Monday, November 26, 2007

Designing Flyers for a Mobile Car Washing Business

When designing Flyers for a mobile car wash business it pays to consider the quote; Keep It Simple Stupid! There are a few other things to consider as well. Your phone number should be at the top and bold. The Flyers should be on card stock paper. The Flyers should be a bright color but not fluorescent.

The shape and size of the flier should be a unique area. For instance it should not be a half sheet of paper or a whole sheet of paper. A third of a sheet of paper might be better or something less than a quarter sheet of paper.

You should be careful when pricing because some people have extra dirty cars and if you put on your flier that a vacuum is three dollars or five dollars then you might find yourself vacuuming out the back of a minivan of a customer that has three small children and two Irish setters which has not been vacuumed for three years. And don't laugh it has happened to me.
Tip! Revisit your business plan and update it to reflect recent changes. 2.

You might also be surprised how long the shelf life of these fliers can last. We have seen flyers come back three or four years after we handed them out. People put them under their desk or in a drawer or in the glove box and then they find them. If you're not careful with your pricing you may be very sorry that you're washing someone's car for only five dollars, which was an introductory offer five years ago. Please consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Repeat Business And How To Get It

It has long been acknowledged that it is easier and cheaper to get more business from your existing customers than it is to get any business from somebody who has never done business with you.

Your customers already know you and their business is more profitable for you because there is no advertising cost involved.

A referral system, upselling and backend selling are all worth trying if you wish to increase the income you get from your customers. They can be used for marketing online or offline and they cost little or nothing to put into practice.

It is a good idea to instigate a system of getting referrals from satisfied customers. The referral system can generate a lot of profitable sales which are relatively easy to get. A customer survey can be used to gain referrals and it can be sent out by post, email, fax or put it up on a web page.

Suggested questions could include:

What did you most like about our product or our service?

What could we do to improve our product or service for you?
Tip! Entrepreneurship skill: So many people want to start their own business and are researching anything to do with entrepreneurship.

Do you know anyone who would want our products or services?

The first questions focus on the benefits you provide and your customer is more likely to give you referrals when they think about those benefits.

Answers to the first question can often be used as a testimonial if your customer agrees. The second question could give you a warning of a problem which needs to be addressd.
Tip! Bad business ethics: This must have seen a jump during the highly publicized Enron scandal.

Upselling can be achieved when your customer is buying from you. You do not have to wait until you have made a sale to increase the income you get from a customer. While you are collecting the ordering information from your customer, offer them an opportunity to purchase a better quality product or service or add another item to the order. You could offer them a special price which is only available if the customer buys it straight away. Customers are often willing to accept an attractive offer especially when they think they are getting a bargain. Upselling offers can even be included on your web site.

Many businesses make a lot of their profit from backend sales or selling other related products or services to customers who have previously bought goods or services from them. After a person has bought from you once, it is relatively easy for them to buy again. To succeed with this approach, it is a good idea to look for companies who deal with goods or services which compliment yours. You can offer their products to your customers as long as you arrange to take part of the profit.
Tip! Write down on their business card the day you have agreed to call and let them see you do this. This shows that you are serious and the chances are you're likely to do it.

An Internet search can reveal several affiliate programs which offer goods or services similar to your product. All you need to do is tell your customers about the product and that you endorse the product. The owner of the affiliate program does the rest and pays you a commission for selling the product.

By using a referral system, upselling and backend selling, you should be able to get more business from your existing customers and generate more profitable sales without paying costly advertising premiums.

Martin Print, based in Australia, have helped more than 2000 clients grow their businesses by generating more sales through creative print & design. More info: http://www.martinprint.com.au