Well I’m thinking about some sort of small business loan to try and advertise and get my name out for the spring for mailouts, doorhangers, ETC. I just don’t have capitol to do that without a loan. Anyone think this is a bad idea? Or have any other advise? Thanks!
Kyle
I would just print some flyers and distribute them yourself. Debt is generally a bad thing
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Agreed. This is what I did as well. Especially if you haven’t been in business for long, you don’t really know what works. You’re going to bomb a lot and make a lot of mistakes. Debt magnifies mistakes.
Ive been doing good on making my own flyers and puttng an add in the news paper. one thing dont put in the paper during this time. it is slow. just do your flyers.
Business debt can be a good thing and help move things quickly, but I’d wait until you’ve figured out your system and worked through some of the kinks…it’s very easy to burn through your startup funds.
More importantly though, it’ll be hard if not impossible to get a traditional bank business loan @ 20 even if you have a perfect credit score, because you won’t have the history length. I speak from experience. You could try getting some private loans, like investments from family or associates and with 1-2 year repayment, though. I’d still try and work through at least the first 6 months or so without help to work through some of the problems.
As a new business, I would try to keep debt to a minimum until you know the business will support loan payments. Use it to maybe expand, but wait till you have a solid base business. The last thing you want is to find the business is not for you and end up closing it with a debt outstanding. And what ever way you go, I would suggest small manageable loans to help you grow slowly but solidly. Good luck.
Forget the loan and join wcra! Goodluck by the way
Thread states you are 20 years old which means in order to get an SBA loan you will need a co signer, I would suggest simply putting out flyers like everyone else has suggested and don’t risk money you don’t have
Create a plan to divide your revenue from jobs into 3 segments. One third for equipment and expenses, One third for overhead and profit and one third for marketing and growing your business. Once you do this make up the flyers and start small. As you land a few jobs you will take a third of that money and turn it right back into the business. As you grow your marketing budget will grow with you. you will be surprised at how fast it will snow ball and then you will be past the need for loan. Down the road you can adjust the percentages as needed. To start with the large third of the profits going back towards equipment and marketing allows you to grow quickly.
If my memory serves me correct on the amount it has been said that your first $10,000 is the hardest $10,000 you will ever make in business. Once you make it you will have developed the skills necessary to duplicate the results over and over. Taking out a loan robs you of the lessons learned while making your first $10,000. It’s like the butterfly having to break out of the cocoon. The effort it takes to break out develops the strength necessary to fly. If you help it, it can never fly.
You may feel like you need help because you might not have done it before, but once you do it you realize you could do it all along you just needed the courage to try and the determination to follow through. Just take a short period of time to gather as much advice and information as you can and once that time is up jump in.
It may seem like a big risk to poor what little money you have into marketing with the risk of not getting it back. A loan gives you the illusion that you are not risking your own money but someone elses. This is a misconception though because it is still your money only now that it doesn’t feel like yours you become willing to risk way more than what you can afford or would have risked if it felt like yours. This is how people get into trouble, and its easy to do.
It may seem like it will take forever to go at it small at first but it will go quicker than you think and before you know it you will be wanting to slow it down. Taking it slow at first will give you time to adjust and avoid mistakes you might make if you gain a lot of business right away. the key to growth is not just getting jobs but also learning to keep the jobs you get and getting the most out of each customer you gain. A lot of marketing is not always necessary for growing quickly. A little marketing and a lot of focus on delivering what the customer wants can generate a lot of business with that customer and lead to a lot of referrals and a lot of business with those customers, which is all free marketing.
The Bible sais, “Cast your bread out on the waters and in many days it will return back to you”. Go for it. If Your heart it right God will bless you. A little bit of effort with God blessing it, will produce amazing results 
Really well said my thoughts also:)
I have to agree strongly with this statement. I know its tough when your first out there trying to get work, you see other companies seemingly with all the work they need. “If I just had half their work I would be more than happy!” you may say to yourself. But remember, everyone here that’s been in business awhile know first hand what your going through. We have been there. But, getting into debt to advertise is not a good idea. Advertising does not bring the results you may “think” you’ll get in return. Just look up old posts about ROI, and you will get what we’re saying here.
I have a good friend who works for me part time and also has his own WC business in a town about an hour away. He was talking to me about this same idea. My opinion has not changed, only reconfirmed. He decided against it by the way. But the point is, as was already stated focus on putting in the pavement time. Get your fliers out there. Look up commercial prospects on the net and get the contact info you need to mail something to the right person, the one who CAN make a decision whether to hire you or not. And, like I am about to do, join WCRA! This will help you to grow.
Hang in there, don’t get too discouraged. You are already showing yourself to be pretty bright, starting your own business, joining wcr and networking and not jumping into a business loan head first. Nope, instead you asked for advice. Good man! 
I pass out on average 1000 flyers every week that i print myself and than get them cut at staples. I also get a lot of business from personally going and talking to the the owner/manager.
A long time ago a wise man said “the borrower is servant to the man doing the lending”. By borrowing money we put ourselves into the position of a slave. We give up the freedom to use our money as we wish. We can’t. We need to pay our payment. One challenge is that we live in a “I want it NOW!” society that does not encourage us to be patient, get by with less and to save our money until we can actually afford something, whether it be a new big screen TV, a new car or a new water-fed pole.
I’ve been a slave of the lender and I’ve been free of the lender. Free is so much better.
Tony
There are many reasons i chose window cleaning as a business. Not the least of which was because I didn’t need a loan to get started.
I am here: Google Maps
If you already have the equipment for resi, you’re in a good position. Advertising can be super expensive, or super cheap. Start with fliers, they are cheap and effective.
Look at online print shops. A little while ago I printed 2,500 5x7 postcards for about $120 or so from Gotprint. Full color, glossy, very professional looking. (I designed them in Photoshop)
Pass out those babies, and even in winter you should make enough profit to grow a little and repeat the process. You only need to land one job and you’re in the black.
You have $120, right?
