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  #1  
Old May 13, 2003, 11:04 PM
Rhonda
 
Posts: n/a
Default Flyer hand-outs..What about this..

idea? What I am planning on doing to raise some fast cash is to put about 10 different business in the same baggie (the kind that newspaper come in on a rainy day). Charge each biz say $75.00 for 1000 flyers hand delivered to the doorknob of the homes in my target area.
This would be cheaper for the business to use my service than to mail out 100 flyers.
mailing-$370.00
Hand delivered- around .07 each.
I was thinking about doing this for a few weeks unitl I raise at least $5000.00

What do you guys think??????????
  #2  
Old May 14, 2003, 02:16 AM
Don Alm
 
Posts: n/a
Default One basic problem....

"PROOF" the flyers were delivered!

When businesses buy an ad in a newspaper, the cost is based upon X number of newspapers being distributed. No one ever questions whether or not that amount of papers has actually been distributed.

Years ago I hired some high school kids to distribute flyers for one of my bizzes and...when I followed up to see if they were doing their jobs I found many of my flyers in a trash can.

When biznesses purchase stamps they know exactly how many pieces how going out (even though there have been a few mail carriers who did not deliver the mail)...and they can be pretty much assured the amount they paid for WILL be delivered.

I'm afraid you won't get many participants in this day of "Non-Trust".

Don Alm




Some of my Unique, money-making programs.
  #3  
Old May 14, 2003, 05:08 AM
Michael Ross (Qld, Aust)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Go for it - after you take care of a few things...

First, source your baggies. Got to factor in those costs.

Second, get prices for alternate means of distribution - your competition. I can get my flyers inserted into the local newspaper and hand delivered to each house/flat for $60A per thousand (about $38US).

Other "delivery" businesses in my area charge from $20A per thousand to deliver to each home/flat (about $13US).

Based on your numbers, my most expensive alternative is still cheaper by a good mile.

Your price won't even get a look from me.

Third, how is your fitness? Have you walked by 1,000 homes before? Do you know how long it will take you? How long will it take you to insert all your flyers into the little baggies?

Don gave a good challenge to overcome... making the business owners believe you will deliver the flyer as you say you will.

Do a search on Google for flyer delivery service. Send an email to a service in another state and ask them some of the questions you can't get answers to yourself.

Grab yourself a pen and paper and write down all the answers to these questions. Then, get going and do it. It won't cost you any money to start.

Michael Ross




Get Business Ideas Here
  #4  
Old May 14, 2003, 11:33 AM
Adam
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Go for it - after you take care of a few things...

Actually, the service in my area (the one with the good reputation) charges $.13 ($USD)per flyer/house.

I'm not using them again, though, as the last 1000 I sent out, I question whether they were all delivered-- as the response was much less than normal. May not be their fault?
  #5  
Old May 14, 2003, 05:55 PM
Michael Ross (Qld, Aust)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Here's how they work in my neck of he woods...

After the "walker" - the person who does the actual distributing of the flyers - has completed their route (and they are given a set day to do it), a "supervisor" - actual supervisor who works for the distribution company or the owner of the company - does a drive by the route to double check on the delivery.

Sometimes they will even stop the car and speak to people they see on the street (I've chatted with them many times over the years).

A few times I have called a business on a flyer and let them know I got five of their flyers. Then I leave it with them to follow up.

The walkers themselves are usually sourced from simple classified ads. Usually something along the lines of make money distributing flyers; get fit and make money distributing flyers; flyer distributors wanted for Area; and so on.

The rate these walkers get is $10 per thousand for the first flyer. If there is a ride-along then they get less for that - maybe $8 or $6 per thousands - because they are already going along the route. But ride-alongs are not guaranteed.

So at $10 per thousand, many walkers don't know what they are in for. It could take three hours to do 1,000 houeses. And for that they get $10 - $3.33 an hour.

And they don't get any allowance for driving to the area they have to walk, or any allowance for inserting multiple flyers into a "baggie."

Quite frankly, the distribution companies are using slave labor in my opinion.

But anyway. Because of this, the distribution company has a HIGH staff turnover.

And what of those staff?

Some can be flakes. Some can be desperate for a few bucks - after all, no real training or qualifications needs to distribute flyers. Some can be looking for something to relieve their monotonous lives at home and thus also get a few bucks - they use the exercise logic to justify why they work for slave money.

They are generally NOT people who are doing this on the side as well as having a normal 9 to 5. So you could question their reliability.

