New Business, Getting first customers.

wyf437gn6btzue

Hi all,

Looking for input from anyone who can spare a few minutes, I recently started a business in printing, firstly running my own equipment but the main machine broke and finances didn`t stretch to fix it or replace it so I`m working with some great trade printers now to fulfill what I need. I have everything set up and ready to go. The only problem I`m having is I`m struggling to get business in, no matter what I do no one seems to be biting. Has anyone ever marketed a new business that could give me a bit of advice?

Thanks

grahamor

What about Google adwords to start with ? think you get about €50 ad vouchers when you sign up.

Make sure you have a decent website setup before starting with the ads.

wyf437gn6btzue

grahamor wrote: »

What about Google adwords to start with ? think you get about €50 ad vouchers when you sign up.

Make sure you have a decent website setup before starting with the ads.

Thanks for the reply, I`ve a fully designed website up and running, only about a week though. Its pulling traffic to it, about 68 users so far. I Have never used adwords only facebook/instagram ads, do you have any tips?

mrawkward

This seems all very different from the picture painted in this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057759996

wyf437gn6btzue

mrawkward wrote: »

This seems all very different from the picture painted in this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057759996

My first run failed, spent a month strung out after been told to feck off by the people there to help, applied for over 100 jobs and got no response. I`m having another go of it and all you want to do is call me out? I`ll pm you me phone number and we can have a chat and I`ll set you straight, I`ve nothing to hide mate so I dont know what you are implying???????

mrawkward

Firstly, I am not your "mate" or anyone else's for that matter.

The last thread you could not get a loan to get your equipment fixed. it was most urgent because you had steady of business lined up and more in the pipeline.

wyf437gn6btzue

mrawkward wrote: »

Firstly, I am not your "mate" or anyone else's for that matter.

The last thread you could not get a loan to get your equipment fixed. it was most urgent because you had steady of business lined up and more in the pipeline.

I don`t know what your problem is. All business I`m currently doing now as a matter of fact, being fulfilled by another printing company who where kind enough to help me out pricing wise. Machines still sitting here unfixed (its an epson 7800 btw) I`m still trying and for some reason you are getting in a twist?

shane7

Firstly @mrawkward seems to have a bit of an attitude problem maybe you are best of just ignoring him. He doesn't seem capable of adding anything constructive anyway.

As for your question google adwords would be a good place to start but I would advise you put a limit on it as it can get expensive quick. If you have a new website up and running ask your web designer about google adwords they should be able to guide you in the right direction. Plenty of videos on youtube that will also be useful

If you can afford it I would suggest an SEO company to promote your website. Google adwords is somewhat useful but its really dead money unless those clicks are transforming into work. Really in the long term you need to be aiming for organic results in the search engines and you are in a pretty competitive field so you would probably need to invest in SEO. But you can expect to pay from 200-300 a month for someone that knows what there doing so that route depends on your budget.

But for a start I would focus a lot of your efforts on social media. Get busy on facebook make sure you have your business page setup and keep asking your friends to share your page. You can boost your page for as little as 5 euro. For a printing firm I would be also looking at instagram and pinterest.

Is your website a DIY job or did you have it made by a designer?
I'm a web designer myself so feel free to PM me the link and Ill have a quick look over it. Ill at least make sure all your meta tags and descriptions are ok and Ill check it for performance issues

mrawkward

I gave the OP quality advice, on his last thread...and so did a number of other well qualified posters on here. I am afraid to say, all the OP has done so far is whine about how he is young and nobody takes him seriously. That number just increased by one more.

All the website optimisation and digital marketing will never make a business out of printing by a printer with no printer!! Clearly Shane7 knows nothing about the reality of the down and dirty business that is commercial printing on a small scale..they are closing up shop faster than even restaurants.

q85dw7osi4lebg

Google Adwords is a no brainer for a new business.

We use it for a relatively new business and within the first month it has paid for itself 5 fold. As mentioned already it can get expensive so put a limit on it, and go straight to Google as opposed to any agents.

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As above, with AdWords you can also set a demographic, time , day etc but as said set a daily limit or face people clicking on it for the sake of it and leaving you with a huge bill.

