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Networking

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  • 13-03-2016 9:04pm
    #1
    soccercrew
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭


    I run my own business and am looking for new ideas on how to network with potential clients to drum up more work. Its kind of a handyman/builder type business. One month i could be plastering, building walls either from stone or block or even doing bathroom refits including all the tiling. I did very good last year but my contact for most my work has moved away and im now back to sq one.

    Ill be advertising in local paper but is there any other ways of trying to drum up business because first few months of this year have been hot and cold.


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    #2
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    Mod Note: I am sure there are plenty of other ways to find networking opportunities than turning up at random funerals and networking to try drum up future work...


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    #3
    TheHillOfDoom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 794 ✭✭✭TheHillOfDoom


    Axwell wrote: »
    Mod Note: I am sure there are plenty of other ways to find networking opportunities than turning up at random funerals and networking to try drum up future work...

    Have I missed a post or two? :confused:


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    #4
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    They were removed..


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    #5
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    I would have thought most business in this area would come from word of mouth or online search. Are you doing anything to try get past customers to recommend you at all? Do you have a way of measuring how well that has worked? Do you have a website and have you put much into AdWords/SEO? Are you a member of any business groups? Business meet ups are handy as people obviously don't mind you doing a bit of self-promotion and even if they don't need any work doing they may be happy to pass your details on to someone who does etc.


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    #6
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    TheHillOfDoom wrote: »
    Have I missed a post or two? :confused:

    It was a fairly novel way of trying to drum up some new business but probably wouldn't have gone down too well!


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    #7
    TheHillOfDoom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 794 ✭✭✭TheHillOfDoom


    jimmii wrote: »
    It was a fairly novel way of trying to drum up some new business but probably wouldn't have gone down too well!

    I see John-Joe has died - would you like a new bathroom?

    OP - I'm going to send you a private message.


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    #8
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    TheHillOfDoom wrote: »
    I see John-Joe has died - would you like a new bathroom?

    OP - I'm going to send you a private message.

    That was pretty much it.


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    #9
    Atomico
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 388 ✭✭Atomico


    It was the most bizarre thing I've ever read on Boards...


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    #10
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    Atomico wrote: »
    It was the most bizarre thing I've ever read on Boards...

    Jaypers you've led a sheltered life :)


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    #11
    jcon1913
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭jcon1913


    soccercrew wrote: »
    I run my own business and am looking for new ideas on how to network with potential clients to drum up more work. Its kind of a handyman/builder type business. One month i could be plastering, building walls either from stone or block or even doing bathroom refits including all the tiling. I did very good last year but my contact for most my work has moved away and im now back to sq one.

    Ill be advertising in local paper but is there any other ways of trying to drum up business because first few months of this year have been hot and cold.

    Contact your previous customers. You could call in to them and ask to take photos for future customers. Uf you do it the right way it doesnt come across as creepy.

    Have you told people you are looking for work? If you constantly tell people you're busy, sometimes they think you're too busy for new work


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    #12
    pedronomix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 997 ✭✭✭pedronomix


    There is a huge demand for multi-skilled tradesmen such as yourself, so getting work should not be a problem. Shaking the trees amongst former customers, friends, relations, sports club, pub and other tradesmen or guys in the trade who are already too busy to take new/small work. I would say advertising is the last resort as to make any impact you would have to spend too much money. A run of good quality flyers might work and make sure to try getting them up in local shops, builders merchants/DIY outlets would be ideal.


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    #13
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    A lot of your kind of work is going to be word of mouth, online searches and you'd be surprised how far leaflets will get you. Small posters and such on the side of the road are also cheaper than you think.

    Have a website set up that's clean and clear about what you do - include good pictures of actual work you've done - and makes it easy to contact you.

    Being local is surprisingly important when hiring tradespeople - if the choice is between you down the road or a guy on the other side of the county, you will get the first call. So concentrate your efforts locally and make it clear on all advertising about where you're based.

    Over the last six weeks we had builders and painters in separately and both told us that half of the road was out chatting to them, saying they needed work done here and there. So get 500 cards printed up and carry them in any vehicles you use; give a handful out to friends and family as well. Every time you do a job, leave a card there, even if you just took 30 minutes to hang some pictures. "Who did that for you", "Oh, this guy, here I have his card".