But generally I'd say most walkers want to do the right thing and distribute all the flyers they are given - at least in the beginning.

As for your reduced results...

Without knowing when you flyers were supposed to go out, there is no way to figure why your results were less than normal. But here are a few things which could have reduced your results...

War Against Iraq.

Vacation - people not in, kids checking the mail and tossing everything that is not in an envelope or a toy catalog.

Flyer delivered with a LOT of obvious junk flyers. Sometimes the flyers that come in bundles are a mix of good quality and obvious photocopies that have been cut with scissors "things." No time to sort through it all so the whole lot goes in the round file unread.

Bad demographic pocket. Too many older people. Too many younger people. Too many people with high mortages. Too many renters. Or too many owners if you were targetting renters. Too high a concentration of condos or apartments and not enough houses - or visa versa. Too many illiterate people. Too many DINTS. Not enough DINTS. Incompatible ride-alongs - bad ride-alongs could set the tone of how the recipient views the rest of the pack. A new test on your part - headline change, text change, etc - instead of a control piece. Junk mail thief from a rival distribution company trying to wreck the reputation of the good company. Flakey walkers who snapped during their route and had finally had enough and trashed the most of the flyers after deliverying a few.

See, the walkers around here are also told NOT to go into properties with dogs. So a high dog ownership pocket would end up seeing fewer flyers delivered. But if that was your target market your flyer never reached them.

The most frustrating thing is not knowing why something doesn't work. You could have discovered all the above reasons were not it. And that all the flyers were delivered as promised. But for some cosmic reason your flyer didn't go over like normal.

I like to think of it in terms of the scientists rule... "under the most strict conditions of light, humidity, temperature, climate, and outside influences, an organism will do as it damn well pleases."

Michael Ross


It's like a precious gift
  #6  
Old May 15, 2003, 06:36 AM
Pete Godfrey
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Here's how they work in my neck of he woods...

Michael,

It's the same type of thing up here in North Queensland. The people who actually do the work are paid a pittance and it makes you wonder if your flyers are actually delivered.

One technique that worked for my wife's clothing and gift store was we put an offer on the flyer. The flyer was folded in three, and when viewed, all that was seen was the headline "Clothing & Gift Shop Owner says: I'll Pay You Five Dollars For This Flyer."

In small print we had "see inside for details".

Inside the flyer we explained what her shop was, where it was (we included a small map with the old arrow saying "we are here"), plus we explained if the person brought this flyer into the shop and spent $20 they would get $5 off.

And it worked. We tested on 1000 names and when the promotion was over (we had a deadline printed on the flyer), we tallied the results and came out ahead.

But for us, what was more important was the new customers. My wife had just opened her shop and we needed customers. We figured this offer might be a good place to start instead of using our money on expensive advertising.

Every month my wife has a $50 customer prize draw and every month she sends a letter to each customer telling them who won, what's new in the shop, and sometimes an offer.

So in our case flyers work and the cost per customer is low compared with other forms of advertising.

Pete Godfrey

> After the "walker" - the person
> who does the actual distributing of the
> flyers - has completed their route (and they
> are given a set day to do it), a
> "supervisor" - actual supervisor
> who works for the distribution company or
> the owner of the company - does a drive by
> the route to double check on the delivery.

> Sometimes they will even stop the car and
> speak to people they see on the street (I've
> chatted with them many times over the
> years).

> A few times I have called a business on a
> flyer and let them know I got five of their
> flyers. Then I leave it with them to follow
> up.

> The walkers themselves are usually sourced
> from simple classified ads. Usually
> something along the lines of make money
> distributing flyers; get fit and make money
> distributing flyers; flyer distributors
> wanted for Area; and so on.

> The rate these walkers get is $10 per
> thousand for the first flyer. If there is a
> ride-along then they get less for that -
> maybe $8 or $6 per thousands - because they
> are already going along the route. But
> ride-alongs are not guaranteed.

> So at $10 per thousand, many walkers don't
> know what they are in for. It could take
> three hours to do 1,000 houeses. And for
> that they get $10 - $3.33 an hour.

> And they don't get any allowance for driving
> to the area they have to walk, or any
> allowance for inserting multiple flyers into
> a "baggie."

> Quite frankly, the distribution companies
> are using slave labor in my opinion.

> But anyway. Because of this, the
> distribution company has a HIGH staff
> turnover.

> And what of those staff?

