Paul B. 523 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 Ohhh, if only spring was here! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 One Call Power Wash 500 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 That was me about a week ago. Phone has not stopped since. Thank goodness, Ive put on 10 pounds, and the wife, well, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag,nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 ProjectEarth 14 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 What have you folks found as successful advertising in this business? I am running my Landscaping ads starting this week, with a mention of Powerwashing and I added a listing in the yellow pages which will go into distribution in March. This is my first season of Powerwashing, so I'm learning as I go. 1000 flyers went out last week. In NJ the weather is still in the 30's with an occasional day in the low 40's--and windy just about everyday. Damn groundhog! -JC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Paul B. 523 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 JC, Having an existing customer base gives you a great advantage for marketing your P/W part of the business. Target your existing customers first, since they are already familiar with the work you do and people tend to like the one stop shopping idea. It costs 6 times more to win a new customer than it does to make a sale to an existing customer. What this means is that if you have a customer list, and if you send regular postcards to the people on that list, you'll build repeat sales for your business and become more profitable in the process. Send postcards to your existing customers introducing the new service you provide. Talk about the benefits of P/W. Follow-up with a phone call a week after sending the post cards. I would recommend another mail-out within 3-4 weeks to the new customer mailing list, this time sending post cards to the same list except this time focus primarily on pressure washing with a mention of lawn care service (reversing your ad content). Focus on informing the customer on some of the benefits of pressure washing. As always, don't forget to call for action (Call now for your FREE estimate!, etc.). Community newspapers also work well for some folks. A 1" x 2" ad in the service section of these papers will run about $100 per month (depending on distribution size and frequency). Good Luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Henry B. 4 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 Community newspapers also work well for some folks. A 1" x 2" ad in the service section of these papers will run about $100 per month (depending on distribution size and frequency). Good Luck! Man, I wish I lived in your area.. Service ads in our community papers can run almost 1,000 a month depending on where you list it and your size. My 2*3 add is close to that and I usually have a least two ads running at once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Paul B. 523 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 I'm talking about the community press in my area which runs once per week (not our city newspaper which runs every day). The community press breaks down the city into several sections and you can pick and choose which section(s) you want to advertise in. Each section has circulation of roughly 70,000. Each of these ads cost about $27 per week and is discounted if you subscribe to more than one. During the winter, I cut back to one area (alternating). In the summer, I subscribe to as many as 3 areas which covers more than half of the city. Half the city provides me with a working area of roughly a 30 mile radius and over 250,000 circulation. Just so you don't think I'm making the prices up, I attached a copy of one of my winter advertising invoices. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 James 625 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 It cost me 180.00 for a 13 week run. That's in two local weekly newspapers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 ProjectEarth 14 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 Im with Henry on this one... for a small 1X2 ad in the local paper (printed weekly) im paying about $80 a week. Their rates vary depending on how many weeks you commit, but lemme tell ya--they dont vary THAT much. That $80 a week is getting me into 141,000 homes every week with that tiny ad. I was going to run a small 3 line ad for PowerWashing only in a seperate section which lists ONLY housewashing contractors, and that should run about $11 a week hitting about 80,000 homes. -JC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Paul B. 523 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 I don't think we disagree - as I said, cost will depend on distribution (circulation) along with region of country you are in. What works for one, may not work for another. Your marketing strategy should include several methods of reaching your potential customers. Give advertising a chance to work. Avoid counting newspaper or direct mail responses. Your campaign's success can not be calculated in this way. Success should be measured in how big your gross sales and your net profits are, not by how many people respond to your ads. If the ads help your business to grow to a higher level of sales each time, then you are achieving success. If you are bringing in new customers, and selling more services to your regulars, then your advertising has been effective. In otherwords, it's not the quantity of your customers but the quality that will determine your success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 reed 500 Report post Posted February 24, 2004 4 towns in one county on the free newspaper. Add runs in the home and garden section and runs for 15 weeks. Total bill is about 1250.00 Reed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 ProjectEarth 14 Report post Posted February 24, 2004 Im sorry..i didnt mean to come off as if we disagreed. I was just letting people know what kind of $$ goes into advertising for this section of the country. I always take notice of what other people in other parts of the country are doing/paying. It all goes into job education (which is a big part of my tiny brain!). When do you folks start your new season of advertising local newspapers?? When the weather returns to the 