help with a flyer design

[lozzylou]

my partner is trying to start a little gardening business, doing anything from mowing to completely changing the garden. we are trying to design a starter flyer to try and get some customers in. can anyone help with the wording. what slogans we should put etc etc.

what sort of thngs make you want to read a flyer when it comes through your door

[Twenty20]

It's difficult to say what exactly makes a person read a flyer. the truth is that most end up in the bin. Usually it comes down to luck in getting your flyer onto the right person's desk (or doormat in your case) at the right time. If youre lucky some people who read it may put it to one side thinking it may be useful in the future.

I suppose I could throw the question back to you, what makes you read a flyer that comes through the door rather than bin it straight away? It really comes down to if its relevant to the person who picks it up.

Its generally accepted that words like FREE (free advice, free estimate etc) make people notice it, but it is possible to overdo this. Perhaps in your instance something like 'no job too small (or too large)' would cover grass mowing and any larger jobs. Also, dont use the word 'cheap' even if you are cheap (in a nice sense!), call it 'very reasonable charges' or something like that as 'cheap' tends to put people off. You could also offer discounts to pensioners etc, which may be a market for you and put this on the flyer. Money off is always a winner!

[Mully79]

Hi Lozzy

It depends what market you're aiming at. Personally I'd avoid using clipart style designs as this always looks fairly cheap. Perhaps full colour is the way to go and if you could get some professional quality pics of nice gardens this would better convey (more than words) what you are offering. I would always go for a nice gloss stock rather than cheap matt paper.

Have a couple of quality photos on there and some short bullet points describing the main services you're offering. I would get a memorable business name and logo prominently displayed, plus a short sub heading, i.e. "gardening services". Remember people might just glance at this so writing an essay is a no-no, their attention span may just last to read your company name and what you do. Perhaps also put on a web address or email, as well as a phone number. Many people like to do a bit more homework on a company they wish to hire and might not want to phone first.

Perhaps also try getting a couple of flyers pinned in your local shop windows, or give a batch to put on the counter at your local library, kids play centre, anywhere like that. Then people who may be interested would pick one up for themselves.

By the way I'm a graphic designer, if you need any help or anything designing just let me know (no charge for a fellow ABer!).