> Some can be flakes. Some can be desperate
> for a few bucks - after all, no real
> training or qualifications needs to
> distribute flyers. Some can be looking for
> something to relieve their monotonous lives
> at home and thus also get a few bucks - they
> use the exercise logic to justify why they
> work for slave money.

> They are generally NOT people who are doing
> this on the side as well as having a normal
> 9 to 5. So you could question their
> reliability.

> But generally I'd say most walkers want to
> do the right thing and distribute all the
> flyers they are given - at least in the
> beginning.

> As for your reduced results...

> Without knowing when you flyers were
> supposed to go out, there is no way to
> figure why your results were less than
> normal. But here are a few things which
> could have reduced your results...

> War Against Iraq.

> Vacation - people not in, kids checking the
> mail and tossing everything that is not in
> an envelope or a toy catalog.

> Flyer delivered with a LOT of obvious junk
> flyers. Sometimes the flyers that come in
> bundles are a mix of good quality and
> obvious photocopies that have been cut with
> scissors "things." No time to sort
> through it all so the whole lot goes in the
> round file unread.

> Bad demographic pocket. Too many older
> people. Too many younger people. Too many
> people with high mortages. Too many renters.
> Or too many owners if you were targetting
> renters. Too high a concentration of condos
> or apartments and not enough houses - or
> visa versa. Too many illiterate people. Too
> many DINTS. Not enough DINTS. Incompatible
> ride-alongs - bad ride-alongs could set the
> tone of how the recipient views the rest of
> the pack. A new test on your part - headline
> change, text change, etc - instead of a
> control piece. Junk mail thief from a rival
> distribution company trying to wreck the
> reputation of the good company. Flakey
> walkers who snapped during their route and
> had finally had enough and trashed the most
> of the flyers after deliverying a few.

> See, the walkers around here are also told
> NOT to go into properties with dogs. So a
> high dog ownership pocket would end up
> seeing fewer flyers delivered. But if that
> was your target market your flyer never
> reached them.

> The most frustrating thing is not knowing
> why something doesn't work. You could have
> discovered all the above reasons were not
> it. And that all the flyers were delivered
> as promised. But for some cosmic reason your
> flyer didn't go over like normal.

> I like to think of it in terms of the
> scientists rule... "under the most
> strict conditions of light, humidity,
> temperature, climate, and outside
> influences, an organism will do as it damn
> well pleases."

> Michael Ross
  #7  
Old May 16, 2003, 03:47 AM
Michael Ross (Qld, Aust)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Better keep that proven technique secret.

Pete:

> It's the same type of thing up here in North
> Queensland. The people who actually do the
> work are paid a pittance and it makes you
> wonder if your flyers are actually
> delivered.

I view it from two angles...

1: The person paying the walkers - the one who owns the flyer distribution business - is doing the wrong thing. Even if someone is willing to work for slave money, that doesn't mean you should pay them slave money.

Along these lines I have no respect for someone who hires a junior so they can pay junior wage rates. Same job, same money in my opinion.

Hire a junior, fine. BUT pay them senior wages. After all, you would have to pay senior wages if an "adult" did the job.

2: The business who uses the flyer distribution company is equally in the wrong. They are funding the slave money.

I think it's good to ask yourself... would *I* be willing to do X for $X? If the answer is NO, then you shouldn't expect someone else to do it.

In this case... there is no way the business owners would deliver flyers for $10 per thousands, and nor would they let their child do it. So by willingly paying someone else that amount they are knowingly taking advantage of someone. And that is wrong.

> One technique that worked for my wife's
> clothing and gift store was we put an offer
> on the flyer. The flyer was folded in three,
> and when viewed, all that was seen was the
> headline "Clothing & Gift Shop
> Owner says: I'll Pay You Five Dollars For
> This Flyer."

> In small print we had "see inside for
> details".

> Inside the flyer we explained what her shop
> was, where it was (we included a small map
> with the old arrow saying "we are
> here"), plus we explained if the person
> brought this flyer into the shop and spent
> $20 they would get $5 off.

> And it worked. We tested on 1000 names and
> when the promotion was over (we had a
> deadline printed on the flyer), we tallied
> the results and came out ahead.

When you say you tested on 1,000 names it gives the impression you mailed them out insted of delvering them to each dwelling individually - typical "junk mail" flyer style.

Have you tested a smaler flyer - one third page - with the same info, and what is obviously a discount coupon? You might find you get the same response while your marketing costs will be down.

