OBTAINING FREE ADVERTISING!
"Tricks of the Trade" We've Used to Get a Lot of Free Ads
Published 1991 by Mascor Publishing, Silver Spring, Maryland
1. Advertising Specials: If a magazine offers a "two for one"
deal, or a "pay for 3 and get a fourth ad free", take advantage
of it; it's Free Advertising!
2. Free Listings: Some publications offer to list your name and
address Free, if you have something that you offer "free for the
asking" to their readers. This can be a "free sample", a free
list of customers; or whatever. Tell publishers what you have
to offer!
3. Print a Booklet Offering Tips: List tips or what-have-you, and
on the inside pages, or in the back, place some of your own Free
ads!!
4. The Piggy-Back Method: Every time you get ready to mail a
letter or fill an order, place other ads in the envelope; it
costs you no more and it's like getting a free ad!!
5. Free "Give-Aways": These can be pens, rulers; key chains, etc.,
each with YOUR ad message and address on each one. Give them
away and your Free Ad rides along!
6. Your Own Advertiser/Newsletter: Issue it regularly; sell ad
space in it and subscriptions to it. They pay for the printing
and postage, and YOUR ads in it, too, at no cost to you!
7. Trade Products/Services for Ad Space: If you have something
which a publisher needs, trade what they want, for ad space!
8. Provide Commission Ads to Dealers: Your dealers place YOUR ads
over THEIR name! Free Ads for your products!
9. Columns; Releases, etc.: Publishers will often print these
free, if it's NEWS, or interesting to their readers! Send
notices out to editors and get free ads in exchange!
10. Share Costs With Others: Get together with other dealers and
mailers. Split costs and quantities with others. Your ads go
FREE to HIS customers, and HIS go free to yours!
11. Offer Your Commission Ads to Publishers: They insert them as
"mailer/distributor" commission ads! They cost you nothing and
can get you lots of orders!
12. Your Product as a BONUS Item on Another's Flyer: This can
increase the other person's orders, and YOUR product gets
advertised on HIS fliers, etc!
13. Place PIM-50 Phrases in your Ads: This says to Publisher:
"Insert my ad in your publication and I'll help distribute 50"
(or more) copies for you. It's another kind of "trade deal"
with publishers.
14. Give a Talk or Seminar: Contact local clubs, and organizations.
They always seek outside speakers. After you talk about your
business or your product, hand out flyers, etc. It's like
getting free advertising!
15. Ads on Bulletin Boards: Put up flyers on grocery, laundry
bulletin boards.
16. Make a Rubber Stamp of your Ad: Stamp it everywhere you can.
Stamp it on envelopes; flyers; etc.
17. Be Listed as a Source in Back of Books: Often writers will want
to list references and sources in their books. Get the work out
to authors! Look for ads offering Free Ads!!
18. Discount to "a Friend": Tell your customers you will give
discounts to anyone they send your way! It's Word of Mouth
advertising; the best you can get and it's free!
Free advertising is any message that goes out to prospective
buyers without cost to you! There are lots of ways to get
others to spread the word about what you offer! Try these
methods; and you'll get lot of free ads; which mean more
responses and more orders!
Written by: CHRISTENSEN'S,
1412 Mt. Shasta Dr.
San Jose, CA 95127
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
BUSINESSES TO START FOR UNDER $500
There are some of you out there that will scoff, "What kind of
business can really start with $500?" Well, consider the fifty we
present here.
When most of us here phrases like "Start a New Business" or
"start-up costs," our minds picture figures with a lot of zeros
in them. While it is true that most businesses do require several
thousand dollars to start up, there are certainly some that
don't. They exist; it's just a matter of focusing in on them.
The businesses listed here range from computers to consulting,
from accounting to auto repair, and many more. All can be
operated from your home, eliminating the need for expensive
formal office space. They are quite diverse; the one thing they
have in common is that they can be started for $500--and
sometimes less.
As you are thinking about what kind of business to operate,
consider where you live, your job skills, hobbies, the equipment
you own, the needs of your community, and certainly, the work you
enjoy doing.
Some people operate small manufacturing businesses out of their
garage or basement while others set up service-oriented
businesses in their kitchen or truck; some have discovered the
lucrative field of importing goods, and others have tucked mail
order companies into spare rooms, since they don't need a store
front but only a mail box and space for inventory for this type
of business.
Naturally, you shouldn't expect these ventures to make you
millions, but if you take them seriously enough you'll be able to
do well at them. Some of these businesses might be better suited
for a part-time endeavor, while others (with a little luck and a
lot of hard work) will allow you to devote yourself to them
full-time.
And who knows? Maybe they will make you millions. In any case,
here are fifty opportunities.
ACCOUNTING. The "simplified" tax code has the public more
confused than ever. If you are an accountant for a company, you
can earn excellent part-time profits by offering tax consultation
and tax preparation in your community. If you're not trained as
an accountant, you can receive education from various sources
including: H&R Block, 1-800-7taxlaw; National Tax Training,
Monsey, NY 10952 (their home study course costs$175.75);
Federated Tax Service, 2021 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
(free info). For other information about this business, write:
National Association of Accountants, Small Business Advisory, 10
Tarragon Drive, P.O. Box 433, Montvale, NJ 17645.
BUSINESS CONSULTING. Consulting is a fast growing small business,
and potentially one of the most profitable. If you have worked in
a particular field for many years, and feel that you have some
expertise, that you can share with other businesses, you can
demand respectable fees for that knowledge. Consider starting a
newsletter. Advertise via direct mail to potential business
customers. Explain your background, what you have to offer, and,
most important, how your knowledge can increase their profits or
efficiency. get more information from: Consulting Opportunities
Journal, published by Consultants National Resource Center, 500
Kaetzel Road, Gapland, MD 21736.
COMPUTER CONSULTING. As the computer pervades almost every aspect
of our daily lives, people need to become computer literate--or
at least know how to work things. If you have basic computer
knowledge as well as specific expertise with popular software
(Word Perfect, Lotus 1-2-3. etc.), individuals and other
businesses will find your help worth paying for. You can have
clients come to your home, but they might feel more comfortable
if you came to their offices or homes to work on their particular
machines. Of course if you consult for business, you must go to
them. Advertise in the Yellow Pages or send direct mail queries
to various business offices that you know use computers. Check
your local computer dealers and ask about businesses that have
just bought computer systems--you KNOW they'll need help, and the
dealer usually isn't interested in helping customers work the
things once they've made the sale. In fact, you might be able to
enter into a deal with the computer dealer in which he recommends
you as a consultant. For further reading: The Computer
Consultant, Schueler Communications, Inc., 208 N. Townsend Street, Syracuse,
NY 13203.
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. No software package right now out of the
box is going to work for a business exactly the way they want it
to, so custom computer programming is often needed. Your
programming ability can create a custom applications for
retailers and other businesses. If this idea interests you but
you don't know programming, a home study course available from
International Correspondence Schools, 925 Oak St., Scranton, PA
18508-9989.
CLOWNING. This business is no laughing matter. decent profits can
be earned from doing your funny business at children�s parties and
schools. Contact nursery schools, pre-kindergarten classes, and
day care centers and offer your services. The schools may not be
able to pay much, so birthday parties are probably your best bet.
Advertise on community bulletin boards and in local shopper
papers. Two publications worth getting are: Creative Clowning,
Java Publishing Co.,6510 Lenham Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
($16.95); and Start A Clowning Business by Donna Huff, 203 State
Rd.,Sellersville, PA 18960 ($5).
DJ SERVICE. Good disk jockeys are still in demand for large
parties of all kinds: birthdays, anniversaries, small weddings,
office parties, dances, etc. You'll need a large selection of
popular dance tunes that covers a wide variety of tastes and
styles, and quality sound equipment that is both portable and
powerful enough to project throughout a large auditorium. You
might consider staging your own dance weekends at a resort,
charging per couple. Place ads Yellow Pages for this service.
GARAGE SALE ORGANIZER. Sure you can make some money with your own
garage sale, but you can make much more by becoming a
professional. You can organize and run garage sales for dozens of
households in your town. Your sales pitch is that you know what
sells and what doesn't, how to price objects, how to attract
customers and what to serve (such as free coffee). As the
organizer, you can either charge a flat fee for your services or
accept a percentage of the total take. But you must insist that
you run the show, and that your decisions on pricing and display
are not questioned. Look for The Garage Sale Book, $7.95 from
E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., Dept IO-10, P.O. Box 1375,
Huntington, NY 11743-1375. Or How To Profit from Garage Sales,
$5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets, P.O. Box 40,
Vernon, NJ 074672.
HAULING, LIGHT. If you have a pickup truck, there are numerous
tasks you can undertake for customers: hauling trash, dirt,
appliances, lumber, etc. Advertise your services on bulletin
boards and in the local Pennysaver. Suggested reading: How To
Earn $15 to $50 an Hour and More with a Pickup Truck or Van by
Don Lilly; available from Darian Books, 4909 W. Joyce Circle,
Glendale AZ 85308; $14.45 ppd.
HOUSE SITTING SERVICE. When families stayed put, it used to be
possible for some member of the family to feed the pets, water
the plants, and take in the mail on those rare occasions when
someone was absent from home. But in today's mobile society, a
homeowner will often have no family member living in the same
town and won't even know the neighbors. So the need for
house-sitters keeps growing. You can provide that service, either
as a sitter yourself, or as a manager of a group of house
sitters. For a comprehensive manual on how to start and operate
this business, write for How to Run A House-sitting Business by
Jane Poston, 1708 E. (th St. Tucson, az 85719; $36.
LAUNDRY SERVICE. There are many services you can provide for the
modern single or couple, both of whom work, and laundry is one of
them. You'll need a large capacity, heavy duty washing machine
and the inclination to wash, dry and fold clothes all day. But
substantial profits are there for the taking. this service might
be perfect in an apartment building where the tenants must share
washers and dryers. The apartment dwellers (most of who dread
doing the laundry anyway) will pay for the coin-operated machine
PLUS your fee. As and added service, you can offer to take
clients suits, dresses, and coats to be dry cleaned, and deliver
them when done.
AEROBIC INSTRUCTION. There is no end in sight to America's
penchant for fitness. If your finished basement is large enough,
you can hold exercise and fitness classes for men and women in
your community. If you don't have the space, see about leasing
space at local YMCA, YWCA or other such facility. Study nutrition
and offer a complete package of nutrition and exercise guidance.
To find out about aerobics certification, contact the Aerobics
and Fitness Association, 15250 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 310,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION. Whether or not rock and roll is to think,
today's kids are interested in music as much as ever. And they'll
always need lessons in piano, guitar, clarinet, etc. Schools
usually provide some basic instructions, but instrument-specific,
one-on-one instruction is always necessary. Your proficiency with
a particular instrument and provide your home-based business. If
your instrument is a popular enough lessons to keep you busy
practically all day every day. Advertise everywhere: school and
community bulletin boards, local shopper papers, and Yellow
Pages.
