21 Home Businesses

Table of Contents:
1. MAKE MONEY WORKING FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!
2. HOW TO START A MONEY BROKERAGE BUSINESS
3. HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS WITH YOUR OWN MONEY - MAKING
NEWSLETTERS
4. HOW TO SUCCEED WITH YOUR OWN MONEY-MAKING AD SHEETS
5. HOW TO START YOUR OWN MILLION DOLLAR TEMPORARY HELP SERVICE
6. HOW TO START A TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE
7. HOW TO START YOUR OWN HOME-BASED SECRETARIAL SERVICE
8. LEGAL WAYS TO GET THE BILL COLLECTORS OFF YOUR BACK - And Make A
Killing Doing Work-Shops to Teach Others
9. HOW TO MAKE FAST CASH WITH YOUR CAR, VAN, OR PICKUP TRUCK
10. CARPET LAYING
11. A ROMANTIC PROPOSAL
12. CARPET CLEANING
13. CHIMNEY SWEEPS
14. TEMPORARY TATTOO SERVICE
15. HOW TO MAKE UP TO $1,000 EVERY WEEK WITH YOUR CAMERA!
16. PREPARING RESUMES: HELP OTHERS GET BETTER JOBS.
17. HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY AT GARAGE SALES, FLEA MARKETS & SWAP
MEETS.
18. HOW TO MAKE MONEY BUYING & SELLING USED CARS & TRUCKS.
19. BED AND BREAKFAST THE EASIEST HOME BASED BUSINESS
20. CATERING SERVICE
21. SELF-IMPROVEMENT SEMINARS
22. HOW TO START AND OPERATE YOUR OWN BARTERING CLUB
23. HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON STORAGE UNIT AUCTIONS

Introduction and How to Use This E-Book
Simply browse the material. Review the ideas, concepts and businesses that interest you the most. Take notes as
you go through this ebook. Any $$$ amounts are only meant as examples and any supplier contact information
may not be all current. Sometimes companies change their contact information. Exact information on each
business idea is not possible since each state and county has it’s own regulations regarding small businesses.
Remember, anytime you want to find “anything” - then simply perform an Internet search for whatever you
need.
A great deal of time and energy went into providing this material. We hope you enjoy and use it to the best of
your ability. Now go make lots of money!
Chapter 1
Make Money Working From
The Comfort of Your Own Home!
How many times have you heard that phrase, pitch, advertisement, or
whatever? Lots, I'm sure. It is used so much because marketers know that
staying home and making money is the fondest dream of millions of people.
And why not? Did you know that the majority of fatal heart attacks happen
at 9 a.m. Monday morning? It's true. It seems a lot of people would
rather die than get back to the old grind after a weekend of freedom.
So when someone offers an opportunity or plan for you to take your job and
shove it, yet still make enough money to live and pay all your bills, it
sounds blissfully irresistible.

Of course, bliss and reality are always two different things. Is it
really possible to run a business from your own home that is more than a
hobby or source of part-time income? Can you get rich working out of your
own home? Can you really trade your cubical and necktie for blue jeans and
the comfort of your own den?
Well, for your information, home-based businesses are one of the fastest
growing kinds of enterprises in America today. As this is being written,
some 40 million Americans are doing at least some form of work out of their
homes, and the numbers are rising rapidly. According to the U.S.
Department of Labor, as many as 70 million people will be working out of
their homes by the year 2010. Government studies have indicated that as
much as 75% of all work done in this country could eventually be moved
home.
The overwhelming majority of home workers, however, are not exactly
Getting rich. The average work-at-home American earns less than $15,000 per
year. That may not be bad as a supplement to a spouse's full-time income, but
let's face it, fifteen grand in and of itself is not much better than poverty. As
master marketer and author Dr. Jeffrey Lant said: "Frankly, I never saw
any benefit to staying home and being poor."
Lant, without so much as a business card, became a work-at-home
millionaire, and is a perfect example of what truly can be achieved if you
are serious about chucking your day job, staying home, and not settling for
peanuts in exchange for your freedom. You can have it all -- you can stay
home and make as much -- and more -- money than your current job
provides you.
In this report, we are going to outline and discuss five key rules on how
to work at home and make big bucks, no matter where you live. After these
five rules, we'll talk about the most important aspect of any business,
whether it be home-based or a giant factory -- cash flow. Starting your
own business out of your home is all about attitude and inspiration, but
all the attitude in the world won't help you without money!