If you have Facebook you can do similar there.

wyf437gn6btzue

mrawkward wrote: »

I gave the OP quality advice, on his last thread...and so did a number of other well qualified posters on here. I am afraid to say, all the OP has done so far is whine about how he is young and nobody takes him seriously. That number just increased by one more.

All the website optimisation and digital marketing will never make a business out of printing by a printer with no printer!! Clearly Shane7 knows nothing about the reality of the down and dirty business that is commercial printing on a small scale..they are closing up shop faster than even restaurants.

I think you'll find I took the advice off some of the more polite people from my last thread and made some friends in the trade print industry who are more than happy to give me trade pricing, so in essence I don't even need a printer. Also have I mentioned my age on this thread at all? No I haven't. I did on the last one cause I was hitting brick walls but I sucked it up and moved on. All I wanted was some adivice on marketing from the usually great people on here but people with your ugly attitude make it very hard to even do that.

If all you are here for is to argue with people why do you even bother? Please if you have nothing constructive to add please save yourself the time in replaying and move on and pester someone else.

Regards

wyf437gn6btzue

shane7 wrote: »

Firstly @mrawkward seems to have a bit of an attitude problem maybe you are best of just ignoring him. He doesn't seem capable of adding anything constructive anyway.

As for your question google adwords would be a good place to start but I would advise you put a limit on it as it can get expensive quick. If you have a new website up and running ask your web designer about google adwords they should be able to guide you in the right direction. Plenty of videos on youtube that will also be useful

If you can afford it I would suggest an SEO company to promote your website. Google adwords is somewhat useful but its really dead money unless those clicks are transforming into work. Really in the long term you need to be aiming for organic results in the search engines and you are in a pretty competitive field so you would probably need to invest in SEO. But you can expect to pay from 200-300 a month for someone that knows what there doing so that route depends on your budget.

But for a start I would focus a lot of your efforts on social media. Get busy on facebook make sure you have your business page setup and keep asking your friends to share your page. You can boost your page for as little as 5 euro. For a printing firm I would be also looking at instagram and pinterest.

Is your website a DIY job or did you have it made by a designer?
I'm a web designer myself so feel free to PM me the link and Ill have a quick look over it. Ill at least make sure all your meta tags and descriptions are ok and Ill check it for performance issues

Thanks Shane, set up the website myself via Wordpress, was previously running shopify. Also previously ran Facebook ads but to no avail. I'll pm a link in the morning, would love to get a bit of feedback and advice on it.

Thanks again.

shane7

mrawkward wrote: »

I gave the OP quality advice, on his last thread...and so did a number of other well qualified posters on here. I am afraid to say,  all the OP has  done so far is whine about how he is young and nobody takes him seriously. That number just increased by one more.

All the website optimisation and digital marketing will never make a business out of printing by a printer with no printer!! Clearly Shane7 knows nothing about the reality of the down and dirty business that is commercial printing on a small scale..they are closing up shop faster than even restaurants.

The only thing you have said that I would give any credence to is the fact you have no mates. That I would well believe. The lad asked for advice on how to improve the marketing for his business. You for whatever reason took an attitude. If you have nothing of relevance to add which you quite clearly don't just stay clear of the thread.
By the way his last thread he was asking for financial advice here he is asking a perfectly reasonable question on how best to market his business. 
Maybe try paying attention in future. That way you may not needlessly embarrass yourself like you have here

shane7

Mayson Gray Cigarette wrote: »

Thanks Shane, set up the website myself via Wordpress, was previously running shopify. Also previously ran Facebook ads but to no avail. I'll pm a link in the morning, would love to get a bit of feedback and advice on it.

Thanks again.

Yes no problem send me the link and Ill throw my eye over it

Mrs OBumble

You have previously said that you had steady of business lined up and more in the pipeline. Now you don't.

I get that your leads dried up when you weren't able to service them for a month. But they cannot have been that great as leads if they are all gone.

Also, it's not 100% clear to me what you are offering to customers: are you doing graphic design? Or just brokering the services of trade printers who don't usually deal with small-time customers? What problem are you solving for your customers?

