groups

Have you tried doctor and dentist offices? You could also check into local social groups, Eagles, Kiwanis and other that might be around. Offer a week free for a lead who takes your service. Be sure to check how you are wording your flyers. Is it upbeat and show a can do attitude? Even if a place doesn't need you right at that time they may in the future. Keep plugging away and stay positive, often attitude is 60% of the effort and the rest is in how you take care of your customers.

Yes, we included postcards for a week's free cleaning with all the brochures we hand out. I'm going to post an ad in a local free paper next week, it won't cost too much, will see how that goes. Yes, they are very upbeat, I think it's just this bad economy, grrrrrr. I know, I have to stay positive, hard to do sometimes.

Hi Luneib and BF,

Luneib I do not have to tell you two this is a though economy.

My wife and I have owned a Cleaning Franchise for 17 yrs.
The best advertising is the Yellow pages. It is a big investment.
We can attribute 70% to 80% of our customers have come from YP.
If you were looking for a cleaning service at this time, Where would
you look to get a service quickly? Size of the ad makes a difference.
We have spent money in local papers next. And mailings like Vailpak.
What we find is if you use a discount coupons. People will impulsively buy.And, on average, end up beginning a short-term customer. Not that they are not a bad source of customers. They can boost income quickly when things get slow.

Contact follow up!!
Discount the third cleaning.
Offer referral discounts.
The first cleaning is the most difficult don’t sell yourself short.
Tell your client the first is time in is more expensive, and after that Subsequent cleanings will be at a lesser rate. If you discount the first time in you will work hard. A customer may not continue the service. That happens a lot they just don’t see the value.

If you approach a client get contact info and follow up. The following week, month, two months, three….. Build relations as often as possible. Network. Try joining groups in your area. Do a search for BNI’s or Local Chamber Groups. Look in the papers for Meet up groups and Networking groups. These are key to word of mouth advertising and you know what they are fun too! Why not ask every one of your contacts after you approach them. “Hey by the way do you know of any Networking groups in the area.” Then offer the ones you know.

Experiment.

The most needed people in this economy are entrepreneurs.
Like yourselves,
Make it happen.

PS A website is a good source of customers, I can help there too, if needed.

Joedy

Thanks for the info Joedy, I am sure luneib will get lots out of this information!

Thank you for all the wonderful information, much appreciated.

thanks for the good information and ideas !

I just placed an ad in the Yellow Pages online, it does however take 30 days to post, but it will stay online 'til next year, it's free to do as well in case anyone else is looking for free way to advertise their business.

I'll probably get Fat Cow to host a web site for us too.

You have to get a client hooked on you. If they really like what you do they can not help refering you to friends. It is the references that are real that make a difference. When I sold Avon, I was always back for customer service, helping them to help themselves. They liked what I did consistancy was the answer.
I helped them with their needs. That is how you do it. The idea is to get a customer hooked on what you do. Anna, A brightsoul

I just took a part time job since we don't have the cleaning business going yet. My job is quite stressful so I can't wait to find clients for our business.

You are right once someone knows that we are good, they will refer us to other people. They just don't know we are good yet. They may have a cleaning company they are less than thrilled with but don't know our work to take that chance to hire us. If they did, they would keep us. We are both very anal about cleaning.:-) My bf has done it for many years as have I.

Try contacting home builders and remodellers for commercial and residential cleaning in your area. A good resource is books by Don Aslett.The economy is not that bad here and people w/money don't like doing the dirty work.