Stolen signs
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Reisterstown,MD
Stolen signs
Somebody keeps stealing my new Snowplow business signs
. I have placed them in my neighborhood on State and GAS Company property. Has this happen to any of you. How do you guy’s advertise you businesses. I can’t afford to keep replacing these signs. Maybe somehow I can booby-trap the 
culprits, any ideal's. I am sure it's somebody with a snowplow business.
. I have placed them in my neighborhood on State and GAS Company property. Has this happen to any of you. How do you guy’s advertise you businesses. I can’t afford to keep replacing these signs. Maybe somehow I can booby-trap the culprits, any ideal's. I am sure it's somebody with a snowplow business.
Junior User
Joined: May 2003
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Are you sure somebody's stealing them? It could be the state and gas company removing them from their property.
I wouldn't boobytrap them unless you want their disappearance to be the least of your problems.
Advertise in your paper, put notices up on store bulletin boards with a pull-off phone number, talk to landscapers about working for them when they get too busy. Get magnetic signs for the side of your truck that say "SNOW PLOWING" with your phone number. Or do that time honored tradition of underbidding the other guy on commercial jobs.
That's all I've got.
I wouldn't boobytrap them unless you want their disappearance to be the least of your problems.
Advertise in your paper, put notices up on store bulletin boards with a pull-off phone number, talk to landscapers about working for them when they get too busy. Get magnetic signs for the side of your truck that say "SNOW PLOWING" with your phone number. Or do that time honored tradition of underbidding the other guy on commercial jobs.
That's all I've got.
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Joined: May 2003
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I agree. It might be a competitor, but it might not. If advertising in the right-of-ways is illegal, some citizens pull up signs just to keep the clutter down. I've also seen city employees "stealing" such signs.
Booby-trapping is also the wrong thing to do. For example, you can't protect your home with booby-traps that shoot people if they break in (while you aren't there). You would be charged with murder or manslaugher. If you booby-trap a sign, you would be liable for the damages or injury.
Booby-trapping is also the wrong thing to do. For example, you can't protect your home with booby-traps that shoot people if they break in (while you aren't there). You would be charged with murder or manslaugher. If you booby-trap a sign, you would be liable for the damages or injury.
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Senior User
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From: Reisterstown,MD
Pretty sure somebody is taking them. I have signs already for the truck. I just wanted the neighbors seeing the signs everyday as they drive in/out of the development. I have picked up new customers from the signs that were stolen. If I was to post in a store, I will receive calls from all over. I just want to keep my plowing local. I'll make up some mailers and put them into mailboxes. Next year I will get an earlier start and under bid that snow pusher stealing my signs. I will make him pay for it in the long run. Maybe just maybe I’ll see a chebby stuck in a snowdrift while plowing snow in my neighborhood and ask him a few questions!
QUOTE=farmwheels]Are you sure somebody's stealing them? It could be the state and gas company removing them from their property.
I wouldn't boobytrap them unless you want their disappearance to be the least of your problems.
Advertise in your paper, put notices up on store bulletin boards with a pull-off phone number, talk to landscapers about working for them when they get too busy. Get magnetic signs for the side of your truck that say "SNOW PLOWING" with your phone number. Or do that time honored tradition of underbidding the other guy on commercial jobs.
That's all I've got.[/QUOTE]
QUOTE=farmwheels]Are you sure somebody's stealing them? It could be the state and gas company removing them from their property.
I wouldn't boobytrap them unless you want their disappearance to be the least of your problems.
Advertise in your paper, put notices up on store bulletin boards with a pull-off phone number, talk to landscapers about working for them when they get too busy. Get magnetic signs for the side of your truck that say "SNOW PLOWING" with your phone number. Or do that time honored tradition of underbidding the other guy on commercial jobs.
That's all I've got.[/QUOTE]
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Senior User
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From: Reisterstown,MD
I think it would be pretty hard to prove who placed the booby trap
. Other signs are still there just mine missing.
. Other signs are still there just mine missing.
Originally Posted by jwdeats
I agree. It might be a competitor, but it might not. If advertising in the right-of-ways is illegal, some citizens pull up signs just to keep the clutter down. I've also seen city employees "stealing" such signs.
Booby-trapping is also the wrong thing to do. For example, you can't protect your home with booby-traps that shoot people if they break in (while you aren't there). You would be charged with murder or manslaugher. If you booby-trap a sign, you would be liable for the damages or injury.
Booby-trapping is also the wrong thing to do. For example, you can't protect your home with booby-traps that shoot people if they break in (while you aren't there). You would be charged with murder or manslaugher. If you booby-trap a sign, you would be liable for the damages or injury.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Just don't get caught putting your flyers in any mailboxes as that is a Federal offense, and the Postal Service has time to prosecute things like that.
