Augmenting the cost of tools...

[evfreek]

Hi RC. I have never tried a website. They work for some folks. Don't work for others.

The thing that has worked best for me is word of mouth. No business cards even. My greatest enemy is the false lead. You have got to be able to recognize this. People are cruel in the way that they undervalue you. One of my largest commissions was being installed, and the client joked with me. "How many leads did you get when you were installing it?" He really valued my work. On the contrary, I saw some of the neighbors gawking, and I could just hear them saying to themselves, "He's installing that monstrosity in our neighborhood????!!?" You have to be able to glance at that nosy neighbor, and decide immediately that he is not worth one of your business cards, let alone another glance.

And these creeps do you a service by letting you know how crappy they think your work is. What is even worse is the people who undervalue you and show it by not paying or paying slowly. Sometimes they have a big smile on their faces, and a firm handshake. I just remember what the old smith said in Foxfire 5. Let 'em slide twice, but on the third no pay, send them to the other smith. Fortunately, my old company made me do a marketing rotation (ugh) to the district offices. That was an eye opener, and it helped me see through the BS a lot better.

So, word of mouth is a double edged sword.

I have spent enough time doing lucrative things that are no fun, and you gotta have fun. Remember what Warren Buffet said about how tragic it was for a man with enough money doing something he did not like just for the pay.