveWilkinson]

You normally get offered a discount on any increase in advertising spend for 2nd year, thats only on the increse in size but i used to get 50% off the increase.

My advise would be to do the smallest display ad available this year and dont expect  much from it, and use the discount next year to do a much bigger ad.

I think, and im no expert in the window cleaning section, but if you seek commercial work it is worth being in for the simple reason it makes you look as if you take your business serious, you might pick up some domestic as well.

People who see your van passing or have seen you working might remember your company name but the chances of them remembering your phone no. are very slim, easiest and most peoples first try to get the no. will be yellow pages.

[KarlJones]

Roughly what sort of advertising budget are we talking about?

You know in your head how much extra money you can earn, after tax (very important as your earnings shoot up). 

As your probably aware I am new, you are the opposite   yet we have something in common.  We have time on our hands, time that enables us to hand pick jobs if we wish and canvass.  On every day you have off you could spend an hour knocking doors if your wished, you might get 3 jobs a day like this, or maybe even just one, maybe none at all  You know when your last free day is going to be before the cycle starts again.  So bang all the work onto that last free day, by the time you reach it, it should be at least half full, you might even have filled a couple of days.

keep doing it every month and before you know it you have filled your book for free!

Yellow pages is fine if you like to travel about all over the place. 

[rosskesava]

Yellow Pages....

Is it worth it?

After a few years of spending a small fortune each year.... my answer is a big NO.

It's true you can negotiate a big discount but to my mind it's still not worth the money.

The same amount of cash spent on leaflets targetting the area you want to be working in is a far better investment.

[pjulk]

I tried the yellow pages for two years and not much good.
Quite a few phone calls but they were mainly to far away for me.

Did not renew it this year.

Paul

[Paul Coleman]

Yellow Pages has probably just about paid for itself but no more than that.  My problem is not so much about YP but about the area I live in.  I get quite a few enquiries in Crawley but when I ask, there is rarely any access to the back due to the type of housing around here.  I don't get many enquiries from out of town because people tend to focus on window cleaners in their own area when they search the book.  It might help if I took out a longer ad with areas covered but I doubt it.  I have had as many enquiries from my free one liner ad in Thomson's as I have from my paid three liner in YP.
However, YP has paid for itself because I got a smallish commercial job from it that is £34 at six weekly intervals.

[jouk45]

jeff, i found yellow pages, to be a waste of time, my A4 laminated leaflets
are more affective in post offices, my local chippies, and local shops, most take £1 a month. the reason i know this works, is because i always ask new customers how they found out about me, jeff with your logo maker you can make a really nice attractive one,

[jeff1]

jeff, i found yellow pages, to be a waste of time, my A4 laminated leaflets
are more affective in post offices, my local chippies, and local shops, most take £1 a month. the reason i know this works, is because i always ask new customers how they found out about me, jeff with your logo maker you can make a really nice attractive one,

cheers Guy's looks like yellow pages is heading for the bin
so many againsts thanks for the advice, probably saved me several hundred pounds, so the drinks are on Jouk45
Joe just email me with what you want, its a pro version I have so should be able to do you a pretty one for you so long  as its not rood

[godzilla]

well i just spent £1500 to be in the pages and about £200 for yell.com , have got about £35 of custom so far , one £20 every 4 weeks and one £10 one off clean .

I hope it works

[S_RICHARDSON]

I would stil put yourself in the free listing because at least your details are in there and at least its a little bit of advertising and it makes you look more professional!




Shaun R.

[Paul Coleman]

In the last couple of weeks since this thread started I have had several quality enquiries through YP - though it remains to be seen whether they will become regular jobs.  Also, I do want to do a higher proportion of commercial work.  I would like my business to go from domestic/commercial 90/10  to about 50/50.  Therefore, after a bit of soul searching, I have decided to renew my three liner in YP for another year.  It costs slightly less this year than last.  Also, against advice, I have alse decided on a three liner in Business Pages - which deals with business to business services.  Costs are about £140 and £240 respectively.  This may end upo being a mistake but the man who never made a mistake never made anything else either.  

[www.mrgutters.co.uk]

i am with them this again i got one call lastbyes 1 call! it was a house that needed gutter cleaning conservatory clean and fascia cleaning.

475 in total i charged ... advert was 216.00

and while at the job a window cleaner spotted my van and gave me his round of blocks of flats and offices..

totaling now £1330 a month

so for me it paid off but i wouldnt advertise with them again.

1 call is not good enough

shawn

[pjulk]

Yellow pages makes me laugh.

In there advertising they say for every pound someone spends on a yellow pages ad they get £25 worth of business.

So last year when i had my ad i should have got £11,250 of work.

they were only £11,000 out

Paul