Discussion
I have just set up a very small company (me and a mate) making Marble and Granite Kitchens and Bathrooms. We have some ideas about advertising, ie local papers and such. But we are very short on money as we are just starting out.
So...
Does anyone have any ideas about where and how we can advertise cheaply?
Ps. Does this count as advertising?
Daniel Cukier
A&C Stoneworks
Best one is leafletting (sp?) Print out loads of leaflets and get busy delivering them. Don't bother paying kids to deliver them for you as all they'll do is take your cash and lob em in the bin. The other one is big retail parks. Stick em under windscreen wipers. Plenty of your leaflets will just end up in the bin, but you usually get some interest.
Talk to Ryan at www.latata.co.uk he will sort out a package that will suit your needs, from flyers to website.
Lee
Lee
I do some Kitchen and Bathroom design Freelance, sort of a hobby that has Grown really and from that I'd say forget trying to sell to consumers and instead get onto the kitchen designers, try going through the art schools who all run kitchen and bathroom design courses and then advertise with the trade press if anywhere. Most consumers doing their kitchen or bathroom go to one of the one stop shops - Ikea, B&Q, Homebase, MFI and they will get their worktops and flooring with the package so you are better off hitting the bespoke market, both because they are more likely to use it and also because unlike consumers they will be bringing you repeat business.
All IMHO, but I have done 3 kitchens this year and have 4 more to do - so do send me your contact details....
All IMHO, but I have done 3 kitchens this year and have 4 more to do - so do send me your contact details....
A question.
I run a business that has nothing to do with yours, however I am considering purchasing a machine that could also be used to cut marble, granite, or anything else for that matter. We would be using it primarily to cut metals and plastics.
I don’t mean your normal sort of cutting either, 2d and 3d CNC cutting that can cut any shape through any material. You could put your name in a work surface if you wished!
Do you think this would be of any use for guys such as yourselves in this industry? The sink holes, tap holes or any other cutting or reshaping could be done accurately and very cleanly.
I run a business that has nothing to do with yours, however I am considering purchasing a machine that could also be used to cut marble, granite, or anything else for that matter. We would be using it primarily to cut metals and plastics.
I don’t mean your normal sort of cutting either, 2d and 3d CNC cutting that can cut any shape through any material. You could put your name in a work surface if you wished!
Do you think this would be of any use for guys such as yourselves in this industry? The sink holes, tap holes or any other cutting or reshaping could be done accurately and very cleanly.
Guess it depends on whereabouts you are.
In my local area (near Birmingham airport)we have a "Look-Local" ad-mag A5 size, put through the door every month. It rarely gets binned and I have used it on quite a few occasions.
Typical Costs:
Full page - 133mm x 195mm - £55.00 + vat
Half page - 133mm x 95mm - £33.00 + vat
Quarter page - 63mm x 95mm - £19.00 + vat
For delivery to approximately 4000 pretty affluent homes. There are 5 different areas of approximately 4000 homes. see www.looklocal.biz for details.
I would not recommend using one of these local style ad-mags unless your business is local to the area, I really only use ones with a local telephone number and address.
>> Edited by thepeoplespal on Friday 23 April 17:43
In my local area (near Birmingham airport)we have a "Look-Local" ad-mag A5 size, put through the door every month. It rarely gets binned and I have used it on quite a few occasions.
Typical Costs:
Full page - 133mm x 195mm - £55.00 + vat
Half page - 133mm x 95mm - £33.00 + vat
Quarter page - 63mm x 95mm - £19.00 + vat
For delivery to approximately 4000 pretty affluent homes. There are 5 different areas of approximately 4000 homes. see www.looklocal.biz for details.
I would not recommend using one of these local style ad-mags unless your business is local to the area, I really only use ones with a local telephone number and address.
>> Edited by thepeoplespal on Friday 23 April 17:43
Davel said:
Try a simple but effective website - you may even get a grant through your council's economic development unit towards electronic marketing.
Good luck!
Yep, I'd go along with this idea, quote your website in everything you advertise.
Have you any examples of your work already completed, and can your customers see before they buy.
Referrals from previous customers might also be effective, once you have a few completed. Might even be worth giving them an incentive such as £50 or £100 for every customer they refer to you, that subsequently buys a kitchen from you.
Good luck with your new venture, let us know how things work out.
BNI or similar, bunch of no hopers or wierdos if you ask me, the local florist is the busiest member of our local chapter.....I left because everyone kept asking me for car quotes.
After a 10 min presentation of what I was about...set of numties..."wako mate?....follow the road for 2 miles and your just about there...on your right of course"....anyone heard of selective membership!
......rant over
After a 10 min presentation of what I was about...set of numties..."wako mate?....follow the road for 2 miles and your just about there...on your right of course"....anyone heard of selective membership!
......rant over
I would suggest focusing on local estate agents. The kitchen and bathroom - as you well know - is often the most 'visual' area of a home and where people will spend a lot of money, often just after they have moved. Targetting Estate Agents to get them to do your advertising for you can be very effective and pretty much free
You could start with a press release to announce the new business. Get this out to local papers and kitchen/bathroom magazines with a photo as well. Cost is very small but if published worth as much as a quarter page ad. People reading papers are often 'blind' to advertisements but will read the news.
The truth is that you haven't done enough thinking yet to decide what would be best for your business, because you don't appear to be sure what your business is (at least from the above posts). The most important questions you should answer are:
What - exactly - are you selling?
Who are you selling to?
Why should they buy it?
Why should they buy it from you?
Do you have a business plan? This would all be in there.
In my experience, your business is either selling to the wholesale trade, to specifiers (like builders or designers) or to the public. Each would require a completely different approach. The website would be a good move, so long as you can answer the questions above on it.
Once you have it worked out, you can calculate the cost-efficiency of leaflets vs. ads vs. PR and see how much money gets you how many leads and how much might be wasted.
I write this as someone who worked in advertising for almost 30 years and owned my own successful London Agency, so I ought to know what I'm talking about.
If you'd like to email me offline, I'll happily give you any help and advice I can - including the name of a high quality kitchen supplier in Berkshire run by one of my oldest friends.
What - exactly - are you selling?
Who are you selling to?
Why should they buy it?
Why should they buy it from you?
Do you have a business plan? This would all be in there.
In my experience, your business is either selling to the wholesale trade, to specifiers (like builders or designers) or to the public. Each would require a completely different approach. The website would be a good move, so long as you can answer the questions above on it.
Once you have it worked out, you can calculate the cost-efficiency of leaflets vs. ads vs. PR and see how much money gets you how many leads and how much might be wasted.
I write this as someone who worked in advertising for almost 30 years and owned my own successful London Agency, so I ought to know what I'm talking about.
If you'd like to email me offline, I'll happily give you any help and advice I can - including the name of a high quality kitchen supplier in Berkshire run by one of my oldest friends.
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