Etiquette on handing out leaflets for local shops to display? Help please!!

x-Princess-Vikki-x

Hello everyone,

I've recently started up a small cake making business. I was wondering how I should go about asking local shops and businesses if they could display my leaflet on their community/notice boards.

Should I ask to speak to the manager? Hand it to any shop assistant? Send it with a letter in the post?

I just don't know how these things work! How long do they remain up for usually?

Any advice please? thanks :j

Mistral001

Ask for manager and speak to him or her.

mumlady1

Hiya
I normally ask to speak to the manager & take my own blue tack! Many shops say yes, then put the flyer under the counter until someone remembers to pin it up. I'm not saying this as a critisism! Your business is not their business & therefore not a priority
I usually ask if I can put the flyer up which saves them a job.
On another note, assuming you make cupcakes/birthday cakes can I suggest you take some flyers round to your local nursery and hand out to the mums at the gate. (Make sure you are actually outside the nursery grounds though.) Mums are often looking for cakes for little people birthday parties and while you hand out the flyers you can use the opportunity for a quick chat about what you do :-)
Good luck!:)

paddyrg

Quid pro quo what benefit does the shop with valuable window space get from advertising your business? If you make cupcakes, might I suggest you make up a load of small packs of 4 and offer them in return for posting your advert? It'll make it an exchange, not a favour, and business is all about trade after all. And still miles cheaper than paying, plus staff will remember you favourably and may even give word of mouth backup to your ad.

Posted flyers look very untidy though, especially as the paper fades. It is up to you to build and keep those relationships and bits of paper fresh so the old flyers don't come down after a week or so

Mistral001

paddyrg wrote: »

Quid pro quo what benefit does the shop with valuable window space get from advertising your business? If you make cupcakes, might I suggest you make up a load of small packs of 4 and offer them in return for posting your advert? It'll make it an exchange, not a favour, and business is all about trade after all. And still miles cheaper than paying, plus staff will remember you favourably and may even give word of mouth backup to your ad.

Posted flyers look very untidy though, especially as the paper fades. It is up to you to build and keep those relationships and bits of paper fresh so the old flyers don't come down after a week or so

This is very good advise. It is all about trade.

You also be aware that you might see yourself as a hard-working person starting up a small business to earn a few pounds. All very laudable you might think - better than living on Benefits expecting others to pay for things, but to a small established business person running a shop they will often see you as a homeworker with none of the business overheads that they have like commercial rates, rent, insurance, etc.etc. and why should they help you out.

So you have to connect with them as a fellow business person and offer more than a friendly smile. Paddyrg's idea of offering cakes is a good one. If you do not do that always ask if there is a charge.

If you are daunted by this start off advertising in places where you know they charge a small fee such as newsagents.

paulwf

I get about half a dozen requests a day to drop off flyers or display posters. Some ask nicely, some just dump them, others get abusive that we won't give them free advertising even though they are offering nothing in return.

Basically don't worry about going round to shops as everybody else is doing it. I think the approach of offering cakes as a swap and talking about your service is the way to go. Much better to have a few shops recommending you rather than loads of generic piles of flyers.

jackyann

Consider community noticeboards, village halls etc. Some won't accept "commercial" but many will for a small local business.
I know this isn't what you asked, but do remember parish magazines & local community newsletters, as lots of people like to "buy local".

Starlet

When approaching local businesses, how about also handing out a free cupcake with fancy decorating? That will also give them a taste (no pun intended!) of your work, and could easily win you new customers!

You never know!

SueC_2

paddyrg wrote: »

If you make cupcakes, might I suggest you make up a load of small packs of 4 and offer them in return for posting your advert?

Definitely! Particularly if you are talking about small shops where there is the possibility that when sales staff see someone looking at your flyer they'll say "Oh yes, she brought some in for us to try, they were gorgeous, and she's a really lovely lady too..."

You get advertising space, and recommendations for the cost of a few cupcakes. What's not to like?