How do you advertize your firewood business?

[iamspt]

My son wanted to start a firewood buisness like I did when I was growing up. So I thought he'd learn valuable life lessons and earn some cash jus tlike I did so we got a splitter and are off and running. Boy has things changed since I sold my last cord of wood almost 20 something years ago. How are you advertizing or promoting your sales? Interested in how you are doing things in your neck of the woods.

Thanks!

 

[fishboat]

sources

As someone that looks for firewood I'd say make posts in your local craigslist, it's free:

http://cnj.craigslist.org/

(click on your state and you'll see different areas in your state)

or go here:

http://www.firewoodcenter.com/index.shtml

click on discussion board

or go here:

http://www.**********/

the drop down has a price area to post in...this site also has a very active wood burning forum

Few things help adveristing more than a reasonable price.

 

[Peacock]

A big ugly painted sign in the corner of a field. The corner is near a busy intersection where 3 roads come together. It is also the corner of the 200 acre farm where I cut from.

 

[Brushwacker]

I seldom advertise. When I started about 25 years ago, my Dad and me drove up to the bigger towns and consulted with firewood dealers up there and one outfit started buying most of the wood I cut, mostly unsplit 16 inch logs right where I cut them. They brought a 2 ton truck with a few guys and did most of the loading and even helped move the brush. The price was a little higher then 1/2 the price of split wood but they did 2/3 or more of the work. They took 2 to 3 cord a week most of the summer and close to twice as much during the winter. Word of mouth got most of my other sales although I did sell split wood to other dealers I contacted at times. Now a days most of my sales are local direct to homes for heat. I have about 6 regular customers that buy almost all or most of their wood from me + I get now and then orders from people short on wood.

 

[Brushwacker]

Worth mentioning, many people that buy from me express dissatisfaction from previous wood purchased from someone else that wouldn't burn well usually because it wasn't dry enough. If your wood isn't well dryed and seasoned make sure they understand what you have to offer and will be satisfied with it or you likely will not get a repeat sale.
I cut a lot of dead trees that are well seasoned and plenty dry to satisfy most customers but when working up wood the bottom sections of most these trees and sometimes more of the tree holds to much moisture to burn well. I burn the ununiform pieces and some of the smaller limb wood myself so I know how well this wood burns and know how to pick and choose these trees and judge suitable wood ready to burn. Some spots the dead trees do not dry out well, and where they do get cured out well it usually takes a minimum of 2 to 3 years. If its laying on the ground it most often doesn't dry good either.

 

[Husky137]

I've expanded my sales by referall and word of mouth, sold out every year. Most of my competitors seem to have good luck by putting an ad in the classifieds of the local newspaper.

Selling a good product at a fair price will do wonders for repeat business.

 

[yooperman]

Honesty will get you repeat customers and word of mouth. I tell my customers when the wood was cut, blocked, split, and tell them how it was piled off the ground(bunch of pallets). Like the previous post I get alot of customers tell me how they got "taken" by the last beer money firewood guy. Most can tell from the sound of the 1st couple pieces to hit the ground that the wood is good. I asked one customer if he got charged extra for the mushrooms growing out the ends of the damp popple he got from another guy. As far as advertising-T-shirts and sweatshirts when delivering, around town so you look like your in this for awhile, large easily read signs on my truck (on back too) "Firewood and phone #", local paper and around the holidays I send all my customers a generic logging themed "holiday" card thanking them for the business and including business cards and what next years looking like. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Corley5]

The first winter I sold firewood I advertised in classified ads in local papers. Late the next summer I ran ads again for a couple weeks. It's been over a year since I've done any advertising and the phone rings on a regular basis

 

[Haywire Haywood]

This is my first year playing around selling a bit and I put an ad in the local paper a couple months ago (a couple months too early BTW). I sold one load from the paper ad that covered the ad plus $30 I think. The other loads I sold were from Craig's list ads. I put up a new one every 3-4 weeks. I had one get flagged and deleted for some reason. I never got an explaination tho. The 4 or 5 cord I had cut from last year has sold out and I'm selling what I cut this spring now. Of course I tell them that it isn't fully seasoned but they don't seem to mind.

Ian

 

[iamspt]

Wow...this is alot of good information!

Thanks for the replies guy's! I really appreciate all your input.

I gather that most of you have started froms cratch as we are doing. How have you set yourself apart from the competition? Here in the North East it seems like there are alot of players in the game (only realized this well after we have gotten involved) abviously there is room for everyone to make out but need to set myself apart form the others. how do YOU do that in your area? Also how do you set your prices? how many choices/product selectionsh do you provide?

Again, we appreciate your input!!!

 

[saginaw22]

Every try posting and ad in at the super market
party store, gas, station, or just print up a
few business cards and pin them up were ever
you see a few on the walls....it works....

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Every try posting and ad in at the super market
party store, gas, station, or just print up a
few business cards and pin them up were ever
you see a few on the walls....it works....

I printed out a few of those for that but found that a lot of stores have taken down the bulletin boards that used to hold that kind of thing. I think I found one place to put one up but I don't think I have sold anything from it.

Ian

 

[Brushwacker]

Thanks for the replies guy's! I really appreciate all your input.

I gather that most of you have started froms cratch as we are doing. How have you set yourself apart from the competition? Here in the North East it seems like there are alot of players in the game (only realized this well after we have gotten involved) abviously there is room for everyone to make out but need to set myself apart form the others. how do YOU do that in your area? Also how do you set your prices? how many choices/product selectionsh do you provide?

Again, we appreciate your input!!!

I do not drop my prices to beat any body that wants to beat mine. I try to keep close to an average price, operate efficiently as possible and give the customer as close to what he wants that I can get. I tell them I will not be offended if they take avantage of any better wood deals. Those offering better wood deals almost always can't keep up and eventually reliaze they are working hard for peanuts and quit, or as yoop said sell a little wood for beer money, a lot of which is poor quality or just not what the customers want, such as to long or big, damp, decayed etc. Around here most like uniform, split mostly into small and medium size pieces, some like bigger chunks so I ask when taking the order. I sell for less unsplit or if delivered straight from the cutting sight without having to stack or pile it to finish seasoning before delivery. If somebody wants all 1 species of a premium wood I may price it higher, but most of my sales are mixed hardwoods, with small amounts of intermediate (lighter wood such as silver maple )wood.

 

[sloth9669]

good topic

I think ill take a lil bit away form there and add a few things. I use the internet and word of mouth after that. Ive gotten sales even from google. Average 30 people a day on the web site...but alot of that is just to read the info on there. Best of luck.

 

[Fordman99]

a good name!!

Enough can't be said about a good name and reputation.A good product at a fair price,word travels fast when a seller is friendly,courteuos and timely with deliveries( if available)

 

[goblin]

I think ill take a lil bit away form there and add a few things. I use the internet and word of mouth after that. Ive gotten sales even from google. Average 30 people a day on the web site...but alot of that is just to read the info on there. Best of luck.

It'd be nice when you say something like this if you provide a link to your 'ad' or website so we can take a peek

 

[pacman]

nice info

I love this thread,lots of good info !

 

[pacman]

my flier ad

I printed out a few of those for that but found that a lot of stores have taken down the bulletin boards that used to hold that kind of thing. I think I found one place to put one up but I don't think I have sold anything from it.

Ian

THis is how I post ads on my fliers .

 

[sloth9669]

It'd be nice when you say something like this if you provide a link to your 'ad' or website so we can take a peek

www.mvfirewood.com

 

[pacman]

Sloth9669 thats a very nice web site . How did you make that site ? I want one just like that .

Mike