1. It Takes Commitment
Is it any secret in America that most people detest their jobs? Study
after study proves that most people simply dread going to work Monday
morning, and they live for the freedom of the weekend. But even that
freedom is not pure because we know that it is only temporary. It's hard
to enjoy a Sunday evening when the Monday morning alarm clock is just a
Few hours away.
It makes sense that people hate their jobs. Everyday, there is a lot of
butt kissing that needs to be done. There are endless meetings which
usually accomplish nothing. There are pointless interruptions, a lot of
drifting this way and that, and lot of idiot supervisors who do nothing but
waste your time and then dog you for not accomplishing your share of work.
There are co-workers you hate, and who would stab you in the back in a
minute if it meant a raise for them instead of you.
When you work for someone else, you live a regimented life. Your body may
not want to get up at 7 a.m., but you have to be at work by 8 a.m. so you
lurch out of bed with a head full of sleep.
People who choose to work at home are doing more than just escaping the
yoke of their master; they have made a deep, firm, life-altering decision
which says that health, happiness and prosperity depend vitally on the
freedom to work for ourselves, and in doing so in the comfort of the home.
We want to really emphasize that fact that to be successful in a
work-at-home situation, you have to be nothing less than a fanatic; a
zealot, who is utterly committed to making work-at-home not only a
successful venture, but a profound commitment for life. You must be
convinced that a return to an outside office job would be the equivalent of
a spiritual death sentence.
Many people hate their office jobs, but they have made an inner compromise
with themselves. They have convinced themselves that their job is "not so
bad," pays the bills, and that they can stick out because they have to. If you
want to be truly successful at quitting your day job, there cannot be any
room for such compromises in your soul. You have to take the attitude that
to work any longer at your hateful job is akin to fouling your inner being with
a spiritual cancer the will sicken and kill you.
2. Eliminating the Home-Office Mentality
To move our work home, however, does not mean we eliminate every single
thing about the traditional American office. Rather, we should select what
is useful and what is not.
It's a mistake to quit your job and go home with a "home-office" mentality.
By this we mean thinking small, and believing that you will automatically
sacrifice a decent income in exchange for your freedom. Please! Do not
think small!
To quote Jeffrey Lant again: "Too many home-based practitioners fail to
understand the benefits that accrue because of the professional style they
have selected. They focus on the "home" part of the business rather than
the "business" portion, and as a result are doomed to small incomes."
Working at home provides many benefits. We can save a lot of time because
we don't need to commute and we have more control over our schedule.
We can save a lot of costs because we don't have the overhead requirements
of larger businesses. We can cut our stress -- and so have more energy --
because we avoid many of the characteristic problems of life in the late
20th-Century office. We must work these advantages to our profit.
3. Your International Headquarters
The German philosopher Immanuel Kant said that if you sit at home alone at
your empty kitchen table, eventually, the "whole world will come to you."
Well, today you don't need the great mind of a philosopher to make the
entire world come into your living room. What you need is a phone jack.
We live in a unique time in history. Satellites, fiber optics, the integrated
circuit and other communications miracles means that you can be just about
anywhere in the developed world and establish communication with anyone.
The telephone, the fax machine, the computer, the modem -- all of these
are not only affordable by any middle-class citizen; they are the key to
eliminating your need to drive a hectic freeway everyday to get to a place of
business outside your home.
With these devices at our disposal, we should allow ourselves to "think
globally." Too often, home-based businesses focus on the narrowest market,
the neighborhood, the county, the city or state. This is fine if you are
providing a local service and are content with a certain moderate level of
income. But if you want the big bucks, you should not think small. Also, you
should not believe that, just because you are home-based, you cannot
compete with the big guys.
The purpose of any business is to seek assess and seek out every possible
market for its products and services, to ascertain whether these markets
have the ability to buy these products/services, to determine whether there
is sufficient profit in these markets to warrant approaching them, and, once
positive assessment has been made, to launch a sustained marketing
campaign that gets a significant percentage of this market to purchase the
product or service in question.
Your home telecommunications machines will not only enable you to do this,
but they can also help you overwhelm larger, more cumbersome traditional
businesses that are your competition.
