An idea!

[DarrenC]

I've seen mentioned many people looking to have flyers designed and/or printed. As small businesses why don't we get together, and design a flyer to advertise a number of businesses and share the costs of design and printing?

Just a thought

Darren

[bwglaw]

A UKBF member flyer to be distributed to businesses, good idea..UKBF mods would have to take the lead on this though?

[Coding Monkey]

I'll give a discount for the design of the leaflet if it goes ahead, but even with a discount you'd still be talking a few hundred pounds. Top-quality design ain't cheap.

[clairemackaness]

Thats a great idea. The majority of us a B2B businesses so we could all club together, smaller costs for smaller ads though!!

[DarrenC]

A UKBF member flyer to be distributed to businesses, good idea..UKBF mods would have to take the lead on this though?


Design - maybe an opportunity for a new company to show off their talent, and promote their business on it aswell. Doesn't necessary have to cost hundreds for design if we all put our minds together.

[clairemackaness]

I think it should be a UKBF publication as it may well encourage others to join the forum if they can see what can be acheived by being a member.

[bwglaw]

Exactly my point re: collection of money, the mods seem best and they can promote the forum at the same time.

[clairemackaness]

I could contribute £20 for a small box ad. I know it's not much but it's a start.

I'm also happy to give my time to any administrative stuff, perhaps co-ordination, typing or a postal address for cheques etc.

Just let me know how I can help

[DarrenC]

Having given it more thought I completely agree.

Best run by UKBF and mods.

I still stick with the idea though that something like this would be ideal for a new designer to help them promote their own business - and keep costs down.

Darren

[Jayne]

Good idea Darren, it will have to be a really big flyer though, to fit us all on :D

Jayne

[Coding Monkey]

I still stick with the idea though that something like this would be ideal for a new designer to help them promote their own business - and keep costs down.


Disagreed. Regardless of what company you go with, a professional design will result in far better response from potential clients than just going with someone to help their business. I'd gladly pay money if someone like Eagle designed it, but see no point contributing to something I'm aware will not receive the full response it can.

[bwglaw]

I am all for it! Perhaps we can get a forum member to design it free and have it printed free or cheap and any surplus funds go to a nominated charity. The charity may mention UKBF in their publication etc

[clairemackaness]

Thats a good idea

[DarrenC]

Tom, whilst Eagle has worked on many designs for me over the last 2 years and his talent is outstanding I still disagree with you.

Just because someone is new to design is does not mean that they are not able to perform as good as a job - this forum is to help businesses grow, and for a new designer this would be invaluable experience for them.

Yes, design is important, but your forgetting for alot of small businesses their income / revenue is exactly that small. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one - but I'll go with the flow! :)

[DarrenC]

I am all for it! Perhaps we can get a forum member to design it free and have it printed free or cheap and any surplus funds go to a nominated charity. The charity may mention UKBF in their publication etc

That's a very good idea.

[DarrenC]

Good idea Darren, it will have to be a really big flyer though, to fit us all on :D

Jayne

True :lol:

Maybe if theres alot of interest then we could do it on a rota basis? I dunno I'm just flinging ideas into the pit for everyone to chew on ;)

[Coding Monkey]

You seemed to contradict yourself in saying it will be invaluable experience, but they'll be able to do "as good a job". All I'll say is I am fully aware of the impact of design, and, however biased it might appear based on my position, I'm aware of it because I can see the results.

I have no problem in someone new to the forum being given a helping hand and so on, but I won't put any money into something I know won't achieve its full potential. Besides, small businesses can even contribute what you'd be asking for if enough came together. I've spent over £2000 in 3 months on copywriters for 1 of my companies and I'm a "tiny" business.

But, I will leave it there. Not here to spoil the fun, just give honest comments on something I work on. And if Eagle wants to do it for free, it might change the scenario around.

[bwglaw]

I think the flyer needs to be seen that we are promoting or rather encouraging new ventures as previous threads have shown, as opposed to merely promoting our own business. However, there will be an element of self-promoting but I am prepared to make way for the newcomers.

In the end, we will all benefit as a forum with new traffic and with our adverts.

I will sponsor the 'copyright notice' :P

[DarrenC]

Reading back Tom I did contradict myself - but what I am getting at is why spend hundreds on what would be a top quality design, when we can encourage a new business to grow. Surely people will see this as a major advantage of joining UKBF.

Edit: and I didn't copy Jonathan's post above :lol:

[Coding Monkey]

Well, I'm a new business. Must be my lucky day ;)

[DarrenC]

Nice one Mac - good to see you have the community spirit..! We'll look forward to seeing the free design :lol:

.... and if I can help in anyway let me know..

[creacom]

Hi guys ':D'

This is a great idea.

We would happily design the flyer for free if the surplus funds go to charity or somethign like that.

My business partner and myself respectively have over 12 and 6 years experience in design and marketing. So even though we are not new designers our company has only been up and running for the last 10 months.

In anycase we will happily contribute in someway.

Jacqueline

[Admiral Collections]

I dont like this idea a bit conroversial, seeing as you seem so excited about it. Leaflets are a crap marketing tool, they either end up in the bin or the guys delivering them throw the sacks into the river.

Im sure we could come up with a better idea, why not have a newsletter via the web with all our logos on, a monthly competition, prize donated by a member and a monthly topic of interest to other people.

Don't mean to hijack the thread or anything, its just I have a phobia about 'leaflets'

Nic :wink:

[creacom]

Sorry Mac

I didnt mean to tread on your toes !!! I only read until Page 1 of the replies and didnt see that you had already offered.....must be down to too much whisky over the last few days !!!

