Yell.com - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

lor · Guru

Yell.com

Marky65 · Guru

Hi Lorraine

I haven't used it, all I have with them is the free 1 line ad. I haven't been convinced that it would be beneficial to me.

But i would very interested to hear other viewpoints

Regards

Mark

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi,

Same as Mark's. Mines a one line freebie and I've never won any business this way.

I know of someone who does pay to advertise and they're moving to the free one liner this year as they say that the only time people look on there is to get their number or location from the map when they already know about them from other sources.

Also, if you're not on the first page the likelyhood of ever getting a call via this route is remote.

If you're local chamber of commerce have a notice board business cards there seem to be a good source of gaining clients. Also local business clubs get you known locally and even if they don't bring in anything directly the people that you meet there will mention you over someone that they have never met.

Hope that this helps,

Shaun.

Amanda · Expert

Hi,

I haven't used yell.com so don't know. I have got a client that I do his books once a year and he came via the Fish and Chip shop that I put a card up on their notice board when I first started. Their notice board is full of local trades.

Strange how you can get a client!

A

BackOfficeGroup · Guru

I dont think you'd get any business from Yell etc etc. I tried advertising once and managed to get a single client from weeks of ads.

The best way is networking and word of mouth and surprise meetings of people!

P

Marky65 · Guru

I couldn't agree more with Philip about networking, word of mouth etc

Regards

Mark

lor · Guru

Okay. I don't think I will bother with yell then, I already have a one line free entry, think I will stick with that. Thanks for your responses, better than wasting my money....

Wella · Expert

I have just taken out ICB corporate add in Yellow Pages at a cost of £125. For my area it goes in two books (Yep they split Cornwall in two as its so large!!) for the price of one. With that they also gave away a free basic website on Yell.com

I'll let you all know if I get anything from it.

Bill

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Dont you just love the way that in the printed ad the ICB emphasise that we're insured, not how good we are! Just what you need in a litigious society!

Zoe · Senior Member

I think Yell is losing popularity as, if people search online, they will search directly in Google rather than going to Yell first.

I would concentrate on Google rather than Yell. Make sure you register with Google Maps and ensure you use SEO techniques on your website so that you are listed on the first page of Google for your area.

Kind regards

Zöe

semsley · Guru

Shamus wrote:

Dont you just love the way that in the printed ad the ICB emphasise that we're insured, not how good we are! Just what you need in a litigious society!

Sorry to divert the thread but speaking of litigious society, I am thinking I may have to take out a compensation claim on a client. On the Saturday before Christmas I had an appointment to go to teach someone at their office which is also part of their home. The office has a separate door from the home and there is no door bell. As I usually do (as I have been on several occasions) I walked straight in and was immediately attacked by their guard dog which savaged my leg. I don't know how or quite what happened but I got out and shut the dog back in. The client looked out from an upstairs window and then came down locked the dog in the living room and let me in at the house side. He was very apologetic, said he wasn't expecting me (I have the emails to prove the appointment) and I should have phoned. They have a guard dog warning sign outside the gate. The gate was open so I knew the dog was not prowling the grounds. Every other time I have been the dog has been shut away in the house side of the building.

The client sat me in the kitchen, mopped up the blood and put a dry dressing and bandage on my leg, insisted I have a cup of coffee. We chatted and when I left he told me to charge for the lesson and gave me a bottle of wine for Christmas. He said he would get in touch with times he was available for tuition in January.

I drove home and then got my husband to take me to A&E. I got a tetanus jab, the wounds cleaned and dressed, antibiotics for 7 days and referred to my doctors to have the wounds re-dressed in two to three days. I was told that dog bites are not stitched due to the probability of stitching in infection.

I really thought not much more about it. I made an appointment at the doctors for the following Monday. The nurse redressed the wound and told me to make another appointment for Xmas Eve. I was then told I needed to have the wound dressed every 2/3 days. I have now been having this done twice a week and last week the nurse gave me a prescription for 20 dressings!!!!!!