As a home-based entrepreneur, you will not have all of the disadvantages of
your more traditional competitors: no office rent, equipment or expense; no
employees to pay salaries and fringe benefits for; no time wasted on
meetings, employee problems, paid sick leave, etc.
All the money your competitors spend on heating the office and buying
furniture could better be spent on the actual marketing itself.
As a home-based business, you will be already positioned where the
traditional business is currently struggling to move: toward the lowest
possible overhead and the greatest possible concentration of dollars on
products/service development and product/service marketing.
So, a home-based business takes full advantage of three major goals of
modern business success:
(1) Vastly reduced overhead
(2) Easy access to a global market
(3) Full advantage of telecommunications.
To not have the basic telecommunications toys -- computer, modem, fax,
and telephones is impossibly stupid. Still, even in this day and age, many
people strongly resist the one element that is undoubtedly the heart and
brain of any successful home business -- the computer. The computer is so
important in fact, we have made it a category all itself. And remember,
learning to use a modern computer is easier than learning to drive a car,
so you have no excuse not to plunge forward.
4. The Computer
You should pay close attention to what computers can do for you in your
plans to escape your job and make your work-at-home dreams come true.
People who want to run a home business usually have a very small staff – in
fact, a staff of one -- yourself! The rest of your needs are handled by
independent contractors, depending on the kind of business you are in and
the services you need.
To run a serious, truly global home business, a computer is as necessary as
oxygen is to life on earth. Those who try to fool themselves into thinking
they will ever make a serious go of their home-based business without a
computer are sadly mistaken.
Computers give you two primary advantages:
(1) They enable you to store large amounts of data and to sort by data field
so that you can easily get the information you need.
(2) They enable you to develop a pattern document for every situation you'll
ever be in your business. To run a home-based business successfully, you
must anticipate just what situation will emerge and prepare accordingly.
A business is based on a characteristic series of situations and a
characteristic set of things that happen -- or that do not happen. You must
be prepared with the proper document for each situation. Once you have
established all the protocols, and have experienced all the situations
associated with your kind of business, the time will come when running your
business is, in large part, a repetition of certain key tasks. Computers are all
about handling repetition swiftly and efficiently.
But the computer is much more. Today, by connecting a computer to the
phone line with a modem, your machine becomes more than a data storage
system and repetitive task handler. It becomes a multi-task, multi-level
communications processing center that connects you to the globe.
Such things as e-mail, on-line services, the Internet, the Web and more
can't help but revolutionize the way business is done. If you do not become
a part of it today, you certainly are going to suffer for it greatly in the near
future.
The Internet is definitely where a lot of innovative things are happening. It's
a great place to exchange ideas, find out what hot, what's not, and stay on
the cutting edge whatever your particular business is.
5. Your Business Hours
If you've been paying attention to the first four points, you're well on your
way to becoming a successful home-based business owner. Now we don't
want you to blow it by thinking you can keep banker's hours.
The global market is a 24-hour per day market, and a 365-day per year
market. Let the others sleep late on Saturdays and take Sundays off. Those
times could be your day to move and corner loads of customers that the
others miss.
You should get up earlier and quit work later. You should be open for
business on holidays and be available 24-hours a day either personally or
through your answering service.
"But wait a minute!" you might be thinking at this point! "I thought that
working at home was all about freedom and an end to drudgery. This sounds
like nothing but endless work!"
Well, here's the thing. For most of you who quit your regular jobs to go to
work for yourself, you'll discover something magical. You'll discover that
when you are working for yourself, when you are building your own
business, a lot of what you does not seem like work at all.
The great writer Jane Roberts said, "Inspiration is its own motivator."
Running your own business is all about being inspired 24-hours-a-day. When
you stop selling your body and soul to some company or corporation and
start giving your energy to yourself, work has a way of turning into
inspiration and play.
The perfect work for you is that which you don't think of as work, yet
doing it makes money and provides you with the bread and shelter of life.
You'll see what it's like if you make a true commitment to being self
employed, put all your energy into it, and stick with it for the long run.
You're on the road to success - If you want information on starting a
business, part-time at first, without investing a lot of money, yet one that
will quickly be a money-maker. You'll find a number of them here.
In each one we give the basic concept of the business, what product or
service it provides to your customers, and how it is operated, and (if any are
necessary) what equipment or facilities or help will be needed.
