Leafletting/flyer service

sinful07

Hi guys,

Just wondering if you guys know of a good, cheap leafleting/flyering service in London?

I'm trying to start up a proofreading business but struggling to get customers. Any tips would be great.

*edit

If it helps, my target market are University students, particularly those handing in their dissertations, etc... Also erasmus/international students


Hope all is well!

sinful07

bump!


xxxxx

googler

Surely you need to advertise where the students are, rather than (I assume) putting flyers through random household doors...?

ajwolf

Sorry don't know of any services but I can maybe give you a few ideas. You might struggle a bit at the moment as university is only just starting up again. Probably as you get later on in the term you will get more business. My instinct is that students probably don't start thinking about proofreading until they feel they're struggling/worrying, not when the assignment has just been issued.


A few ideas (sorry if you've already thought of/tried these)

• At my uni people used post flyers on noticeboards round the buildings of their own accord, don't think people ever asked permission. I've seen ads for tuition, selling books etc. Try boards that are outside lecture theatres that way when a class is waiting to go in they might be seen.
• Depending on how easy access the buildings are you could try leaving leaflets in lecture halls. There would often be ones lying on the desk when I went in. Even if they do get made into paper aeroplanes they'll still be there later on in the day so they will be seen! Might be best to find out where certain subjects are taught for this one (and the above) as it's probably not much use to you to leave a load of leaflets in a maths lecture.
• Ask the uni library if you can leave some flyers/put them on the notice board. Students who make use of the library are a good target for your service.
• Maybe less appropriate but could still work is student halls. First years are less likely to be concerned about their work but certain subjects like law etc will still have big assignments to write. Halls are fairly easy to get access to, we had so may people knock on the door offering student deals. You don't need to knock but a couple of flyers through each flat or stick some in the stairwell/lift.
• Find out when fresher's week is and you can hand out some flyers then.
• Hopefully word of mouth might work for you once you get some initial business. Everyone will want to know how so and so achieved a top mark so hopefully they'll share your details.
• Have you tried a twitter account? Couldn't hurt to try - it's free. Try sending a few tweets out with some key words every now and then. You can use the search function to find out when students are moaning about their assignments that way you know when to push your marketing.
• Facebook account for the business? There's generally group pages where you can post and advertise services in a certain area, London probably has several pages.
• Similarly, advertise on Gumtree - again it's free!
• We used to get the odd email from the uni which advertised various student services. See if you can get in touch with the universities. Find the right person and they might be able to send out a uni wide email for you. They also might be able to give you some suggestions on how to drum up some business.

Advertising on twitter, facebook and gumtree may or may not work but if they're free and at least the first two are well used by students so you may as well try. Try and get some sort of logo or at least an image to put on these sites though. Blank twitter pages don't look very interesting or professional.
You're probably better off distributing leaflets yourself to start with (assuming you haven't already tried) that way you get an idea what works and you know they've been distributed properly.

I would aim for more than just final year dissertations. Do a good job for a first year student in certain subjects and you could get a lot of business from that individual over the next few years.

Hope some of these ideas help.

shmeeko69

sinful07 wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just wondering if you guys know of a good, cheap leafleting/flyering service in London?

I'm trying to start up a proofreading business but struggling to get customers. Any tips would be great.

*edit

If it helps, my target market are University students, particularly those handing in their dissertations, etc... Also erasmus/international students


Hope all is well!

There are UK based people on fiverr.com who offer to post and hand out flyers in uni's and colleges with proof of their work. You could also consider starting a community page with Facebook and get people who are interested to join your group.

Kayalana99

Yea to be quite honest I heard about them on dragons den!! They are called runners or something to do with jogging but I am sure if you google dragons den and leaflet delivering you'd find them as I know they are based in London.

sinful07

Hi all, thanks for your prompt reply. i've been busy doing other stuff so havent had a chance to reply yet!

My instinct is that students probably don't start thinking about proofreading until they feel they're struggling/worrying, not when the assignment has just been issued.

Yeah definitely. I've kept that in mind. But i've dont want it to be deadline week and i havent got a plan. I want to sort things out now so when the demand for it actually kicks in- i'm ready as i can be.

A few ideas (sorry if you've already thought of/tried these)
At my uni people used post flyers on noticeboards round the buildings of their own accord, don't think people ever asked permission. I've seen ads for tuition, selling books etc. Try boards that are outside lecture theatres that way when a class is waiting to go in they might be seen.

Yeah, ive thought about this. its Freshers week at my old uni in a few weeks, so i'll be heading down to flyer up the place. I've contacted the Union and apprently 'free flyering' is not allowed- but i'll do it anyway, a few here and there wont harm. I'll do the same for the library and every building.

Facebook account for the business? There's generally group pages where you can post and advertise services in a certain area, London probably has several pages.
Similarly, advertise on Gumtree - again it's free!
We used to get the odd email from the uni which advertised various student services. See if you can get in touch with the universities.

What do you mean facebook account? as in make one? and also, yeah ive thought about that too. its £100 for 1,000 flyers to be leafletted using the uni's services. £50 for 1,000 to just be distributed in key areas (which i can easily do for free)

And the advertising on the bi-weekly paper is quite expensive as well. around £200. I'll have to see what the situation is come christmas time. if i get enough of a following at half term, i'll definitely advertise at christmas.

Find the right person and they might be able to send out a uni wide email for you. They also might be able to give you some suggestions on how to drum up some business.

This was actually how i got started, i just started e-mailing people at universities and one of them was nice enough to circulate my business. i got one customer out of that! (So far, my ONLY customer!)


So far, i think i'll wait till freshers week and start wreaking havoc on the e-mailing front.

gb12345

Have you thought about advertising your services on the freelance sites such as freelancer.com or elance or peopleperhour?

I did a technical review of a book a while back that I got on freelancer and the author said that he got his proofreader from there as well.

sinful07

No, i havent thought of that yet. I'll have a look-see! do you know of any other similar sites?

Thanks!

gb12345

sinful07 wrote: »

No, i havent thought of that yet. I'll have a look-see! do you know of any other similar sites?

Thanks!

The three I mention are the main ones, but there is also oDesk and Fiverr (but that is aimed at smaller cheaper jobs).