Dec
22
Sometimes, All You Need Is A Pile Of Bunnies
I promise I will try to write lots and lots over the next couple of weeks. I figure you’re grateful for the distraction. (For those of you NOT grateful for the distraction, you may have a signed permission slip from me, releasing you from the obligation of reading all blogs except this one.)
Every day, Jamie and I drive through a weird part of town. It’s an old part of the city, and many of the streets go only one way. There are weird roundabout-like things in a country not equipped for roundabouts. There are not enough driving lanes and it’s an all around pain in the ass. For most drivers, it’s simply not worth taking this route. Because of this, most people who try to start businesses in the area fail miserably and horribly. And failurely, too.
So we’re driving through this not tremendously great neighbourhood, and we see a new store. Except it’s not a store. It’s built like a store, but there’s no stuff in it. There’s a door, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t open. There’s no light on, and there’s no counter, and there’s nobody inside.
There are really only three things to see at this store. There’s a name. There’s a phone number. And there’s a huge pile of stuffed bunnies in each window. Like, massive. Offensive, really.
It’s a cleaning business, called Dust Bunnies Away.
Under normal circumstances, I would never recommend this as a marketing strategy. It’s too hit and miss, and it’s in a neighbourhood where the inhabitants probably couldn’t afford your services. But in this case I like it, and I’ll tell you why.
Traditionally, nobody walks into the storefront of a cleaning business and says, “Hey. Whattup? Wanna clean my crib?” But the lovely ladies at Dust Bunnies Away have realized that even if they’re not in the position to take walk-in traffic, they’re renting a space anyway. Maybe they need an office in the back, or a place to store their cleaning supplies. Nobody’s going to walk in, and even if they wanted to, there wouldn’t be anybody there to help them.
But they happen to have space anyway. So they decided to make the best of it, and that way, in case somebody’s walking by, the business gets a little bit of good, cheap branding while the owners are off scrubbing a toilet somewhere.
See, here’s the thing. I need a cleaning lady. The lady who watches Jack a few days a week is a cleaning lady, but it’s harder to find good child care than good house cleaning, so I’m not going to ask her to do it. (If it ever got weird, I’d lose two services instead of just one, and I’m not willing to do that.) My friend Mel has a good friend who’s a cleaning lady, but I don’t want to hire her either. (If it got weird there, I’d have to fire my friend’s friend, and I try to not hire people I can’t easily fire.) I could go to Molly Maid, but I’d much rather support an ittybiz than a multinational conglomerate.
So I’m walking around London, knowing I need a cleaning lady, and I see the bunnies. And it’s just different enough from Generic-Ass House Cleaning to make me notice. And call. And hire them. And then tell you guys about it.
Sometimes all you need is a pile of bunnies.
This is just brilliant. Made my day. Thanks for sharing!
Hopefully they have a decent web strategy, too, but what a great way to use the space! It did exactly what it was supposed to do: get your attention.
You have to be careful in places like that. I read a Stephen King story once…
Hey, I’ve seen that place! Haha, cool!
Can you please go take a photo of it sometime? I am really really curious to see what it looks like.
Awesome. I love the bunnies.
My favorite name for an, um, “cleaning” (drain-clearing) local biz? Poot and Scoot.
That’s funny. I think it is a good idea to have a memorable name or tag line.
I figured this was some kind of a recap of your visit to Marty’s Workshop for the drawing fest, and assumed the bunnies would meet with a horrible end. Once again, you’ve fooled me. (I’m told this isn’t terribly difficult.)
Many, many years ago I rented a big old store to use as a darkroom and studio for my commercial photo business. I was only there on weekends and very late nights, because I still had a “normal” job. But I proudly put the name of the business out front, and a few old cameras in the windows.
(Important note: I did absolutely NO retail business — my only clients were long-time business wholesale and commercial folks.)
At least once or twice a week some twit would shove their film through my letter slot, thinking I would process it for them. So I’d have to call them, arrange to meet to give it back, etc.
Finally had to nail the thing shut. Then I got little angry notes under the door.
Customers.
Perhaps I could shove my dust bunnies through their letterbox? Maybe with a nice little handwritten note? :)
Knowing Canada, there’s probably some association of bunny-lovers who would end up protesting in front of your new mega-mansion.