But whatever business you choose, remember that no business can
succeed without your effort. remember that determination and
hard work are the mother and father of success. If you supply
those, and use the information we supply, you can't miss. Good
luck!
Chapter 2
HOW TO START A MONEY BROKERAGE BUSINESS
.....and Earn $100,000 a Year, Collect Large Fees Helping Others....and Borrow
All the Money You Need.… Becoming a Money Broker is one of the easiest and
most rewarding endeavors available. Virtually anyone can become a Money Broker
with the smallest investment. You can start this business on a part-time basis, and
earn large "Finders Fees," or open your own office and work full-time with absolutely unlimited
income potential.
Until very recently, the "secrets of money brokering" were closely guarded
and known only to a few select bankers, investment corporations, and
business consultants. No other business offers the potential income figure
for so little investment! As an example, starting with less than $100, some
money brokers have made $500,000 their first year in the business! This is
the ideal way for a man or woman to supplement his or her present income,
or change professions after a period of time. It is an absolute "dream-come true"
for the semi-retired, or retired office worker.
There is hardly another business requiring less than $100 in start-up cost
that can put you into a six-figure income bracket so quickly. None of them
give you the power, prestige, or status - the respectability in your
community - equal to that of the Money Broker.
To get started, you'll need stationery, envelopes, and business cards with
your own letterhead. When ordering, be sure to include your phone number.
Also, have copies made of your Fee Agreement. We have presented a typical
Fee Agreement form (which you may duplicate after eradicating the
instruction we have given in the blanks).
As we have stated, the investment in this business is small; when you have
your stationery, envelopes, cards, and the Finder's Fee Agreement in hand,
you have spent part of it. The other part will be discussed now, because you
have to "find" both borrower and lender to really get underway.
Once you have your "working paper," you will run some advertisements in
your local paper under the headings "Money to Loan," or "Business
Opportunities." Typical ads might read:
MONEY AVAILABLE FOR BILL CONSOLIDATION, HOME REPAIR, BUSINESS
EXPANSION, ANY WORTHWHILE PROJECT.
CALL JOHN JOHNSON - 423-8821.
(This ad would be used to "pull" borrowers)
BUSINESSMAN NEEDS CAPITAL FOR EXPANSION.
EXCELLENT COLLATERAL AND REFERENCES. CALL
JOHN JOHNSON AFTER 4:00 PM - 423-8821.
(This one would be to attract lenders)
In response to the calls or letters from prospective clients, you will have to
be prepared (really be prepared by practicing) with the proper answers and
sales pitch - i.e., (to the prospective borrower): "Yes, this is John Johnson.
Thank you for calling. First I will explain how we operate. I'm a money
broker, Mr. (USE HIS NAME).
I bring you, the borrower, and the lender, together. I have many different
money sources available—banks, insurance companies, private investment
groups of doctors, dentists, lawyers, and other professional people. My
sources are in business to make money by lending out money. Let's see - I
need to determine your needs and the purpose of the loan in order to
properly prepare the necessary financial papers for formal presentation to
the best suited lenders.
I may have to take your loan request to as many as ten different lending
groups in order to get the loan for you. Once I have an approval on your
loan request, I'm paid anywhere from 2% to 10% of the total loan figure...
important for you to remember, though, is that I don't get paid unless I get
the loan for you.
I do, however, charge a $150 non-refundable Application Fee to cover my
expenses in preparing your request for loan papers and presenting this
portfolio to the lenders. In a nutshell, that's how these types of loans are
negotiated. Now then, how much money will you need?" (Note that five
successful registrations per week will bring you $500 each week.)
This is where you begin to acquire the information you are going to need to
proceed - the amount of money needed - purpose of the loan - terms
borrower wants for repayment - and a profile of his background... education,
employment record, date of birth, Social Security number, marital status,
general health, and number of dependents.
Next you type this information onto the proper forms, assembling all into a
portfolio and presenting it with a cover letter to at least five different lenders
for their consider action. When the loan is granted, you collect your Broker's
Fee - a predetermined percentage of the total loan figure.
