How to Start Your Own Flyer Distribution Service

There are many thousands of business opportunities advertised on the internet and in offline media. Sadly, quite a few of them are scams. And even if they're not, they usually require that you begin as a tiny player in a very large venture. You have to commit lots of time and energy to the project and if the money ever does start flowing it usually comes in only after several months or more.

But there's one way of making money from home (or at least around your home) that is sure fire. And you don't have to sign up to a downline, pay a fee, or complete a course. You start as your own boss and stay there.

The job: distributing promotional flyers, leaflets, and brochures through residential areas.

You really can begin with almost zero outlay. It's one of the most pleasant ways of making some extra money. And all the walking you'll be doing will have major health benefits.

This is hard work, and you won't make a million bucks. So don't give up your main job! But you can definitely supplement your income, and it will open up lots of other options as well.

Here's how to get started:

Firstly, at the risk of sounding pedantic, check that putting promotional material (often described as “junk mail”) into residential letterboxes is legal where you live. There have been campaigns to outlaw this practice and they may have succeeded in some countries.

Then check with your accountant about the tax implications of doing this. This will be business income and different countries have different laws regarding it. (In Australia, where I live, an ABN is required. As long as you put this on invoices for your clients and declare your earnings as business income on your tax return, you're fine.)

Then all you need to do is start advertising. Of course, you can put an ad in the local paper, but it's probably better to use flyers yourself.

Why? Well, you'll be preparing yourself for all the walking that follows as well as making yourself fit (if you're not already, of course). You'll get a sense of just how many flyers you'll have to put out there before you get a call. You also learn how long it takes to do a certain number, and how much walking you can cope with before you're exhausted. And most importantly, a flyer advertising flyer distribution proves to potential clients that you are actually doing what you say you do!

So, how do you make up the flyers? Well, you're not trying to sell something “high end” here. You're offering something basic and functional. All you need is something that clearly describes the service and has your contact details on it. (Colorful, well designed ones do get a better response, of course. You may want to get some later, but that's not vital at this stage.)

The most basic word processing software will give you something sufficient. Two columns of text ads produces 10 per A4 page. Just enlarge that page to A3, run off 100 and you have 1000 flyers a bit bigger than a credit card.

What to charge? Well, that's up to you. Google for local flyer distribution companies, and see how much they charge per thousand. You'll soon decide upon a reasonable figure.

Next, just walk out the door and place your ads in letterboxes (avoiding the ones with “No Junk Mail” signs of course!). Keep doing this whenever you find the time until you get your first call. It might take a few weeks, depending on how many you are doing per walking session, but it will happen.

You'll almost certainly convert this first lead. But even if you don't, you'll get the next, or the one after that. Once you begin your first campaign of promotional material for someone else you're well on your way. Remember that this time you can put your own lead-generating flyers in with the client's. You will be getting paid to promote your own service, which will bring in still more work for you.

There are many other things that only experience will teach you, of course, but once you've completed your first job and received payment it's a great confidence boost. You'll know how straightforward it is to generate your own work and there'll be no stopping you.