APARTMENT RENTAL LIST. Put your home computer to use and become
an apartment broker finding renters for empty apartments. Allow
the apartment owner to list his rental free; your profits come
from the renter who pays you for finding the space. Add a printer
to your computer and you can publish a local paper of available
rentals. On the flip side, you can also be an apartment locator.
Students and other individuals looking for apartments can come to
your for help. Apartment buildings and homes with rooms to let
will gladly place their names what you.
ROOMMATE SERVICE. The growing number of unmarried Americans has
led to the development of this matchup industry that is easily
run from one's home. You'll find roommates for people who prefer
not to live alone or can't afford to. The high cost of rents and
mortgages, the soaring divorce rate, and the inability of
salaries to keep pace with inflation are sending more and more
singles in search of roommates. For assistance in starting this
type of business, contact: Roommate Referral, 8139 S. I-35,
Oklahoma City, OK 73149.
ANSWERING SERVICE. When you install an extra phone line (or
several depending on the size of your business) in your home,
busy people can have their calls call-forward to you. You take
the messages for them. the only caveat with this business is that
you have to be home ALL the time (or at least during the hours
that you establish) to answer the phone. A booklet entitled How
to Start Your Own Telephoning Answering Service is available for
$5 from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., Dept IO-10, P.O. Box 1375.
Huntington, NY 11743-1375. a newsletter called The Message is
available from the Association of Telephone Answering Services,
29 W. 57th ST.,New York, NY 10019.
BABY-SITTING. The old standby is still a money-maker--even more
so, in fact, because mothers are busier than ever. A more
lucrative angle to baby-sitting is to become a baby sitter
broker. You advertise the service in various locations, then have
a number of baby sitters on call. That way, parents can always be
assured of getting a sitter when they need one. As a broker, you
take 10 percent of what the sitter earns. For more information:
The Complete Baby-sitting Handbook, by Elizabeth James and Carol
Barkin, Julian Messner, 1230 Avenue of the Americans, New York,
NY 10020.
BED AND BREAKFAST/HOMESTAYS. Turn your home into a welcome haven
for travelers and tourists. Unlike full fledged B&Bs' homestays
usually have one or two rooms available for paying guest. For
young couples struggling to pay off mortgage, or for retired
couples interested in a part-time business, homestays allow home
owners to turn extra rooms into extra dollars. Of course, not
every home will make a good bed and breakfast homestay. Nor all
people cut out for being a B&B host/owner. A prospective
host/owner should enjoy meeting all kinds of people, like to
cook, enjoy entertaining visitors, keep the house clean and neat,
and live in an area that is attractive to visitors. You can
obtain more information from: National Bed and Breakfast
Association, P.O. box 332, Norwalk, CT 06853; American Bed and
Breakfast Association, P.O. Box 23294, Washington, DC 20026.
CALLIGRAPHY SERVICE. If you already know how to do calligraphy,
the art of beautiful writing, there's a market for you talents
among those needing special invitations, personalized greeting
cards, diplomas, and certifications. You'll need calligraphy pens
or markers, available from any art supply store. The business
cards you have printed up should be done,, of course, in
calligraphy--it is as once a advertisement for your business and
demonstration of your skills. If you don't know how to do
calligraphy, you can learn from the publication, Calligraphy For
Fun & Profit, available for $9 from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co.,
P.O. Box 1375, Huntington, NY 11743.
CHAUFFEUR/LIMOUSINE SERVICE. Everybody wants to go in style to
weddings, concerts, business meetings, even funerals. And what
better way to go than a fully equipped, chauffeur-driven
limousine? In the style-conscious 1990s, when image is
everything, more and more people are doing it to propose
marriage, celebrate an anniversary, close a business deal, or go
to the theater. You as a limo provider and/or driver can cash in
to the tune of $40 to $125 an hour on each car. Check with your
State Department of Motor Vehicle Licensing for special license
requirements. How To Start and Operate Your Own Limousine Service
is available for $5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets,
P.O. Box 40, Vernon, NJ 07462.
CHILD DAY CARE CENTER. Today, when more and more mothers are
working outside the home, the need for quality child care keeps
increasing. It is a service that can be operated by mothers of
any age--or even a retired couple. Home care providers are often
regulated just as day care centers are. Call and talk with the
local agency of family and children services; they can advice you
on the licensing or registration requirements you will be
expected to follow. These requirements cover such things as how
many children you may have in your care, how much space you need
for each child, and appropriate meals and snacks. They also offer
classes in child care and development that you may want or may be
required to attend. By registering with family and children
services and following their recommendations, you can gain added
credibility with your new clients. While planning a home day care
service, you should do your own survey of what day care options
are currently available in your area. Charge by the day or week.
Rates run between $150 and $200 per month per child. Be certain
of insurance regulations and your personal liability. A
recommended book is SO You Want To Open A Profitable Day Care
Center--by Patricia Gallagher, P.O. Box 555, Worcester, PA 19490
($12.95).
GROCERY DELIVERY. There aren't many grocery stores or
supermarkets that deliver groceries to customers anymore, but
with the increasing number of two-income families and the
increasing demand on leisure time, grocery delivery is once gain
needed. So why don't you take up the slack? Here's how you might
work it; arrange with a supermarket to buy groceries at a
discount (because you're buying in quantity), and deliver them to
your customers. During its first week in business, a company
called Grocery Express in Memphis, Tennessee, Made seventy six
deliveries--$2,600 worth of groceries, of which they kept 10
percent.
HOME HAIRSTYLIST. The elderly and otherwise homebound can always
get a visiting nurse, but it's difficult to find a hairdresser
who will make house calls. There's your opportunity if you have
hairstyling skills. In the privacy of a hospital room or their
home, your customers can get cuts, colors, shampoos, perms, maybe
even manicures. if you want to think big, you can run an entire
network of home hairstylists; licensed hairdressers and
cosmetologists might agreed to work for you on an "on-call"
basis.
PARTY PLANNER. Be a professional party thrower for individuals
and businesses. Find the right location, arrange the
entertainment, provide the food and decorations--the whole works.
For supplies, contact: Part Time Inc.,395 94th Avenue, N.W.,
Minneapolis, MN 55433.
RESUME'WRITING. Before anyone embarks on a job search--whether he
is a veteran in the work force or a college graduate--he'll need
a resume. Since resumes play such an important role in a job
hunt, they demand special attention. Writing designing (choosing
paper, typeface, and format), and producing them may be a job
that you have a knack for doing. You may have heard about resume
writing services, but never knew how they alone could sustain a
business. This service, though, is something that is always in
demand, can easily branch out into other forms of typing
services, and requires little overhead and start-up capital. Two
good books on the subject are: The Resume'Catalog: 200 Damn Good
Examples by Yana Parker, Ten Speed Press, P.O. Box 7123,
Berkeley, CA 94707 ($10.95): Resumes' That Work by Tom Cowan, New
American Library, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
VIDEOTAPING SERVICE. With your camcorder you can produce
"mini-movies" of weddings, baptisms, bar mitzvah, family picnics,
and birthday parties. Other ideas include video inventory for
insurance purposes and video yearbooks for high schools and
colleges. You may need more than one camera (and more than one
operator) and some editing equipment for professional results.
One book on the subject: How To Make Money with Your Video Camera
by Ted Schwarz; Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
BOARDING PETS. When their owners go off on vacation, dogs,cats,
birds and other pets require looking after. You'll have to have
the proper facilities to care for them, of course, plus a genuine
love for animals. You may get more information from: American
Boarding Kennel Association, 4575 Galley Road, Suite 400 A,
Colorado Springs, CO 80915.
DOG GROOMING. Pet lovers who want to keep their pooches in
tip-top form will be your customers. Contact: National Dog
Groomers Association of American, Box 101, Clark, PA 16113. It
publishes Groomers Voice and has a licensing committee.
APARTMENT/HOUSE CLEANING. Start your own maid service for
apartment buildings or home residences. House cleaning is one
business that doesn't require special training. Most women and
men have been doing it in their own homes for years. Today, even
teenagers are providing single and team-cleaning services in
their after school hours and during summer vacation. Put a
listing in the Yellow Pages or in the local shopper paper, put up
notices on community bulletin boards. If your service is thorough
and reliable, you'll acquire new customers through word-of-mouth.
Be sure to spell out to your clients exactly what duties you will
and will not perform. A manual called Operate Your Own Maid
Service is available for $31.95 ppd.. from Hanneke Wasserman
Ent.,Dept IO-10, 9070 Kimberly Blvd.,#205, Boca Raton, FL 33434.
AUTO TUNE-UPS. Many times, specializing in a single service can
really bring in the customers. Turn your garage into a business
that just performs auto tune-ups. Be careful of local zoning
laws, however. If you don't have adequate space in your garage,
consider a mobile auto fix-up service (since many cars may not be
in running condition to come to you anyway). You can perform
tune-ups, oil changes, tire rotation, and replacement, fluid
changes, and even auto cleaning, all from a well equipped van. A
home study course in Automotive Servicing is available from NRI
Schools, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939 Wisconsin
Ave.,Washington, DC 20016.
BICYCLE REPAIR. If you like working with your hands, don't mind
getting dirty, and have an interest in getting paid while you
learn mechanical skill, then bicycle business is where you can
take a ride on the road to good part-time profits. Part-time
mechanics command $25 per hour for their labor. It is not
uncommon for the twenty-hour per week bicycle business to earn
over $20,000 per year. And the great thing about it is you can
start immediately, purchase the necessary tools, and acquire the
skills as you go along. Plus, because bicycle riding is becoming
increasing popular with the young and the old alike, ace
mechanics will be in demand for the next century. If you are a
mechanically inclined or have a good working knowledge of
bicycles, then you're all set. Make yourself know to the schools
and bike clubs. If you need to learn how to repair bicycles, a
manual A Bicycle Repair Business System is available from:
Bicycle repair of America, P.O. Box 24106, Minneapolis, MN 55424.
CARPET CLEANING. This type of business for which the demand will
never lessen. With the right kind of equipment you can "clean up"
so to speak. Quality equipment is available from Von Schrader
Co., 1600 Junction Avenue, Racine, WI 53403, With it you can
clean carpets, walls and furniture.
CHIMNEY SWEEP. Fireplaces and wood stoves are more popular than
ever, which means there's opportunity in cleaning chimneys. In
your advertising, stress that dirty fireplaces are a serious fire
hazard as creosote builds up inside the chimney can combust. For
supplies, contact: Copperfield Chimney Supply, 1-800-247-3305. Or
write to: National Chimney Sweep Guild, P.O. Box 1078, Merrimack,
NH 03050.
