Sign Waiving On Street Corners?

I

imported_Quenga

New member
Has anyone ever done it? I picked up some poster board and am making up some basic signs. I am thinking about posting up at a few high-volume locations and having basic signs that say:





"Express Wash $25"



"+ Interior for $15!"



"+ Hand Wax $30"



"SanDiegoDetailer.com"



Then stapling them to a long 1x2 or something and waiving it around. I dislike washing, but I need some new clients. And, I've estimated that I can make about $60/hr doing the above on average. (Everything is priced to be $1/minute based on my personal timing). These are not my "detail" services, but they could lead to them...I'm hoping.



Another idea was a sign that says,



"Your Local Mira Mesa (suburb I live in)

Auto Detailer

Take Card For Discounts!"





The street behind the one I live on is the main street that cuts through the neighborhood. I estimate about 1000 cars pass through between 4-6pm. I don't know of any marketing service that will allow me to reach 1000 customers in 2 hours for no money (other than what I spent on the signs...$10??). I have about 60 postcards left with a "New Client Discount" that I've been handing out. I haven't received one bite through the last direct mailer I sent out (good-bye $800), nor anything I've randomly handed out or placed on vehicles. Ironically, the only customers I've gotten that weren't through referrals were through Yelp/Google Places/Forums...aka Free Advertising.



Do you think it'll work? I will be testing it out the the week after next, but I'm curious to see if anyone else has done something similar.
 
It's worth a shot! A static sign would yield you much greater results though. I have a large flashing arrow sign up in the town I live in that has yielded me tons of business this year.
 
Don't forget to factor in the cost of someone flipping a sign if you don't have someone already on your payroll and a slow day to send them out.



Btw, from what I have been told, those guys that flip signs and dance draw a TON of business. If they didn't you wouldn't see them everywhere. They make about $12-$15 per hour.
 
Of course there is a slight matter of city ordiences regarding doing such advertising.

Might wish to check with city hall on this one.

Grumpy

(I know, my spelling sucks the big one)
 
Ron Ketcham said:
Of course there is a slight matter of city ordiences regarding doing such advertising.

Might wish to check with city hall on this one.

Grumpy

(I know, my spelling sucks the big one)
Click to expand...



You make a good point, Ron. Hadn't thought of that. Just figured if I saw others doing it then it must be OK (which is a bad policy, I know).



Rick
 
Don't bother. I used to do this A LOT working for 1-800 GOT JUNK. Can't say if it even brought in one customer. People don't need to be more distracted while driving than they already are (texting, yapping on the phone, etc.) Plus, I got more attention from cops busting my chops than actual customers.
 
I never did it, sadly. I was too busy with other things and put detailing on the back burner the last few months. Now its too cold (for my spoiled SoCal mentality) to detail, so I've been focusing on other things. If I had a shop I would definitely throw someone out on the corner, legal or not, I'd find out the hard way/easy way. There are some crazy sign flippers outside my neighborhood that probably cause accidents. I remember 10 years ago it was some bum flashing the sign, now you've got these young kids legitimately interested in these positions and concoct crazy tricks, routines and performances. This guy who waives a sign for a new apartment community they are constructing is like the Harlem Globetrotter of sign spinning.



Anyways, I decided to just hand out business cards instead and keep away from washes. While it's still money, I found I get too many people wanting to pay the wash price ticket, but want the blockbuster detail show. I scrapped plans of setting up a few corporate locations and am going to stick to just larger detailing and washing cars I maintain for my favorite clients.
 
There is no money in car washing at corporate location unless you have 1-2 employees and 20 cars! At the end of the day, after the supplies used, the hourly paid out, the insurance, the blah blah blah, $20/car is just not worth it!



I have a few accounts with bi-weekly washings...30/car for a ford edge and a F150. Takes me about 2.5 hours (read as about 30% of my detailing income hourly). I also have two ford fusion cars that I charge $45 total and get those done in about 1.5 hours (read as 1/2 my detail rate hourly, more worth it to fill the day). and a porsche cayanne weekly client on a monthly maintenance plan - washed once a week, and detailed at the end of the month = 175 (comes out to about 4 hours worked total = 75% of my detailing rate income)



Just the other day the F150 took me 2 hours since its been 3 weeks of rain and snow and salt (local mountains weekly) and the car was caked with grime. to say the $30 I charge wasnt worth it is an understatement! Luckily Ill probably be dropping these clients here pretty soon if all goes well...



washing just isnt worth it, mini detailing is where the money is at, paint correction is good as long as its consistant! I make $30/hr washing, $75/hr detailing, and $60/hr doing paint correction...thats been how it goes from the last few years!
 
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