This is now costing me money - 4 items on prescription, loss of working time (being self-employed) to enable doctors appointments not to mention pain and suffering. Last week (3 weeks on) the nurse took photographs of the wounds for me. Last week she also took a swab of the "crush" wound which, thankfully,has come back negative but this wound is still very much open and leaks. The puncture wound is healing well and the bruising although still painful has almost gone. So far I have done nothing. Other clients are saying I should start a claim (I thought I should wait and see what it has cost me) some say I should tell the police.

I don't know what to do. Anybody any thoughts or know anything about these sort of situations?

lor · Guru

Sorry to hear about that, that is awful. It sounds like you may have a physical scar as well as a emotional from the experience. I think you should do something to be compensated for the money you have spent on treatment, loss of earnings and the awful experience that you have gone through. I am not sure who you would go to though, but I think you should do something.

lor · Guru

Wella wrote:

I have just taken out ICB corporate add in Yellow Pages at a cost of £125. For my area it goes in two books (Yep they split Cornwall in two as its so large!!) for the price of one. With that they also gave away a free basic website on Yell.com

I'll let you all know if I get anything from it.

Bill

Let us know how you get on! and good luck!

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Shiela,
hope that you are feeling much better soon. Always look on the bright side, with a guard dog it could have been much, much worse.
As it's a home office is this actually his business or the client personally that you would be going after. Most people with a home office do have public liability insurance but some don't and you may hit a situation with the house insurance claiming that it was to do with the business so stating that the attack was nothing to do with them so you would end up suing your client directly.
If the client does have public liability insurance then it should be somewhat easier and possibly more amicable to resolve. Anyway, you should already be privy to knowledge of the existence of public liability insurance so know where you're coming from on this.
The dog was actually just doing it's job and it's another innocent party in this. As you state there are arguments both ways and it could get messy if the clients insurance company doesn't fold with an offer straight away.
The insurance company will look at the situation and if it's not cut and dried will generally make an offer based on putting themselves in a much better position than they would be if a decision went against them in a court of law. There first offer is seldom their last one and it all comes down to your and your representatives negotiating skills.
I think that if you do take this matter further and it does get messy you have to be prepared to consider walking away from the client so just like with the insurance company you need to judge possible levels of future income against the likelihood of the claim succeeding. All comes down to money in the end.
Best scenario all around would actually be to talk to the client about what's happened and point out that you're going to be looking for compensation for you injury from his insurers but that you hope this will not affect your professional relationship.
I think that he probably already knows that this is coming and is just hoping that you will not be going for having the dog destroyed.
I'm sure I've probably missed something or given some dodgy advice in there but might open things up to others contributing their thoughts on this.
Talk soon,
Shaun.

semsley · Guru

I guess they have public liability insurance. They run two businesses from the home office. I don't do their book-keeping just go about once a quarter to do wages journals because the girl they have just does data input and I've taught her bank rec. I was going to teach them both sage accounts and payroll. Already taught the wife (on one of the courses I do at a training centre which was where the contact came from) and was just starting with the husband. The relationship with the client won't be for long because as soon as they both have sufficient knowledge they will no longer need my input so not much of a financial hit if they drop me.

They have not contacted me since the incident and I don't know whether to contact them by phone or letter or just go through an intermediary, I suppose a solicitor but I've not done anything like this before.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

I wouldn't contact the client by letter as the only thing that letters seem to do is put things in writing that can be used against us.
Suppose that you could always have a chat with one of the vultures at claims direct or Injury Lawyers 4u or that one that has Ester Rantzen fronting it. If you can get money for having the wrong sort of ladder I'm sure that you can for having your leg half ripped off!
Oh goodness, I've got to get more work soon, I'm even remembering the ad's from daytime TV! (how much gold and how many mobile phones can there possibly be to warrant that many ad's).
Just make sure that you get a no win no fee one as the last things you need is costs as well as injury!
Better still, why not just go and have a cup of tea and a chat with the citizens advice about it and see what their advice is?

semsley · Guru

You really do need more work if you're watching daytime TV!!!!!!!

I've found on't net a firm of solicitors Simpson Millar in Leeds which is not too far from me who do dog bites and if they think you've got a case do "no win no fee" so think I'll drop them an email and see what transpires.

It seems I may have to report it to the police (can I do so after 4 weeks?) as it states on the website that you should and get a crime number. But I don't want the owners to get into trouble or the dog.