DRIVEWAY FINISHER. Many home owners like to have their driveways
resealed and recoated with blacktop every year or every other
year. But it's a messy, time-consuming task. Hence, an
opportunity for you. You'll need a pickup in which to carry your
tools, blacktop, and sealer which you can probably get at
discount if you buy quantity. Ads in local papers and Yellow
Pages probably work best.
FURNITURE REFINISHING/REPAIR. rockers with loose spindles, tables
with wobbly legs - they can all come into your home workshop in
sad condition and leave in tip-top shape. Also, people like to
buy furniture from these so-called naked furniture shops with the
hopes of saving some money by finishing it themselves; often,
however, they never get around to it or chicken out. Perhaps you
can even affiliate yourself with a naked furniture shop who will
refer customers to you as a finisher.
HOUSE PAINTER. House painting is a chore most home owners need,
sooner or later, but often dread. You can paint the houses
yourself, but it might be more profitable to organize a group of
painters to work for you. You find the clients through local
advertising and hire students to do the work.
LANDSCAPING. Commercial sites as well as residential homes are in
need of this service. Seed lawns, plant trees, arrange shrubs,
plants, rocks, and more for a healthy fee. Some periodicals that
may be of interest include: Landscape and Irrigation, P.O. Box
156, Encino, CA 91426; Western Road, Suite 250, Santa Ana, CA
92705. A related business is just lawn service in which you cut,
lime, fertilize, and water lawns for a circuit of customers.
Charge them by the season or per visit.
LOCKSMITH. In this security conscious day and age, a good
locksmith is always in demand. And today, locksmiths are usually
well versed in mathematics and basic electronics because of the
many new types of locks being introduced. Without a full line
equipment required to handle a wide variety of jobs, you will be
limiting your total income potential. The more you invest in
quality equipment, the more different jobs you can handle.
Equipment and a locksmithing course are available from
Foley-Belsaw Locksmiths, 6301 Equitable Rd., Kansas City, MO
64120. One report worth looking at is: How To Start your Own
Mobile Locksmithing Service from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., P.O.
Box 1375, Huntington, NY 11743; $7.00.
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR. Fix small engines for lawn mowers, leaf
blowers, chain saws, go-carts--anything that utilizes a small
gasoline engine. If you have knowledge about small engines (or
are willing to learn) you could turn that interest into extra
income. The secret is to find small gas engines, buy them cheap,
and resell them at a profit. Where can you find small gas engines
for five dollars or less? Check out the local flea market, or ask
the trash haulers to set aside lawn mowers, edgers, anything with
a small gas engine for you. Pay them up to $5 a shot, depending
on the condition of the items. You can learn more about small
engine repair from Foley-Belsaw Institute, 6301 Equitable Rd,
Kansas City, MO 64120.
UPHOLSTERY REPAIR. Rather than buy new sofas, chairs, loveseats,
couches, and ottomans, people would prefer to have someone like
you reupholster them. The numbers practicing this skill seem to
be dwindling, so there's a real opportunity there. As apart of
your services, consider the making of slip covers for the
furniture. For upholstery training and tools, contact:
Foley-Belsaw Institute of Upholstery, 6301 Equitable Rd.,Kansas
City, MO 64120.
ADVERTISING COPYWRITER. If you are clever with words and have a
good sense of salesmanship, there are many small businesses in
your community which can use your services. You can write
newspaper ads, brochures, radio ads, catalogs, and more. For more
ideas, look for a copy of the 1990 Writer's Market, Writers
Digest Books, F&W Publications, 1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
45207.
COURIER SERVICE. Deliver messages and packages for various
businesses within your town. If you have a car, you can even
offer to deliver parcels to neighboring towns and cities. How To
Start and Operate Your Own Delivery Service is available for
$5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets, P.O. Box 40,
Vernon, NJ 07462.
TYPING/WORD PROCESSING SERVICE. Students, businesses, legal
professionals, writers and many others need reports, papers,
documents, and manuscripts professionally typed. Of course it's
much easier to provide this service if you have a good word
processor, small changes can easily be done without having to
retype the entire document. Post ads on school bulletin boards,
and send direct mail flyers to doctors, lawyers, and other
businesses.
BAIT SHOP. Do you live near a well-stocked lake, river, bay or
stream? Fisherman will need bait, lures, line and other
equipment. You don't have to offer all of that, of course. Just
posting a sign telling fishermen you have good bait worms will
bring in the profits.
BRONZING KEEPSAKES. What mother wouldn't want a bronzed
remembrance of her child's babyhood? Bronzed baby shoes have long
been cherished memento adorning mantelpieces and curio shelves.
You can find customers by checking registration lists at day care
centers and preschools; these kids have outgrown their first pair
of shoes which are ready for bronzing. You can obtain materials
and instructions from these companies: Nicholas Bronze Supply,
10555 U.S. Highway 98, Dept W488, Sebring, FL 33870; or United
Bronze, Rumford, RI 02916.
FIREWOOD SALES/DELIVERY. Provide seasoned firewood by the cord or
by the fraction of the cord to a growing number of buyers. One
angle is to buy cords of seasoned wood, then cut it in
fireplace-size logs and sell fractions of the cord to a route of
clients. Tell them you can bring a fresh supply of firewood every
week (or however long the wood happens to last) for a set price.
You can charge for each delivery, or offer a special deal to
provide wood for the whole winter.
FRAME MAKING. Make frames of all kinds for customers paintings,
reprints, and posters. Stock a wide variety of wood and metal
frames in your garage or finished basement. You will need framing
skills and tools, as well as glass cutting skills. For added
profits, you can sell posters and prints of various kinds.
GIFT BASKETS. This is one of the hottest product-oriented home
businesses around. You don't have to make the wicker baskets
yourself (check your Yellow Pages for a supplier), but it is up
to your taste and imagination to fill them with tempting goodies.
Create baskets for all occasions--birthdays, anniversaries,
retirements, births, Mother's and Father's Day, Valentine's
Day--or no occasion at all; "I Miss You" gift basket. Find
suppliers who will sell the items in quantity for the best price.
Put a variety of food items in the basket along with small gifts
appropriate to the occasion: satin hearts for Valentine's Day; a
rattle, baby birth (gift baskets don't always have to contain
food) champagne for anniversaries, etc.
STAINED GLASS. Customers will pay a premium for well-executed
stained glass. Many local stained glass shops offer lessons, and
once you become proficient at it, you can create stained glass
ornaments, gifts, even windows. A three-year program is sponsored
by the Stained Glass Association of America, 8821 Bridgeport Way
S.W., Tacoma, WA 98499, Attention Chairman, Education Department.
CATERING. Quality catering is more in demand than ever before.
Your culinary skill can bring in lots of profits. Home study
courses are available from: International Correspondence Schools,
School of Catering, Oak and Pawnee Streets, Scranton, PA 18518;
and NRI Schools, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939
Wisconsin Ave., Washington, DC 20016.
LUNCH DELIVERY. Make specialty and conventional sandwiches for
delivery to hungry office workers. Create a menu of what you're
prepared to offer for lunches and distribute them to every office
possible in your area--you�ll be surprised at the great number of
orders you'll get, so prepared. You may even need help in making
the lunches. If you don't want to make the lunches yourself,
another angle deals with area restaurants and deli's to provide
the food--you will deliver fresh and hot. Your menu will consist
of these restaurants various house specialties. The restaurants,
because you're buying in quantity will give you a discount on the
food; you mark it up for your
profits.
There are some of you out there that will scoff, "What kind of
business can really start with $500?" Well, consider the fifty we
present here.
When most of us here phrases like "Start a New Business" or
"start-up costs," our minds picture figures with a lot of zeros
in them. While it is true that most businesses do require several
thousand dollars to start up, there are certainly some that
don't. They exist; it's just a matter of focusing in on them.
The businesses listed here range from computers to consulting,
from accounting to auto repair, and many more. All can be
operated from your home, eliminating the need for expensive
formal office space. They are quite diverse; the one thing they
have in common is that they can be started for $500--and
sometimes less.
As you are thinking about what kind of business to operate,
consider where you live, your job skills, hobbies, the equipment
you own, the needs of your community, and certainly, the work you
enjoy doing.
Some people operate small manufacturing businesses out of their
garage or basement while others set up service-oriented
businesses in their kitchen or truck; some have discovered the
lucrative field of importing goods, and others have tucked mail
order companies into spare rooms, since they don't need a store
front but only a mail box and space for inventory for this type
of business.
Naturally, you shouldn't expect these ventures to make you
millions, but if you take them seriously enough you'll be able to
do well at them. Some of these businesses might be better suited
for a part-time endeavor, while others (with a little luck and a
lot of hard work) will allow you to devote yourself to them
full-time.
And who knows? Maybe they will make you millions. In any case,
here are fifty opportunities.
ACCOUNTING. The "simplified" tax code has the public more
confused than ever. If you are an accountant for a company, you
can earn excellent part-time profits by offering tax consultation
and tax preparation in your community. If you're not trained as
an accountant, you can receive education from various sources
including: H&R Block, 1-800-7taxlaw; National Tax Training,
Monsey, NY 10952 (their home study course costs$175.75);
Federated Tax Service, 2021 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
(free info). For other information about this business, write:
National Association of Accountants, Small Business Advisory, 10
Tarragon Drive, P.O. Box 433, Montvale, NJ 17645.
BUSINESS CONSULTING. Consulting is a fast growing small business,
and potentially one of the most profitable. If you have worked in
a particular field for many years, and feel that you have some
expertise, that you can share with other businesses, you can
demand respectable fees for that knowledge. Consider starting a
newsletter. Advertise via direct mail to potential business
customers. Explain your background, what you have to offer, and,
most important, how your knowledge can increase their profits or
efficiency. get more information from: Consulting Opportunities
Journal, published by Consultants National Resource Center, 500
Kaetzel Road, Gapland, MD 21736.
COMPUTER CONSULTING. As the computer pervades almost every aspect
of our daily lives, people need to become computer literate--or
at least know how to work things. If you have basic computer
knowledge as well as specific expertise with popular software
(Word Perfect, Lotus 1-2-3. etc.), individuals and other
businesses will find your help worth paying for. You can have
clients come to your home, but they might feel more comfortable
if you came to their offices or homes to work on their particular
machines. Of course if you consult for business, you must go to
them. Advertise in the Yellow Pages or send direct mail queries
to various business offices that you know use computers. Check
your local computer dealers and ask about businesses that have
just bought computer systems--you KNOW they'll need help, and the
dealer usually isn't interested in helping customers work the
things once they've made the sale. In fact, you might be able to
enter into a deal with the computer dealer in which he recommends
you as a consultant. For further reading: The Computer
Consultant, Schueler Communications, Inc., 208 N. Townsend Street, Syracuse,
NY 13203.
