What comes 1st - Business or Staff?

[onenil]

Hi all,

Firstly I'm new to running a business so please go easy on me ;)

Right, I'm about to embark on a new project - a leaflet distribution company - both as a way of supplementing my full-time salary and as a way of cutting my teeth in managing my own business.

As I work full-time, I've come to the conclusion that I will have to employ staff to carry out the actual distributions. While I will be able to assist with this, it is probably unrealistic for me to think that I will be able to do all of the distribution campaigns by myself.

I have yet to advertise my services to local businesses as I'm scared that turning down business, as a result of not having the staff to carry out the distributions, may ruin my reputation before I've had time to truly establish one. On the other hand, I'm unsure if spending money of job adverts would be wise as I have no idea when my 1st distribution will begin.

So, do you recommend me adverising for business or staff first?

Thanks

[Kev Jaques]

Get the work coming in imo, then look for staff.
As long as you set the expectations of the work being done from the start.
The last thing you want to do is hire staff and then have no work, so you kind of answered your own post really.

[2009]

Hi all,

Firstly I'm new to running a business so please go easy on me ;)

Right, I'm about to embark on a new project - a leaflet distribution company - both as a way of supplementing my full-time salary and as a way of cutting my teeth in managing my own business.

As I work full-time, I've come to the conclusion that I will have to employ staff to carry out the actual distributions. While I will be able to assist with this, it is probably unrealistic for me to think that I will be able to do all of the distribution campaigns by myself.

I have yet to advertise my services to local businesses as I'm scared that turning down business, as a result of not having the staff to carry out the distributions, may ruin my reputation before I've had time to truly establish one. On the other hand, I'm unsure if spending money of job adverts would be wise as I have no idea when my 1st distribution will begin.

So, do you recommend me adverising for business or staff first?

Thanks

Look at the area's you intend to distribute and see if there are any other leaflets doing the rounds. If so then see if you can utelise that distributors existing channels....Even if it's the local pizza shop...if they got a guy doing drops, get in there, im sure they appreaciate a little extra dosh.....

[AdamJ]

Get some business coming in yourself imo, then use that to pay for staff, who can then get you more business, and then more staff, then more business, then a luxury yacht and private island.

[LimeHR]

Definately the business in first then the staff. Your income from the business needs to be secure for you and your overheads before you add in more expense.

[graemepirie]

Just out of interest - why pick leaflet distribution as a business? It's not as easy as it sounds!

You could either subcontract the work (what area are you in?), or assuming you'll be looking for self-emplyed casual distributors, then have a couple ready to go when you need them. You'll find that leaflet clients want the job done yesterday. Good (reliable/honest) distribution people are not easy to find.

[onenil]

Thank you for your comments.

I forgot to note that shaff will be employed on a self-employed basis and will be paid on completion of jobs.

Does this make a difference to the general concensous that business should be sought before staff?

graemepirie - I decided to choose this as a business after noticing that there wasn't much in terms of leaflets coming through my own letterbox. Also, I think that I may be able to encourage local businesses (who I am aiming on working with predominantly) that leaflets are a cost effective means of marketing in this financial climate. Ultimately, aside from my (small) startup costs, I don't stand to lose much should I fail - which is something that appeals to me with a fiancée on maternity leave and a 7 month old son ;) I'm in SE London btw.

AdamJ - just the one yacht??? :(

[stevon]

As you know (you've been following my thread :)) I've recently started up a business. In my case, I didn't need staff before chasing the business so this wasn't a problem for me. But once I got a contract, finding staff was a major issue that has so far taken up most of my time/energy.

If I were you, I'd focus on getting the business asap (assuming you already haven't). I used to work for a kebab shop as a driver and he was always trying to get me to go with him and do leaflets, but he was offering £5 an hour and I was making at least double that doing deliveries so there wasn't a point. Plus his banter was rubbish.

Anyway, I know in that area at least, thats how things tended to work with the pizza/kebab shops. They did it themselves, even though they didn't want to, they still HAD to in order to get the menus/their number out there. It definately works for them though - we got 25% more deliveries when menus had been posted in the morning than usual, every time. I also know he had hell getting menus printed/designed so this could be an extra earner for you if you were to offer it?

I believe a great starting point would be a kebab shop, or a Chinese, a chippy - any sort of fast food place that offer home delivery especially.