    Telling people your name is no use, they will forget and they won't go look you up online because they won't remember your name. Give them a card, they'll stick it on the sideboard in the kitchen and go "oh yeah" in a weeks' time and give you a call.
    A run of good quality flyers might work and make sure to try getting them up in local shops, builders merchants/DIY outlets would be ideal.
    I'm not sure actually if builder's merchants and DIY places are the place for leaflets - the customers there have already decided they're doing it themselves. Identify those who are most likely to want your services. I'd be more inclined to try get them into "normal" places like restaurants and shops. Creches are the holy grail for this - parents who don't have time to do stuff themselves - but creches tend to be strict on accepting leaflets for this reason.


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    #14
    Atomico
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 388 ✭✭Atomico


    Stheno wrote: »
    Jaypers you've led a sheltered life :)

    Pretty much only read this forum, so... :)


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    #15
    pedronomix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 997 ✭✭✭pedronomix


    I forgot about one of the most effective ways of promoting this type of business, nicely designed sandwich boards. Put it up every day outside the job you are on.


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    #16
    soccercrew
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭soccercrew


    Axwell wrote: »
    They were removed..

    Can you send me a copy of my OP, nowhere did I state about going to funerals or similar for getting business. I'm shocked at you making it out like this!!


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    #17
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    soccercrew wrote: »
    Can you send me a copy of my OP, nowhere did I state about going to funerals or similar for getting business. I'm shocked at you making it out like this!!

    That wasn't referring to your post OP, it was a rather bizarre suggestion by another poster but their comments have since been removed.


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    #18
    Birdsong
    Registered Users Posts: 986 ✭✭✭Birdsong


    You need to use your contacts, I'm in a sports club and those that are trades men do special discounts for members. Good way to drum up business, and I have recommended a guy to a friend as I knew that he was a plumber from our club.

    Think Facebook is a good idea in this case, before and after photos and testimonials from clients are all easily done on Facebook.


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    #19
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    soccercrew wrote: »
    Can you send me a copy of my OP, nowhere did I state about going to funerals or similar for getting business. I'm shocked at you making it out like this!!

    Your post wasnt the one removed or in question, it was one of the other replies. No one is making out you said or did anything.


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    #20
    soccercrew
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭soccercrew


    Axwell wrote: »
    Your post wasnt the one removed or in question, it was one of the other replies. No one is making out you said or did anything.



    Sorry, I must have read it wrong because I thought you meant my post.


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    #21
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    jimmii wrote: »
    It was a fairly novel way of trying to drum up some new business but probably wouldn't have gone down too well!

    It was my post.

    FWIW, my partner is a small handyman, in much the same sort of niche as the OP. My advise was based on actual experience in the Irish market.

    He has a website, but it's a waste of space: most calls he gets from it are from people who can't get someone to work for. In the worse case, a couple of lads from up the country asked for a days labour helping replace ceilings in a local house. They picked him up and drove to the job - he recognised the house as belonging to a woman of limited intellect and cash who he now refuses jobs from because she doesn't pay. He stayed because the lads were paying him, and started doing the work they asked. Half an hour later the guards turned up: the home owner had called them because she'd decided the lads were ripping her off. Took some talking to convince the guards that he had only been hired for a days work and wasn't part of "the gang".

    AdWords - similar. You waste time on phone calls from people who've got less than half of an idea and saw something pop up on their screen. Most drop their idea when they hear even the likely cost of materials.

    Flyers in hardware shops? You've got to be joking. People who go to hardware shops and buy the materials themselves have already been in touch with someone to do the job who has told them what to buy. Or they're going to do the job themselves.

    A sandwich board outside where you're working: fine until the community wardens confiscate it because you don't have a permit for it.

    Face to face networking at "community events" is far and away the best way to go. Ideally ones with lots of women who need to get around their partner's lack of handy-man prowess. Your call what sort of events you go go - but I know where you'll find concentrations of people like this.

    The very best way is being introduced to people who you don't know by people who you do know, ie repeat or referred business. But this is hard to get until you have some satisfied customers to recommend you.


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