FabSwingers.com forum: advise from any self employed fabers

By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

Which form of advertising have you found to be the best to drum up work for your business ?

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By *iss.ddWoman
over a year ago

Leeds + Newcastle

It depends on your type of work and budget.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Word of mouth, social media. Both are free to use.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Recently, social media!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've been very fortunate and not had to advertise. I like that recommendations from existing customers have been adequate so far

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Street corners?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Find someone who can optimise your website and teach you about effective SEO

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Who/what is your target market

Where do your competitors advertise and why

What is your USP

Have you tried talking to your local enterprise agency?

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By *lik and PaulCouple
over a year ago

cahoots

It's all reputation and recommendation....people don't trust advertising.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Definitely word of mouth

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Social media

Word of mouth

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Depends what you do. I advertise in a few publications which works. I also have websites and a Facebook page and twitter. Mostly word of mouth though now. Good luck

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By *DKinkyJenTV/TS
over a year ago

Maidstone

Social Media via targeted marketing

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Find someone who can optimise your website and teach you about effective SEO"

Yes and this. I pay someone to do this and it’s well worth it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I always did leaflet drops

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

It really depends on what your business is and your target market.

Word of mouth is how I've done well. Plus search engine optimisation.

Social media is great but you need to use the right channel for your target audience.

Do you work from home, from a van, have premises? All of those will have a bearing on what you do

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By *ssex Lycra LoverMan
over a year ago

Ilford

As I've just started my new business and am very short on cash, I use social media mainly at the moment. Also look up online for Attraction Marketing. You should get some great ideas to use. Let us know how you get on.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Also have monthly give away,depending on what business your in that is?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Also have monthly give away,depending on what business your in that is?

Yeah I used to do that for the likes and shares on FB

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By *imited 3EditionCouple
over a year ago

Live in Scotland Play in England

Depends on your business I guess. I heard someone used Facebook marketing for advertising their personal training service and got more business than they could handle. So it can potentially be really effective

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Definitely depends on your line of work, but there's no beating being consistently good at what you do.

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By *elshsunsWoman
over a year ago

Flintshire

Mines recommendations, word of mouth ,Facebook advertising and basically spreading the word to who ever I meet ...of what I do ....

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By *heLaserGuyMan
over a year ago

Coventry

Google, fb, word of mouth, thompsons which is a local free directory.

Only thing i pay for is business cards

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By *rincessvenusCouple
over a year ago

Hull

been a self employed handyman for 30 yrs never adverised just word of mouth

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By *ust RachelTV/TS
over a year ago

Horsham

Buy some feedback on checktrade, that might help you get ahead.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What industry are you in OP as we all use different means according to what we do.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What’s your business?

Content marketing is a great tool if you have the time to sit down and right some industry insights. Apply your knowledge and expertise. Ie if your a plumber write a piece on how to effectively unblock a drain. Don’t give away your IP in content marketing though. But be a trusted source of information so people remember you and come back to you for the more technical stuff

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"It really depends on what your business is and your target market.

Word of mouth is how I've done well. Plus search engine optimisation.

Social media is great but you need to use the right channel for your target audience.

Do you work from home, from a van, have premises? All of those will have a bearing on what you do

"
well my full time job is site maintenance at a large school, to save them about £1,200 a year on PAT testing they sent me on the training course, so I could do it every year.

So I was thinking of doing a bit of PAT testing as a side line, as I work shifts and get lots of holidays, so it is possible to do this to top up my annual salary, I can buy my own equipment for about £400 so cheap to get set up.

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"What industry are you in OP as we all use different means according to what we do.

"
it will be a side line job to my main job and it's going to be PAT testing.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

You mean your a qualified P.A tester, not a portable appliance tester tester?

I know I’m a cunt, normally I’d be asleep but some cunt think this time of night is a good time of day to be outside putting Christmas decs up the street using a fucking engine powered mewp. Got another 3 hours of it apparently until 3 am.

Anyway in the building trade and I’ve never advertised, just work through repeat custom and word of mouth.

I would suggest having a business sticker on the back and doors of your car and get a load of cards made and drop into all the local businesses. As you will know Everyone who has staff or provide public entertainment etc needs their equipment checking.

Also sort yourself out with some insurance.

Good luck if you was nearer me I would pass the work on to you

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By *arnsley guy100Man
over a year ago

Sheffield

What ever it is you do...... Every single day when you get home before making a coffee..

Sort your receipts out from what you've spent and keep a diary.. Page a day of what you've spent and earnt... Take you 2 minutes and save you a load of headache later.

Other advice... Keep it as a job... Home time and day off is what it is.. Easy to think about it all the time when it's your own thing and becomes a 100 hour week weather your working or not.

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By *imited 3EditionCouple
over a year ago

Live in Scotland Play in England

Damn good advice! Wish my hubby would do this... it's a right chore getting all his paperwork off him before the end of the year so I can complete his tax return! Been asking for past 2 months already. Hate having to do it in January last-minute.com

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By *iss.ddWoman
over a year ago

Leeds + Newcastle

Visual social media won't be the best for you to advertise nor would a blog so instagram and Facebook wouldn't deliver to your key demographics.

Aim at businesses so create a pat related Twitter, LinkedIn and knock up a quick site with Wix etc

Find out when your local Twitter hours are and promote through that

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By *adame 2SwordsWoman
over a year ago

Victoria, London

Read Bradley Sugar book on marketing strategies - over 400 methods. You then decide what would be applicable to you, very important to monitor what works and what doesn't. My current business is B2B, so mainly LinkedIn, my next business will be B2C and B2B so I'll have to do a range of suitable social media.

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By *ruebameMan
over a year ago

from the womb and tryout to get back

"What industry are you in OP as we all use different means according to what we do.

it will be a side line job to my main job and it's going to be PAT testing."
op try having a word with second hand shops as all there electrical equipment should be pat tested before been sold not really many other places for this as most companies have in house training already good luck though

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Word of mouth and networking

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"What’s your business?

That's a great tip.

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By * and M lookingCouple
over a year ago

Worcester

"Which form of advertising have you found to be the best to drum up work for your business ?"

Word of mouth, recommendations

We have never advertised, don’t have a website and don’t use social media.

Been going for years and our order book is rarely low.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Damn good advice! Wish my hubby would do this... it's a right chore getting all his paperwork off him before the end of the year so I can complete his tax return! Been asking for past 2 months already. Hate having to do it in January last-minute.com

That’s me every year. 31st jan

. Every year I say I’ll do it all in April

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By * and M lookingCouple
over a year ago

Worcester

Reliability

Your reputation depends upon it.

All you ever hear is people moaning about contractors that don’t turn up and don’t even call to say they aren’t going to be there when they said they would.

Also avoid golf course contracting.

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

"knock up a quick site with Wix

Noooooooo

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"What ever it is you do...... Every single day when you get home before making a coffee..

Sort your receipts out from what you've spent and keep a diary.. Page a day of what you've spent and earnt... Take you 2 minutes and save you a load of headache later.

Well said dam good advice , hope he reads your comment

Other advice... Keep it as a job... Home time and day off is what it is.. Easy to think about it all the time when it's your own thing and becomes a 100 hour week weather your working or not. "

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