[tony-w]

Some advice needed from you more experienced guys please

A bit of history- I have a full time job on shifts which gives me around 10 days a month to do my small window cleaning round which I have built up from scratch over the last 6 months.

My domestic stuff is fine and pays good, but the few commercial jobs i do a month pay much better and no doubt like everybody else this is what i would like more of.

Recently I got a water fed pole and getting to grips with it ok. I got my existing commercial work by targeting new build buisness developments and stalking the businesses as they moved in until they gave up and let me clean their windows.

I was thinking of spending £500 on a quarter collum add in my Yellow Pages, I live in a heavily populated business area and there are only one and a half pages of window cleaners in the book


My Question
Has any of you guys/girls out there got a decent add in your local Yellow Pages and does it work for you?

I have looked quite far back in the past posts but there does not seem to be much about this topic.


Thanks -Tony

[Sarah Sarill]

Hi Tony,

Have had a lineage ad in out local YP for 6 years and had a steady trickle from it, although mainly residential.

This year I thought I would have a semi-display Advert at a cost of £196.  It looks and is worded well (I was in advertising so like to think I can write good copy).

However, a competitor of ours re-named his business starting with aletter before our (theirs begins with a D our a K) and took out a full display ad at a cost of £450 +.

So far we have not had one call, so what I am trying to say is it depends on where you are placed on the page and how much money you can spend, as well as how many competitors you have above you.

Perhaps others will say differently but that is our view.

Sarah

[KJG]

I hear different tales from different people, some good - some bad. Personally, I've had nothing worth shouting about from YP's but then again I think I'm cursed because I got nothing from my website either

Try asking your commercial jobs how they look for any tradesmen - bet you Yellow Pages isn't their first call by long shot

[tony-w]

Hi all

Thanks for the replies so far-

My business begins with a W so businesses would have to read Yellow Pages back to front to get to me first (saying that, some of the staff on the reception of the cold calling I have done, probably do) I have seen a couple of eye catching designs that stand out well anywhere on the page.

On the other hand I do not want to get swamped with work at least to start with (wishful thinking)

Good idea about asking other businesses how they get their tradesmen and have already done this to some extent, some say by asking other businesses they deal with ie word of mouth but quite a few do say Yellow Pages, thats what put me ointo the idea.

Thanks- Tony

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

each to there own and ofcourse it's a gamble parting with good money for a y/p ad,

in my case i suppose i average about 1 call a week from it,

my biggest job i got from y/p is worth £5,000 per year so for me it was worth it

[pjulk]

I get the odd call but nothing worth shouting about and mostly miles away from me.

Very rare i get someone close.

Paul

[WavieDavie]

I've been in for years. I've still got the first ever job from it and that pays the cost of the ad all by itself. Everything else that comes in is a bonus cos the cost of bringing in these new jobs is £0.00

[tony-w]

Davie/Jay/paul

To help put things in prospective, what kind of adds do you have in the Yellow Pages, ie size?

cheers-Tony

[Sarah Sarill]

Tony,

Ours was a 5cm deep semi-display  (laid out  but no artwork or colour) @ a cost of £196.

The full display (or boxed ads) that include logos, photos and colour are quite a bit more expensive.

Its worth getting samples of other area w/c sections so you can pull-out the best bits and see what you want.

If you want I am happy to scan the pages of the Newport & East Wales edition and mail it to you but you need to fill in your addy on your profile. 

I am sure you will get offers from others here too.

Let me know and hope that helps, regards,

Sarah

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

Davie/Jay/paul

To help put things in prospective, what kind of adds do you have in the Yellow Pages, ie size?

cheers-Tony

started with a small box 1
but this year i'm going for a bigger and slightly more glamorous 1 to hopefully attract more commercial biz using the wfp as a tool.

if this don't work i will go back to a smaller 1 the following year,

i suppose eventually there will come a point when i can't take anymore work on, if that happens then i might pull out of y/p all together and have an extra holiday on the money saved.

1 point of interest though, remember y/p is tax deductable so what have you got to lose, give it a try for 1 year at least.

jay

[tony-w]

Thanks for the info Jay.

