Where do you get your best results from advertising?
- Thread starter Tim Smith
- Start date
cmobilepower1
New member
thanks for asking. The name of the column is Nancy Knows and it is geared towards the homeowner. I write about powerwashing, contractors, yard work, bulbs, flowers, remodeling homes, managed property, whatever. I have alot of hands on because we have done alot of work in our yard, our home, I clean in the buisness so i have enough knowledge Mostly pertaining to the homeowner and their needs. It's fun. The name of the paper is my backyard and is distributed throughout the attleboros, plainville, wrentham, lincon, RI, Pawtucket, RI, Seekonk, Ma, I think they have a distrubtion of 10,000 or more.
Thats great.
I use to write for the local paper - (Only about a distribution of approx. 4000). The column was "The Home Imspector". I would highlight a certain area of a home and write about it. for example: basement dampness, mold detection, how to inspect your heating and air, etc. I also own a home inspection business. It was fun to do so, but began to take more and more time - so I stop.
You should post some of your articles - I would enjoy reading them.
I use to write for the local paper - (Only about a distribution of approx. 4000). The column was "The Home Imspector". I would highlight a certain area of a home and write about it. for example: basement dampness, mold detection, how to inspect your heating and air, etc. I also own a home inspection business. It was fun to do so, but began to take more and more time - so I stop.
You should post some of your articles - I would enjoy reading them.
cmobilepower1
New member
You got it buddie! I'd love to share my stories. Thanks for your interest. We put one of my columns letters in our newsletter. Didn't you sign up for that? If not I can always send you the newsletter and I will try to post on board? Give me a bit though I haven't posted anything other than our avatar and I want to make sure i get it right wish me luck.
cmobilepower1
New member
Tim I need email address to send newsletter to
"Do I really need to paint my house"
Dear Jen,
I am so excited that you were finally able to purchase your first home. I know how overwhelmed you must be with all the things that go along with being a first time homeowner. You’re faced with many new decisions but don’t worry things will fall into place. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Take your time, prioritize and do your homework. The biggest mistake Michael and I made was to try to do everything at once. It was total chaos. How I never ended up in prison for murder I’ll never know. Now we pick one or two projects and focus on them until completed. Live and learn.
You mentioned you might need to repaint the outside of your house this coming year. Do you realize how expensive it will be to hire a professional? It’s big bucks, baby. And if you do it yourself, it’s a lot of hard work! You know, I looked at the outside of your house when I visited last Saturday and the paint is in really good shape. You have a lot of black mildew on the siding; which makes it look like crap. You may be able to squeeze another year or two out of the siding by cleaning it. And it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than repainting. Either way you’ll end up having to clean it, so consider it. The money you save by extending your repainting job may come in handy. Michael and I just had our oil burner go two weeks ago. Emergencies happen and it’s good to have a little put aside just in case. Or maybe you could use the extra money that you were going to use on a paint job and take a Carriebean vacation. The islands sound good this time year, don’t they? Basking in the sun, snorkeling, and maybe hiking up a 600-foot waterfall in Jamaica. Ya!!!!!!! I would be the first to sign up and go along with you.
Look all we need here is a woman’s touch and a little TLC and we can make this house look like a home. A little facelift a little makeup will take you along way. You go sister.
What do I need to look for when hiring contractors?
Dear Jen,
Well, I can certainly tell you what not to look for. Don’t look for a deal, because as the old saying goes if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Over the years we have dealt with plumbers, electricians, so called bricklayers, general contractors, painters and the list goes on. In the early years Michael would try and get a deal. It didn’t matter if they weren’t insured, bonded, or licensed, if he thought he was going to save money, then that is the way he went. Unfortunately, just because someone will quote you a lower price doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job that you’re looking for. I can’t tell you how many crackpots and bozo’s we’ve encountered on this never- ending journey to get our home picture perfect.
We decided to put a rather extensive brick walkway in the front and back of our home. We interviewed a few would be bricklayers and of course Michael went with the low-ball quote. Low and behold after laying the bricks three times and pulling them up three times, we realized that this guy didn’t know what he was doing. So, we paid him for hours of labor, only to end up doing it ourselves. What a challenge. But, once again we were able to bully our way through the job. First, Michael had to re-level the area, put down stone dust, and then make sure that the area was plum. Then he was able to continue the job. Michael then rented a wet saw over a Thanksgiving weekend and the three of us, Michael, his mom, and I got to work. Michael then cut the brick, laid it out and placed each individual piece ever so carefully. Hope and I were his grunt labor carrying and schlepping the bricks to our master. To finish the job we had friends and employees help lift and lay our granite steps. Not any easy job as they weighed 400 pounds a piece. Nine in the back and god only knows how many in the front. Our brick walkway extends from front to back looking like the winding yellow brick road from the wizard of oz.