What I would say is go in and speak to them though. Or phone (before they get busy). If they can see you're a bloke, instead of a faceless company, I find they'll be more likely to talk to you and work something out (even if on a trial run of a few hundred doors near by).

I'd say you'd only need to try a few takeaways before you hit a deal, so if you were planning on going around them on a Monday, I'd put adverts up for staff today - use something like Gumtree. You'll get a pile of CVs (I posted 3 times in a week, the same ad, and got around 50-60 CVs). Once you've got a contract (or even a few) then you'll be able to give them some work. Be honest when advertising the job - "looking for part-time, casual workers to deliver leaflets, must be flexible" that kind of thing, then keep them upto date about when they're needed once hired.

Definately worth posting something on Gumtree, that way you've at least got a database of potential staff for when you approach the takeaway, then you can say to the owner that you can do the drop at the weekend (assuming you go and speak to them on Monday as I suggest) and that gives you Tue, Wed, Thu and Fri to get prepared, interview staff, etc. Also if it's at the weekend you'll be able to go along with them and check out your staff - who's enthusiastic and keen and who's there to dump the flyers in a bin and tell you they've been delivered.

Go for it, sounds like you've thought about it for long enough and there's nothing stopping you. If you can't make a decent mark up on it (will be difficult at first with you only having maybe one or two leaflets to drop at the same houses) then go and get more clients and if you can't - then nothing really lost (apart from the few hours you spend going around takeaways, or local businesses)

[Rufford]

As you know (you've been following my thread :)) I've recently started up a business. In my case, I didn't need staff before chasing the business so this wasn't a problem for me. But once I got a contract, finding staff was a major issue that has so far taken up most of my time/energy.

If I were you, I'd focus on getting the business asap (assuming you already haven't). I used to work for a kebab shop as a driver and he was always trying to get me to go with him and do leaflets, but he was offering £5 an hour and I was making at least double that doing deliveries so there wasn't a point. Plus his banter was rubbish.

Anyway, I know in that area at least, thats how things tended to work with the pizza/kebab shops. They did it themselves, even though they didn't want to, they still HAD to in order to get the menus/their number out there. It definately works for them though - we got 25% more deliveries when menus had been posted in the morning than usual, every time. I also know he had hell getting menus printed/designed so this could be an extra earner for you if you were to offer it?

I believe a great starting point would be a kebab shop, or a Chinese, a chippy - any sort of fast food place that offer home delivery especially.

What I would say is go in and speak to them though. Or phone (before they get busy). If they can see you're a bloke, instead of a faceless company, I find they'll be more likely to talk to you and work something out (even if on a trial run of a few hundred doors near by).

I'd say you'd only need to try a few takeaways before you hit a deal, so if you were planning on going around them on a Monday, I'd put adverts up for staff today - use something like Gumtree. You'll get a pile of CVs (I posted 3 times in a week, the same ad, and got around 50-60 CVs). Once you've got a contract (or even a few) then you'll be able to give them some work. Be honest when advertising the job - "looking for part-time, casual workers to deliver leaflets, must be flexible" that kind of thing, then keep them upto date about when they're needed once hired.

Definately worth posting something on Gumtree, that way you've at least got a database of potential staff for when you approach the takeaway, then you can say to the owner that you can do the drop at the weekend (assuming you go and speak to them on Monday as I suggest) and that gives you Tue, Wed, Thu and Fri to get prepared, interview staff, etc. Also if it's at the weekend you'll be able to go along with them and check out your staff - who's enthusiastic and keen and who's there to dump the flyers in a bin and tell you they've been delivered.

Go for it, sounds like you've thought about it for long enough and there's nothing stopping you. If you can't make a decent mark up on it (will be difficult at first with you only having maybe one or two leaflets to drop at the same houses) then go and get more clients and if you can't - then nothing really lost (apart from the few hours you spend going around takeaways, or local businesses)

There's a very old saying in business and this is how it goes: "Anything can be cured in a business apart from no sales". Most people find that out to late unfortunately..

[stevon]

Very true... Although I tend to find a lot of individuals/companies make the sales no bother - it's just delivering on what you promised - if you can do both, you'll be a rich man.

As Tony Soprano said "You're supposed to be earners, that's why you've got the top positions"...

[dataferret]

Advertise your "opportunity" for extra income at the same time as advertising the business to get sales. There is no harm building up a list of available people who would be willing to work on an ad-hoc basis until you built up regular work