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. No software package right now out of the
box is going to work for a business exactly the way they want it
to, so custom computer programming is often needed. Your
programming ability can create a custom applications for
retailers and other businesses. If this idea interests you but
you don't know programming, a home study course available from
International Correspondence Schools, 925 Oak St., Scranton, PA
18508-9989.
CLOWNING. This business is no laughing matter. decent profits can
be earned from doing your funny business at children�s parties and
schools. Contact nursery schools, pre-kindergarten classes, and
day care centers and offer your services. The schools may not be
able to pay much, so birthday parties are probably your best bet.
Advertise on community bulletin boards and in local shopper
papers. Two publications worth getting are: Creative Clowning,
Java Publishing Co.,6510 Lenham Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
($16.95); and Start A Clowning Business by Donna Huff, 203 State
Rd.,Sellersville, PA 18960 ($5).
DJ SERVICE. Good disk jockeys are still in demand for large
parties of all kinds: birthdays, anniversaries, small weddings,
office parties, dances, etc. You'll need a large selection of
popular dance tunes that covers a wide variety of tastes and
styles, and quality sound equipment that is both portable and
powerful enough to project throughout a large auditorium. You
might consider staging your own dance weekends at a resort,
charging per couple. Place ads Yellow Pages for this service.
GARAGE SALE ORGANIZER. Sure you can make some money with your own
garage sale, but you can make much more by becoming a
professional. You can organize and run garage sales for dozens of
households in your town. Your sales pitch is that you know what
sells and what doesn't, how to price objects, how to attract
customers and what to serve (such as free coffee). As the
organizer, you can either charge a flat fee for your services or
accept a percentage of the total take. But you must insist that
you run the show, and that your decisions on pricing and display
are not questioned. Look for The Garage Sale Book, $7.95 from
E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., Dept IO-10, P.O. Box 1375,
Huntington, NY 11743-1375. Or How To Profit from Garage Sales,
$5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets, P.O. Box 40,
Vernon, NJ 074672.
HAULING, LIGHT. If you have a pickup truck, there are numerous
tasks you can undertake for customers: hauling trash, dirt,
appliances, lumber, etc. Advertise your services on bulletin
boards and in the local Pennysaver. Suggested reading: How To
Earn $15 to $50 an Hour and More with a Pickup Truck or Van by
Don Lilly; available from Darian Books, 4909 W. Joyce Circle,
Glendale AZ 85308; $14.45 ppd.
HOUSE SITTING SERVICE. When families stayed put, it used to be
possible for some member of the family to feed the pets, water
the plants, and take in the mail on those rare occasions when
someone was absent from home. But in today's mobile society, a
homeowner will often have no family member living in the same
town and won't even know the neighbors. So the need for
house-sitters keeps growing. You can provide that service, either
as a sitter yourself, or as a manager of a group of house
sitters. For a comprehensive manual on how to start and operate
this business, write for How to Run A House-sitting Business by
Jane Poston, 1708 E. (th St. Tucson, az 85719; $36.
LAUNDRY SERVICE. There are many services you can provide for the
modern single or couple, both of whom work, and laundry is one of
them. You'll need a large capacity, heavy duty washing machine
and the inclination to wash, dry and fold clothes all day. But
substantial profits are there for the taking. this service might
be perfect in an apartment building where the tenants must share
washers and dryers. The apartment dwellers (most of who dread
doing the laundry anyway) will pay for the coin-operated machine
PLUS your fee. As and added service, you can offer to take
clients suits, dresses, and coats to be dry cleaned, and deliver
them when done.
AEROBIC INSTRUCTION. There is no end in sight to America's
penchant for fitness. If your finished basement is large enough,
you can hold exercise and fitness classes for men and women in
your community. If you don't have the space, see about leasing
space at local YMCA, YWCA or other such facility. Study nutrition
and offer a complete package of nutrition and exercise guidance.
To find out about aerobics certification, contact the Aerobics
and Fitness Association, 15250 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 310,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION. Whether or not rock and roll is to think,
today's kids are interested in music as much as ever. And they'll
always need lessons in piano, guitar, clarinet, etc. Schools
usually provide some basic instructions, but instrument-specific,
one-on-one instruction is always necessary. Your proficiency with
a particular instrument and provide your home-based business. If
your instrument is a popular enough lessons to keep you busy
practically all day every day. Advertise everywhere: school and
community bulletin boards, local shopper papers, and Yellow
Pages.
APARTMENT RENTAL LIST. Put your home computer to use and become
an apartment broker finding renters for empty apartments. Allow
the apartment owner to list his rental free; your profits come
from the renter who pays you for finding the space. Add a printer
to your computer and you can publish a local paper of available
rentals. On the flip side, you can also be an apartment locator.
Students and other individuals looking for apartments can come to
your for help. Apartment buildings and homes with rooms to let
will gladly place their names what you.
ROOMMATE SERVICE. The growing number of unmarried Americans has
led to the development of this matchup industry that is easily
run from one's home. You'll find roommates for people who prefer
not to live alone or can't afford to. The high cost of rents and
mortgages, the soaring divorce rate, and the inability of
salaries to keep pace with inflation are sending more and more
singles in search of roommates. For assistance in starting this
type of business, contact: Roommate Referral, 8139 S. I-35,
Oklahoma City, OK 73149.
ANSWERING SERVICE. When you install an extra phone line (or
several depending on the size of your business) in your home,
busy people can have their calls call-forward to you. You take
the messages for them. the only caveat with this business is that
you have to be home ALL the time (or at least during the hours
that you establish) to answer the phone. A booklet entitled How
to Start Your Own Telephoning Answering Service is available for
$5 from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., Dept IO-10, P.O. Box 1375.
Huntington, NY 11743-1375. a newsletter called The Message is
available from the Association of Telephone Answering Services,
29 W. 57th ST.,New York, NY 10019.
BABY-SITTING. The old standby is still a money-maker--even more
so, in fact, because mothers are busier than ever. A more
lucrative angle to baby-sitting is to become a baby sitter
broker. You advertise the service in various locations, then have
a number of baby sitters on call. That way, parents can always be
assured of getting a sitter when they need one. As a broker, you
take 10 percent of what the sitter earns. For more information:
The Complete Baby-sitting Handbook, by Elizabeth James and Carol
Barkin, Julian Messner, 1230 Avenue of the Americans, New York,
NY 10020.
BED AND BREAKFAST/HOMESTAYS. Turn your home into a welcome haven
for travelers and tourists. Unlike full fledged B&Bs' homestays
usually have one or two rooms available for paying guest. For
young couples struggling to pay off mortgage, or for retired
couples interested in a part-time business, homestays allow home
owners to turn extra rooms into extra dollars. Of course, not
every home will make a good bed and breakfast homestay. Nor all
people cut out for being a B&B host/owner. A prospective
host/owner should enjoy meeting all kinds of people, like to
cook, enjoy entertaining visitors, keep the house clean and neat,
and live in an area that is attractive to visitors. You can
obtain more information from: National Bed and Breakfast
Association, P.O. box 332, Norwalk, CT 06853; American Bed and
Breakfast Association, P.O. Box 23294, Washington, DC 20026.
CALLIGRAPHY SERVICE. If you already know how to do calligraphy,
the art of beautiful writing, there's a market for you talents
among those needing special invitations, personalized greeting
cards, diplomas, and certifications. You'll need calligraphy pens
or markers, available from any art supply store. The business
cards you have printed up should be done,, of course, in
calligraphy--it is as once a advertisement for your business and
demonstration of your skills. If you don't know how to do
calligraphy, you can learn from the publication, Calligraphy For
Fun & Profit, available for $9 from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co.,
P.O. Box 1375, Huntington, NY 11743.
CHAUFFEUR/LIMOUSINE SERVICE. Everybody wants to go in style to
weddings, concerts, business meetings, even funerals. And what
better way to go than a fully equipped, chauffeur-driven
limousine? In the style-conscious 1990s, when image is
everything, more and more people are doing it to propose
marriage, celebrate an anniversary, close a business deal, or go
to the theater. You as a limo provider and/or driver can cash in
to the tune of $40 to $125 an hour on each car. Check with your
State Department of Motor Vehicle Licensing for special license
requirements. How To Start and Operate Your Own Limousine Service
is available for $5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets,
P.O. Box 40, Vernon, NJ 07462.
CHILD DAY CARE CENTER. Today, when more and more mothers are
working outside the home, the need for quality child care keeps
increasing. It is a service that can be operated by mothers of
any age--or even a retired couple. Home care providers are often
regulated just as day care centers are. Call and talk with the
local agency of family and children services; they can advice you
on the licensing or registration requirements you will be
expected to follow. These requirements cover such things as how
many children you may have in your care, how much space you need
for each child, and appropriate meals and snacks. They also offer
classes in child care and development that you may want or may be
required to attend. By registering with family and children
services and following their recommendations, you can gain added
credibility with your new clients. While planning a home day care
service, you should do your own survey of what day care options
are currently available in your area. Charge by the day or week.
Rates run between $150 and $200 per month per child. Be certain
of insurance regulations and your personal liability. A
recommended book is SO You Want To Open A Profitable Day Care
Center--by Patricia Gallagher, P.O. Box 555, Worcester, PA 19490
($12.95).
GROCERY DELIVERY. There aren't many grocery stores or
supermarkets that deliver groceries to customers anymore, but
with the increasing number of two-income families and the
increasing demand on leisure time, grocery delivery is once gain
needed. So why don't you take up the slack? Here's how you might
work it; arrange with a supermarket to buy groceries at a
discount (because you're buying in quantity), and deliver them to
your customers. During its first week in business, a company
called Grocery Express in Memphis, Tennessee, Made seventy six
deliveries--$2,600 worth of groceries, of which they kept 10
percent.
HOME HAIRSTYLIST. The elderly and otherwise homebound can always
get a visiting nurse, but it's difficult to find a hairdresser
who will make house calls. There's your opportunity if you have
hairstyling skills. In the privacy of a hospital room or their
home, your customers can get cuts, colors, shampoos, perms, maybe
even manicures. if you want to think big, you can run an entire
network of home hairstylists; licensed hairdressers and
cosmetologists might agreed to work for you on an "on-call"
basis.
PARTY PLANNER. Be a professional party thrower for individuals
and businesses. Find the right location, arrange the
entertainment, provide the food and decorations--the whole works.
For supplies, contact: Part Time Inc.,395 94th Avenue, N.W.,
Minneapolis, MN 55433.
