Marketing & Gaining Clients

SarahS

Hi there,

Formally got myself set up as a MiP last month and everything ready to go - except clients!! I've done a few local leaflet drops, internet advertising and listings, direct marketing letters to new local businessess, local newspaper advert but not one drop of interest as yet. Not surprised, I was expecting it to take some considerable time! So still twiddling my thumbs at the moment...

I would really appreciate thoughts/advice from others as to what forms of marketing worked best for you and how you managed to obtain clients.

Thanks.

Sarah

deanshepherd

Network, network, network..

Go to breakfast clubs, chambers of commerce, talk to the local banks, attend HMRC advice days and other events designed to attract new businesses, join online networks such as Ecademy, post in business related forums such as UKBusinessForums..

Bloater

Leaflets

Are worthwhile, but it's a numbers thing.

I recently saturated an area near to me, with about 2,000 leaflets and got five replies - all of which I converted into actual clients with fees worth around £2,500.

I would suggest that you go to www.goodprint.co.uk, design a quality postcard, order several thousand and get walking.

Whilst it's a pathetically low response rate, one extra client can pay for your leaflets for the campaign, and that's not counting the repeat fees, year after year!

When you get more established, you get recommendations etc, but initially I'd recommend leafletting and Dean's approach of netwoking .

Good Luck

clearaccounting100

Hi i definately would go along the leaflet and networking route as Dean and Bloater have suggested. I have been running my business part time, whilst working and gave up work full time at the beginning of the month to concentrate on it full time and i have found that networking does work. Networking is about building relationships though, so don't expect referrals from the 1st meeting, but i have gained a couple of clients this way and although it doesn;t sound a lot, there are repeat fees and hopefully they will also refer further people.

Good Luck

deanshepherd

When I first started I hand-delivered about about 500 postcards, sent 100 direct marketing letters and emailed around 1,000 mailshots all for the grand sum of 1 client - havn't done any direct marketing since!

JodieR

Just to play devil's advocate here I had the complete opposite experience to Dean! I posted about 150 letters and dropped about 200 leaflets (which I printed myself) and from that got initially I think 7 clients. I then offered them all small discounts for refferals and apart from a few I've got through the yellow pages and a couple 'friends of friends' that's where all my business has come from. I attended a fair few networking type events and never got any clients from them - maybe I'm just rubbish at networking!

Oh, and I got loads of business cards from Vista Print & attached them to all the leaflets & mailshots. I still get the occasional call from people who've held onto my card for the past 4 years!

Also contact local accountants and see if they've got any sub-contract work, and you may want to meet with your local Barclays manager; they have a scheme whereby they'll reccomend you to their clients but it does cost you.

whiterose

Business Link do some networking events as well - free. In my area (North Yorkshire) they run the occasional Women In Business networking events. Well worth getting in touch with Business Link as a start-up anyway as they have a lot of help to offer.