Best of luck with the design and dont hesitate to give us a shout if we can help in anyway. ':D'

Jacqueline

[Coding Monkey]

Jacqueline, don't worry about it. I can't do it for free, so if you're offering, best of luck to you.

[DarrenC]

Jacqueline, don't worry about it. I can't do it for free, so if you're offering, best of luck to you.

Sorry Jacqueline - that was me joking with Mac :) Sorry Mac :)

Nic, whilst I would agree with you on flyers to personal addresses, B2B flyers are more effective. The newsletter is a good idea though - not sure if this has some conflict with the current UKBF newsletter though :)

[creacom]

Hi Darren ':D'

Our offer still stands. Happy to do a bit to help out the other businesses here. Maybe we could get our ad for free for example.

Dont hesitate to get in touch

Jacqueline

[Admiral Collections]

Darren

Whether to personal addresses or businesses they are rubbish in my opinion which I think I am entitled to. The only flyer I keep is for my local takeaway, as a business I look at the bright colours on the leaflets I get then bin them whilst thinking why didn't the cheap skates not contact me via telephone and follow up with a letter?

I know the newsletter was a good idea and if one exists why dont we advertise on there and pay Ozzy a fee, at least then he will be getting some reward for his efforts.

Nic :wink:

[DarrenC]

Whether to personal addresses or businesses they are rubbish in my opinion which I think I am entitled to.

Of course your entitled to your own opinion, and of course no one is stopping you doing so. :)

I read flyers, sometimes keep them, sometimes take in the information, and bin. This doesn't mean that everyone will do the same, it's personal choice of course :)

Just noticed your website appears to be closed - just some friendly advice, but you might want to put meta tags and title tag into your page. :)

[Admiral Collections]

OOps Darren thanks for telling me that. I have a new web address now and a fellow member has sorted out my 'little problemo'. Also, Mac is redesigning it and sorting out the branding for 5k which I think is reasonable, Im sure he will take care of the blips you have pointed out.

Anyways, back to the leaflet, I still haven't bought the idea.

Nic :wink:

[DarrenC]

Well theres no point me trying to pursuade you, because it's not my decision to make - I had an idea, I mentioned it - and its moved on from there.

Let me say this though - what about if only 1% of the people who receive any flyer and are like me and read it - they have bad payers, like most businesses, and they see your advertisement, who are they gonna call?

[Hayles]

In my opinion and experience, flyers can work well if they're targetted correctly. If they're not targetted correctly, then of course they're a waste of time and money.

That'll be another hard part of the scheme - targetting the right sort of businesses. With so many different UKBF businesses on the flyers, who's going to decide who to target?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea. Just lots to think about and decide. :wink:

Best of luck with it :D

(Nic, I'm sure there will be plently of printers who disagree with your opinion of flyers!!)

[bwglaw]

Distributing via a Chambers of Commerce would be a good avenue...

[directmarketingadvice]

Personally, I think it's a poor idea.

A whole load of businesses crammed onto a flyer?

If you want to go down that multi-business promotion route, there's a far better way to do it.

Create a little newspaper, say 8 pages, and give yourselves some proper space. The actual printing/design costs would be 4 times as much and you'll get some space to say something.

they have bad payers, like most businesses, and they see your advertisement, who are they gonna call?

Probably someone else. After all, it's only an ad.

Steve

[bwglaw]

What about an 'online flyer' or a platform site with all of our links, logos and descriptive text? This is by far cheaper than producing one-off flyers. Only 'gold' members can advertise on the platform, which could be www.ukbfmembers.co.uk

There can be a criteria to be a gold member i.e. member for 6 months or more, plus 100 posts or more, and 1 nomination by an existing UKBF member. On this platform we can then organise our own charity event etc!

How's that for an idea? I am happy to offer the hosting...

[Jayne]

lol...well I qualify for Gold Jonathan, I knew my yacking would come in handy one day :lol:

Jayne

[bwglaw]

then Jayne, it should be changed to max of 100 posts in 6 months...;) would you still qualify?! hee

[Jayne]

You cannot go changing your mind now lad, only women can do that :lol:

You wouldn't really want me to stop posting, now would you :lol:

Jayne

[bwglaw]

You stop posting...wild horses couldnt stop you... no of course not...the forum would fall silent! A woman's prerogative to change her mind...should have known!

[DarrenC]

I don't think anyone said anything cramming businesses on to a flyer - I know I certainly didn't - my idea was to share the costs of flyer design and distribution amongst a few businesses here on UKBF.

If there are a small number, say 4 businesses who would like to research this in more detail please PM me. I'm going to be away for a few days, as I have a ton of work to get through.

The idea about going through the Chambers of Commence was a good one - and I am sure they are also other avenues of distribution. I do a lot of internet marketing, so an online flyer, wouldn't really interest me, but I've an open mind, so keep me informed.

Darren

[directmarketingadvice]

I don't think anyone said anything cramming businesses on to a flyer - I know I certainly didn't

My apologies.

The notion of cramming came from the fact that a flyer is usually A5. That gives an opportunity to present a case for a product or service in decent sized type with enough white space to make it easy to read.

It seemed from the responses that there might end up being around 8 businesses on this flyer.

If you put 4 ads on one side, you've then got an A7 ad, which is pretty cramped for a sales message, particularly if it's B2B.

However, if you restrict it to 4 ads, 2 on each side, it wouldn't be cramped.

Steve