OT Handyman Advertising

[Lobster]

I had no idea these things were in use in the UK; I'd have thought the combination of UK rain and the price of land here would have made them not viable. I came across them on a farm in Australia a few years ago (the above posts just prompted to track down a satellite image of the farm on t'internet - fascinating!

The irrigators I saw were in massive fields at least a mile across - they were essentially a long pipe supported about 20' off the ground by wheeled frameworks every 30 yards or so; each frame had its own motor to drive the wheels, and all synchronised and computer-controlled so that the outermost frame trundled along at quite a lick, whereas the inner ones barely moved. Did 1 rev/day IIRC. And my kids were impressed with the autodialler which would rouse the farmer in the middle of the night to say (in a sexy female voice) "sorry, I'm afraid I've broken down and I need you now..."

David

[Ian Stirling]

They aren't. The place is in the US - it's a slight breakage of google maps, usually it'll pick places in the UK over places in the US of the same name, if you're logged into the .uk site.

[The Medway Handyman]

Mate of mine sells/installs irrigation systems. Latest model has a onboard solar powered computer. The hose reel is extended to the farthest point in the field, and the computer programmed to give so many litres per hectare.

Pump starts for a certain period until ideal irrigation occurs. Flow then diverted to a 'hose winder' which retracts the hose by a specific length pulling the reel along with it.

This system aparently sends a txt message if it runs out of fuel, water or any other problem.

[John Stumbles]

I found this one of the most effective ways to get business.

DIY!

I went round a few local streets where the houses looked as if folks could probably afford to pay me to do work (but weren't too posh that they were out of my league) (and where I would be happy to park the van). At each I left a letter (introducing myself as a local tradesperson and saying what I do) and a business card. The leafletting itself was a pleasant few hours walking and seeing the locality up closer than I'd normally do while driving or cycling by. The biggest chore was actually folding each letter and putting it with a card to deliver!

Sort of. I used to work for the local University and advertised (for free!) in their glossy newsletter. I've had about half my clients through this. People seem desperately glad to find someone they feel (because of the uni connection) that they can trust.

Tried these but they were a dead loss for me: I only had one client from the dozen or so cards I placed.

Good luck

[Janet Bale]

I have been doing this for over a year now using the above philosophy. I would just add always turn up when you say that you are going to and if there is a chance you will be more than 15 minutes late telephone to let them know. Invest in dust sheets and a good vacuum cleaner so you don't have to ask to borrow the customer's.

Martin

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "The Medway Handyman" saying something like:

Nah. It was probably all the same bit of tarmac that they stole back every night.