I was wondering what you guys have found to be the best advertising dollar spent. I put an Ad in the local phone book which has a distribution of around 300,000. My ad is medium sized and fairly eye catching and I've only received one call in the first month is this typical or can I expect the results to be better with time, for the big money they get i was hoping for some better results.

I had a 4x4 ad in 2 different yellowpages, At&T, and Verison.

I always ask where they got my name, to send a thankyou for a referral.

Not many calls, and those calling, just price shopping, basically.

The last 2 year, I have done a one liner, in bold.

It gets so many calls, and some good jobs have come from it, enough to pay for the fees many times over.


It seems to me, the consumers see that big ad, and think your going to cost more then the guy with the one liner. So they call the one liner, before the bigger ads.

IMO (and it is only my opinion), I don't think advertising in the yellow pages is that effective for flooring contractors. It is for lawyers, doctors and plumbers perhaps, but not contractors in general. Most people shopping for home improvement contractors and/or work will ask their friends and family or their eye will catch an ad in a local paper or flyer. The best advertising is word of mouth (referals). If you're trying to drum up more work, consider trying the following.
* Hand out your business cards at every opportunity. Make sure everyone you meet gets a card or two.
* Contact local flooring stores IF you want to sub-contract out labor. Keep in mind, most will pay LESS than the market rate.
* If spending money on advertising, consider the local paper, web pages like Craig's List, local flyers and things that people read regularily.
* Network among your peers and suppliers. Let them know you're looking for work. Example: I let one of my distributors know that I am available to install flooring for those who are looking for a local installer. That costs me nothing and I get a couple of calls every month from that alone.
* Place ads on local bulletin boards at supermarkets, laundromats, rec centers, etc.
Eventually, the idea is to build up a "list" of past clients whom you pleased and will refer you to their friends and family. Then they end up advertising for you. Plus, past clients (especially the more well to do), will call you back to do more work for them. About 40 to 50% of my work is for previous customers. And there is no reason to "sell" yourself to them. They have already made up their mind about you and whether or not you are a good fit for them. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to always make a good impression. And not just at first but all the way through the job. If you act like a jerk at any time, they will remember and not hire or recommend you. This is my take on things when working for yourself. Treat your past customers extra special when they call to have you do more work for them. Tell them they are your #1 priority. And even if it's not true, say it anyway. The reason? I have a repeat customer whom I can't get to for two months because I am working for other people. But because I did a good job for them before and I explained how I wanted to do the work and how nice I thought they were, they are willing to wait for me. And they didn't even bother to get other bids to compare. That's the kind of clientle you want to work for and build up. When you get there, you'll find you're working for more money, it's a more pleasant experience and you're not having to work as hard or long. Again, just my opinion.

I appreciate the ideas I have done most of the ideas but not all of them. I went into local box store looking for wood to patch a job and they didn't have 2 1/4" unfinished red oak!!! The gal working asked if I worked on hardwood floors ,I left some cards there and have gotten 4 jobs off of that and good referrals going back in to say how happy they were with the service. That said I think it's just a matter of patience and faith.

Have your vehile lettered or magnetic signage, with your ad!


I get calls sitting in traffic, from the lady right behind me, as we move 2mph down Mopac expressway(parkinglot)

Yes, I forgot about that one. I had those for awhile. Someone stole mine. Can you believe it? Must've been a jealous competitor!

Be careful on the lettering. In my state I would have to get commercial tags from the state and my Allstate guy said my ins. premiums would almost double. He said it did not matter if they were permanent lettering or magnetic signs.

In CA. if you drive a PU truck, the state considers it a commercial vehicle and your truck is registered as such. But the state doesn't require you to have commercial vehicle insurance. But one of my builder accts does so I got it through my insurance broker with Progressive Ins. It wasn't double at all. Only added about $10.00 a month. Every state is different.

I am very new in the buissnes.
I have been licensed for 2 years.
I have tried a lot of ways to get my clients.
One year I had:
Yello pages PQ&E
Yellow pages Virazon
Contractors Blue Book
INternet here I had my name everywhere I could put it for free.
I have tried pey per click in Google.
I have put small adds in a local newspapers.
I agree each of this places sends you a little bit af calls.
I think the longer you are in the buissnes the more referals you get.
I love referals.
Now I don't pay $300 per month for yellow pages per month.
$140 for the Verizon, I don't pay $121 for blue book and I am busy.

I think to start one has to invest in all that.

I like stores that refer work, real estate agents, old clients, friends of my clients, general contractors.

My advise is :
get as much as you can form free advertising.
Free is great! If it works great if not you have not lost nothing but time.

Sings that you put in front of the house while you at the job. People drive by see it maybe will call.

Good luck.