Leaflet Distribution start-up in Manchester

[SerbanM]

Hi
We want to start a leaflet distribution business.

For those of you who advertised recently through a leaflet distribution company, what you think would be a fair price for this service?

For the first month we intend to offer the service for a very competitive price at a very high standard. We will be able to give details after your feedback.


Any comment and/or advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks

 

[MerchantServicesBDM]

Hi Serban,

In Manchester the going rate seems to be between £25 and £35 per 1000. Checking is really important though and without being able to prove that they've been delivered you'll find it difficult to get clients. Who are you using for printing?

 

[SerbanM]

Thanks for the reply.

We intend to add a code to the leaflets which will tell us and our client in which period (week) and area (group of streets) the leaflets were distributed.
We want to concentrate more on a high conversion rate rather than high number of leaflets. We aim to increase this rate through the coding (which will allow us to perform various analyses) and advice regarding the content and design of the leaflet. In the end our client is interested in gaining new business.
We would still be paid on volume first, but later we will try to link the performance of our campaigns to our price.

Stressfreeprint seems to be the best printing option both regarding release time, quality and price.

 

[Leaflet Drop]

Not really sure how on Earth companies can deliver 1,000 leaflets door to door for £25 and make any type of profit.

 

[Daxo]

If they are charging £25 per thousand on a solus basis then they are clearly paying their delivery people around £15 per thousand.

Not sure how motivated someone will be to deliver all 1000 leaflets properly/fully if they are in effect being paid anywhere between £1.88 to £2.50 per hour, (assuming it ordinarily takes them 6 to 8 hours to deliver 1000).

Not really sure how on Earth companies can deliver 1,000 leaflets door to door for £25 and make any type of profit.

 

[Jacob F]

I pay on average about £42/1000 for my staff to deliver a 1000 leaflets, roughly about 7 hours work @ NMW. My mark up is then about £20-25 ish per 1000 depending on shared or solus. We try and process about 50k per week as a medium sized company. Anybody with half a business brain should run a mile at some of the prices quoted about.

 

[Daxo]

Companies who offer solus distribution at silly prices are shamelessly exploiting their staff. Additionally, many companies who do offer solus at such unsustainably low prices are probably only making approx £5-£10 profit per thousand delivered, which to me demonstrates a complete absence of commercial acumen - any fool can compete on price, any fool can charge £0 for their services and products.

To the OP: It is far easier, (and far more commercially advantageous) to differentiate yourself from your competitiors based on USPs as opposed to price. Consider items such as customer service levels, speed of delivery, things you can offer or do that your competitors can't or won't etc. Yes, value for money is important and what you offer must be cost effective, but do not get drawn into 'price wars' with your competitors, it's a fool's game.

 

[del1234]

it takes 9 hours to deliver 1000 leaflets to a semi detached, 2 car length driveway estate, (unless you jump the grass). how do i know? i'm a carpet cleaner and have timed it on many occasions as i used to do leafleting my self. why myself? cos i can't find a company that charges enough to satisfy me they are posting them all.
here's a story for you.
i posted 2500 leaflet and got 9 jobs. so i got a company at £30 a 1000 to deliver solusly 10,000 and got 5 jobs, now heres the interesting bit. i got a sheet from the distibutors with around 40 signatures proving that they had delivered the leaflets with there names and addresses. guess what? 4 of the five jobs were on the sheet. coincidence i think not. delivery companies are a complete waste of time at that price, £30 for even 7 hours work (if they ran round) would not cover, petrol costs, premises, insurance, general costs for running the business and then pay 7 hours wages as well. and thats without the time it takes to get 40 signatures from customers. multi leafletting yes, but solus should be around £90 a 1000 to make a living and deliver every leaflet. i would never use a leafleting company again. not on passed experience but on the fact that £20 £30 or even £40 a 1000 is a non profitable business unless corners are cut.
just my opinion by the way.