(TYPICAL FEE AGREEMENT FORM)
YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
AGREEMENT FOR FINANCIAL SERVICE
The undersigned, _____Borrower's Name_____ , hereby appoints, _____Your Name_____ ,
as his Agent and authorizes him to submit to lenders financial data and information supplied
by the borrower, for the purpose of the lender of making a loan or investment direct to the
undersigned. The undersigned agrees to pay to ______Your Name______ a fee of ______%
of the amount of the loan or investment obtained. The undersigned hereby pays to
_______Your Name______ as a non-returnable fee for the time involved to appraise the
feasibility of loan requested; this fee is separate from any other fees due, if loan is
obtained.
Date:_________________Borrower: ________________________
Chapter 3
HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS WITH
YOUR OWN MONEY - MAKING NEWSLETTERS
Writing and publishing a successful newsletter is perhaps the most
competitive of all the different areas of mail order, direct marketing and now
you can create a newsletter “online”.
Several years ago, there were 3500 different newsletters in this country.
Today there are well over 28,000, with new ones being started every day.
It's also interesting to note that for every new one that's started, some
disappear just as quickly as they are started - lack of operating capital and
marketing know-how being the principal causes of failure.
To be successful with a newsletter, you have to specialize. Your best bet will
be with new information on a subject not already covered by an established
newsletter. Online newsletters are getting ever more popular.
Regardless of the frustrations involved in launching your own newsletter,
never forget this truth: There are people from all walks of life, in all parts of
this country, many of them with no writing ability whatsoever, who are
making incredible profits with simple two-, four-, and six-page newsletters!
Your first step should be to subscribe to as many different newsletters and
mail order publications as you can afford. Analyze and study how the others
are doing it. Attend as many workshops and seminars on your subject as
possible. Learn from the pros. Learn how the successful newsletter
publishers are doing it, and why they are making money. Adapt their
success methods to your own newsletter, but determine to recognize where
they are weak, and to make yours better in every way.
Plan your newsletter before launching it. Know the basic premise for its
being, your editorial position, the layout, art work, type styles, subscription
price, distribution methods, and every other detail necessary to make it
look, sound and feel like the end result you have envisioned.
Lay out your start-up needs; detail the length of time it's going to take to
become established, and what will be involved in becoming established. Set
a date as a mile stone of accomplishment for each phase of your
development: A date for breaking even, a date for attaining a certain paid
subscription figure, and a monetary goal for each of your first five years in
business. And all this must be done before publishing your first issue.
Most newsletter publishers do all the work themselves, and are impatient to
get that first issue into print. As a result, they neglect to devote the proper
amount of time to market research and distribution. Don't start your
newsletter without first having accomplished this task!
Market research is simply determining who the people are who will be
interested in buying and reading your newsletter, and the kind of
information these people want to see in your newsletter as a reason for
continuing to buy it. You have to determine what it is they want from your
newsletter.
Your market research must give you unbiased answers about your
newsletter's capabilities of fulfilling your prospective buyer's need for
information; how much he's willing to pay for it, and an overall profile of his
status in life. The questions of why he/she needs your information, and how
he'll use it should be answered. Make sure you have the answers to these
questions, publish your newsletter as a vehicle of fulfillment to these needs,
and you're on your way!
You're going to be in trouble unless your newsletter has a real point of
difference that can be easily perceived by your prospective buyer.
The design and graphics of your newsletter, plus what you say and how you
say it, will help in giving your newsletter this vital difference.
Be sure your newsletter works with the personality you're trying to build for
it. Make sure it reflects the wants of your subscribers. Include your
advertising promise within the heading, on the title page, and in the same
words your advertising uses. And above all else, don't skim on design or
graphics!
The name of your newsletter should also help to set it apart from similar
newsletters, and spell out its advertising promise. A good name reinforces
your advertising. Choose a name that defines the direction and scope of your
newsletter.
Opportunity Knocking, Money Making Magic, Extra Income Tip Sheet, and
Mail Order Up-Date are primate examples of this type of philosophy - as
opposed to the Johnson Report, The Association Newsletter, or Club-house
Confidential.
Try to make your newsletter's name memorable - one that flows
automatically. Don't pick a name that's so vague it could apply to almost
anything. The name should identify your newsletter and its subject quickly
and positively.
Pricing your newsletter should be consistent with the image you're trying to
build. If you're starting a "Me-too" newsletter, never price it above the
competition. In most instances, the consumer associates higher prices with
quality, so if you give your readers better quality information in an
expensive looking package, don't hesitate to ask for a premium price.
