Our budding entrepreneur made the ultimate mistake. He didn't realize that his real business was sales and customer perceptions. People like to buy from professional, well established organizations. So, what could our friend have done to give his dream a fighting chance?

New start-up service companies would be wise to emulate the "big boys" in their industry that they will be competing with. Larger organizations devise systems to promote, perform, track and analyze their businesses on an ongoing basis. In a large drain cleaning company for example, small repetitive mistakes can quietly consume millions of dollars in profits each year.

Here's a few tips to enhance your chances and help to get your profits up so you can expand and grow.

1. ADVERTISE

Yellow Pages — When people need a tradesman in a hurry, they go to the Yellow Pages. Notice the ads of your competitors. You can borrow their format and plug in information about your company. Their ads wouldn't be there unless they were bringing in business. Yellow page companies provide free graphics art assistance, lay-out and design.

Flyers — Blast your local area with flyers for an immediate response. There are companies that can do that for you at a very reasonable cost. Expect about one call immediately per 1000 flyers. Attach flyers to the front door where it can't be missed and won't be blown away by wind gusts. Use brightly colored paper that catches your potential customer's eye.

Publicity Releases — A release is a one page circular that you can send to prospective commercial clients that espouses your new company and its benefits to prospective consumers. Send a release to the appropriate editor of newspapers and trade magazines. If your story is newsy it has a much better chance of being printed, and it's free. Check your local library for examples.

Like it or not, you must advertise. You can't do much business if your potential customers don't know that you exist.

Personal Grooming — Hair off the shoulders. No flashy jewelry and no foul language. Personal hygiene is a must.

The Work Truck — Don't number your vans as 1,2,3,etc. Use 10, 20, 30, the impression is that of a larger fleet. Vans should boast your company sign, logo and telephone number. Large signs are rolling bill-boards and bring in considerable business. Potential customers need to see an ad 27 times before it is planted firmly in their minds. Your trucks should be immaculate, inside and out. Remove noticeable dents, they imply carelessness. White trucks are the most widely used. Light colored trucks look cleaner between washings. Repair any oil leaks that could stain a customer's driveway.

Can you think of one major service organization that doesn't wear uniforms? A clean, crisp uniform, connotes professionalism and organization. The most widely used colors are blues, whites and reds—nothing trendy. Avoid wearing short pants and tennis shoes. Baseball-type caps complete the image. Shirts should have collars and breast-pockets. If you feel you must use the back of the shirt as a bill-board, be tasteful. Avoid script lettering. Block printing is easier to read and communicates more readily. Print the company name over one breast pocket and the technician's first name on the other breast. Trucks should carry an extra uniform.

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