Drumming Up New Business

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Hey folks I'd like to ask you a few questions. My brother and I are in the later stages of incorporating a welding/fabrication business. Our target areas are servicing the agricultural, industrial and commercial industries and hopefully one day get in with a few general contractors and do structural welding on residential houses as well as your custom and/or production fab. We have a shop, 98 percent of the equipment we will need (still looking for a hydraulic Ironworker for a decent price, at least a 65 ton but would prefer a 110 ton so if anyone has a line on one could you pass it along) and three good contracts that will get us going. What I was wondering is how you guys go about getting more work besides your word of mouth referrals? Do you pound the pavement contacting every industrial facility in your region or do you post ads and wait for phone calls (for those of you that do how much new work do you get from sitting on the phone)?When you pound pavement what do you do to set your company off from every other company out there? Do you drop off a business card, brochure and a key chain flash light (or other perk)? Is there something you would recommend for us to drop off with our card?Any help would be appreciated. The chips are already stacked up against us in this industry being so young (24 and 22, but have 15 years of hands on tool experience between us) luckily a few people seen the potential within our company and are giving us a shot. We would like to be busier though and are coming to you for help. Thanks guys.EDIT: We reside in the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario which is the heart of manufacturing in Ontario (if not all of eastern Canada), rough population of 8.6 million people. We are an hours drive from 7 million people if that helps.Last edited by cdn_electrician; 01-13-2015 at 12:24 AM.
Reply:When I first started out I went to the local Unemployment office & copied a few pages out of the Thomas Register.  It lists the Names of companies, contact person, & Phone #.I made some line cards & mailed 100 or so out.  (Your local Library may have TR also) Got a few customers there.Also posting CL ads a couple of times a week has gotten a lot of business over the years.Good Luck!Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Helping out local groups can often get your name out there, especially in more rural areas. Church groups, 4-H, Scouts etc. It might be you volunteer some time / materials to make something they need, or do a donation for an auction or sale. It might be you open up your shop to show the kids how to make things.You'd be surprised how many small jobs I get because I help out at the local school, or help teach archery for the 4-H. Once the parents find out what I do for a living, I get calls that they need something done around their house. That in turn often leads to them referring me to others they know..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:if you are looking to get into agricultural , try some farm shows or when equipment manufactures have trade shows try and get a table and show what you can weld, fabricate that would interest both the farmer and equipment manufactures.. nothing beats personal contacts and of course good quality work at a reasonable price...in the begining, getting customers is more important than getting top $$$$, once you have a good customer base, prices can go up to what the market will hold, remember, the more volume of HAPPY customers will make your business grow faster, its like a pyramid effect.Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...