However, if your information is gathered from most of the other newsletters
on the subject, you will do well to keep your prices in line with theirs.
One of the best selling points of a newsletter is in the degree of audience
involvement - for instance, how much it talks about, and uses the names of
its readers.
People like to see things written about themselves. They resort to all kinds
of things to get their names in print, and they pay big money to read what's
been written about them. You should understand this facet of human nature,
and decide if and how you want to capitalize upon it - then plan your
newsletter accordingly.
Almost as important as names in your newsletter are pictures. The readers
will generally accept a newsletter faster if the publisher's picture is
presented or included as a part of the newsletter. Whether you use pictures
of the people, events, locations or products you write about is a policy
decision; but the use of pictures will set your publication apart from the
others and give it an individual image, which is precisely what
you want.
The decision as to whether to carry paid advertising, and if so, how much, is
another policy decision that should be made while your newsletter is still in
the planning stages. Some purists feel that advertising corrupts the image of
the newsletter and may influence editorial policy. Most people accept
advertising as a part of everyday life, and don't care one way or the other.
Many newsletter publishers, faced with rising production costs and viewing
advertising as a means of offsetting those costs, welcome paid advertising.
Generally the advertisers see the newsletter as a vehicle to a captive
audience, and well worth the cost.
The only problem with accepting advertising in your newsletter would appear
to be that as your circulation grows, so will your number of advertisers, until
you'll have to increase the size of your newsletter to accommodate the
advertisers. At this point, the basic premise or philosophy of the newsletter
often changes from news and practical information to one of an advertiser's
showcase.
Promoting your newsletter, finding prospective buyers and converting these
prospects into loyal subscribers, will be the most difficult task of your entire
undertaking. It takes detailed planning, persistence and patience.
You'll need a sales letter. Check the sales letter you receive in the mail;
analyze how these are written and pattern yours along the same lines. You'll
find all of them - all those worthy of being called sales letters - following the
same formula: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action on the part of the
reader - AIDA.
Jump right in at the beginning and tell the reader how he's going to benefit
from your newsletter, and then keep emphasizing right on through your
"PS", the many and different benefits he'll gain from subscribing to your
newsletter. Elaborate on your listing of benefits with examples of what you
have, or you intend to include, in your newsletter.
Follow these examples with endorsements or testimonials from reviewers
and satisfied subscribers. Make the recipient of your sales letter feel that
you're offering him the answer to all his problems on the subject of your
newsletter.
You have to make your prospect feel that "this is the insider's secret" to the
success he wants. Present it to him as his own personal key to success, and
then tell him how far behind his contemporaries he is going to be if he
doesn't act upon your offer immediately.
Always include a "PS" in your sales letter. This should quickly restate to the
reader that he can start enjoying the benefits of your newsletter by acting
immediately, and very subtly suggesting that he may not get another chance
to get the kind of "success help" you're offering him with this sales letter.
Don't worry about the length of your sales letter - most are four pages or
more; however, it must flow logically and smoothly. Use short sentences,
short paragraphs, indented paragraphs, and lost of sub-heads for the people
who will be "scanning through" your sales letter.
In addition to the sales letter, your promotion package should include a
return reply order card or coupon. This can be either a self-addressed
business reply post card, or a separate coupon, in which case you'll have to
include a self-addressed return reply envelope. In every mailing piece you
send out, always include one or the other: either a self-addressed business
reply postcard or a self-addressed return reply envelope for the recipient to
use to send your order form and his remittance back to you.
Your best response will come from a business reply postcard on which you
allow your prospect to charge the subscription to his credit card, request
that you bill him, or send his payment with the subscription start order.
For make up of this subscription order card or coupon, simply start saving all
the order cards and coupons you receive during the next month or so.
Choose the one you like best, modify according to your needs, and have it
typeset, pasted up and border fit.
Next, you'll need a Subscription Order Acknowledgment card or letter. This is
simply a short note thanking your new subscriber for his order, and
promising to keep him up-to-date with everything relating to the subject of
your newsletter.
An acknowledgment letter, in an envelope, will cost more postage to mail
than a simple postcard; however, when you send the letter you have to
opportunity to enclose additional material. A circular listing other items
available through you will produce additional orders.
