The phone's not ringing, the flat glass jobs that you used to schedule weeks out are all caught up, you actually call yourself to make sure the phone is still working....sound familiar. The feedback we're getting is that it's not just you, it's happening all over the country.

The experts say when business is slow you need to increase, not decrease your advertising budget. (Although those experts are usually in advertising sales.) But when I look at my books, I don't have any extra money for expensive radio and TV advertising campaigns.

The answer - it's back to the basics. Remember when you first got started and you had the energy and drive to actually go out and make sales calls and make a marketing plan. It's time to dig deep and find that enthusiasm once again.

Here are some low or no cost marketing ideas that have helped our business....
(and although we always joke about it at the shop, sending your kids or techs out with a BB gun is not one of them)

1. Join a community organization. Rotary club, Kiwanis, etc. are one of the best ways to network and get to know other business owners in your community. People do business with people they know. Consider forming your own business network group. I was part of a group that was started almost 20 years ago that met once a month. The intial meetings were used to get to know each other and what our businesses offered. Eventually we brought in speakers for part of the meeting, but alway used part of the meeting to actually network. After all these years, we still use each other's business and the referrals are amazing.

2. Know your neighborhood. Get out your business cards and hit the street. Virtually every business needs our glass services and most don't even know what you do. (I was in the glass business for two years and my mother-in-law called to ask me if I knew where she could get a mirror.) Are there companies near you that have a fleet of trucks that you could offer a discount to. Have notepads, pens, letter openers or candy jars imprinted with your logo and take them with you. Everybody loves getting something for free and your logo will remind them who to call when they need you.

3. Ask your current customers for their email address. Make sure they know you will only use it to send them special offers and notices about your services. Then use an online email marketing company. You would be surprised how inexpensive it is. We used to be a big fan of direct mail, until we found email marketing. The company we use is Constant Contact. They have different prices depending on how many emails you want to send out in a month, but really easy to use.

4. Yard signs. For any flat glass jobs you do, ask the customer if you can put a yard sign in their yard for a limited amount of time. Check with your local sign companies and ask for a quantity discount. You will have a little expense at the start, but if you keep track of your signs and pick them up in a timely fashion, you will have them for years. We have had our signs for almost eight years and they really work great.

5. Let your employees in on the action. Give all of your employees business cards and tell them to write a note on the back that says to mention your tech or ISR's name when they call and either give them a special price or discount. Then give your tech or ISR $5.00 for each referral. They can hand them out to their friends or give to someone they see in a parking lot with a cracked windshield. It makes them money and also reinforces your team.

Hope these ideas have helped and if you have any ideas that you would like to share, please post them in Glass Chat!