Sarah I'm ok for geting my hands on other Yellow pages but thanks for the offer

Tony

[lynngc]

hi there,
today i recieved prices and sizes from yell. they are listed below:

15mm- £138.65 +vat
30mm - £317.25 +vat
45mm - £317.25 + vat

quarter coloum ad 64mmx61mm £520.53 + vat
double three eighths coloum 99mmx125mm £748.48 + vat
double half 134mmx125mm £977.61 + vat
quarter page 64mmx190mm £1433.00 + vat
half page 134mmx190mm £2804.73 + vat
three quarter page 203mmx190mm £4175.96 + vat
whole page 273mmx190mm £5544.84 + vat


this is for the 06/07 book, adverts to be in by 20/03/06
published in may 06
pay in full or 10 monthly interest free installments

hope this info helps someone

lynn

[pjulk]

Davie/Jay/paul

To help put things in prospective, what kind of adds do you have in the Yellow Pages, ie size?

cheers-Tony

I have just measured my ad as i couldn't remember the size.

It is 60mm x 45 mm box ad the standard black on yellow

price is £480 i think.

I booked a week before the deadline and got it for 1/2 price £240.
I was going to get the smaller one until the sales rep said he would let me have the next size up for the same price.
And im the second one under window cleaning for my area

Paul

[tony-w]

Thanks lynn

So that nobody goes to any unnecessary trouble, I have all the info on sizes, prices etc just wanted to know if a decent size add in the Yellow Pages worked well getting commercial work, for anybody out there who has such an add.

Paul- thanks for that top info will deffinately try that

Tony

[windows_chepstow]

I've been in the Yellow Pages for two years running (not this year though) and I'm torn between thinking it's a waste of time; or; like the lottery, you've got to be in it to win it.

However, once Yellow Pages have your details, they regularly harrass you by phone to sign up for other stuff.

[Sarah Sarill]

I've been in the Yellow Pages for two years running (not this year though) and I'm torn between thinking it's a waste of time; or; like the lottery, you've got to be in it to win it.

However, once Yellow Pages have your details, they regularly harrass you by phone to sign up for other stuff.

Sorry to tell you this Tosh but you have a free lineage Ad in this years edition.

Sarah

[windows_chepstow]

I've been in the Yellow Pages for two years running (not this year though) and I'm torn between thinking it's a waste of time; or; like the lottery, you've got to be in it to win it.

However, once Yellow Pages have your details, they regularly harrass you by phone to sign up for other stuff.

Sorry to tell you this Tosh but you have a free lineage Ad in this years edition.

Sarah

Sarah,

I did get Newport Hilton from the Yellow Pages, but seriously underpriced it; didn't get paid for six months, then binned it in the end.

I've also had a phone call from someone in Abergavenny; miles from me; wanting their windows cleaned.

Full stop.

I'll not hold my breath for work from the Yellow Pages!

I think why I didn't re-advertise was because some lass called Sharon kept on phoning and leaving messages and didn't take my non-return calls as an indication that I didn't want any additional services.

But it is tax-deductable.  I'll be in there next year when Sharon phones me again.

If you want a cheaper deal, just keep saying 'No', and they keep on comming down in price!

[Jon T.C.]

Paid £102 inc vat for 60mm x 65mm. 

I did my advert through Safecontractor.

YP telesales also rang me and quoted over £300 for the same size 

[tony-w]

Paid £102 inc vat for 60mm x 65mm. 

I did my advert through Safecontractor.

YP telesales also rang me and quoted over £300 for the same size 

Hi mate

What is safecontractor?

[WavieDavie]

Davie/Jay/paul

To help put things in prospective, what kind of adds do you have in the Yellow Pages, ie size?

cheers-Tony

I have a quarter-column block ad - black print on bright yellow background - at £640 in Edinburgh Y/P plus an entry in the Fed block too.

My ad has the phone number in LARGE numbers, quite a lot of the folk who call from that aren't too far away from me. Something to do with Tight Scots thinking they'll pay more for travelling time, I think.