Senior citizens are generally not a large marketing segment for mobile detailers or car washers, however, they should not be ignored. You will find in a near by area a seniors-only mobile home park. You will also find square dance clubs and senior centers. All of these places can be extremely good places to look for new business. If you want to accelerate word of mouth advertising, you should meet with people in these groups. Wash cars at senior centers while they play cards. Hand out flyers, etc.
In mobile home parks you should hand out flyers and put flyers on bulletin boards in the recreation rooms. If you wash one mobile home in a mobile home park, the word of mouth will spread the news of your service like wildfire. Next thing you know, you'll be washing every mobile home in the place. Sometimes a simple visit to the park's manager who usually lives on-site is enough to get the ball rolling.
Many senior citizens belong to groups like: veteran's groups, AARP, Masonic Lodges, temples, churches, senior volunteer programs, Shriners Clubs, garden clubs, sewing clubs, antique auto clubs, Audubon Society, arts councils and various political groups. Many of the more affluent seniors play golf and many of the local courses have senior discount days where you can meet the senior crowd. They are usually members of well-known local clubs and organizations; great for word of mouth networking. Many times they will have their cars washed while golfing. Usually most municipal or older golf courses have senior day discounts once per week. Some seniors simply use the driving range during senior day. This is good as it provides good turn over in the parking lot. Every hour new golfers come to hit balls.
Square dances are very popular amongst the older crowd. A city with a population of over 50,000 could have as many as four to five groups. Each group may have a membership of fifteen to one hundred people.
Any city or community worth its salt has a senior center. It is imperative to develop a good working relationship with the program director. She (usually a she) is in contact with all senior groups, activities, field trips and such. Senior centers usually have racks of pamphlets near their entrance with interesting information, schedules of upcoming events and lists of names, phone numbers and addresses of the board of directors of various non-profit organizations throughout the area. You will be amazed at the incredible network seniors have and how fast word of mouth information spreads. Many seniors are involved in more than one group or activity. You may be at a bridge club meeting washing cars one day and the next day you will get called by the instructor at the square dance club. Then the following day you wash cars for a political action committee while volunteers stuff envelopes. This can go on day after day. You can significantly speed up the word of mouth advertising with this segment by showing up at various senior centers.
You must also remember that negative word of mouth topics permeate from these groups too. Don't let this happen to you. Spend an extra minute or two with each senior customer. Ask them if they wouldn't mind giving two or three flyers to their very best friends. Usually they will. Get to know each senior customers by name; you'll be glad you did. Name dropping amongst seniors is great, a they value relationships with friends with much higher regard than the younger crowd does. They will try to help you by offering advise about how you might attain more business and places you might go to. Acknowledge these tidbits even if you think they are ridiculous. It is sometimes the ridiculous things that bring you to a new idea. Even if you don't want any new business, listen anyway. Many of the greatest ideas we ever go to help our company innovate came from talking with seniors with a slightly different perspective than today's rat race.
Accept all tips from seniors even if you think they can't afford it. This is one of the greatest compliments they can give you. It means they accept you. This is not an easy thing for a senior to do, especially since younger generations constantly fail to even acknowledge their existence and fail to meet their work ethic expectations. The gap has been widened before you got there and it is your job to close the gap. By uniting the seniors and your company and uniting the kids of the multitude of fundraising groups you help, you can unite the entire community. You can be something everyone can talk about. Grandparents and grandkids can all talk about your company.
Too get information on car wash fundraisers, search Google; "car wash fundraisers"
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
limo prices to midway Crystal Lake west of Randal .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMany auto detailers fall short in their sales presentations. I... Read More
In the summer, I can't drive two blocks without seeing... Read More
Before you start a business we encourage you to prepare... Read More
Think of all of your business ideas as tiny seeds... Read More
Q: I will be retiring this year at age 60... Read More
Competition in the business world is often viewed as a... Read More
If you want to start a business in 2005, and... Read More
Now that winter has passed, the annual ritual of spring... Read More
In my previous article, Step 1, your challenge for the... Read More
How far can you go based on your relationship with... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More
Introduction: This article is written as a general discussion on... Read More
As a franchisor I am always asked by new and... Read More
I've got good news and bad news. The good news... Read More
When does your ego get in the way?Let's go back... Read More
Purchasing a franchise has become one of the most popular... Read More
(Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the... Read More
Think of your business as a living, breathing, organism. It... Read More
Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify... Read More
Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy,... Read More
Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take... Read More
There are only a handful of car wash franchises in... Read More
We love Wichita because it has great all round weather... Read More
What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that... Read More
taxi o'hare Auburn ..Opportunities for home show businesses have never been more abundant.... Read More
As a teenager I worked for my father's small business.... Read More
Mobile carwashing is hard work, it is tough on the... Read More
CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
One of the most common horrific mistakes a business can... Read More
There will come a time in your business where you... Read More
Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More
The difference between rates and wages is not always clear... Read More
How do you make sure you have the business solutions... Read More
Most small businesses will not even try to advertise on... Read More
A few years ago, I visited Beijing for the first... Read More
One of the hidden perks of raising six children is... Read More
Are you a small business owner who wants to expand... Read More
No matter type of business you operate you've got to... Read More
Motivational author and speaker Jim Rohn says that for a... Read More
When the recent Games of the XXVIII Olympiad came to... Read More
Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take... Read More
Do you own a franchised business? Over 400,000 franchised businesses... Read More
A corporate shell could be liken to a house that... Read More
Franchising is the fastest way to build small businesses, provide... Read More
When pressure washing heavy equipment each piece of equipment has... Read More
If you plan to upgrade your workshop into an Authorized... Read More
How to identify future solutions and opportunities?Your power page, if... Read More
Boston itself covers 50 square miles of concrete and traffic,... Read More
Hew Hampshire car wash market. Well we have visited every... Read More
Small Business |