Better to just humanely trap them and release them in the wild, down in the U.S.A. I’d suggest Oregon.
In your experience, how do bunnies and ducks get along? I hear there are ducks in Oregon.
The bunnies would not fare well. Ducks are known to be wily, vicious predators who prey on bunnies for their soft fur — weaving it into warm, colorful socks.
The naked, shorn bunnies are found all over the Oregon coast — shivering and dazed, unable to send or receive e-mail, smelling faintly of latkes. Volunteers knit them little sweaters out of the hair of Republicans kept in “Relocation Centers” just outside of Eugene.
Knitted bunny-fur socks are now the #3 export for Oregon, behind Marijuana and bumper stickers.
I think bunnies are inherently untrustworthy. Those teeth. Those big, menacing eyes seeing right through your soul. You just never know, Naomi. Watch out.
Ducks, however, are herdable. I like a bird I can herd.
Have you on RSS for awhile now. LOVE your sense of humour. Yes, I have a website, but it’s so ugly I don’t want to link it yet. Maybe later, maybe not. Sort of like going to a topless beach for the first time.
That means that if I promise to go to a topless beach, you have to promise to link. Deal?
Bunnies!
Exactly.
Dammit, that’s one of the most adorable marketing ideas I’ve ever heard.
So…if I pretend I’m not grateful for the distraction, can I ACTUALLY get a signed permission slip?
I never thought before about how brilliant the term “dust bunnies” is. It makes those disgusting puffballs of dirt and human dander so appealing. And chase-able. The company that gets rid of them sounds cute by association.
If I had an exterminator business, I would start calling rats and cockroaches “vermin puppies.”
Oh: failurely is my new favorite adverb. Even though spellcheck doesn’t like it and never will.
In francais, dust bunnies are “moutons” (sheep). Good thing this business is in London where nary a soul speaks French — except you, darling — and not in Montreal, where the stuffed bunnies would break the language laws, and stuffed moutons would wouldn’t bring in any rich anglos except the shepherd-wannabes.
Yay. Write more. Please.
And send heat.
Oh, you’re in Canada.
Scratch the heat.
But yes please on the words.
Oh, and… BUNNIES!
Whoozaliddlebunny? WhoozaliddleBUNNY! Yes! Yes!
Bunny.
1. I am totally grateful for the distraction over the next few weeks.
2. I think I’m a little afraid of the bunnies.
3. I’ll be in London at the end of December for a few days and I am TOTALLY going to find this store. (This is a big secret, but since my family does not read IttyBiz, I don’t think it’s too much of a problem revealing it here.)
Oh man, I just looked up where this place is. Good god, it IS in a sketchy part of town.
My friend worked at an interior design store on York St, in the LCBO plaza. She had to dodge drunks at 9am.
Good times.
I love that idea! Surely, the cleaning company owner was thinking outside the box on that one.
I wonder how much the rent cost compared with a billboard in the same area?
I have 2 real bunnies who sometimes become dust bunnies when they explore certain areas of grandma’s house. Grandma loves the help with her dusting even though they are spotty cleaners at best. :)) Love the bunnies and the unique marketing story.
hi naomi–
i just came across your site, and i have to say, i just love it!! i’m just beguiled by the insight, the sensitivity, honesty, and the swearing–oh, do i envy you that!
great title of your post, and great marketing strategy. i had been a bunny lover throughout my childhood, and it’s so interesting and daunting, that when you tell people you had bunnies as pets, they always have a horrific, untimely, tragic-bunny-demise tale.
look forward to reading in 2010!
Dust Bunnies Away? The more times I say that aloud, the more silly it sounds. And brilliant. But silly.
But brilliant.
I SO need that place over here in Belfast ( Northern Ireland ).
I had to “let go” my latest cleaning lady the week before Christmas – because she was a total con artist …. but that’s another story.
My experience of ittybiz cleaning companies has not been a very enjoyable experience of late ….
unlike this post – which I found brilliantly amusing.
I found your blog through ProBlogger – and I look forward to following you throughout 2010.
happy new Year !
Cai
Hey i just got a popup from my antivirus when i opened your page do you happen to know how come this occured? Could it be from your advertising or something? Thanks, really odd i pray it was harmless?