Establishing Your Business and Getting Your First Set of Customers

[tr3nton]

I just had a question, and sorry if this is in the wrong section - it was a tossup between the marketing section, and this. Figure this is better.

I was reading one thread - can't remember which now - but one post mentioned a cleaning business is always a good business to start, as everyone needs cleaning - so im going to use the cleaning business idea as the example business in this thread.

So, with a cleaning business - in the town you decide to start the business, which would be the same situation for the majority of towns, I would think - there is already an established set of players in that market. So you have hotels, hospitals, schools and the like which would either hire internally, or offer a contract which would already be filled - and this obviously isn't what you would try and win just starting up (I would think). Then there are the smaller jobs that home owners would go for to get their place cleaned. Again, I would assume there are a regular set of individuals already dominating this market - so how do you go about getting client(s). (In the case of a cleaner, a physical shop front isn't really what you would be wanting - and as such, people wouldnt find out about your business by simply walking past your shop front (which probably isn't a good method of getting your self known in any case)). Is it just a matter of putting an advertisement in the local paper, community billboards hoping that people notice you - or it's better that you can friends and family to pass your card around through their networks, and let it spiral from there - the good word of mouth about your quality service?

Or, is it better to first figure out who you're targeting - figuring out who is most likely to want a cleaner, and then market your business to that demographic i.e. uni students, posting notices at the noticeboard at university. There is probably a whole strategy that is needed in order to draw clients in, I suppose?

I'd be interested to hear how you (fellow business owners) helped establish yourself when first starting out. How did you draw in customers? Were you already a local and had a good network? Or did you start up in a new town where you didn't know many people - is it possible to succeed with the latter method? What specific challenges did you face prior to getting a regular clientel? Is it possible to be successful in an area where the already multiple cleaning businesses dominating the market? Is there any form of advertising/marketing that helped get your name out their, than others?

[Chris Bates]

With something with cleaning (and many other industries), I think it's a matter of being in front of the people when they're looking.

Being in the local rags long term can be quite pricey, so where else might the prospects be looking?

I'll give you a hint, it starts with an 'I' and ends with 'nternet'