Thus far, you've prepared the layout and copy for your newsletter. Go ahead
and have a hundred copies printed, undated. You've written a sales letter
and prepared a return reply subscription order card or coupon; go ahead and
have a hundred of these printed, also undated, of course.
You'll need letterhead mailing envelopes, and don't forget the return reply
envelopes if you choose to use the coupons instead of the business reply
postcard. Go ahead and have a thousand mailing envelopes printed. You also
need subscription order acknowledgment cards or notes; have a hundred of
these printed, and of course, don't forget the imprinted reply envelopes if
you're going along with the idea of using a note instead of a postcard. This w
ill be a basic supply for "testing" your materials so far.
Now you're ready for the big move - the Advertising Campaign.
Start by placing a small classified ad in one of your local newspapers. You
should place your ad in a weekend or Sunday paper that will reach as many
people as possible, and of course, do everything you can to keep your costs
as low as possible. However, do not skimp on your advertising budget. To be
successful - to make as much money as possible with your idea - you'll need
to reach as many people as you can afford, and as often as you can.
Over the years, we have launched several hundred advertising campaigns.
We always ran new ads for a minimum of three issues and kept close tabs
on the returns. So long as the returns kept coming in, we continued running
that ad in that publication, while adding a new publication to test for results.
To our way of thinking, this is the best way to go, regardless of the product,
to successfully multiply your customer list.
Move slowly, start with a local, far-reaching and widely read paper, and with
the profits or returns from that ad, go to the regional magazines, or one of
the smaller national magazines, and continue plowing your returns into more
advertising in different publications.
By taking your time, and building your acceptance in this manner, you won't
lose too much if one of your ads should prove to be a dud. Stay with the
advertising. Do not abandon it in favor of direct mail. We would not
recommend direct mail until you are well established and your national
classified advertising program is bringing in a healthy profit for you.
Do not become overly ambitious and go out on a limb with expensive full page
advertising until you're very well established.
When you do buy full page advertising, start with the smaller publications,
and build from those results. Have patience; keep close tabs on your costs
per subscriber, and build from the profits of your advertising. Always test
the advertising medium you want to use with a classified ad, and if it pulls
well for you, go on to a larger display type ad.
Classified advertising is the least expensive way to go, so long as you use
the "inquiry method." You can easily and quickly build your subscriber list
with this type of advertisement.
We would not recommend any attempts to sell subscriptions, or any product
from classified ads, or even from small display ads. There just isn't enough
space to describe the product adequately, and seeing the cost of your item,
many possible subscribers will not bother to inquire for the full story.
When you do expand your efforts into direct mail, go straight to a national
list broker. You can find their names and addresses in the yellow pages
section of your local telephone directory. Show the list broker your product
and your mailing piece, and explain what type people you want to reach,
and allow them to help you.
Once you've decided on a list to use, go slowly. Start with a sampling of
5,000 names. If the returns are favorable, go for 10,000 names, and then
15,000 and so on through the entire list.
Never rent the entire list based upon the returns from your first couple of
samplings. The variables are just too many, and too complicated, and too
conducive to your losing your shirt when you "roll out an entire list" based
upon returns from a controlled sampling.
There are a number of other methods for finding new subscribers, which
we'll explore for you here, detailing the good and the bad as we have
researched them.
One method is that of contracting with what is known as a "cash-field"
agency. These are soliciting agencies who hire people to sell door-to-door
and via the phone, almost always using a high pressure sales approach. The
publisher usually makes only about 5% from each subscription sold by one
of these agencies. That speaks for itself.
Then, there are several major catalog sales companies that sell subscriptions
to school libraries, government agencies and large corporations. These
people usually buy through these catalog sales companies rather than direct
from the publisher. The publisher makes about 10% on each subscription
sold for him by one of these agencies.
Co-op Mailings are generally piggy-back mailings of your subscription offer
along with numerous other business offers in the same envelope. Smaller
mail order entrepreneurs do this under the name of Big Mail Offers. Coming
into vogue now are the Postcard Mailers. You submit package with 40 or 50
similar postcards via third class mail to a mailing list that could number
100,000 or more. You pay a premium price for this type of mailing - usually
$1000 to $3000 per mailing, but the returns are very good and you keep all
the incoming money.
