Nick,
I have an advertising budget of $5800.00 per year, I know that sounds like a lot, but here is how it breaks down:
Door Hangers - 10,000 per year $800.00
Bandit Signs - 100 Per Year $150.00
Post Card Mailings - 6 Per Year (MAR / APR / MAY) Lawn Service and Mowing (SEP / OCT / NOV) Fall Clean up, Holiday Lighting, and Landscape Lighting. (3000 per mailing $4,860 per year)
I get about a .6 return on customers who sign up or approximately 80 new accounts per year from the post cards. If the average is $100.00 (low end) per month per new customer, then we gross $8000.00 per month or about $96,000.00 in new sales agreements.
The door hangers and signs are for company branding and we get another 20 to 25 customers out of this. So for a $5800 investment each year, we have in the past three years grown by over 100K per year, and we keep about 95% of our customers, so after the first year, they are even better sources of revenue, and we have a better opportunity to upsell or add additional services.
Good Luck my friend, experiment, but don't get too wrapped up with a lot of different marketing items or ideas.
Talk to Bob at Plan-itgraphics for design help
http://www.plan-itgraphics.com/ tell him Tom for Evergreen sent you and Club Flyers for Reasonable Printing
http://www.clubflyers.com/ Club Flyers will give you free biz cards and post cards as long as you are willing to let them advertise on the back. I know it's tacky, but free (you pay for shipping) is great for new LCO's. I still get the free postcards and use them as throw downs in resturants, car dealer/repair/car wash waiting rooms. A great front will make them forget the back side and if you add 5 new customers what the hey! Ther are free (about $20 for shipping)