I think this is new. I received an email yesterday on it. Worth a try for those that may need work.

https://www.floormall.com/floor-installers/signup/

Let me know how it goes for you.

Sounds almost like serviemagic. I signed up with servicemagic yesterday, was apporved and passed a background check in one day. They seemed hungry for contractors as they waived the set-up fee. They only have one other guy doing hardwood for them here, I checked:) He has no formal training either, does not to mositure testing among other stuff. I think I can work it.

Plus SM is more friendly about those charges than they used to be. And they have been doing prime time advertising. Heck their google ads are everywhere too. I like the ad they are running, they point out their contractors have been throughly checked out, background check, current license, bond, insurance and all that.

Edited: Removed

Inappropriate. Not worthy of a "prized contributor"

Edited: Cleaned up


OK Got one yesterday already, first call, have their hardwood and MVP/BB want it done asap, have had the wood for six months sstored in the house, crapet torn out ready to roll.


Plus they are running prime time ads on the tube.

Hmmm, lessee here. Uh you can turn in bogus leads and ones you feel are too old. You can quit any time you want. There are two ways you can choose to have ppl contact you, one is half price of the other. Among other things.

I belong to SM and I am not really sure why. I keep giving them second and third and forth chances. Probably half the time I never even get to talk with the person. I call them back within minutes of receiving a lead and they don't answer, so I leave a message and also send an email. Still lucky if they return the call. Yet SM still considers this a qualified lead because they are a real person with a real phone number and very rarely refund the fee. The few customers that I actually get to talk to are shopping every where possible including Craig's list and hire the cheapest person they can find, hopefully they get screwed. I have never talked with anyone that is happy with the service. And I have my account on hold now.

When I decided not to sign up with HSS ( Lumber Liquidators new labor people ), I was struggling to keep busy.

I tried Craigs list out of desperation. The guys advertising have rediculous low prices. I lowered my price a little, just trying to get my foot in the front door with estimates, talk the job, build a repour, sell myself. Never amounted to anything. I hate to lump into a category, but I think people that shop labor on Craigs List are looking for price period. I'ts a different type of customer than I'm not used too. Dont get me wrong I've always been very competitive, but that scene is rediculous.
I counted in one day 24 guys advertising on Craigs list, and not one of them was licensed. I made copies of every ad , and requested a meeting with an investigator at the Contractors Board.
He sympathized with me, but his hands were tied. He said they were in the process of talking to Craigs List about the problem, but wasnt getting anywhere. They also passed a statute in Nevada , concerning Hardwood Flooring "Repair", that you didnt have to be licensed to repair Hardwood Flooring as long as you didnt charge over 1,000.00 . Is that rediculous ! They're reasoning was, times were so busy that homeowners couldnt get repairs done by a licensed contractor. So here's all these guys on Craigs list that the Contractors Board says we cant prove they are charging over 1,000.00 ! How rediculous is that ? Our government at it's finest I starting getting into it with him a little, but I just let it go.

Luckily I got over the hump. Referrals started kicking in more and more, and I've built a good relationship with ProSource. ( Here's where we need a "smile" for relieved ! )

So, since the other thread got locked I wanted to input some more about SM and craigslist.

First of all craiglist. I think if you just throw up a plain ole ad like all the other handymen you'll probably be looked at just like them I have tweaked my ad over the last year or so since I have been there. I add pictures, link to a website or flicker as well. I tell them I am not the cheapest right up front. That in itself tells all the people I will not be cheapest or do it for a dollar a ft. I have had very wealthy people call me from CL.

Plus I ad my qualifications and experience. My ad may be wordy but it gets the point across. I also screen them pretty good like servicemagic is doing.

I checked out servicemagic pretty good. If your going to compete with the crowd, you have to make sure your better than them and can prove it. I found out a few things about the ONE guy who servicemagic has on the hardwood list here. It helped allot . Now I know what I am up against. And like I pointed out it ain't that much. The guy is a LL installer too. Not that thats really bad but I had the opportunity to speak with him. He skips some very important issues I think I can play on and even win bids against him even though he is low on pricing.

Have any of you seen the SM ad running on the tube? They are going for the throat I think, probably due to competition like the people Ken posted about. It shows two similar contractors that advertise in the yellow pages. The difference they point out is they have performed a back ground check, they have checked to see if you license and insurance, bond is up to date and if it lapses you history. Plus they check out references.

