business tips.

[newguy]

im very curious about how you older guys managed to be self employed before mobilephones etc. how on earth did you recieve job queries without mobile phone if you were sole trader??? i advertise on net which is great. but how did you fellows cope before the net? local papers? waste of time in my experience. yellow pages? a joke. maybe it was different 15-20 years ago.really interested in how you managed back then to get yourselfs noticed,

started out a year ago and sending xmas cards to all those ive done work for so they dont forget about me!! what methods have u chaps found best to drum up business?printing out few 1000's leaflets and droppping them off in my neighbourhood. i also drop of 15 leaflets at neighbouring houses where ive just done work, only takes couple of mins. installs i find an advertising sandwich board outside the house is useful too!!

 

[JPC]

less of the old....

cant tell you my trade secrets

 

[JohnD]

you need a phone no which someone sensible will answer

some wives are suitable. otherwise there are "secretarial services" you can pay for who offer a phone answering and messaging service.

and then you had to "call the office" quite often while you were out.

If the person answering the phone learned to understand the business, and could plot your jobs for you (e.g. on a town map pinned to the kitchen wall) they could give well-informed information about your likely availability and arrival times/dates

you've heard of the Tantric Plumber, haven't you?

I bought my first mobile phone in 1995 and it paid for itself on the first day's work it got me. They were expensive in those days...