Don’t we all wish we had a husband like mine? He is an electrician, plumber, bricklayer, woodworker, and everything in between. He’s an all around literary smart guy. Truly, he is something of a god!!!!!!!! But, like all of us sometimes makes the wrong choices.
So the moral of the story is, for all the aggravation, time, effort, and headaches that we went through with this so-called bricklayer we could have hired a decent contractor. But, unfortunately with all the money spent we were forced to do it ourselves. So, make sure that your contractor is licensed, insured, bonded and legit!!!!! You go girl !!!!!!!
Just a few of my columns I was going to scan my columns in the paper but still having problems with scanner so just cut,copy, paste.
"Do I really need to paint my house"
Dear Jen,
I am so excited that you were finally able to purchase your first home. I know how overwhelmed you must be with all the things that go along with being a first time homeowner. You’re faced with many new decisions but don’t worry things will fall into place. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Take your time, prioritize and do your homework. The biggest mistake Michael and I made was to try to do everything at once. It was total chaos. How I never ended up in prison for murder I’ll never know. Now we pick one or two projects and focus on them until completed. Live and learn.
You mentioned you might need to repaint the outside of your house this coming year. Do you realize how expensive it will be to hire a professional? It’s big bucks, baby. And if you do it yourself, it’s a lot of hard work! You know, I looked at the outside of your house when I visited last Saturday and the paint is in really good shape. You have a lot of black mildew on the siding; which makes it look like crap. You may be able to squeeze another year or two out of the siding by cleaning it. And it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than repainting. Either way you’ll end up having to clean it, so consider it. The money you save by extending your repainting job may come in handy. Michael and I just had our oil burner go two weeks ago. Emergencies happen and it’s good to have a little put aside just in case. Or maybe you could use the extra money that you were going to use on a paint job and take a Carriebean vacation. The islands sound good this time year, don’t they? Basking in the sun, snorkeling, and maybe hiking up a 600-foot waterfall in Jamaica. Ya!!!!!!! I would be the first to sign up and go along with you.
Look all we need here is a woman’s touch and a little TLC and we can make this house look like a home. A little facelift a little makeup will take you along way. You go sister.
What do I need to look for when hiring contractors?
Dear Jen,
Well, I can certainly tell you what not to look for. Don’t look for a deal, because as the old saying goes if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Over the years we have dealt with plumbers, electricians, so called bricklayers, general contractors, painters and the list goes on. In the early years Michael would try and get a deal. It didn’t matter if they weren’t insured, bonded, or licensed, if he thought he was going to save money, then that is the way he went. Unfortunately, just because someone will quote you a lower price doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job that you’re looking for. I can’t tell you how many crackpots and bozo’s we’ve encountered on this never- ending journey to get our home picture perfect.
We decided to put a rather extensive brick walkway in the front and back of our home. We interviewed a few would be bricklayers and of course Michael went with the low-ball quote. Low and behold after laying the bricks three times and pulling them up three times, we realized that this guy didn’t know what he was doing. So, we paid him for hours of labor, only to end up doing it ourselves. What a challenge. But, once again we were able to bully our way through the job. First, Michael had to re-level the area, put down stone dust, and then make sure that the area was plum. Then he was able to continue the job. Michael then rented a wet saw over a Thanksgiving weekend and the three of us, Michael, his mom, and I got to work. Michael then cut the brick, laid it out and placed each individual piece ever so carefully. Hope and I were his grunt labor carrying and schlepping the bricks to our master. To finish the job we had friends and employees help lift and lay our granite steps. Not any easy job as they weighed 400 pounds a piece. Nine in the back and god only knows how many in the front. Our brick walkway extends from front to back looking like the winding yellow brick road from the wizard of oz.
Don’t we all wish we had a husband like mine? He is an electrician, plumber, bricklayer, woodworker, and everything in between. He’s an all around literary smart guy. Truly, he is something of a god!!!!!!!! But, like all of us sometimes makes the wrong choices.
So the moral of the story is, for all the aggravation, time, effort, and headaches that we went through with this so-called bricklayer we could have hired a decent contractor. But, unfortunately with all the money spent we were forced to do it ourselves. So, make sure that your contractor is licensed, insured, bonded and legit!!!!! You go girl !!!!!!!
