[vent]

How do I get from zero customers to a business that people use?

I’m starting an emergency drain clearing business and looking for advice for best route to market.
Finding it very difficult to do any market research as nobody wants to know until they have a problem(have spoke to around 120 potential customers) most people I asked said that would not try to tackle the problem themselves first and if they were unable responded by saying that they would ring a couple of business from yellow pages or Thompson directory. Many people have had blocked drains and had to get someone out to solve there problem most used dyno rod and were shocked by the prices that they charged but in times of need the price was not so much of a issue.
So my problem this is a distress purchase my name needs to be foremost in customers minds how do I achieve this, new yellow pages was only printed recently so it will be quite some time before I get in there. Any marketing ideas will be most welcome actually any help or advice would be most appreciated

Local business will operate up to 25 miles from my base
24 hr 365 day emergency response
Add on services CCTV surveying no dig sewer repairs

Thanks Adrian

[Calibre Designs]

Hi Adrian,

What marketing strategies have you done so far? both online and offline?
You can still go to yell.com and get your free entry on there so people can find you online (yellow pages online search).

Have you done leaflet drops? If so, has it given you much return?
Do you have a website?
People keeping your info "just in case"?
Do you look like a professional company when people see you?

This may help us establish what you need to instill confidence in the eyes of your potential clients.

[admagic]

DOnt want to pour cold water but you are picking a bad business to be in at a basic marketing level

A First you are selling something people NEED not people WANT...so it will always be a grudge purchase

B Next it is completely reactive. No point in offering an "october special" because that wont make more sewers block up

C Next it could be many years between hearing about you and needing you

D Next the demand is very low on keywords ...eg the name of dynorod only gets around 100 searches a day...

E Next there is nothing else to sell them! You want a business with repeat customers-so you are not always trying to get tnew ones in!

so questioni is how do you know there is a business here???

So my advice is make that busienss a side issue of something else already in demand - dont rely on it......even Gutter Cleaning is better! because at least the customer can choose to do it on the basis of a good offer.

If you must do this, you could bid on "dynorod" on adwords with a great headline....but be canny about that - dont annoy the great Dyno ! Set up a "drain-cleaning-survey .co.uk as a review site for all drain cleaners so that even DN can be on there....

You should be able to ranked quickly for dynorod and "drain cleaning" and a few other terms if you know what you are doing with web2 /seo etc...in fact ..can probably get up there in a couple of weeks if you know how. - the competition and backlinks are low.

And you may make more from selling ads on that site to people liek you , than you EVER do from cleaning drains = you might even get dynorod to pay you for an ad!!!


IN the end...find something people want with demand ...life is easier!

[saracen]

some good advice there admagic.

[admagic]

The more I think about it , the more I think the OP could make reasonabl money by creating the drain unblocker directory, that will only accept one person from each area of 20 miles square...give them it free for a period, then charge £50 rising to £100-200 or more for the year as it starts getting traffic.

The site could generate revenues of £20000-40000 a year advertising... more than unblocking drains!

[davewilkinson]

I like Admagic's idea about the directory. If you're having problems marketing your business, your competitors must be having the same problems. They'd probably jump at the opportunity to list their business in an online directory, especially if you give them the first xx number of months subscription for free.

As an aside, I've just launched a directory using WordPress. Took a bit of fiddling with code, but it's worked out well. I never though that WordPress would work for this type of thing, but it does. Now I just need to find some people to list in it...

[Cracking Media]

Originally Posted by davewilkinson

As an aside, I've just launched a directory using WordPress. Took a bit of fiddling with code, but it's worked out well. I never though that WordPress would work for this type of thing, but it does. Now I just need to find some people to list in it...

Dave, would be interested to know if you used any WordPress plugins to create your directory? Whilst you said it took a bit of fiddling with the code did you cut the php code yourself from scratch to do this or use a plugin and adapt it?

Peter

[davewilkinson]

@Peter, I needed 3 plugins to make it work; Role Manager, IWG Hide Dashboard, and WP User Manager.

If you want to take a look at an overview of the design process, it's documented over at Chris Cagle's site. I also hired Chris to handle the PHP work for me, which he knocked together in a couple of hours. I handled the front end development and tied it all together.

[Cracking Media]

Originally Posted by davewilkinson

@Peter, I needed 3 plugins to make it work; Role Manager, IWG Hide Dashboard, and WP User Manager.

If you want to take a look at an overview of the design process, it's documented over at Chris Cagle's site. I also hired Chris to handle the PHP work for me, which he knocked together in a couple of hours. I handled the front end development and tied it all together.

Thank you for that Dave - much appreciated.

Peter