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Slow is normal for starting out. I've started a half dozen businesses, all did well, all made money, and all started slow. Advertising is great, but advertise smart. Here, I can buy 5 $15 ads in 5 county papers, or I can buy 1 $90 ad in the major daily. I have never made the ad cost in the local weeklys, always done well in the daily. Spend smart. I've never been cheap and Ive almost always had a 'regular' job. My first jobs were 'emergency jobs', Joe got drunk, Jim broke down, etc and the person needed it NOW! People skills, when I learned I am not selling a skidloader job, a load of hay, or a tractor but marketing myself, it made a difference. I always clean up and dress decent to bid work, offer an ironclad guarentee that I will do a job on time, on budget, and have a sane and sober operator with good equipment. I remind myself every time I see what some operators are working for about a guy who cussed me and said I was too high (when I was first starting out hay baling), I thanked him and left. I watched one operator break down (running junk), and the next get drunk. 4 days later, on Sunday afternoon he was in my driveway (with rain coming) and asked me if I would do the job. I told him yes (at the rate I quoted him). Never, ever havent had to turn away work since/
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