Tips on starting a business?

Hello, was wondering if i can get few tips and pointers from you guys. I noticed some of you guys are very bright and have experience in the business world.

Few things you should note:

1.Iam starting this with my a good friend of mines.

2.Focusing in building Decks, Patios, Replacing Windows, fences.

3.Getting the LLC done as well as my contracting license

Now what i need help with the advertising/marketing

What would be the best way to approach marketing/ads?

If anyone else has contracting experience or building decks and etc please let me know. Love to pick your brains...:cool2:

Do/did this for a living (painting though)

Direct mail is a good source of leads. Check some DM sites/groups. Only problem is, you need a ton of cash to pay for the sites

Really these days though it is about internet marketing. Have a slick website set up. Get a google "ad words" account.

Check into service magic or contractors.com

And good luck and stick with it. Its real tough these days

I would say no matter where your market is having a website is good marketing.

Most everyone has and utilizes a website to some extent.

I registered my website through godaddy.com and also host it there, If you don't know how to build a website we can get into that topic. No need to have lots of options just examples of previous work, contact information, and that you are licensed and insured *if you are*

You can easily print some magnet for your car at vistaprint.com or another site and slap the web address on your vehicle, also put it on any business card or letter head.

next I would run an advertisement in the paper if not to expensive, i shopped around and got an ad in the Friday paper for 35 dollars.

Next I would make as many flyers as you can maybe color maybe just black and white and visit some local coffee shops, or libraries, businesses anything with a peg board and hang up a flyer with some information about your business, perhaps contact number and website address.

Always carry a business card, and always remember word of mouth is very big.

I've sold quite a bit in the past to construction companies and advertising has to play a part in the business for you to be successful (word of mouth certainly helps but not when you're just out the gate w/no reputation to speak of).

Partner up with people who can feed you leads (and you do the same for them). e.g. home decorators, real estate agents, etc. They are another set of eyes out there for you (you can even give them a very small cut in the beginning). This way has worked wonders for me in every job and industry that I've worked for and been successful selling.

Down the line a good, and essentially free source (I believe), is www.angieslist.com. (you have to develop some clients and experience before this will be viable for you imo.

Times certainly are tough in this space but with that said print advertising has never been cheaper.

best of luck...

Send Park City Skin a PM.

I wouldnt waste too much money on certain items right now. Let your product speak for it self and stand by it. Word of mouth will sell your product as well as cheap advertising.

Make sure you have a solid business plan, and going into business with friends can be tricky.

I ran a business for sixteen years until health issues forced me to sell and move in a different direction.

The best advice I can give is to rely heavily on word-of-mouth and become very dependable. Business cards are a must. Being an expert in your field is a must - or be able to demonstrate that you are an expert. Start small and expand at reasonable levels. Don't be afraid to admit mistakes and quickly correct them - it will happen more often than you think.

When your business is able to expand to a larger arena, get contracts - long term and short term. Hire a good lawyer to help with the nuances of expanding this part of your business. That is where your clientele and the bread-and-butter part of your endeavor will truly grow.

Corporate and government contracts can be very lucrative, but spread them out evenly. Yes, you can find government and corporate contracts in this field. They have certain needs when it comes to fencing, windows and the like. Be available - cell phones and other means of communication are your friend.

I know you will be successful. Good luck.

So word of month should be my #1 marketing?

So word of month should be my #1 marketing?

Oh yes.

They are the best and cheapest leads.

I usually land close to 100 percent of my WOM leads

So word of month should be my #1 marketing?

Of course.

It's the most effective, and it's free.

The thing is you have no clients, so there are no mouths yet.

One thing you have is time. You can print a nice flyer for peanuts, and blanket neighborhoods door to door by yourself. Keep business cards in your pocket at all time. Hand out 5 every day.

Keep your costs as low as possible when starting a business.

1 - Decide on a database system. This is crucial because staying in contact with current and future contact and clients will be a source of business. I'm not saying spend money on software, just to decide how you are going to track things. Establish the rules for who you want to contact and how.

2 - Contact yellowbook or someone similar and see if what they offer makes sense. I know they keep track of how many leads they generate for you and they have an online local search engine that generates a good deal of business. They work with google ads as well these days.

3 - Don't just contact potential end clients, contact sources of business as well. General contractor subcontract all the time. Put together a plan on how you can help them and pitch it to all the GC's you know. Another source would be real estate investors that are trying to flip houses there are more than a few companies and agents in the area doing that, that if you price it right can use you for flips.

4 - Don't be afraid to knock on doors. Put some fliers together and maybe even hire some teenagers or a ground level marketing company to hit the streets. You can do this yourself as well. Sales is all about effort and energy, sell your ass off.

5 - Meetup.com Offer seminars on home improvement possibilities and encourage homeowners to attend and ask questions on price etc. Anything to get people to come to you in large numbers or where you can come to them.

Those are just some ideas, get creative. GOOD LUCK! I have my own llc as well but this thread isn't about me so I'll leave it at that. Don't forget to consult your tax professional about what you can pay as a business expense with company money (pre tax)

DeanCollins would be a good source too, he's made quite a success of building decks. Although if I recall even he is having a rough go of it lately.