your thoughts on this business idea please...

Originally Posted by GordonJ

What exactly is the business getting? Say I'm a landscaper, I get 50 5x7 glossy postcards (ok so far)

a list of each business for that particular neighborhood...but most of my landscaping is in the suburbs, there aren't any businesses in that neighborhood.

How many others are on the list? Do I get a bigger ad? Why would I not just leave my own card? I would NOT pay an ongoing fee for these referrals, what happens when I run out of postcards, do you supply more? And are they free to me, or do I pay to be on it too?

Sounds kind of messy and not very well thought out.


Gordon
Can you explain it better?

Hi Gordon- thanks for your input!

Allow me to clarify if I can, with 3 highlights of the program:

1)The business gets something to leave behind to remind customers they were by that day and performed a service. I have a pool cleaner and a landscaper- I wouldn't know if they were at my house unless I saw them. "Thanks for your business!"...that sort of thing.

2)The business can use it as a way to ask for direct referrals.

3)Finally- the customer will see the other non-competing home service businesses listed, along with a discount to try another service(s). "The Best Of NAME OF NEIGHBORHOOD" or whatever tagline I come up with.

There can be anywhere from 5-10 different home service businesses listed...but only one per business category. This is where the cross-referral comes in, as I personally would rather reach out to the window cleaner guy referred by my landscaper, than go out and find one on my own...people like referrals.

There are no ads, although that might be the way to share each business on the card...not sure on that part yet.

I'm sure there are lots of businesses that leave their own referral/we were here card, which I think is good business. But, at least where I live...I have never personally seen any. Lots of small business owners aren't that good at marketing.

If a business gets just ONE referral from the program...they still come out ahead. If $19.95 is the monthly fee to participate, and the landscaper gets ONE new monthly paying customer at ~$100(I pay $190 myself)...why wouldn't they continue to pay the $19.95 ? Or the bug guy at $30-$40 ? Still makes more than he is paying for the program, but now has another customer to get more referrals from, more work down the road, etc.

In regards to running out of postcards- I haven't thought that far ahead as of yet...I literally thought about the idea, then shared it here for input.

Thanks again!