How much can I make?

Hey,

I'm wondering about advertising in the local yellow pages and I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with advertising their plumbing shop in the yellow page directories?

How many calls will come in before the likelihood of landing a job, based on how many calls you get before you land a job?

How much can be made (range) from the average jobs?

Is there anywhere/association I can contact to find out this info?

Thanks, BTK

Reply to
BKennedy
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I don't do yellow page advertising anymore. You'll do much better with direct mail. Our best form of advertising comes from a self-styled piece we distribute. We have pulled together other trades and allowed them to buy 1/4 page ads for only $40. We're not in the advertising business. We make our money plumbing. The idea with the book is that it has numerous trades (sheetrock, electrician, hvac, etc).

If you go with newspaper advertising, you get one shot at a phone call. If you go with yellow page advertising, they have pages of competition to call. If you go with your self-styled book of trades, homeowners tend to keep those booklets in a drawer (just in case). It generates lots of calls and it is CHEAP. We distribute door-to-door and we distribute to every real estate office in town.

The other tradesmen will also automatically refer their customers to you. It works great. Best money-maker advertisement I've ever done.

How much will you make? Your plumbing calls will range from $250+ on about every call. You'll have some cheapie (toilet unclogs) and you'll have some more high-dollar stuff. But you'll average $250/call easily.

Reply to
Blackbeard

Contact you local college and have them show you how to find out how many people will call you based on Master Plummers listings and local population. New construction or do you live in a place that is a remodel paradise ? Charge what you are worth and don't shame us all by trying to undercut the other guy.

Reply to
<JP>

People go to the yp are desperate. They need help fast, its often a a big time leak.

Reply to
<JP>

So if you get 10 calls from an ad, how many of those would turn into a job? (Assuming that your reputation is good and that hourly rates don't matter.)

When ppl call you from the yp are they ready to give out work or are they 'shopping around'?

BTK

Reply to
BKennedy

"Blackbeard"

What I do know is that I can come in and charge based on $40/hr, and do the job as well as your shop, and make more money than you pay your guys (well maybe not).

I always tell people to get an estimate first. They're thrilled to pay me. I can usually install a WH for $100 over whatever the cost is from Home Depot, and be perfectly happy with the profit. How much would you charge over the cost of the heater itself?

Before you go on one of your rampages, just remember that I was a journeyman plumber for many years. I operate out of my trunk for a little extra cash, but I'm as skilled as any average plumber. I end up making more than if I worked part-time for some contractor. I don't have to worry about inventory, overhead, or other headaches. I just swoop in and out. Ain't America great! The marketplace is a "dog eat dog" world, and guys like me fill a needed niche. I bet there's some days where you'd trade places with me in a minute!

Reply to
Mike Grooms

Damn Mike, I like you, but you need 30 days in the hole. What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Reply to
<JP>

I love that movie too. I guess I was over reacting to some real rape jobs by some local guys recently. I confess to getting a little off subject, but Blackbeard's philosophy can give us a real black eye.

Reply to
Mike Grooms

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