It is often said that a company is nothing without its people. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of leaflet distribution, where ones staff are the absolute key to success, and can make or break a company. One of the reasons that so few leaflet distribution companies in today's market place are large enough to offer truly nationwide coverage is simply down to the fact that they cannot get the staff to supply demand.

Good leaflet distributors are like gold dust. Akin to the tooth fairy, they are notoriously illusive to locate, and just as difficult to keep hold of. The problem is that leaflet distributors are predominantly low skilled, under qualified and paid the minimum wage. They often work on a self-employed basis, meaning that their income can be uncertain, and it is understandably difficult to find quality staff who are able to accept this fact.

On the other hand, since their business is so dependent on the quality of their staff, leaflet distribution companies are looking for hard working, physically fit, diligent and reliable staff. Very few people both have these qualities, and yet will be willing to work such a physically demanding, low paid, and above all, incredibly lonely job.

There is, however, hope. These magical people do exist, in fact, they can be found all over the country. One simply needs to use a little creative thinking, and a flexible approach. 'Stay-at-home mums' (or dads!) immediately spring to mind. Fair enough, they may only be able to work during school hours, or perhaps even only at weekends or in the evenings. This may cause a leaflet distribution company a small inconvenience, they may for example, be unable to complete the job as quickly as their contemporaries.

However, lets not forget that these people have for the most part, been professionally employed in the past, are likely to be well educated, literate and articulate. They will undoubtedly take a professional, diligent approach to any work that you give them, and as they have had work place experience before, will understand the need to contact the company if anything goes wrong. As they will be working to supplement their family income, they will be more likely to be willing to work on a self-employed basis. Similarly, retired people, and those already in full time employment often make fantastic leaflets distributors for much the same reasons.

When choosing a leaflet distribution company, it is important to make sure that they have a robust approach to recruitment. Many smaller companies will use student labour, often relying on staff between the ages of 15 to 21, as they are invariably cheaper. Unfortunately, the old adage is often spot on, and as the saying goes, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Always ask what the company policy is towards student labour. Try to ascertain what percentage of their staff fall into this category, and how closely their leaflet distributors are managed.

If possible, choose a company who use teams of experienced distributors, who are solely employed by that company. There is no substitute for good local knowledge in this industry, and you should expect the teams who distribute your material to live in the local area. A team leader should manage the team of leaflet distributors.

He must carry out regular back checks on their work, and ensure that unsupervised time is kept to a minimum. Also, try to find a company who pays their distributors by the hour, not by the thousand delivered. This may mean that the leaflet company end up paying higher staff costs, which will undoubtedly be passed on to their clients, but it will help to ensure that your material ends up on the doormats of your potential customers, which is exactly where you want it!