Nathan,

The reason the referral thing didn't work for me, was because my attempts were very limited to just a few with only 3 different guys.

Nothing I ever did at first produced well until I stayed with it and figured it out piece by piece!

I'd actually had other thoughts along the same lines to do an expanded version. I didn't pursue it, but here's the idea:

As long as you're going to be passing out a lot of fliers - include one more.

This would be a list of all types of home services and call it something like "your city's name - preferred home services" with the listings in categories.

Then, approach 3 or more of every type of home service you can think of and ask them if they'd like to be on your preferred referral list and tell them how you'll promote it.

The phone number on your flier will be that of your own recorded voicemail.

Your calls will be from people interested in some service on your list.

You can offer their phone number as a lead to each of the 3 or more businesses for that type for around $25 or more depending on how profitable the job could be. (I'd keep the participation to 5 in each category)

Or you could get a percrentage of the job or a combination of the two.

Testing will provide the answer.

It's very expensive to market for any type of business in hopes of calls from interested parties and that's what you'll be providing - "the meat of the nut without all the cracking of the shells" - or something like that.

I do know know this: Home related services of any type are always of great general interest!

Give fliers to all your address customers too - even if they received your first one on your initial distribution.

Don Alm or Skip Rosell may have additional input for this idea.

About Steve's comment - I know he didn't consider sign assemblies and installations in his hourly figure - but securing the sales was good enough for the hourly determination.

When you get out there on a warm weekend with people working in their yards, it's amazing how many signs you can sell - especially when they approach you to be included with their neighbors.

Lawrence