As a tradesman, gaining work and contracts is business and the better the impression you portray for your business and the more you advertise, the more chance you will have of gaining work and at least enquiries.
Knowing how to promote your business and services online and offline as cheaply and as efficiently as possible, is something that can be very valuable to you as a small businessman or woman offering services in a very competitive area such as the construction industry, so getting listed online in reputable directories can only be a good thing when done correctly.

Online Business Directories

There are hundreds of business directories online  where small and large businesses can add their information for free or for a small fee.  When adding your details to a directory online, unless the directory listing is relevent to you and localised, then generally you will be wasting your time by adding to just any directory  unless you have a website to link to because any 'links' to your own website from a directory will help your website rankings when people make a search for your services.

Looking for both busy directory sites and sites that are smaller but dedicated to tradesmen, easy to navigate and easy to find your details is not easy even though there are so many to choose from. By looking for sites like this one Partitioners.co.uk. which is not huge but we offer our visitors a dedicated choice of trade areas related to partitioning so anyone who is looking for a partitioner, dry liner or ceiling fixer etc, can find your services on this site within a minute or two and make contact with you for free and without having to register with us.

We are just one directory among thousands, there are plenty of others online and it's the small sites like this one that can do your business more good than signing up to the big business directories that offer A-Z of every service under the sun and a nightmare to search their listings. By advertising with small local directories online, like your local newspaper website or your local freeads and sites dedicated to the trades like this one, can have a good impact on your business and bring in extra enquiries simply because of the ease in which a visitor can search for what they are looking for.

Yell Direct

Yell is a big yet well organised online business directory that  covers over 1400 areas and categories in the UK.
Their search facility and how they list companies is very clear and easy to use. For a large directory like Yell they have probably one of the best business directories online that customers can go to and find a multitude of services on one website. Their listings include address and phone number contact and as an advertiser they offer a facility to receive any enquiries through their website which means you can avoid the spam by letting Yell handle all your contacts for you and only pass on the legitimate enquiries to your inbox.
Visit Yell Direct

CHEAP BUSINESS CARDS - a quick way to self promote your business or services.

Whether you have your own website or not, business cards can play a major role in your self promotion. By leaving business cards in your local chip shop, or newsagent on their notice boards can pay dividends for enquires, enquires can lead to work but will at least get your name around. Everytime you go onsite looking for work you can leave your business cards with the contracts manager, when you visit commercial premises or shops you can ask to leave your business card with them should they need the services you provide. By making it a habit to carry just a couple of business cards with you or in your van , even when you go shopping for food. By taking business cards with you, you can offer a quick and easy way for peoaple to remember you by and it's much better than making someone write down your phone number.
Business cards can be found cheap online and you can even design your own cards in minutes using free design facilities. If you have never had business cards it may be worth you taking a look.

Vista Print - cheap but good quality Business Cards

Vista Print are one of the cheapest ways of getting your business services circulated. Having business cards on your person and sending them out with invoices, posting them with quotes and estimations etc and handing them out onsite to contractors and site management when you are working all adds to possible enquiries.
Vista Print prices are very reasonable, their delivery is prompt and you can make your own designs online via their website and keep the template ready for your next batch should you require it. They offer free gifts with orders, oprint t-shirts to your specifications and much more. Highly recommended.

Looking for both busy directory sites and sites that are smaller but dedicated to tradesmen, easy to navigate and easy to find your details is not easy even though there are so many to choose from. By looking for sites like this one Partitioners.co.uk. which is not huge but we offer our visitors a dedicated choice of trade areas related to partitioning so anyone who is looking for a partitioner, dry liner or ceiling fixer etc, can find your services on this site within a minute or two and make contact with you for free and without having to register with us.
We are just one directory among thousands, there are plenty of others online and it's the small sites like this one that can do your business more good than signing up to the big business directories that offer A-Z of every service under the sun and a nightnmare to search their listings. By advertising with small local directories online, like your local newspaper website or your local freeads and sites dedicated to the trades like this one, can have a good impact on your business and bring in extra enquiries simply because of the ease in which a visitor can search for what they are looking for.

More about online business directories :
There is no point in advertising in the Essex Free ads if you live in Scotland and you cannot travel to Essex,  similarly there is no point in adding partitioners details to a directory that is aimed at the financial side of business as it's completely irrelevent though admittedly you will stand out, so try and keep your online promoting as relevent and as simple as possble otherwise you will just be wasting your time and time management online can extend into many wasted hours if not carefull.
Other directories that are popular but will cost you to advertise are Yell.com and Thomsons Local Directory which are both linked to the business directory books that are left on the doorstep each year and they will charge for your directory listing BUT they are generally easy to search and well reputed directories that are worth considering if you have a budget to spend on promotion.