[Mike Packwood]

I started a pressure washing business this time last year, so as far as advertising spend is concerned I'm about to have to decide what to do this winter. On the basis that business is bound to be slow for the next few months do I conserve my ad spend for the spring, or continue to advertise to keep my name out there and build my profile. So the question is, for all jet-washers who are more years into it than me - do I continue spending over Christmas, or not?

On a wider point, because this was my first year I've advertised in all manner of local publications, delivered leaflets, got my website up and running etc and spent a few bob on adwords.... all to see what would work best. Word of mouth and the web are working best so far and I get a good response from local community mags too. Am I missing a really good route to customers and in time what will become my main source of business?

Learning all the time and appreciate the views of people more experienced than me.

Thanks
Mike

[Mike Halliday]

We had a new  leaflet printed end of September and have been constantly posting them out , we have not seen a big drop in pressure washing work during this 'quite time'. we are hoping to be Doing at least 2 and a half days a week of Pressure washing throughout winter months.

 i would guess 3 hrs a day leafleting ( 90mins for 2 men) will keep us busy

[chris scott]

I started a pressure washing business this time last year, so as far as advertising spend is concerned I'm about to have to decide what to do this winter. On the basis that business is bound to be slow for the next few months do I conserve my ad spend for the spring, or continue to advertise to keep my name out there and build my profile. So the question is, for all jet-washers who are more years into it than me - do I continue spending over Christmas, or not?

On a wider point, because this was my first year I've advertised in all manner of local publications, delivered leaflets, got my website up and running etc and spent a few bob on adwords.... all to see what would work best. Word of mouth and the web are working best so far and I get a good response from local community mags too. Am I missing a really good route to customers and in time what will become my main source of business?

Learning all the time and appreciate the views of people more experienced than me.

Thanks
Mike

Get a job ,save your money and we will see you again in the spring.

[Aqua Power Solutions]

Mike
Until you get established , in general save your money and go again next spring .

Find a regular income stream to be going on with and invest into your business for next year

Don't tell Chris where you live or he will be on your patch pinching your work !

Ed

[Mike Halliday]

How can you tell someone to get a job? Does that not go against the whole spirit of being in business and working for yourself? if work is slow or times are hard you don't just 'go get a job' you knuckle down and  go out looking for work.

Plus how do I find a job that pays  2 grand a week

[chris scott]

How can you tell someone to get a job? Does that not go against the whole spirit of being in business and working for yourself? if work is slow or times are hard you don't just 'go get a job' you knuckle down and  go out looking for work.

Plus how do I find a job that pays  2 grand a week

Because "Founded in the 1970s by Henry Halliday, Sr.,"  is not the  same as trying to start a pressure washing business from scratch in the depths of winter.

[Mike Halliday]

It's only winter in the hearts of the unmotivated  .........For the motivated winter is the time when everyone else gets a job so their is more work for them

But on a serious note.... More than half of my work is new customer who have never heard of me, so I could have been in bussiness for a week and they  still would have called, length of time in business has no effect

 

[chris scott]

It's only winter in the hearts of the unmotivated  .........For the motivated winter is the time when everyone else gets a job so their is more work for them

But on a serious note.... More than half of my work is new customer who have never heard of me, so I could have been in bussiness for a week and they  still would have called, length of time in business has no effect

Carpet cleaning or pressure washing ?

[Mike Packwood]

Great thanks very much everyone. Leafleting it is then....
Cheers
Mike

[Mike Halliday]

It's only winter in the hearts of the unmotivated  .........For the motivated winter is the time when everyone else gets a job so their is more work for them

But on a serious note.... More than half of my work is new customer who have never heard of me, so I could have been in bussiness for a week and they  still would have called, length of time in business has no effect

Carpet cleaning or pressure washing ?

On the pressure washing side all my work is new customers, the majority gained from my leaflets. This week we have 3 days (next week so far we have 2 days)  booked in for pressure washing, all from leaflets put out over the last 3 weeks. if I had stopped advertising or looking for PW work I wouldn't have got these jobs.

I can earn more in one day pressure washing than a full week working a job ( unless I could get a senior executive  position  which you don't tend to find in the job centre) so really if I spent the over4 days just walking the streets putting out leaflets I would still be better off.

[chris scott]

So ....the goverment would be better off giving everybody  a pressure washer and a 1000 leaflets. It would sort out the unemployment problem by wednesday.

[Mike Halliday]

Shhhh..... You don't know who listening!!

Let's be honest  what I'm saying is absolutely true,  why won't it work for everyone? ........most people are too lazy to walk the streets putting out leaflets,  they would rather sit at home watching TV  safe in the knowledge that 'no one wants any pressure washing done  in winter'  so why bother even walking out the front door...... Best bet is to sign on and start again next April.

It works for me as I have a guy working for me on £10/hr who  needs to put in the hours to earn ( for him)  a decent wage, if we finish early to make his hours up he put out leaflets. this is why I know  there  is work now & in winter  for pressure washing as the leaflets he puts out brings in work.

[Mike Packwood]

If anyone would like to email me a copy of their leaflet so that I can see the type that works, Id be grateful.
Email address below if  anyone could send a pdf or a pic.

Thanks

info@valejetclean.co.uk

[Smurf]

How about they go and drop the leaflets for you as well?

[chris scott]

Driveway leaflet

[chris scott]

gutters

[Smurf]

Just how many websites do you have Chris? 

[chris scott]

17

[Smurf]

17

And counting obviously lol

[Mike Halliday]

I use an A5 folded flyer....