Your welcome.
I don't have a yellow page ad, because I felt it was old any not many people use anymore. However, after chatting with someone on the forum, I was told that most business owners 40+ are old school and still use the yellow pages. So I will call and see how much a 1/2 page ad cost(hopefully not too much since its kind of outdated advertising).
I started out with no more than I could afford to pay and not go broke if it did not work. I think my first ad was $69, then doubled to $139, and then $290.
At those small amounts you don't get much display space so focus on In column advertising yellow pages. Or ask for a package. Tell them you want to have a business card size in computer repair and Computer Networking and possibly a small in line in each area as well and a inline bold red under recycling as well.
You should get something like that for under $300. Don't take their first offer, their rate charts are like asking prices of a new car.
I tried google adwords, but I get tons of clicks and no calls.
I have heard a few hear say that the google adwords do not work like they once did but that SEO really does still work. So optimize your web site if you can.
I have a 2003 cargo van, I thought about investing in a wrap, or do you feel lettering will be ok.
The age of the van isn't important but it is important that hit has no big dings, cracks, rust. It should look neat and clean to represent you.
I paid $1369 for a full wrap on a minivan. You can get by with a half wrap or even 2/3's on a cargo van. Think about the image..... If you can't come up with something compelling then just go with 9" letters of your business name and phone number and dot a few 5" sized logos of windows, Intel, AMD, Cisco and such to make it immediately obvious that you do technology.
The letters only should do a great job for about $300. Get the wrap later.
I have went door to door to businesses many times with no luck, i kind of determined that businesses want to find you, and ignore you when you stop by unannounced.
Yes its normal for you to be treated like an interruption and even be treated rudely. This is one of the most difficult things in the world to do. Face repeated rejection. However this is also the single most effective marketing tool to someone with limited budget and some time.
You should buy a $12 book on cold calling to learn the physiology of it. I would ignore the cold calling part of it but learn the door to door part, or drop in visits.
Basically no one wants to know you until you got something they want. You don't have what they want until their stuff breaks or they need a better designed web page, or faster network.
That is why it is IMPERATIVE that you go well dressed (business casual, Khaki pants and polo shirt is ok, better with your company name logoed on the shirt), be very polite no matter how rude they are, be very brief even if only to say "I work on networks and computers, please keep this until you need me, I have a 1 hr response time in emergencies.". Leave a business card, possibly some literature. Leave only a bus card if you can't do a fantastic looking brochure. A tacky brochure hurts you.
I find that I can buy a dozen donuts for $3.69. I will buy one or two dozen donuts and go door knocking until I run out of donuts offering a donuts to each office receptionist or manager. Do this once a week and I venture to say that within 6 weeks, many of the customers who were really rude the first visit are now friendly and some have called for advice. Go back to the same places over and over again. The real tough customers will begin to think of you as their computer guy. Your reliability in coming back every few weeks or every month puts you into their mind as "the computer guy."
When stuff happens they will remember you and look for your card and call you.
Back to yellow pages, my method is to advertise to 'Susy home body' as she is the one making the call for her family for my service most of the time. She also has a job and might call me for her boss or work as well. She also might be an entrepreneur and call me for her own business. So just because I focus 100% of marketing on home users doesn't mean I don't still get about 25% of revenues from business clients, jobs and sales.
News papers are very expensive but alternative news papers and freely distributed "west side story" types are cheaper to advertise in. I had luck with a "Penny-saver" and a Penny power tabloid type paper.
