how is everyones business coping with the recession? moral support thread

LizD_2

simpywimpy wrote: »

we are in hairdressing and unfortuately had to let our qualified staff member go this week. Terrible thing to have to do but we are feeling positive and want to work hard to make a go of this.

If anyone has any cheap marketing ideas we would be very gratefuul. Radio advertising in our area costs £500, newspapers around £300.

We thought of running a charity event as a way of attracting new business but not sure where to start.

Do you think it would be productive to send letters to local businesses offering a discount on their first appointment? Would the companies actually put a notice up for us or are we wasting our time?

Have you though of tying something in to Comic Relief? Maybe silly (temporary) haircolours or mad haircuts for people being sponsored?
Try contacting your local charities, they would probably have ideas of how you could help.
Cheap haircuts for pensioners? Free blow dry with every cut? Beard trimming?

blue_monkey_2

Hi everyone, I thought I would join if you do not mind.

I've got an underwear business that I run online, from home.

It is very quiet at the moment, I've cut prices down to cost on goods I have in stock but still it is very quiet. Because of the nature of my business I find it hard to advertise anywhere but for those of you that are struggling can I suggest you ask around to see if you can get advertising for local fetes, in local newspapers and newletters, the school PTFA might ask for a £20 donation but it means that you will get a mention in the fete leaflet. Our local Parish Church used to have advertising by local people and they paid £10 which helped the printing of the leaflet and they got a mention in the back.

I would also suggest your local paper as you can get 6 weeks ad in the ads section for around £30.

As I say, I do find it hard because it is underwear that I sell, albeit branded stuff, somehow it just seems that I might offend people by having it advertised in somewhere like a school, so this is my problem.

In the past I have actually put ads on noticeboards around the village I lived in and they were all removed. so much for supporting your local small businesses.

What is annoying about the website is that we can see who has put things in the basket which you do get a tad obsessed by. This morning someone put 6 items in the basket and spent a long time online but then did not place the order. You do kind of feel cheated when that happens.

chris_spackman

I do various things for home owners, cleaners, house sitting etc and as of yet am to have any customers tell me that they don't want my services. I will do all i can to keep them and if they decide that they have to let me go i will make sure that when they are in a position to afford my services again i will make sure it is me they call. I will also carry on and if it does get to the point where i have to stop i will hold my head up high knowing i did all i could and that it wasn't my fault but make sure that after this mess is cleared up i will bounce back and carry on.

I have got a farly good idea as to what i want to get on with and i know of one other person in my area doing it. He goes to various places such as food and beauty shops and gets them to offer discounts to any customers that this guy signs upto his 'membership' and they get 10-30% of bills and free drinks with food plus a few other things. I want to set the same thing up but with a difference and would be good to hear from anyone who would like to asee if it could work and see what we can get going.

tony85_2

I work as a marketing consultant for a financial services intermediary company and as our business is directly affected by the actions of the banks (ie less lending for mortgages etc) we have suffered a bit with regard to the amount of mortgages we have done recently. Conversely however, it seems more people are taking an interest in their finances and are coming to see us for financial advice, so things may improve.

I think there is just such a lack of confidence in the banking system right now that people are reluctant to do many of the things they would have done even six months ago.

thebaldwindowfitter

simpywimpy wrote: »

we are in hairdressing and unfortuately had to let our qualified staff member go this week. Terrible thing to have to do but we are feeling positive and want to work hard to make a go of this.

If anyone has any cheap marketing ideas we would be very gratefuul. Radio advertising in our area costs £500, newspapers around £300.

We thought of running a charity event as a way of attracting new business but not sure where to start.

Do you think it would be productive to send letters to local businesses offering a discount on their first appointment? Would the companies actually put a notice up for us or are we wasting our time?

church magazines ,local community magazines,balloons outside your shop with banner in window,magnetic stickers for you car and message on rear window,a boards,ive even seen a pedal bike fastened to railings with an advert on it outside a market ,dont know wether you do the blue rinse brigade but what about business card on notice board in community halls or anywhere people meet and local shops ,ask your local newsagent if you can pay him to deliver a leaflet with the papers especially weekend.

Sparkkee

simpywimpy wrote: »

We thought of running a charity event as a way of attracting new business but not sure where to start.

A friend of mine is trying to raise £15k for charity over a year and just had a huge raffle. A lot of the prizes were given by businesses like yours - a free cut and colour, a beauty treatment of your choice etc - and she made sure that all the businesses who donated got mentioned on her promotional material.

The cost of donating a cut/colour/treatment to you is probably not much more than staff time, especially if you have empty appointment slots, but it gets you a lot of free advertising in return. Maybe it's worth looking in shop windows to see who is advertising raffles etc locally?

simpywimpy wrote: »

Do you think it would be productive to send letters to local businesses offering a discount on their first appointment? Would the companies actually put a notice up for us or are we wasting our time?

The NHS trust I work for has a message board system which allows local businesses to advertise free of charge (strictly speaking it's supposed to be reccomendations only, but 90% of the businesses listed are posted by friends and family of the companies). Also, our tea rooms are always full of voucher offers - most trusts employ several thousand women (the NHS is supposed to be the largest employer of women in the world!) so printing off a poster with a discount code on it for NHS staff is an easy way to tap into a huge female market.

thebaldwindowfitter

If anybody would like to do a link exchange with my website which will get us both a better position on google etc send me a pm must be relevent to construction /building etc though

tony85_2

The recession is unquestionably affecting everyone, but it is important to see the positives and look forward to a brighter future. For example, it appears that many small businesses are now embracing new forms of internet marketing in the form of social networking sites and social bookmarking tools. This is a good thing, and in the long term may help these businesses build a strong base of clients/customers.

Whilst the banks are certainly at fault for playing reckless games, the media has to share some of the blame too, for making the recession rather worse. Most people have formed a negative association with anything financially related and this is ludicrous. The media thrives on negative news like a recession and will try to squeeze every last drop it can out of it.

In response to some of the above posts, charity events seem like a great way of drumming up business, particularly if your business is very much hinging on making a vital connection with the local community.

We recently had an art viewing at our company offices which was very successful. The idea being that the artist in question would get an audience to show off her work to, and we would be able to mingle with potential clients and existing clients in a friendly atmosphere. I think all small businesses are trying to find different ways of acquiring business and when it is all said and done, I am hopeful that we can all look back and think our experience was greater for having found a way through it all.

HappySad

I am starting a business now . I am being positive & seeing the recession as a time to create a lean, free from debt,loans,overdraft business. I am to have as little set up cos & start small & grow steady. Working lunch I found to be a good program to watch & positive books. Not everyone is doing bad in the recession.

HappySad

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

if you have a good business idea... and plan well then it will be successfull.

be positive, and use yuor postive vibes to promote and get your business idea.

many a good business was started during recessions. so NEVER let the big R word stop you..

what type of business was you thinking of starting ? dont have to answere if you dont want to, but we might be able to give you some pointers etc

all i would say is be realistic with projective figures, allways edge on the consevative side... and factor in for the unseen costs . what i do when i do costings etc.. is allways add an amount for emergency costs... this covers anything that i have forgotten about etc.. that box of pens, celotape, that book case that will come in handy for storing things etc..( you know what i mean lol...)

The current climate hasnt hit my business at the moment... so i am extremely lucky... buy amybe in a few months it might hit my business, with people spending less, so i am actively looking for new customers/contacts NOW...

thanks for your advice. What business are you in? Just wondered as you are not so far effected by the recession.

ccpd83 - I have `BiPolar & this is not going to stop me. Being self employed will fit in with my illness, childcare (2 young childen) & life.