Best places to advertise?

[RATTER15]

Im looking for ideas for places to advertise a new venture, still in its infancy?

I will be offering a whole range of care facilities for the elderly and disabled.

The services will probably include the following.

Cooking and cleaning
a minding service including overnight stays if required
the full range of personal care including bathing, putting to bed and getting up again.
Escort for day trips (Possibly)
the whole range of DIY services

I dont really want to use yellow pages, I will look at a cheap or free website, suggestion for a free website would be welcomed.
also looking at the best places to leave/put up flyers, I will also produce a small brochure which could also be distributed.

[RATTER15]

Lots of great ideas coming in, sherrardk, do you have an address for that company your husbands web site is with ?

I cant do much in the way of advertising just yet as it may upset my current employers as it would be seen as a conflict of interests, i need to wait a while, so im just getting everything simmering on the back boiler at the moment :-)

[4getmenot]

ah I see, so you cant actually take any clients, you best check your current contract too.

[starone]

I think Age Concern will help you by entering you in their list of people who offer this sort of service. Might be worth enquiring. The Care Assistants employed by the NHS do not give such a comprehensive service as you are offering so you should do well.

[Maydup]

Go for the internet and facebook options but also rememeber that your target audience is unlikely to be online. (Although their sons and daughters might be and they could just as easily be the purchasers on behalf of their parents).

To balance this look at associating yourself with places older people trust, like doctors surgeries or the chemists.

The same for publications. Your customers are unlikely to know where to start in the Yellow Pages, but would be very trusting of someone advertising in a Saga mag, an Age UK newsletter or Womans Weekly.

Finally, try to get an article on a local publication. Do something to attract attention to yourself like a sponsored dog walk in aid of a new mobility scooter for one of your customers. Think big and be creative. Good luck.

[sherrardk]

Hi Ratter - it's Microsoft office, it does look very professional but I don't know how technically minded you need to be to do it properly. Good luck.

[RATTER15]

4get //ah I see, so you cant actually take any clients, you best check your current contract too.//

No I cant take any clients at this stage, I am still researching all angles and looking for ideas, my current contract would not permit this venture, hence my last post.

[237SJ]

How about in the ND Journal? It`s not free admittedly, but what about the local radio station (is it Heart now, used to be Lantern). I`m not sure about Facebook etc, how many elderly potential clients would look at that or even be computer literate? I`ve a friend who`s been a nurse in ND for years (hospital, then health centre, now travelling around doing respiratory care). I`ll ask her if she has any ideas.

[RATTER15]

237sj, I will be looking into advertising with the ND Journal and other local rags, maybe even local radio :)

4get, I was interested about what you were saying about registering to accept more than 3 clients, I think this maybe local to your area?

I have been talking to CQC (Care Quality Commission) and Social Services, they were more than a little confused by this and surprisingly told me that I actually do not need to register with anybody and that Social Services would be sending out my contact details and details of the services I supply as soon as Im up and running. I was hoping things were a little more regulated than that!

[cathfromsaron]

gumtree? leaflets in hospitals and GPs? leave business cards in shops?

[4getmenot]

couldnt remember the name of who you have to be registered too, but now you have said it I'm sure you must be part of CQC if you care for so many service users just dont know how many. But if you have been talking to them I'm sure they would tell you more.

[RATTER15]

4get, CQC will only register organisations, not individuals, Ive spoken to Social Services and the local Council, all are unaware of having to register with anyone. If I start employing people then it becomes an organisation and I will need to register.

It appears that anybody without any training or qualifications can do this work with no questions asked!

[4getmenot]

without training? That seems strange, what if they need hoisting etc. Hope if you decide to start up it all goes well x