First steps for promoting a business?
Discussion
Hi guys,
At the beginning of the year I invested in a professional grade 3D printer for work, set up a 3D printing WordPress website and naively thought that may be enough to get some business to fill the hours between when its not producing products for my other business. I now have a few repeat customers which is great but ideally I would like some more business to put through it.
My other business manufactures and distributes products but as they are for a very niche market I haven't had to get involved in advertising, the items sell themselves and through word of mouth. This has led me to realise I don't really know what sort of things I should be doing or investing in!?
I will be getting some flyers made and sending them out to some local engineering and design shops but I am also thinking paying an SEO specialist to get the website further up googles rankings to try and get some organic enquiries.
What do you think would be worth doing, most cost effective, not bothering with etc?
Many thanks for your help!
At the beginning of the year I invested in a professional grade 3D printer for work, set up a 3D printing WordPress website and naively thought that may be enough to get some business to fill the hours between when its not producing products for my other business. I now have a few repeat customers which is great but ideally I would like some more business to put through it.
My other business manufactures and distributes products but as they are for a very niche market I haven't had to get involved in advertising, the items sell themselves and through word of mouth. This has led me to realise I don't really know what sort of things I should be doing or investing in!?
I will be getting some flyers made and sending them out to some local engineering and design shops but I am also thinking paying an SEO specialist to get the website further up googles rankings to try and get some organic enquiries.
What do you think would be worth doing, most cost effective, not bothering with etc?
Many thanks for your help!
I'd steer well clear of your local BNI, especially if you are providing a specialist, niche service. There are a hundred better ways to generate referrals which are quicker, easier and don't involve a mutual masturbation session every Tuesday morning, or you effectively working for others. (I realise some like it but as you can tell it wasn't for me!)
It's difficult without knowing the product but I'd probably forget leaflets (designed for the masses) and go with a sales letter setting out what their problem is, how you solve it and always follow up with a call. Or again dependent on numbers and resources a more modern and effective way would be to create a short presentation of the same on DVD, addressed personally to the decision maker. This has the benefit of curiosity, who wouldn't watch a DVD addressed to them with no further info? It won't get binned like a letter or email and if you present it yourself they can buy into you from the start.
A client of mine tested this with 10 businesses, got 7 calls back and made the sale with 6 in total. Obviously the message has to be attractive and meet their needs but I've never come across anything else which comes close in effectiveness. Which reminds me I was meaning to do one myself- that's my project for Xmas now.
It's difficult without knowing the product but I'd probably forget leaflets (designed for the masses) and go with a sales letter setting out what their problem is, how you solve it and always follow up with a call. Or again dependent on numbers and resources a more modern and effective way would be to create a short presentation of the same on DVD, addressed personally to the decision maker. This has the benefit of curiosity, who wouldn't watch a DVD addressed to them with no further info? It won't get binned like a letter or email and if you present it yourself they can buy into you from the start.
A client of mine tested this with 10 businesses, got 7 calls back and made the sale with 6 in total. Obviously the message has to be attractive and meet their needs but I've never come across anything else which comes close in effectiveness. Which reminds me I was meaning to do one myself- that's my project for Xmas now.
If you're trying to find further work during your down time I'd look at finding a niche product on say Ebay that you can manufacture on an ad-hoc basis.
Also look on other forums on Pistonheads for projects. For instance I'm sure the scale model guys can give you commissions, also there was a recent thread on Homes, Garden and DIY wanting unobtainable parts for a robot vacuum that would be simple to do. You could also look at the various pre-made libraries of 3D parts that are available on line and see if there's any market for the designs.
I'd also subscribe to TCT magazine, I've always had it sent to me free, in fact it's been hard to stop them sending it to me http://www.tctmagazine.com/ there will be loads of ideas in there.
I'm assuming you can only print in plastic, if you have the ability to use other materials then look at how you can make parts in other materials that may improve on the plastic. For instance the gears above might be better in metal, or you maybe able to print wax for the jewellery industry.
Also look on other forums on Pistonheads for projects. For instance I'm sure the scale model guys can give you commissions, also there was a recent thread on Homes, Garden and DIY wanting unobtainable parts for a robot vacuum that would be simple to do. You could also look at the various pre-made libraries of 3D parts that are available on line and see if there's any market for the designs.
I'd also subscribe to TCT magazine, I've always had it sent to me free, in fact it's been hard to stop them sending it to me http://www.tctmagazine.com/ there will be loads of ideas in there.
I'm assuming you can only print in plastic, if you have the ability to use other materials then look at how you can make parts in other materials that may improve on the plastic. For instance the gears above might be better in metal, or you maybe able to print wax for the jewellery industry.
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