Just a few of my columns I was going to scan my columns in the paper but still having problems with scanner so just cut,copy, paste.
johnisimpson
New member
I would love to receive your newsletters as well. I am just now trying to get 3 other contractor's in Chattanooga to put articles and their customer list together so that we may send out a joint newsletter to all of our customers. I would love to receive yours for ideas and to get a peek at the layout. It seems like such an easy way to maintain repeat business, has it worked for you?
thanks
john
thanks
john
reedsterstl
Member
Russ Spence
Commercial Pressure Wash Expert
mine come from door hangers and referrals
Scott Thompson
New member
This is my first year in this business. So far, my best response has been through direct mail. I missed the deadline for the current yellow pages, so I won't have an ad until the next publication comes out. I also advertise in the "Let an Expert Do It" section of the local newspaper. A few calls, but no jobs yet from that.
Scott Thompson
New member
Could you send me your newsletter as well? thompsonpw@yahoo.com
Russ Spence
Commercial Pressure Wash Expert
keep doing what your doing ,activity breeds activity
Hey, I believe i talked with him just alittle while back.
Russ Spence
Commercial Pressure Wash Expert
you always talk to me
onaprwl
New member
Advertising
Well to try to help others, We use to use yellow pages, worked great for house wash calls. Door to door is the only way I have found works best getting started with fleets and restaurants. Hear is a tip. Go to a fleet that you see someone is not doing that good of a job on, tell them to give you thier worst truck, wash it for FREE, but you must be good, and you will get the hole fleet. Once that hapens normally these people comunicate with each other about different things and you name will get around especially if you are good. You might have to do this a couple of times depending on who your first account is but it will happen. Restaurants are a little different every time you go out to eat ask to speak to the manager when you are finished eating but still sitting at your table. The waitress will asume there is a problem and get the manager imediately. Have your business card with you and when the manager arrives tell them how satisfied you were with a great meal and the service and you would like to return the favor if possible that you are in the hood cleaning business if they are not satisfied with thier present cleaner are they are not sure what kind of service they are getting, tell them you will be glad to take them on the roof and do an inspection of thier system with them. You'll be suprised what you will find. Most people don't do a good job on the roof because they know no one will go up there and check. Once you get a few restaurants, if it is the same in your area as mine, most chefs move around alot and guess who they always remember.
We quit advertising altogether over 7 years ago and still get phone calls daily for new customers. Great work is the best addvertisment always!
Well to try to help others, We use to use yellow pages, worked great for house wash calls. Door to door is the only way I have found works best getting started with fleets and restaurants. Hear is a tip. Go to a fleet that you see someone is not doing that good of a job on, tell them to give you thier worst truck, wash it for FREE, but you must be good, and you will get the hole fleet. Once that hapens normally these people comunicate with each other about different things and you name will get around especially if you are good. You might have to do this a couple of times depending on who your first account is but it will happen. Restaurants are a little different every time you go out to eat ask to speak to the manager when you are finished eating but still sitting at your table. The waitress will asume there is a problem and get the manager imediately. Have your business card with you and when the manager arrives tell them how satisfied you were with a great meal and the service and you would like to return the favor if possible that you are in the hood cleaning business if they are not satisfied with thier present cleaner are they are not sure what kind of service they are getting, tell them you will be glad to take them on the roof and do an inspection of thier system with them. You'll be suprised what you will find. Most people don't do a good job on the roof because they know no one will go up there and check. Once you get a few restaurants, if it is the same in your area as mine, most chefs move around alot and guess who they always remember.
We quit advertising altogether over 7 years ago and still get phone calls daily for new customers. Great work is the best addvertisment always!
powerwashing4u
New member
Surprised by yard signs
I am surprised by the effectiveness of yard signs. Number 2 is door hangers. I am experimenting with "instant" quotes. I see a mold or algae covered house and I place red doorhanger with an on the spot quote on it. From talking to some people (unscientific survey) they thought the cost would be much higher to have their house washed so they don't have it done. Will see what comes of it. Tracking the responses currently.
I am surprised by the effectiveness of yard signs. Number 2 is door hangers. I am experimenting with "instant" quotes. I see a mold or algae covered house and I place red doorhanger with an on the spot quote on it. From talking to some people (unscientific survey) they thought the cost would be much higher to have their house washed so they don't have it done. Will see what comes of it. Tracking the responses currently.
powerwashing4u
New member
Also for fleets, it is cold calling. I have done the free wash trick to convince them to try a mobile washer versus wash bay.
Please fill entire signatures please, or simply do not post.
The Cleaner
Vetran Washer 30 Years Plus
I have had my best results in the local HOA newsletters. I have been in there for years, and they just get familiar with you over time.
Commercial is always been the same for me, and thats face to face with my rig in tow, ready for a demo on the spot.
Commercial is always been the same for me, and thats face to face with my rig in tow, ready for a demo on the spot.