Those 68 website visitors: have they been gained through some process that means it's likely they are wanting to buy what you are offering? Are you sure it's not just your mam and friends, or a bot from Russia visiting 47 times? It's likely you will need 000s of website visits to actually get any customers out of them.

Are you networking face-to-face with potential customers? Local small business events, shows, etc? TBH, this is more likely to get customers who appreciate the value that you might be adding: people who are searching the web for print services are likely after the best possible price, so will use a business in a low-cost location and have the finished goods send to them.

BarryD2

mrawkward wrote: »

Clearly Shane7 knows nothing about the reality of the down and dirty business that is commercial printing on a small scale..they are closing up shop faster than even restaurants.

True, there's been fierce attrition in the printing industry over the past decade in Ireland. We've been obliged to switch printers maybe half a dozen times due to closures and now our work goes to UK as the folding equipment is not available here.

Think the OP is trying to operate in a different space probably, the small local print shop that will design & print flyers, pamphlets, invites etc. I suspect OP, that you need to concentrate on family & friends first to spread the word. Word of mouth and personal recommendation is always a good route to get customers. Just make sure when you get them, that you deliver a good service and take care to get paid.

wyf437gn6btzue

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You have previously said that you had steady of business lined up and more in the pipeline. Now you don't.

I get that your leads dried up when you weren't able to service them for a month. But they cannot have been that great as leads if they are all gone.

Also, it's not 100% clear to me what you are offering to customers: are you doing graphic design? Or just brokering the services of trade printers who don't usually deal with small-time customers? What problem are you solving for your customers?

Those 68 website visitors: have they been gained through some process that means it's likely they are wanting to buy what you are offering? Are you sure it's not just your mam and friends, or a bot from Russia visiting 47 times? It's likely you will need 000s of website visits to actually get any customers out of them.

Are you networking face-to-face with potential customers? Local small business events, shows, etc? TBH, this is more likely to get customers who appreciate the value that you might be adding: people who are searching the web for print services are likely after the best possible price, so will use a business in a low-cost location and have the finished goods send to them.

Some of that work I`m doing, some of it has well expired. The stuff I`m still doing is me designing and then a trade printer printing it, all going well so far.

I`ve changed what I do and was more so looking for advice on how to get that out there, not a totally new business it has the same name but is totally different versus what I did offer.

What I`m offering now is print management basically, working with a customer to figure out what best suits their needs and then sourcing quotes and managing design to delivery, doing this all through trade printers who do not deal with general public, only with the print industry. On the issue of price I can still come in very competitive in both small and large run printing, for small runs I use a digital trade print company, for large runs a litho trade print company. If you google barneys printing in Oakleigh Victoria and look at their website thats basically what I`m doing.

A percentage breakdown of web visitors is about 30% organic reach and the rest are direct users, mostly people who I`ve sent a link to.

BarryD2

Mayson Gray Cigarette wrote: »

Some of that work I`m doing, some of it has well expired. The stuff I`m still doing is me designing and then a trade printer printing it, all going well so far.

Nothing wrong with that, you cut your cloth to suit your measure, keep your overheads down, sub contract the printing etc. More of a graphic design service with option to manage the printing. Getting customers? Word of mouth.

sysprogrammer

I think you may be giving away a lot of profit by not printing yourself , I found this to be true in my case.
the 7800 you have is a great piece of kit, you could look at local business' or clubs that might require banner's and vertical signs printed.

Also, find out whats going on locally in the community and county , and contact the organisers of said events.

and lastly , whenever a new business is registered in the CRO, they usually require some printing at the start.

hth,
sysprog

Mayson Gray Cigarette

Mayson Gray Cigarette wrote: »

............ The only problem I`m having is I`m struggling to get business in, no matter what I do no one seems to be biting. Has anyone ever marketed a new business that could give me a bit of advice?

Thanks

It's tough and it's more often than not a gradual build up of business.
Lots of folk when they go out on their own they effectively steal clients from previous place they worked

You largely either have to be better than the competition or as good and cheaper to win new business.

mrawkward

Is there an actual viable business opportunity here? It appears to not have been successfully validated yet..I would proffer that this is the stage it is at...validation.