RESUME'WRITING. Before anyone embarks on a job search--whether he
is a veteran in the work force or a college graduate--he'll need
a resume. Since resumes play such an important role in a job
hunt, they demand special attention. Writing designing (choosing
paper, typeface, and format), and producing them may be a job
that you have a knack for doing. You may have heard about resume
writing services, but never knew how they alone could sustain a
business. This service, though, is something that is always in
demand, can easily branch out into other forms of typing
services, and requires little overhead and start-up capital. Two
good books on the subject are: The Resume'Catalog: 200 Damn Good
Examples by Yana Parker, Ten Speed Press, P.O. Box 7123,
Berkeley, CA 94707 ($10.95): Resumes' That Work by Tom Cowan, New
American Library, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
VIDEOTAPING SERVICE. With your camcorder you can produce
"mini-movies" of weddings, baptisms, bar mitzvah, family picnics,
and birthday parties. Other ideas include video inventory for
insurance purposes and video yearbooks for high schools and
colleges. You may need more than one camera (and more than one
operator) and some editing equipment for professional results.
One book on the subject: How To Make Money with Your Video Camera
by Ted Schwarz; Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
BOARDING PETS. When their owners go off on vacation, dogs,cats,
birds and other pets require looking after. You'll have to have
the proper facilities to care for them, of course, plus a genuine
love for animals. You may get more information from: American
Boarding Kennel Association, 4575 Galley Road, Suite 400 A,
Colorado Springs, CO 80915.
DOG GROOMING. Pet lovers who want to keep their pooches in
tip-top form will be your customers. Contact: National Dog
Groomers Association of American, Box 101, Clark, PA 16113. It
publishes Groomers Voice and has a licensing committee.
APARTMENT/HOUSE CLEANING. Start your own maid service for
apartment buildings or home residences. House cleaning is one
business that doesn't require special training. Most women and
men have been doing it in their own homes for years. Today, even
teenagers are providing single and team-cleaning services in
their after school hours and during summer vacation. Put a
listing in the Yellow Pages or in the local shopper paper, put up
notices on community bulletin boards. If your service is thorough
and reliable, you'll acquire new customers through word-of-mouth.
Be sure to spell out to your clients exactly what duties you will
and will not perform. A manual called Operate Your Own Maid
Service is available for $31.95 ppd.. from Hanneke Wasserman
Ent.,Dept IO-10, 9070 Kimberly Blvd.,#205, Boca Raton, FL 33434.
AUTO TUNE-UPS. Many times, specializing in a single service can
really bring in the customers. Turn your garage into a business
that just performs auto tune-ups. Be careful of local zoning
laws, however. If you don't have adequate space in your garage,
consider a mobile auto fix-up service (since many cars may not be
in running condition to come to you anyway). You can perform
tune-ups, oil changes, tire rotation, and replacement, fluid
changes, and even auto cleaning, all from a well equipped van. A
home study course in Automotive Servicing is available from NRI
Schools, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939 Wisconsin
Ave.,Washington, DC 20016.
BICYCLE REPAIR. If you like working with your hands, don't mind
getting dirty, and have an interest in getting paid while you
learn mechanical skill, then bicycle business is where you can
take a ride on the road to good part-time profits. Part-time
mechanics command $25 per hour for their labor. It is not
uncommon for the twenty-hour per week bicycle business to earn
over $20,000 per year. And the great thing about it is you can
start immediately, purchase the necessary tools, and acquire the
skills as you go along. Plus, because bicycle riding is becoming
increasing popular with the young and the old alike, ace
mechanics will be in demand for the next century. If you are a
mechanically inclined or have a good working knowledge of
bicycles, then you're all set. Make yourself know to the schools
and bike clubs. If you need to learn how to repair bicycles, a
manual A Bicycle Repair Business System is available from:
Bicycle repair of America, P.O. Box 24106, Minneapolis, MN 55424.
CARPET CLEANING. This type of business for which the demand will
never lessen. With the right kind of equipment you can "clean up"
so to speak. Quality equipment is available from Von Schrader
Co., 1600 Junction Avenue, Racine, WI 53403, With it you can
clean carpets, walls and furniture.
CHIMNEY SWEEP. Fireplaces and wood stoves are more popular than
ever, which means there's opportunity in cleaning chimneys. In
your advertising, stress that dirty fireplaces are a serious fire
hazard as creosote builds up inside the chimney can combust. For
supplies, contact: Copperfield Chimney Supply, 1-800-247-3305. Or
write to: National Chimney Sweep Guild, P.O. Box 1078, Merrimack,
NH 03050.
DRIVEWAY FINISHER. Many home owners like to have their driveways
resealed and recoated with blacktop every year or every other
year. But it's a messy, time-consuming task. Hence, an
opportunity for you. You'll need a pickup in which to carry your
tools, blacktop, and sealer which you can probably get at
discount if you buy quantity. Ads in local papers and Yellow
Pages probably work best.
FURNITURE REFINISHING/REPAIR. rockers with loose spindles, tables
with wobbly legs - they can all come into your home workshop in
sad condition and leave in tip-top shape. Also, people like to
buy furniture from these so-called naked furniture shops with the
hopes of saving some money by finishing it themselves; often,
however, they never get around to it or chicken out. Perhaps you
can even affiliate yourself with a naked furniture shop who will
refer customers to you as a finisher.
HOUSE PAINTER. House painting is a chore most home owners need,
sooner or later, but often dread. You can paint the houses
yourself, but it might be more profitable to organize a group of
painters to work for you. You find the clients through local
advertising and hire students to do the work.
LANDSCAPING. Commercial sites as well as residential homes are in
need of this service. Seed lawns, plant trees, arrange shrubs,
plants, rocks, and more for a healthy fee. Some periodicals that
may be of interest include: Landscape and Irrigation, P.O. Box
156, Encino, CA 91426; Western Road, Suite 250, Santa Ana, CA
92705. A related business is just lawn service in which you cut,
lime, fertilize, and water lawns for a circuit of customers.
Charge them by the season or per visit.
LOCKSMITH. In this security conscious day and age, a good
locksmith is always in demand. And today, locksmiths are usually
well versed in mathematics and basic electronics because of the
many new types of locks being introduced. Without a full line
equipment required to handle a wide variety of jobs, you will be
limiting your total income potential. The more you invest in
quality equipment, the more different jobs you can handle.
Equipment and a locksmithing course are available from
Foley-Belsaw Locksmiths, 6301 Equitable Rd., Kansas City, MO
64120. One report worth looking at is: How To Start your Own
Mobile Locksmithing Service from E.A. Morgan Publishing Co., P.O.
Box 1375, Huntington, NY 11743; $7.00.
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR. Fix small engines for lawn mowers, leaf
blowers, chain saws, go-carts--anything that utilizes a small
gasoline engine. If you have knowledge about small engines (or
are willing to learn) you could turn that interest into extra
income. The secret is to find small gas engines, buy them cheap,
and resell them at a profit. Where can you find small gas engines
for five dollars or less? Check out the local flea market, or ask
the trash haulers to set aside lawn mowers, edgers, anything with
a small gas engine for you. Pay them up to $5 a shot, depending
on the condition of the items. You can learn more about small
engine repair from Foley-Belsaw Institute, 6301 Equitable Rd,
Kansas City, MO 64120.
UPHOLSTERY REPAIR. Rather than buy new sofas, chairs, loveseats,
couches, and ottomans, people would prefer to have someone like
you reupholster them. The numbers practicing this skill seem to
be dwindling, so there's a real opportunity there. As apart of
your services, consider the making of slip covers for the
furniture. For upholstery training and tools, contact:
Foley-Belsaw Institute of Upholstery, 6301 Equitable Rd.,Kansas
City, MO 64120.
ADVERTISING COPYWRITER. If you are clever with words and have a
good sense of salesmanship, there are many small businesses in
your community which can use your services. You can write
newspaper ads, brochures, radio ads, catalogs, and more. For more
ideas, look for a copy of the 1990 Writer's Market, Writers
Digest Books, F&W Publications, 1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
45207.
COURIER SERVICE. Deliver messages and packages for various
businesses within your town. If you have a car, you can even
offer to deliver parcels to neighboring towns and cities. How To
Start and Operate Your Own Delivery Service is available for
$5.95 ppd. from Income Opportunities Booklets, P.O. Box 40,
Vernon, NJ 07462.
TYPING/WORD PROCESSING SERVICE. Students, businesses, legal
professionals, writers and many others need reports, papers,
documents, and manuscripts professionally typed. Of course it's
much easier to provide this service if you have a good word
processor, small changes can easily be done without having to
retype the entire document. Post ads on school bulletin boards,
and send direct mail flyers to doctors, lawyers, and other
businesses.
BAIT SHOP. Do you live near a well-stocked lake, river, bay or
stream? Fisherman will need bait, lures, line and other
equipment. You don't have to offer all of that, of course. Just
posting a sign telling fishermen you have good bait worms will
bring in the profits.
BRONZING KEEPSAKES. What mother wouldn't want a bronzed
remembrance of her child's babyhood? Bronzed baby shoes have long
been cherished memento adorning mantelpieces and curio shelves.
You can find customers by checking registration lists at day care
centers and preschools; these kids have outgrown their first pair
of shoes which are ready for bronzing. You can obtain materials
and instructions from these companies: Nicholas Bronze Supply,
10555 U.S. Highway 98, Dept W488, Sebring, FL 33870; or United
Bronze, Rumford, RI 02916.
FIREWOOD SALES/DELIVERY. Provide seasoned firewood by the cord or
by the fraction of the cord to a growing number of buyers. One
angle is to buy cords of seasoned wood, then cut it in
fireplace-size logs and sell fractions of the cord to a route of
clients. Tell them you can bring a fresh supply of firewood every
week (or however long the wood happens to last) for a set price.
You can charge for each delivery, or offer a special deal to
provide wood for the whole winter.
FRAME MAKING. Make frames of all kinds for customers paintings,
reprints, and posters. Stock a wide variety of wood and metal
frames in your garage or finished basement. You will need framing
skills and tools, as well as glass cutting skills. For added
profits, you can sell posters and prints of various kinds.
GIFT BASKETS. This is one of the hottest product-oriented home
businesses around. You don't have to make the wicker baskets
yourself (check your Yellow Pages for a supplier), but it is up
to your taste and imagination to fill them with tempting goodies.
Create baskets for all occasions--birthdays, anniversaries,
retirements, births, Mother's and Father's Day, Valentine's
Day--or no occasion at all; "I Miss You" gift basket. Find
suppliers who will sell the items in quantity for the best price.
Put a variety of food items in the basket along with small gifts
appropriate to the occasion: satin hearts for Valentine's Day; a
rattle, baby birth (gift baskets don't always have to contain
food) champagne for anniversaries, etc.
STAINED GLASS. Customers will pay a premium for well-executed
stained glass. Many local stained glass shops offer lessons, and
once you become proficient at it, you can create stained glass
ornaments, gifts, even windows. A three-year program is sponsored
by the Stained Glass Association of America, 8821 Bridgeport Way
S.W., Tacoma, WA 98499, Attention Chairman, Education Department.
