Used Furnitures

I have an antique furniture restoration business and am at a loss as to how to market it. ?

I have an antique furniture restoration business for the public and for antique dealers and am totally at a loss as to how to market it it used to be that the phone would ring off the hook with business and now nothing. does anyone know how I would go about finding the people who need my services?

Public Comments

1. Seek out the Competition and observe how they are marketing their business. Look for ads etc. Visit the store as a customer.
2. I too am a small business owner. I pass out my business card to anyone who will listen. I leave them in restaurants and other business places where the public can see them. Advertise on your local Craig's List if you have something like that. Check out the yellow pages for antique shops and send them a letter. I need someone like you in Indiana to compliment my upholstery business. Moving companies have damage claims that need to be repaired too.
3. There are some advertising suggestions already, but what I'd like you to do is consider your former customers. What areas did they come from? What sorts of businesses did they run? What kind of income did they have? These answers will give you a lot of clues on where to place your advertisements to make sure that the same people and the same types of people know about you. Don't be afraid to call former dealers and stores to remind them about your services. Perhaps ask them if they'd like you to come pick some stuff up or maybe offer them a discount incentive.
4. You might consider placing ads in local area publications such as Thrifty Nickel or Penny Saver, or similar ones. Make the case that in this time of economic hardship, it may be more cost-effective to refurnish that antique or older furniture than get new furniture, especially talking about the stronger construction that older furniture has over new furniture!! these don't have to be huge ads, but the effect needs to reach people. Consider areas where the income level is higher than normal. People who can afford antiques can afford to have them redone.
5. Make a flyer. You can do it on you own computer with Publisher. Take them to antique stores that sell furniture. This is a win-win. Now they can sell a beat up piece of furniture with the vision of how it will look after you refinish it and your work doesn’t compete with their business. You can even give them a small commission for any work you get.
6. dude the economy sucks but Antique Roadshow is killing your industry / service / livelihood. millions of people watch it and every week they say "Boy am I glad you didn't refinish it" or "it's worth double being un refinished" maybe change and be a cabinet maker "building today's cabinets to match an antique look", or something.... good luck!