Go door to door in your developement and put the signs on the truck. My guess is that you'll get half of your new business "While you are there."
Go door to door in your developement and put the signs on the truck. My guess is that you'll get half of your new business "While you are there."
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"I think it would be pretty hard to prove who placed the booby trap."
If you are going to booby-trap a sign with your company name and phone number on it, you might as well go ahead and leave your address so they won't have to look up that information to arrest you.
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Postmaster
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From: OK
Originally Posted by dsweger
Just don't get caught putting your flyers in any mailboxes as that is a Federal offense, and the Postal Service has time to prosecute things like that.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: McHenry, Il
The wife helps her brother with an heating and air business. they have done the following:
1. Stuffed newspaper boxs(not mail)
2. Run yellow page add (not cheap)
3. Done mailers (local, printed themselves, also cheap)
4. Run add in local paper "Services" section.
For what it is worth, they got the best results with #1 and #4. Good luck.
1. Stuffed newspaper boxs(not mail)
2. Run yellow page add (not cheap)
3. Done mailers (local, printed themselves, also cheap)
4. Run add in local paper "Services" section.
For what it is worth, they got the best results with #1 and #4. Good luck.
Post Fiend
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5,324
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From: Denton,TX
Originally Posted by steamer1234
Somebody keeps stealing my new Snowplow business signs . I have placed them in my neighborhood on State and GAS Company property. Has this happen to any of you. How do you guy’s advertise you businesses. I can’t afford to keep replacing these signs. Maybe somehow I can booby-trap the culprits, any ideal's. I am sure it's somebody with a snowplow business.
. I have placed them in my neighborhood on State and GAS Company property. Has this happen to any of you. How do you guy’s advertise you businesses. I can’t afford to keep replacing these signs. Maybe somehow I can booby-trap the culprits, any ideal's. I am sure it's somebody with a snowplow business. Last edited by johnsdiesel; Nov 29, 2004 at 03:44 PM.
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Senior User
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From: Reisterstown,MD
Your right. Maybe I will put your name and address on the sign. Boy some people just can't take a joke. But for you other guys thanks for the good information.
Originally Posted by jwdeats
Yeah, maybe so. Maybe the cops would be too dumb to call the number listed on the booby-trapped sign.
If you are going to booby-trap a sign with your company name and <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=phone&v=56">phone</a> number on it, you might as well go ahead and leave your address so they won't have to look up that information to arrest you.
If you are going to booby-trap a sign with your company name and <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=phone&v=56">phone</a> number on it, you might as well go ahead and leave your address so they won't have to look up that information to arrest you.
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From: The OC!
Originally Posted by phil350
3. Done mailers (local, printed themselves, also cheap)
You just gotta take the stuff to the post office's bulk mail door yourself to be sent off. It's usually a 24-48 hour turnaround from when I stick them in the post office to when they appear in the mailboxes!
reguy
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Senior User
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From: Reisterstown,MD
That's a great ideal and I know somebody with a stamp. I am sure the person with a stamp also knows a printer.
Thanks, reguy.
Thanks, reguy.
Originally Posted by reguy
I've done this for my business and it's reeeeal cheap and yields a good number of orders. This is great for advertising by geographical area. Just find a cheap local printer, and find a friend with a business that has a PRESORTED mail stamp and use it. The post office doesn't care whose stamp it is...at least mine doesn't. It's 16.2 cents for postage. For addresses, just run them in the USPS website for valid addresses.
You just gotta take the stuff to the post office's bulk mail door yourself to be sent off. It's usually a 24-48 hour turnaround from when I stick them in the post office to when they appear in the mailboxes!
reguy
You just gotta take the stuff to the post office's bulk mail door yourself to be sent off. It's usually a 24-48 hour turnaround from when I stick them in the post office to when they appear in the mailboxes!
reguy
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Ohio
Best Advice: Just wait for it to snow! Treat them right and you will get more advertisement by word of mouth and repeat business for next year.....I live in the country with a 9' snow blower on the back of my tractor....I get calls from all over needing help and I do not want the business, I have to say no and they still insist.
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Joined: May 2003
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From: NW Montana
Originally Posted by phil350
The wife helps her brother with an heating and air business. they have done the following:
1. Stuffed newspaper boxs(not mail)
2. Run yellow page add (not cheap)
3. Done mailers (local, printed themselves, also cheap)
4. Run add in local paper "Services" section.
For what it is worth, they got the best results with #1 and #4. Good luck.
1. Stuffed newspaper boxs(not mail)
2. Run yellow page add (not cheap)
3. Done mailers (local, printed themselves, also cheap)
4. Run add in local paper "Services" section.
For what it is worth, they got the best results with #1 and #4. Good luck.
Last edited by t_j82; Nov 30, 2004 at 08:27 AM.