If you run a plumbing, electrical, building, landscaping or other trade business, there is a good chance that most of your work comes from people who already know you, somebody who has recommended you or somebody who has seen your van parked outside a house. That is not a bad marketing strategy. In fact, it tells you something useful about how people choose a tradesperson: they want evidence that you do good work and that somebody else trusts you.

The problem is that recommendations are difficult to control. You might be flat out one month and wondering where the next enquiry is coming from the following month. The good news is that you do not necessarily need a huge advertising budget to make your business more visible. Sometimes it is about getting a little more value from the work you are already doing.

1. Turn every completed job into an opportunity for the next one

Imagine you have just finished a driveway on a residential street. The neighbours have seen the work taking place, perhaps spoken to your team and noticed the result. That is probably the moment when your business is most relevant to them. A small, well designed leaflet delivered to the surrounding houses, with a photograph of the finished work and a simple way to contact you, makes far more sense than an untargeted leaflet that tells people you do “all aspects of building work”.

Ask the customer before using photographs of their property or mentioning the location. The point is to make the message specific and timely, not intrusive.

2. Make your vehicle explain what you do

A branded van is useful, but a logo and telephone number are not always enough. Somebody seeing it for three seconds in traffic needs to understand the service you offer. If your business name does not make that obvious, a clear line such as “Domestic Plumbing and Heating” may do more work than a long list of everything you have ever installed.

Keep the contact details readable. If the design only works when somebody is standing a meter away from a parked van, it is probably trying to say too much.

3. Give people a reason to keep your details

A leaflet does not have to sell a job today. A simple seasonal checklist, maintenance reminder or guide to common problems can be genuinely useful. A roofer could share a short winter roof check. A gardener could produce a seasonal garden care guide. A heating engineer could offer a straightforward explanation of when to book a service.

People are more likely to keep something that helps them than something that simply announces that you are available.

4. Ask for reviews while the work is still fresh

Good reviews can help prospective customers feel more confident about getting in touch. The easiest time to ask is usually just after a job has been completed and the customer is pleased with the result. Make the process easy by sending a direct link or putting a QR code on your handover card or invoice.

Do not overcomplicate it. A polite request, at the right time, is often all that is needed. Never offer incentives in exchange for positive reviews.

5. Look like the same business everywhere

Your van, workwear, quotation, business card, site board and website do not need to be elaborate, but they should look as though they belong to the same company. Consistency makes you easier to recognise. It also helps when somebody has seen your van, later spots your site board and finally searches for you online.

We see this quite often at Soar Valley Press. Somebody comes to us for a batch of leaflets and, once we start talking, it turns out their signage and workwear could benefit from the same visual approach. The advantage is not simply having matching colours. It is making the business easier to remember.

6. Use site boards carefully

If you are working on a project where a board is appropriate and permission has been given, it can be a particularly effective local advert. It shows that somebody nearby has trusted you with a job. Make the service and contact details clear and ensure the board is safely positioned.

A smart site board can work for weeks while the project is under way. A photograph of that same board alongside the finished work can then be used on your website or social media, with permission.

7. Follow up the enquiries you have already earned

It is easy to concentrate on getting new enquiries and overlook the ones that have already arrived. How many quotations have you sent in the past month where the customer has not yet made a decision? A polite follow up can sometimes achieve more than another advertising campaign.

You do not need complicated software. A simple system that reminds you who to contact and when is a good start. The important thing is making it a habit rather than relying on memory.

What should you do first?

I would not suggest doing all seven things at once. Pick the one that is most likely to make a difference. If you have a busy van but nobody can read what you do, start there. If you complete great work but never ask for reviews, make that your next improvement. If you have a steady flow of local jobs, perhaps a well targeted leaflet is worth testing.

Then measure what happens. Ask new customers how they found you. Keep a note of which jobs came from recommendations, local leaflets, site boards or your website. That is how you work out what deserves more attention.

At Soar Valley Press, we produce leaflets, site boards, vehicle graphics, branded workwear and plenty of other things that can help a trades business look more professional. But I would rather start with what you are trying to achieve than simply sell you a thousand leaflets.

If you want to see what is possible, have a browse through our product brochure here: https://www.soarvalleypress.co.uk/pmb

You might discover something you had not considered.

Or just tell us what kind of work you do, who you want to reach and roughly what you want to spend. We can talk through some sensible options.