CATERING. Quality catering is more in demand than ever before.
Your culinary skill can bring in lots of profits. Home study
courses are available from: International Correspondence Schools,
School of Catering, Oak and Pawnee Streets, Scranton, PA 18518;
and NRI Schools, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939
Wisconsin Ave., Washington, DC 20016.
LUNCH DELIVERY. Make specialty and conventional sandwiches for
delivery to hungry office workers. Create a menu of what you're
prepared to offer for lunches and distribute them to every office
possible in your area--you�ll be surprised at the great number of
orders you'll get, so prepared. You may even need help in making
the lunches. If you don't want to make the lunches yourself,
another angle deals with area restaurants and deli's to provide
the food--you will deliver fresh and hot. Your menu will consist
of these restaurants various house specialties. The restaurants,
because you're buying in quantity will give you a discount on the
food; you mark it up for your
profits.
Monday, November 3, 2008
making money placing articles
CREATE AND MARKET SELF-PUBLISHING ARTICLES
An Introduction to Self-Publishing Material
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold with
reproduction rights is generally referred to as self-publishing
material. Most commonly, this material consists of reports or
articles varying in length from 1 to 20 or more pages. This
material usually has a self-cover. In a self-cover, the same
weight of paper is used as in the text. Most books, on the
other hand, have covers which are of a heavier weight than the
text of the book.
The seller offers self-publishing material including the
reproduction right, at a price considerably higher than he would
offer the material when sold without reproduction rights.
Reproduction rights are granted when the holder of a copyright
grants reproduction rights to the buyer. These rights can be
unlimited, giving the buyer the option to re-sell reproduction
rights for the material also. Or, they may be limited. In this
case, the seller will generally allow the buyer to reproduce the
material as he wishes, but restricts right of resale. Since the
strongest demand is for material which grants full and unlimited
reproduction and resale rights, it would always be advantageous
to obtain the right to resell reproduction material.
There is a vast demand for this type of material, especially
from newcomers in the mail order field. Since the stream of
newcomers to this business is almost unlimited, it can be
extremely profitable to market self-publishing material. The
attractiveness of this material is due both to the high mark-up
potential and the ease of handling. Once you own the resale
rights to a given article, you can reproduce it for pennies and
sell it both individually for a few dollars. or including the
reproduction rights, for substantially higher.
Here's a typical example of purchasing and selling price. A
five or six page article may have a purchase price of anywhere
from $8.00 to $15.00. The same article, without reproduction
rights, would have a price range of $3.00 to $5.00. Once you
own the reproduction rights, you can have it reproduced for 20
to 50 cents a set, depending on how many copies you have made.
But let's use the high price of 50 cents and a selling price of
$4.00 without reproduction rights: profit $3.50 = 700%, or with
the reproduction rights of $9.00: profit $8.50 = 1700%. Not
shabby at all! It is especially impressive when you compare
that margin to buying a book from a supplier for $3.00 and
selling it for $9.00: profit $6.00 = 200%.
The other major advantage is the ease of handling of this
material. You are the prime source. You carry no inventory.
You reproduce in small quantities as you are selling the
material. The material is inexpensively shipped, generally via
First Class due to its light weight.
Supply and Demand
The supply and demand for this type of material is plentiful, but
that supply represents a small margin when compared to the
incredible demand. It is usually the newcomer to the mail order
filed who has to first establish his product line and supply who
is the buyer. The seller, on the other hand, is more seasoned
and has been in the business for a while.
If you are in the market and interested in acquiring
self-publishing material, you should have no problem locating
sources. You will see ads, mostly classifieds, throughout
business opportunity publications. Small and medium size
wholesalers and publishers in the mail order field also offer a
variety of material. Since they generally charge an "up-front"
distributor or dealership fee, the material they offer will
generally be at much reduced prices.
Most of material offered will be of an instructive nature and
this is also where the demand is. Articles or short manuals
which are instructive in how to start a business or how to
operate different facets of that business are in especially high
demand.
Unfortunately, since there is a great deal of sub-standard
material on the market, you should be careful in acquiring
articles and reports for resale. The material may lack in any
of these three areas:
1. The contents are incorrect, incomplete, etc., which is
generally the result of poor research and little effort by the
writer;
2. Use of language is incorrect; and
3. Reproduction quality is poor.
If you do not know the seller or his reputation, protect
yourself by buying just one article instead of several. If you
like the quality and contents, you can purchase several more.
Sellers of reproducible material will often not grant a money
back guarantee. If you become a seller of reproduction
material, it is strongly suggested that you consider adopting
such a policy yourself. Unfortunately, there are some customers
who will buy this material, reproduce it instantly and return it
within days for a refund.
Write Your Own Material
If you enjoy writing and some limited research, you could create
your own material and sell that in conjunction with the material
you have acquired from other sources. We are not talking about
the ability to produce literary works but just
information-oriented material that is a service to others. This
type of an effort can often be a joint effort. Your wife or
husband may be the writer and you may be the editor or vice
versa. There are also many qualified word processing services
available who can edit your writing for a reasonable fee. Once
you have created, it, you can generally sell it for many years
to come. So, whatever your start-up investment is,, it can be
recaptured many times over.
Material from the U.S. Government for Very Little Money
The U.S. Government, which is also the largest publisher in the
world by far, employs tens of thousands of researchers,
scientists, writers, etc., and puts out billions of new pages of
information each year. Much of it is of absolutely no interest
to almost anyone, a lot of it is boring, and even more of it is
useless. But - but - but a lot of it is not any of the above.
Almost all of the materials is also in the public domain, which
means you and I own it. We paid for it with our tax dollars.
It is not copyrighted and everyone can use it, reproduce it,
re-write it, etc. So since even foreign countries use this
unlimited pool of information, why don't you? For example, the
Government has a variety of useful publications that are
informative and instructive to someone who is starting out in a
new business. The best way to use Government publications is by
using the research information it provides - fact and figures.
You can rewrite it, of course, but not copyright it, and
therefore you cannot sell reproduction rights to it. However,
you can sell it without reproduction rights.
Write to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402 and request a current listing of
publications for sale by the Government Printing Office.
There are U.S. Government bookstores in the following cities:
Birmingham, AL - Los Angeles, CA - San Francisco, CA - Denver,
CO - Pueblo, CO - Washington, DC - Jacksonville, FL - Atlanta,
GA - Chicago, IL - Laurel, MD - Boston, MA - Detroit, MI -
Kansas City, MO - New York, NY - Cleveland, OH - Columbus, OH -
Portland, Or - Philadelphia, PA - Pittsburgh, PA - Dallas, TX -
Houston, TX - Seattle, WA - Milwaukee, WI. Locations are listed
under U.S. Government - Bookstore.
Marketing Your Self-Publishing Material
You can market your material in several ways. One would be via
advertising and, at least for starters, this is the preferred
way. Another method would be via direct mail. This is
acceptable, but only if you are quite certain that the list you
are renting represents the interest group you are selling to and
is of recent vintage. Lastly, you can market your material as
an enclosure with other orders you are shipping. This is called
"back-end sale".
Advertising would be the most effective. It is suggested you
run a classified in any of the major monthly Business
Opportunity magazines. Here are the names of some of the best
known of such publications: Entrepreneur, Money Making
Opportunities, Income Opportunities, Business Startups,
Opportunity Magazine. These are just a very few of the many
large publications and there are even more smaller publications
available.
Your ad may read something like the following:
INSTANT-PUBLISHING. Enormous Profits. Free details on
reproduction rights. or
SELF PUBLISHING. Over 1000% profit. Wide selection. Free
details.
An ad such as the above or one similar will bring you inquiries.
It is your marketing task to turn as large a percentage as
possible into buyers. To be most effective and to outdo your
competitors, you must meet these criteria. Your product must be
priced properly. Your sales literature has to be appealing.
When pricing your product, first take a look at what the
competition does. You can find out by responding to similar
ads. In that way you will not only learn about pricing, but
also see a variety of presentations and selections. Don't be
greedy. Stay a little below the competition but allow yourself
a fair profit. Remember, your mark-up has to pay for
advertising, printing of your sales material, postage and
miscellaneous overhead cost, not to mention your time and effort.
Some of these products are sold at ridiculously low prices, and
on the other hand, some at extremely high prices. Neither is
effective. If you are too low, you will be suspect of offering
something sub-standard and, if you are too high, your material
will be trashed. The idea is to stay a little below the average
selling price. There is no quick fix in finding out what the
averages are. You simply have to take the time to write to as
many competing offers as possible. If you are buying material
from a publisher who provides you with sales material and
suggested retail prices, you may want to stay below the
suggested price. In this way, you do not have to redo the
promotions material. Also the public is attracted by perceived
deals.
If you product is priced correctly and your ad is in the right
magazine (under the right heading - general business
opportunities), the only thing left is your sales literature.
It is also the most important. Remember, in the mail order
business,, the customer cannot see, smell or feel the product
before buying it. It is therefore, absolutely of the utmost
importance that your material looks impeccable. This point
cannot be stressed enough. In my own testing over the years, I
have determined that the same product at the same price but
represented by an excellent looking package will outsell the
same product represented by a less than average package at
anywhere from double to triple the cost. And therein, can be
your success or failure. When you are relatively new to our
business, you will generally be charged with enthusiasm which is
great because it is the energy what will propel you to success.
But your impatience and enthusiasm has to be controlled, or you
will make costly mistakes and you may become discouraged. So,
take your time and be sure your material looks first class.
This is the wrong place to save a few bucks. Here are a few
suggestions to help you in achieving success with the
presentation of your piece:
1. Unless you are using a ready-made circular or brochure
which you received when buying your reproduction article and it
satisfies you in every respect, have your piece laid out by a
graphic designer or experienced desk-top publisher. In most
medium and large cities there is an ample supply of these
professionals. Many of them operate out of their residence and
charge reasonable prices. Before you select one, visit several
and look at what they have done for others. If you don't like
what you see, keep on looking. Remember, the person you choose
can make or break you. Prices for layout of a single page may
vary from $20 to $50. Since your promotional piece will
generally only consist of one or two pages, this is a small
price to pay for success.
2. Have the written word used in both your sales letter and
promotional piece checked by someone who is absolutely competent
in the use of the English language. Your best bet there is a
reputable word processing service that has been around for a
while.
3. Have your sales literature printed by a professional
printer. Cheap copying jobs are fatal.
It must be obvious to you by now that I feel extremely strongly
about the subject of first class sales literature. When your
prospective customer pulls your material out of the envelope -
or, does he even open it - (experts tell us he does that
anywhere from 30 to 100 per week) and looks at your material
(again, experts tell us it is an 8 second look) before he
decides whether to trash you - boom there goes the whole damn
effort into a waste can in a split second - or look at you
further? So give yourself a break and do things the right way.
