Using my bike to promote my business

lucyelizabethfryer

Hi everyone, I'm a cyclist in Southsea, Hampshire, and I'm starting up an eco-cleaning business locally. I intend to use my bike to get to appointments, and was thinking of branding my bike somehow with my business name, logo, contact details, etc. Does anyone know the best way to do this and where to get it done? I want the branding to be visible from a distance but don't want to drag a billboard around with me! Any help and advice appreciated

Grill

Get a cargo bike. Much easier.

pinno

Ezyrider will be able to tell you.

slowmart

Rather than go to the expense of getting your bike liveried up I would get some t shirts printed instead. Same outcome and saves you some cash.

Spend your hard earned on an internet presence as this could be a large driver for grout as would be every platform you can think of. Referrals and traditional advertising in local free publications.

MountainMonster

Best of luck with the venture Lucy!

I agree with both of the posters above, before you tackle putting things on your bike look at getting items that offer more visibility for the business i.e. a website and t-shirts. T-shirts are very effective as long as you don't have a bag on your back, and a huge portion of business for a company such as this will come through internet avenues, so having a website is good.

Other than that, I know of a company called Names on Frames which do stickers for frames with people's names (who would have guessed from the name?). I don't know any other companies, but it may be worth contacting them to see if they have any products they can print that would be able to contain enough information on them for the bike.

arran77

Grill wrote:

Get a cargo bike. Much easier.

This ▲

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pinarello001 wrote:

Ezyrider will be able to tell you.

markhewitt1978

lucyelizabethfryer wrote:

Hi everyone, I'm a cyclist in Southsea, Hampshire, and I'm starting up an eco-cleaning business locally. I intend to use my bike to get to appointments, and was thinking of branding my bike somehow with my business name, logo, contact details, etc. Does anyone know the best way to do this and where to get it done? I want the branding to be visible from a distance but don't want to drag a billboard around with me! Any help and advice appreciated

Get some custom jerseys, people will notice those more. Probably bright yellow with your company name and website address in black.

kamil1891

if you have racks, cover them (or the bags) with little posters :-D

dave in swansea

I remember seeing on old bikes, the main triangle has been I filled with a piece of flat metal plate held with p clips. Get the plate sign written for a true advertisement.
Admittedly it would not suit a modern road bike, but on cargo bike or butchers type it is very effective.

pinno

dave in swansea wrote:

I remember seeing on old bikes, the main triangle has been I filled with a piece of flat metal plate held with p clips. Get the plate sign written for a true advertisement.
Admittedly it would not suit a modern road bike, but on cargo bike or butchers type it is very effective.

That's ok providing your not on the West Coast of Scotland - too bloody windy.

janp

What about asking a local cycling club, maybe you could advertise on their jersey?

I just joined this club, http://www.pnecc.co.uk, which is based in your area.

Bar Shaker

You can claim so much per mile against your tax bill, for using your bike for work. HMRC will have the current amount.

As for livery on your bike, who is really going to see it? Of the people that do see it, how many do you expect to convert into business? If it was a big trike or something unusual, maybe, but I wouldn't spend the money on painting your normal bike.

navrig2

pinarello001 wrote:

dave in swansea wrote:

I remember seeing on old bikes, the main triangle has been I filled with a piece of flat metal plate held with p clips. Get the plate sign written for a true advertisement.
Admittedly it would not suit a modern road bike, but on cargo bike or butchers type it is very effective.

That's ok providing your not on the West Coast of Scotland - too bloody windy.

True but she could use a mesh which would allow a proportion of the wind through and still accept a print.

This sort of stuff but not at the scale they are suggesting:

http://www.bannersforall.co.uk/Mesh-Banners.html

pinno

I presume you will need panniers because your going to be carrying cleaning products? Good space to advertise on.

Now here's a thing; what about a trailer? I mean you'll need a hoover or a carpet cleaner or both? More advertising space.

crankycrank

Hard panniers with your logo on them. Sign shops can create decals for you. A search will turn up various hard pannier styles.

pinno

Where has the OP gone?

ballysmate

pinarello001 wrote:

Where has the OP gone?

Think she disappeared after the suggestion of covering her rack with a T shirt.

pinno

Ballysmate wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

Where has the OP gone?

Think she disappeared after the suggestion of covering her rack with a T shirt.

What a missed opportunity...sigh.