40's? 50's? high 30's?? I drive by houses all the time that are BADLY in need of cleaning.. Is it out of line to drop an estimate in the mail box? Flyers dont always do it, maybe the people think its thousands of dollars instead of a few hundred. -JC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Paul B. 523 Report post Posted February 24, 2004 JC, No harm done! (at least on my end) Prices do vary greatly on newspaper ads from city to city. I know I live in a conservative city and the cost of living reflects it. "I drive by houses all the time that are BADLY in need of cleaning.. Is it out of line to drop an estimate in the mail box?" I think that's a great approach! I do the same thing and throw in a flyer and a business card. I mail it or place it in the door - as it's only legal to place something in the mailbox if you have your stamp canceled. A watchout for placing things in the front door is that some people use the garage, side or rear door as the entry, not their front door. I advertise all year around to keep the name out there, but the advertising is cut back to yearly ads such as Yellow Pages, Pink Pages and Bird Dog Packages and commercial marketing. Newspaper ads are minimal thru winter. I kick it up one notch at the beginning of March and into full swing the first of April. I send out flyers or post cards starting mid-February, then a second round in March, followed by a third and fourth in April and May. I stop in June and July and start back in August, Sept. and October for flyers and post cards. I run full swing with the paper ad thru October, cut one in November and reduce to one ad in December, Jan. and Feb.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Henry B. 4 Report post Posted February 25, 2004 I'd scan a copy of my advertising bill but some of you may have weak hearts...lol Hey Beth, tell them how much one of our ads run around here. Henry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted February 25, 2004 He's not kidding... Our little local paper isn't cheap, but it draws well. Henry has to be spending 1K per month in our local paper based on the ad. We spend half that per month with them. Beth Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 russellgoode 14 Report post Posted February 25, 2004 My local news paper wants $250.00 for a business card size ad per day. Thats shur not in my budget ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Gavin 14 Report post Posted March 1, 2004 I paid just $225 for a Yellow Book ad (actually got listed in 3 different sections of the book) that came out last week. The good news is, out of 14 pw companies I (by far) have the largest ad. I thought that was pretty cheap for 1/4 page ad. I also advertise in my local paper and pay $200 for 13 weeks. As well, I put an ad in a "homeowner" magazine that goes out to 52,000 homes priced over $300,000 each. That ad cost me $480 and will run quarterly (at $480 a pop). Not to mention the $600 I've spent on my trailer lettering (getting ready to ad more lettering so ad another $250). I even had embroidered polo shirts made up for when I'm doing estimates. Hoping all of this pays off!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted March 14, 2004 Landscaping trucks are starting to appear...mulching... Bulbs are trying to come up here. Birds are singing. I love the spring time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Joe Chadwick 14 Report post Posted March 16, 2004 In New England today landscape trucks are in the neighborhoods with snowplows attached and the birds are singing we thought it was spring but it does not seem like it with 8 - 14 inches of snow in the forecast. Oh Well! Better days are coming! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Cmobilepower 14 Report post Posted March 17, 2004 One thing I've learned with this business is you can't fight Mother Nature. We got hit last night with about 8" of the white stuff. When the weather does break all h_ll will break loose. If you are in this business in New England, you have to accept the weather issues and work harder when the weather is suitable. Mike Cassidy www.PowerWashNow.com Mobile Power Wash of New England P.O. Box 1511 Plainville, Ma., 02762 508-695-3151 Hey Joe Chadwick-How long have you been in business in Chelmsford, Mass.? Give us a call or email sometime we may be able to throw some work your way Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 reed 500 Report post Posted March 17, 2004 Two bids out, two to do today and two on the books to start next week. FINALLY, the cabin fever is going away. Reed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Jon 533 Report post Posted March 17, 2004 I don't want to hurt anyones feelings but you need sunglasses and shorts here in So. CA. Been in the 80s, such lovely weather! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 crispy crittr 14 Report post Posted March 17, 2004 I'ts Springtime in Arkansas!! Chuck Cleaner Times magazine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 James 625 Report post Posted March 17, 2004 6 inch of fresh powder weather sucks thruogh next week > Opening day goes along with baseball.. In beautiful New England ..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Aplus 525 Report post Posted March 18, 2004 We got about 4" Tuesday. Supposed to start warming up next week though. I've got 152 decks at a condo complex waiting.....and I'm chomping at the bit to get going....plus the bank account needs refilling after being off for 2 1/2 months! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Cleveland Mobile 14 Report post Posted March 18, 2004 I always use the gold clipper magazine and valpac coupon mailers....I target only the areas I want and usually get about 40 to 50 calls a week from them Andy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
0 Guest rfitz Report post Posted March 20, 2004 So Far, It seems as though the yellow pages is a gold mine for me, phones been consistently ringing 4-8 weeks now, booked thru middle of may, and we havent even got into the spring season yet, I still have newspaper ads coming out as well as mailers, I may have over done it...? Starting my 5th deck tuesday, and already washed 20+ homes, not bad for middle of march.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ohhh, if only spring was here!
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