Make it look professional. Modern technology enables your
literature to look just as good as the literature from a large
corporation.
The components of your sales piece should consist of the
following items:
1. The circular - brochure - flyer, etc. This can be from one
to several pages in length, depending on how many items you are
featuring.
2. A sales letter. A good sales letter requires sweat equity
on your part. There is no easy way out. You cannot have
someone else do the work for you. They can help you, but not do
it completely. A good sales letter should be friendly in tone -
full of benefits for your prospective buyer - must have a good
headline - explain the features of your product - say as little
as possible about you. Your customer does not give a damn about
you, he wants to know what's in it for him. And lastly, every
sales letter must ask for the order.
3. An order form that can be separate or build into a
promotional piece.
4. A return envelope. It is not necessary to use prepaid
envelopes. My own research indicates there is no difference in
conversion rates between prepaid and non-prepaid business return
envelopes.
5. Your mailing envelope.
If you should decide to choose direct mail for your
self-publishing material, your offer will require the same
components as shown above. It is, unfortunately, extremely
difficult to come up with just the right mailing list. The
broad description of "Opportunity Seeker" does not narrow down
your market enough. You are specifically interested in recent -
30 to 180 day - inquiries - or buyers of self-publishing or mail
order start-up packages. If you are confident you can come up
with such a list, you may give direct mail a try; a mailing of
1000 will give you a good indication. What you will save in
advertising will be spent in additional postage and printing.
One hundred inquiries of a classified ad may produce between six
and nine buyers. To come up with the same number of buyers on a
direct mail campaign, you will have to mail about 500 to 700
pieces.
A Few More Profitable Suggestions
It is important to have an ample selection. The more a
prospective customer has to choose from, the better the chances
for a sale are and the higher the average order will be. I
would suggest that the combined articles or reports you are
offering will total about $100. Ideally, some would be
low-priced $7 to $10, some medium, $10 to $20 and some high
priced over $20. If your prospective customer would buy around
35% of the reports you offer, you should come up with an order
of at least $30 plus.
As you progress in your business, always be on the lookout for
new material to be offered to your previous customers. Stay in
touch with your previous buyers and inquirers. At least four
mailings a year are appropriate. In your follow-up mailings,
you should offer additional self-publishing material as well as
books. Non-buying inquiries should be dropped from your mailing
list after 12 to 15 months. Previous buyers should be dropped
within 18 months after their last purchase. As your mailing
list increases in size and you keep on a schedule of regular
mailings, your revenues and profits will dramatically increase.
Self-publishing products may be your start into the mail order
information business or they may increase the size of your
business if you have not previously offered this type of
material. Some of the most successful mail order entrepreneurs
have never sold anything but self-publishing products and have
made a great deal of money doing it.
Wishing you success and remember, before you can earn you must
learn.
An Introduction to Self-Publishing Material
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold with
reproduction rights is generally referred to as self-publishing
material. Most commonly, this material consists of reports or
articles varying in length from 1 to 20 or more pages. This
material usually has a self-cover. In a self-cover, the same
weight of paper is used as in the text. Most books, on the
other hand, have covers which are of a heavier weight than the
text of the book.
The seller offers self-publishing material including the
reproduction right, at a price considerably higher than he would
offer the material when sold without reproduction rights.
Reproduction rights are granted when the holder of a copyright
grants reproduction rights to the buyer. These rights can be
unlimited, giving the buyer the option to re-sell reproduction
rights for the material also. Or, they may be limited. In this
case, the seller will generally allow the buyer to reproduce the
material as he wishes, but restricts right of resale. Since the
strongest demand is for material which grants full and unlimited
reproduction and resale rights, it would always be advantageous
to obtain the right to resell reproduction material.
There is a vast demand for this type of material, especially
from newcomers in the mail order field. Since the stream of
newcomers to this business is almost unlimited, it can be
extremely profitable to market self-publishing material. The
attractiveness of this material is due both to the high mark-up
potential and the ease of handling. Once you own the resale
rights to a given article, you can reproduce it for pennies and
sell it both individually for a few dollars. or including the
reproduction rights, for substantially higher.
Here's a typical example of purchasing and selling price. A
five or six page article may have a purchase price of anywhere
from $8.00 to $15.00. The same article, without reproduction
rights, would have a price range of $3.00 to $5.00. Once you
own the reproduction rights, you can have it reproduced for 20
to 50 cents a set, depending on how many copies you have made.
But let's use the high price of 50 cents and a selling price of
$4.00 without reproduction rights: profit $3.50 = 700%, or with
the reproduction rights of $9.00: profit $8.50 = 1700%. Not
shabby at all! It is especially impressive when you compare
that margin to buying a book from a supplier for $3.00 and
selling it for $9.00: profit $6.00 = 200%.
The other major advantage is the ease of handling of this
material. You are the prime source. You carry no inventory.
You reproduce in small quantities as you are selling the
material. The material is inexpensively shipped, generally via
First Class due to its light weight.
Supply and Demand
The supply and demand for this type of material is plentiful, but
that supply represents a small margin when compared to the
incredible demand. It is usually the newcomer to the mail order
filed who has to first establish his product line and supply who
is the buyer. The seller, on the other hand, is more seasoned
and has been in the business for a while.
If you are in the market and interested in acquiring
self-publishing material, you should have no problem locating
sources. You will see ads, mostly classifieds, throughout
business opportunity publications. Small and medium size
wholesalers and publishers in the mail order field also offer a
variety of material. Since they generally charge an "up-front"
distributor or dealership fee, the material they offer will
generally be at much reduced prices.
Most of material offered will be of an instructive nature and
this is also where the demand is. Articles or short manuals
which are instructive in how to start a business or how to
operate different facets of that business are in especially high
demand.
Unfortunately, since there is a great deal of sub-standard
material on the market, you should be careful in acquiring
articles and reports for resale. The material may lack in any
of these three areas:
1. The contents are incorrect, incomplete, etc., which is
generally the result of poor research and little effort by the
writer;
2. Use of language is incorrect; and
3. Reproduction quality is poor.
If you do not know the seller or his reputation, protect
yourself by buying just one article instead of several. If you
like the quality and contents, you can purchase several more.
Sellers of reproducible material will often not grant a money
back guarantee. If you become a seller of reproduction
material, it is strongly suggested that you consider adopting
such a policy yourself. Unfortunately, there are some customers
who will buy this material, reproduce it instantly and return it
within days for a refund.
Write Your Own Material
If you enjoy writing and some limited research, you could create
your own material and sell that in conjunction with the material
you have acquired from other sources. We are not talking about
the ability to produce literary works but just
information-oriented material that is a service to others. This
type of an effort can often be a joint effort. Your wife or
husband may be the writer and you may be the editor or vice
versa. There are also many qualified word processing services
available who can edit your writing for a reasonable fee. Once
you have created, it, you can generally sell it for many years
to come. So, whatever your start-up investment is,, it can be
recaptured many times over.
Material from the U.S. Government for Very Little Money
The U.S. Government, which is also the largest publisher in the
world by far, employs tens of thousands of researchers,
scientists, writers, etc., and puts out billions of new pages of
information each year. Much of it is of absolutely no interest
to almost anyone, a lot of it is boring, and even more of it is
useless. But - but - but a lot of it is not any of the above.
Almost all of the materials is also in the public domain, which
means you and I own it. We paid for it with our tax dollars.
It is not copyrighted and everyone can use it, reproduce it,
re-write it, etc. So since even foreign countries use this
unlimited pool of information, why don't you? For example, the
Government has a variety of useful publications that are
informative and instructive to someone who is starting out in a
new business. The best way to use Government publications is by
using the research information it provides - fact and figures.
You can rewrite it, of course, but not copyright it, and
therefore you cannot sell reproduction rights to it. However,
you can sell it without reproduction rights.
Write to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402 and request a current listing of
publications for sale by the Government Printing Office.
There are U.S. Government bookstores in the following cities:
Birmingham, AL - Los Angeles, CA - San Francisco, CA - Denver,
CO - Pueblo, CO - Washington, DC - Jacksonville, FL - Atlanta,
GA - Chicago, IL - Laurel, MD - Boston, MA - Detroit, MI -
Kansas City, MO - New York, NY - Cleveland, OH - Columbus, OH -
Portland, Or - Philadelphia, PA - Pittsburgh, PA - Dallas, TX -
Houston, TX - Seattle, WA - Milwaukee, WI. Locations are listed
under U.S. Government - Bookstore.
Marketing Your Self-Publishing Material
You can market your material in several ways. One would be via
advertising and, at least for starters, this is the preferred
way. Another method would be via direct mail. This is
acceptable, but only if you are quite certain that the list you
are renting represents the interest group you are selling to and
is of recent vintage. Lastly, you can market your material as
an enclosure with other orders you are shipping. This is called
"back-end sale".
Advertising would be the most effective. It is suggested you
run a classified in any of the major monthly Business
Opportunity magazines. Here are the names of some of the best
known of such publications: Entrepreneur, Money Making
Opportunities, Income Opportunities, Business Startups,
Opportunity Magazine. These are just a very few of the many
large publications and there are even more smaller publications
available.
Your ad may read something like the following:
INSTANT-PUBLISHING. Enormous Profits. Free details on
reproduction rights. or
SELF PUBLISHING. Over 1000% profit. Wide selection. Free
details.
An ad such as the above or one similar will bring you inquiries.
It is your marketing task to turn as large a percentage as
possible into buyers. To be most effective and to outdo your
competitors, you must meet these criteria. Your product must be
priced properly. Your sales literature has to be appealing.
When pricing your product, first take a look at what the
competition does. You can find out by responding to similar
ads. In that way you will not only learn about pricing, but
also see a variety of presentations and selections. Don't be
greedy. Stay a little below the competition but allow yourself
a fair profit. Remember, your mark-up has to pay for
advertising, printing of your sales material, postage and
miscellaneous overhead cost, not to mention your time and effort.
Some of these products are sold at ridiculously low prices, and
on the other hand, some at extremely high prices. Neither is
effective. If you are too low, you will be suspect of offering
something sub-standard and, if you are too high, your material
will be trashed. The idea is to stay a little below the average
selling price. There is no quick fix in finding out what the
averages are. You simply have to take the time to write to as
many competing offers as possible. If you are buying material
from a publisher who provides you with sales material and
suggested retail prices, you may want to stay below the
suggested price. In this way, you do not have to redo the
promotions material. Also the public is attracted by perceived
deals.
If you product is priced correctly and your ad is in the right
magazine (under the right heading - general business
opportunities), the only thing left is your sales literature.
It is also the most important. Remember, in the mail order
business,, the customer cannot see, smell or feel the product
before buying it. It is therefore, absolutely of the utmost
importance that your material looks impeccable. This point
cannot be stressed enough. In my own testing over the years, I
have determined that the same product at the same price but
represented by an excellent looking package will outsell the
same product represented by a less than average package at
anywhere from double to triple the cost. And therein, can be
your success or failure. When you are relatively new to our
business, you will generally be charged with enthusiasm which is
great because it is the energy what will propel you to success.