> But for us, what was more important was the
> new customers. My wife had just opened her
> shop and we needed customers. We figured
> this offer might be a good place to start
> instead of using our money on expensive
> advertising.

Good call. Too many retail stores do zero marketing. No ads. No flyers. Nothing. Then they wonder why they don't get any business. It's as if they expect people to know about them by picking up vibes from the ether, or something.

A flyer drop to your target area once a month for twelve months is a good marketing starting point.

> Every month my wife has a $50 customer prize
> draw and every month she sends a letter to
> each customer telling them who won, what's
> new in the shop, and sometimes an offer.

GOOD!

> So in our case flyers work and the cost per
> customer is low compared with other forms of
> advertising.

Yep. And the trick is to keep on advertising. And even expand your advertising.

One of my businesses had roughly a 10% drop off in business a couple of months back. I still haven't figured out why (could have been the war or whatever, but this business has so far been unaffected by those kinds of things). And it doesn't matter. My reaction was to increase my marketing. Not try and cut other costs and contract my business. But rather, to spend more money attracting more customers. Expand.

So while my competition stopped advertising - and have not restarted so must have totaly gone out of business - my marketing is growing.

Of course, the only way to do that and not go bust is to run marketing that works. And the only way to know what works and what doesn't work is to monitor all your marketing.

Once you find what works, it's a no-brainer to increase business by running more proven marketing.

Michael Ross


Think you can handle the idea overload? Then you are who we are looking for.
  #8  
Old May 16, 2003, 08:24 PM
Chris
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Better keep that proven technique secret.

Once again, Michael makes some very good points/observations. I thought I'd respond with my own 2 cents.

Cent #1: Michael says to ask yourself "would *I* be willing to do X for $X?". I think he should have qualified that a little. If you (i.e., anyone) are a businessperson (biz owner, exec, employee, whatever) making pretty good money, then even $30 for 3 hrs. work/exercise might not be that attractive to you. Instead, put yourself in the shoes of the potential distributor. If you are a high school / college student or retiree or housewife looking for extra cash, or someone else in dire need of some income, then $10/hr. may look pretty good.

That reminds me,... being a little older & more mature(?), college students *may* be more reliable than HS students. (Care to comment, Erik?) I hate to generalize, 'cuz ultimately it comes down to the individual. Also, the scouts promote integrity, so a scout troop may be a good alternative.

Cent #2: Have you tried mailing postcards rather than flyers? People like Alex Mandossian and Bob Leduc sell infoproducts on how to build businesses thru postcards. Of course, you could probably transfer most (all?) of your flyer's content onto a black-&-white postcard and do quite well. (You could test adding a spot of color, maybe blue or red, to see if it improves response.)

Chris
  #9  
Old May 17, 2003, 07:05 AM
Michael Ross (Qld, Aust)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Postcards in Oz

Chris:

Postcards in Australia would only be slightly cheaper than doing full on mail.

Names: About $200 per thousand plus setup - 5,000 min.
Postage: $500 per thousand (50cents per mail piece)

Min cost would be about $1,500 with postcards. (Haven't added the cost of the cards themselves.)

With costs like that you could market to the same areas loads of times just be doing flyers.

Michael Ross
  #10  
Old May 14, 2003, 11:34 PM
Vondre'
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Flyer hand-outs..What about this..

Hello My Friends,

I have had experiences operating a distribution flyer service and it’s a great way to offer advertising to small or home-based business. As others have stated, it can be quite a hassle distributing the fliers from house to house. You would need a small staff to complete such a task and it’s hard to find good people to work for peanuts. It’s better to develop a distribution route consisting of small businesses, gas stations, waiting areas, etc. to place fliers.

I would encourage you to think about this……

Think about the type of paper that fliers are printed on.

Now…think about newsprint.

Starting a small home-based newspaper is much cheaper than distributing fliers. You can get more sales because small businesses can relate to newsprint much better than fliers. You can also incorporate other forms of advertising as a package bundle for your clients. These other forms of advertising may include faxing, e-mail, radio, and even television.

I have incorporated other forms of advertising with my newspaper and revenues have jumped by 35%.

I also advertise my home-based computer sales business in my own newspaper which gives me FREE advertising. Creating your own medium of advertising is an awesome business if you are willing to WORK hard. You may have to take a break from the cyber world until you get your business up and running. I now have two assistants who basically run my paper for me with my supervision.

Good Success in all your ventures!!!

Vondre’
The “BIG BRAIN” Entrepreneur!!!

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