These days I feel thats going to give me a one up on all the other people in the crowd who can't say that.

You also get to display your qualifications on their site, not sure thats new or not but these days anything helps. I am not going to sit around crying due to lack of work. I am taking a progressive stance and people like the fact that someone else has checked you out thoroughly. I might even add that into my craigslist ad.

So in closing you might want to give them a chance again. I am certainly going in to this slowly and if I feel they are taking advantage I can simply walk away.

What a guy got to loose besides a couple bucks?

Just wanted to update a little to the last post.

I run another ad in CL on dustless concrete grinding. The way I reasoned this is because of reading posts where DIY'ers need help with slab flatness. I bought into a system that is 99% dustless and I advertise that knowing there are people out there needing help.

So I just got another call on this service to help DIY'ers and make a buck going out grinding high spots. If you check out your concrete service ppl like concrete cutting service contractors you might find many of them don't like doing this type of small job. So, start out at a reasonable rate and hourly after that. I make some good money doing it.

I figure if I can't make money installing the product for these ppl I can make some prepping the slab. If they don't have the means to prep the low spots I also offer that along with 3rd party moisture testing with documentation to preserve their warranty. Since the first ad run in June I have gotten calls from other contractors, DIY'ers and even painters who coat concrete.

I also have another ad I run specifically for moisture testing and 3rd party documentation as well. Both have been received very well. Along with that you need to be vigilant in your CL posting so ppl can see it. Many if them have found my ad just doing a search on concrete leveling, grinding etc. You just can't give up or post once a month and expect results.

All that being said I love to help other installers as many of you know I have since the first flooring forum went up on the web. I do have reservations about helping DIY'ers with hardwood just because I feel they might get hurt not having experience with power saws and tools. So I'd rather make a buck helping them in that way and even then I pick up installation when I run through what they really need to do for a great outcome on their job.

One man who helps on DIY forums once said recently, he just gives them enough to hang themselves. I don't believe in that philosophy.

So now I want to say farewell and leave on good terms this time. Hope this helps.
Adios,
SP

Edit: Prosource. I like the ppl at prosource and use them often. The big issue I have with them is they will sell to unlicensed handymen and other unlicensed ppl. Even though they have a sign on the door stating NO Retail. Well to me if a person is not a certified designer and or has no license thats worse than selling retail. They are selling to ppl who do not get licensing and insurance, bonds etc. So in essence they make it even more difficult to compete with non-professionals as thats what they should be classified as.

That's awesome that your successful on Craigs List. I checked out your advertising, and I am impressed.

Shows me for lumping the type of consumers on Craigs list into one category, in all cities. But that goes both directions.

I believe that different "arenas" in marketing vary, in different parts of the country. I dont care what type of marketing , and how much you do on Las Vegas Craigs List. You are marketing to a certain clientele. Out here it has a "bottom feeder" reputation. Believe me, I know, I didnt just "throw an ad up there". And I'm sure Craigs List is the same, and also different , in other cities.

Great posts Floormeintucson

I think Stephen has the right line of attack. It's all about how your present yourself, or so it seems. Creating any old ad on Craigslist may not work in the labor for hire area. Fine tuning seems to be the answer. Maybe hire somebody to put it together for you too? Ad people know more than us. It could pay off.

Good Job SP

You guys have links to your ads? Maybe SP's could help to see what you may be missing.

Ha..an idea. "Craigslist For Dummies" But somebody probably thought of it already.

Here's a few listings of mine on CL if you search moisture testing or concrete grinding.

I especially like the one titiled: Flooring Inspections: The Industry's Not So Dirty Little Secrets. hehehe

I'll even pop-up on the front page of a google search as CL is good about keywords. Not sure how that works but it does.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/search/?ar ... iation=bbb

Hope this helps guys.

I like the variety of ads posted. Bound to get more inquiries that way.

Nice!

I was looking at some ads where I used to live and found something creative in titles used.

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/search/ ... iation=hss

Check out the character #1 with a circle around it.

Here's what they placed before INEXPENSIVE--- ❶

INEXPENSIVE INSTALLATION OF TILE,MARBLE,TRAVERTINE,HARDWOOD,LAMINATE

play with it see what you can come up with. I'm not advocating it...could be a rule breaker