But your impatience and enthusiasm has to be controlled, or you
will make costly mistakes and you may become discouraged. So,
take your time and be sure your material looks first class.
This is the wrong place to save a few bucks. Here are a few
suggestions to help you in achieving success with the
presentation of your piece:
1. Unless you are using a ready-made circular or brochure
which you received when buying your reproduction article and it
satisfies you in every respect, have your piece laid out by a
graphic designer or experienced desk-top publisher. In most
medium and large cities there is an ample supply of these
professionals. Many of them operate out of their residence and
charge reasonable prices. Before you select one, visit several
and look at what they have done for others. If you don't like
what you see, keep on looking. Remember, the person you choose
can make or break you. Prices for layout of a single page may
vary from $20 to $50. Since your promotional piece will
generally only consist of one or two pages, this is a small
price to pay for success.
2. Have the written word used in both your sales letter and
promotional piece checked by someone who is absolutely competent
in the use of the English language. Your best bet there is a
reputable word processing service that has been around for a
while.
3. Have your sales literature printed by a professional
printer. Cheap copying jobs are fatal.
It must be obvious to you by now that I feel extremely strongly
about the subject of first class sales literature. When your
prospective customer pulls your material out of the envelope -
or, does he even open it - (experts tell us he does that
anywhere from 30 to 100 per week) and looks at your material
(again, experts tell us it is an 8 second look) before he
decides whether to trash you - boom there goes the whole damn
effort into a waste can in a split second - or look at you
further? So give yourself a break and do things the right way.
Make it look professional. Modern technology enables your
literature to look just as good as the literature from a large
corporation.
The components of your sales piece should consist of the
following items:
1. The circular - brochure - flyer, etc. This can be from one
to several pages in length, depending on how many items you are
featuring.
2. A sales letter. A good sales letter requires sweat equity
on your part. There is no easy way out. You cannot have
someone else do the work for you. They can help you, but not do
it completely. A good sales letter should be friendly in tone -
full of benefits for your prospective buyer - must have a good
headline - explain the features of your product - say as little
as possible about you. Your customer does not give a damn about
you, he wants to know what's in it for him. And lastly, every
sales letter must ask for the order.
3. An order form that can be separate or build into a
promotional piece.
4. A return envelope. It is not necessary to use prepaid
envelopes. My own research indicates there is no difference in
conversion rates between prepaid and non-prepaid business return
envelopes.
5. Your mailing envelope.
If you should decide to choose direct mail for your
self-publishing material, your offer will require the same
components as shown above. It is, unfortunately, extremely
difficult to come up with just the right mailing list. The
broad description of "Opportunity Seeker" does not narrow down
your market enough. You are specifically interested in recent -
30 to 180 day - inquiries - or buyers of self-publishing or mail
order start-up packages. If you are confident you can come up
with such a list, you may give direct mail a try; a mailing of
1000 will give you a good indication. What you will save in
advertising will be spent in additional postage and printing.
One hundred inquiries of a classified ad may produce between six
and nine buyers. To come up with the same number of buyers on a
direct mail campaign, you will have to mail about 500 to 700
pieces.
A Few More Profitable Suggestions
It is important to have an ample selection. The more a
prospective customer has to choose from, the better the chances
for a sale are and the higher the average order will be. I
would suggest that the combined articles or reports you are
offering will total about $100. Ideally, some would be
low-priced $7 to $10, some medium, $10 to $20 and some high
priced over $20. If your prospective customer would buy around
35% of the reports you offer, you should come up with an order
of at least $30 plus.
As you progress in your business, always be on the lookout for
new material to be offered to your previous customers. Stay in
touch with your previous buyers and inquirers. At least four
mailings a year are appropriate. In your follow-up mailings,
you should offer additional self-publishing material as well as
books. Non-buying inquiries should be dropped from your mailing
list after 12 to 15 months. Previous buyers should be dropped
within 18 months after their last purchase. As your mailing
list increases in size and you keep on a schedule of regular
mailings, your revenues and profits will dramatically increase.
Self-publishing products may be your start into the mail order
information business or they may increase the size of your
business if you have not previously offered this type of
material. Some of the most successful mail order entrepreneurs
have never sold anything but self-publishing products and have
made a great deal of money doing it.
Wishing you success and remember, before you can earn you must
learn.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
OBTAINING FREE ADVERTISING!
"Tricks of the Trade" We've Used to Get a Lot of Free Ads
Published 1991 by Mascor Publishing, Silver Spring, Maryland
1. Advertising Specials: If a magazine offers a "two for one"
deal, or a "pay for 3 and get a fourth ad free", take advantage
of it; it's Free Advertising!
2. Free Listings: Some publications offer to list your name and
address Free, if you have something that you offer "free for the
asking" to their readers. This can be a "free sample", a free
list of customers; or whatever. Tell publishers what you have
to offer!
3. Print a Booklet Offering Tips: List tips or what-have-you, and
on the inside pages, or in the back, place some of your own Free
ads!!
4. The Piggy-Back Method: Every time you get ready to mail a
letter or fill an order, place other ads in the envelope; it
costs you no more and it's like getting a free ad!!
5. Free "Give-Aways": These can be pens, rulers; key chains, etc.,
each with YOUR ad message and address on each one. Give them
away and your Free Ad rides along!
6. Your Own Advertiser/Newsletter: Issue it regularly; sell ad
space in it and subscriptions to it. They pay for the printing
and postage, and YOUR ads in it, too, at no cost to you!
7. Trade Products/Services for Ad Space: If you have something
which a publisher needs, trade what they want, for ad space!
8. Provide Commission Ads to Dealers: Your dealers place YOUR ads
over THEIR name! Free Ads for your products!
9. Columns; Releases, etc.: Publishers will often print these
free, if it's NEWS, or interesting to their readers! Send
notices out to editors and get free ads in exchange!
10. Share Costs With Others: Get together with other dealers and
mailers. Split costs and quantities with others. Your ads go
FREE to HIS customers, and HIS go free to yours!
11. Offer Your Commission Ads to Publishers: They insert them as
"mailer/distributor" commission ads! They cost you nothing and
can get you lots of orders!
12. Your Product as a BONUS Item on Another's Flyer: This can
increase the other person's orders, and YOUR product gets
advertised on HIS fliers, etc!
13. Place PIM-50 Phrases in your Ads: This says to Publisher:
"Insert my ad in your publication and I'll help distribute 50"
(or more) copies for you. It's another kind of "trade deal"
with publishers.
14. Give a Talk or Seminar: Contact local clubs, and organizations.
They always seek outside speakers. After you talk about your
business or your product, hand out flyers, etc. It's like
getting free advertising!
15. Ads on Bulletin Boards: Put up flyers on grocery, laundry
bulletin boards.
16. Make a Rubber Stamp of your Ad: Stamp it everywhere you can.
Stamp it on envelopes; flyers; etc.
17. Be Listed as a Source in Back of Books: Often writers will want
to list references and sources in their books. Get the work out
to authors! Look for ads offering Free Ads!!
18. Discount to "a Friend": Tell your customers you will give
discounts to anyone they send your way! It's Word of Mouth
advertising; the best you can get and it's free!
Free advertising is any message that goes out to prospective
buyers without cost to you! There are lots of ways to get
others to spread the word about what you offer! Try these
methods; and you'll get lot of free ads; which mean more
responses and more orders!
Written by: CHRISTENSEN'S,
1412 Mt. Shasta Dr.
San Jose, CA 95127
"Tricks of the Trade" We've Used to Get a Lot of Free Ads
Published 1991 by Mascor Publishing, Silver Spring, Maryland
1. Advertising Specials: If a magazine offers a "two for one"
deal, or a "pay for 3 and get a fourth ad free", take advantage
of it; it's Free Advertising!
2. Free Listings: Some publications offer to list your name and
address Free, if you have something that you offer "free for the
asking" to their readers. This can be a "free sample", a free
list of customers; or whatever. Tell publishers what you have
to offer!
3. Print a Booklet Offering Tips: List tips or what-have-you, and
on the inside pages, or in the back, place some of your own Free
ads!!
4. The Piggy-Back Method: Every time you get ready to mail a
letter or fill an order, place other ads in the envelope; it
costs you no more and it's like getting a free ad!!
5. Free "Give-Aways": These can be pens, rulers; key chains, etc.,
each with YOUR ad message and address on each one. Give them
away and your Free Ad rides along!
6. Your Own Advertiser/Newsletter: Issue it regularly; sell ad
space in it and subscriptions to it. They pay for the printing
and postage, and YOUR ads in it, too, at no cost to you!
7. Trade Products/Services for Ad Space: If you have something
which a publisher needs, trade what they want, for ad space!
8. Provide Commission Ads to Dealers: Your dealers place YOUR ads
over THEIR name! Free Ads for your products!
9. Columns; Releases, etc.: Publishers will often print these
free, if it's NEWS, or interesting to their readers! Send
notices out to editors and get free ads in exchange!
10. Share Costs With Others: Get together with other dealers and
mailers. Split costs and quantities with others. Your ads go
FREE to HIS customers, and HIS go free to yours!
11. Offer Your Commission Ads to Publishers: They insert them as
"mailer/distributor" commission ads! They cost you nothing and
can get you lots of orders!
12. Your Product as a BONUS Item on Another's Flyer: This can
increase the other person's orders, and YOUR product gets
advertised on HIS fliers, etc!
13. Place PIM-50 Phrases in your Ads: This says to Publisher:
"Insert my ad in your publication and I'll help distribute 50"
(or more) copies for you. It's another kind of "trade deal"
with publishers.
14. Give a Talk or Seminar: Contact local clubs, and organizations.
They always seek outside speakers. After you talk about your
business or your product, hand out flyers, etc. It's like
getting free advertising!
15. Ads on Bulletin Boards: Put up flyers on grocery, laundry
bulletin boards.
16. Make a Rubber Stamp of your Ad: Stamp it everywhere you can.
Stamp it on envelopes; flyers; etc.
17. Be Listed as a Source in Back of Books: Often writers will want
to list references and sources in their books. Get the work out
to authors! Look for ads offering Free Ads!!
18. Discount to "a Friend": Tell your customers you will give
discounts to anyone they send your way! It's Word of Mouth
advertising; the best you can get and it's free!
Free advertising is any message that goes out to prospective
buyers without cost to you! There are lots of ways to get
others to spread the word about what you offer! Try these
methods; and you'll get lot of free ads; which mean more
responses and more orders!
Written by: CHRISTENSEN'S,
1412 Mt. Shasta Dr.
San Jose, CA 95127
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