Picking up?, I wish.... Merchants branch Managers look glum, as do bathroom suppliers.
When I started out on my own 6 years ago, nice new shiny white bathrooms were maybe 60-65% of my work. Today, less than 10%. I can only surmise that money was easier to borrow/find/save(!) back then.
I used to look a month ahead, now its next week, so got all my regulars, landlords, shops/offices etc, average at least 1 day a week with an upmarket kitchen company.
Advertise in all the usual, google places&adwords, church parish magazines are fantastic. Just signed up to rated people, have not yet 'paid for a lead', but may need to (not the £4plus VAT for a sub £100 jobs though.....)Gave up on BT phonebook and Yell years ago. Still got a thousand flyers from two years ago to post through doors.
The CIPHE site gives me leads (usually to out of town businesses looking for some mug to a job on 30/60/90 day invoicing), GSR the same. I am sole trader member of the APHC get little from it but can offer an extended warranty on work and register appliances/unvented etc through it.
I continue to be the best I can be, optimistic - generally, and as obvious as it must seem, looking after existing customers is so much easier than finding new ones.
DH