Another form of co-op mailing is where you supply a charge card company
or department store with your subscription offer as a "statement mailing
suffer." Your offer goes out with the monthly statements; new subscriptions
are returned to the mailer and billed to the customer's credit card. The
publisher usually makes about 50% on each subscription. This is one of the
most lucrative, but expensive methods of bringing in new customers.
Direct mail agencies such as Publishers Clearing House can be a very
lucrative source of new subscriptions, in that they mail out more than 60
million pieces of mail each year, all of which are built around an opportunity
for the recipient to win a gigantic cash sweepstakes. The only problem with
this type of subscription agency is the very low percentage of the total
subscription price the publisher receives from these subscriptions, plus the
fact that the publishers are required to charge a lower subscription rate than
they normally charge.
There are also several agencies that offer Introductory, Sample Copy and
Trial Subscription offers, such as Select Information Exchange and Publisher
Exchange. With this kind of agency, details about your publication are listed
along with similar publications, in full page ads inviting the readers to send
$10 or $20 for trial subscription to those of his choice.
The publishers received no money from these inquiries - only a list of names
of people interested in receiving trial subscriptions. How the publisher
follows up and is able to convert these into full term, and paying subscribers
is entirely dependent upon his own efforts.
Most major newspapers will carry small, lightweight brochures or oversized
reply cards as inserts in their Sunday papers. The publisher supplies the
total number of inserts, pays the newspaper $20 per thousand for the
number of newspapers he wants his order form carried in, and then retains
all the money generated. But the high costs of printing the inserts, plus the
$20 per thousand for distribution, make this an extremely costly method of
obtaining new subscribers.
Schools, civic groups and other fund raising organizations work in about the
same manner as the cash-field agencies. They supply the solicitor and the
publisher gets 25% or less for each new subscription sold.
Attempting to sell subscriptions via radio or TV is very expensive and works
better in generating sales at the newsstands than new subscriptions. PI (Per
Inquiry) sales is a very popular way of getting radio or TV exposure and
advertising for your newsletter or other publication, but again, the number
of sales brought in by the broad cast media is very small when compared
with the number of times the "invitation commercial" has to be "aired" to
elicit a response.
A new idea beginning to surface on the cable TV scene is "Products Shows".
This is the kind of show where the originator of the product or his
representative appears on TV and gives a complete sales presentation
lasting from five minutes to 15 minutes.
Overall, these programs generally run between midnight and 2 AM, with the
whole program a series of sales presentations for different products. They
operate on the basis of the product owner paying a fee to appear and show
his product, and also from an arrangement where the product owner pays a
certain percentage.
Chapter 4
HOW TO SUCCEED WITH YOUR OWN MONEY-MAKING AD
SHEET
Publishing and distributing a mail order ad sheet can be very profitable. They
are simple and easy to produce, with most quick print shops able to handle
the printing at fairly low cost. The important consideration is that you can
use them to pull in advertising dollars for yourself, as a free advertising
media for your own products, and as an exchange medium with which to get
greater exposure for your own ads.
Before starting an ad sheet, you should plan it all out - decide on an
interesting, informative title, choose a masthead, lay out your columns for
size, determine if it is to be a simple 8 1/2 x 11 single sheet of paper or an
11 x 17 sheet folded in half. You'll also need to know your production cost
for the number you intend to have printed, and the post age cost to mail
them out.
Most ad sheets start out as single sheets of paper, 8 1/2 x 11, printed on
both sides. Usually, the front side is divided into three equal columns about
2% inches wide, with a inch margin from the edge of the paper on both
sides and top and bottom.
Assuming that the space occupied by your title, masthead and listing of
rates for advertisers interested in placing an ad with you is two inches deep,
this leaves you about 24 inches of advertising space to sell on the front side.
Figuring a cost of $100 for 1,000 copies of such an ad sheet, printed both
sides, and a third-class bulk-rate postage of $210, this means that your 24
inches of ad space will have to be sold at a rate of $8 each in order to break
even.
This means: You have to sell all of the ad space on the front of your ad
sheet at $16.25 Per ad - and then expect to make your profits from the sale
of the back side of your ad sheet. Actually, it would be feasible to charge
$20.00 per inch for the space on the front side, and carry your own full page
ad on the back side. At any rate, don't box yourself into a loss situation
where you can't afford to place your own ads in your ad sheet.
You get ads by making up an advertising solicitation sales letter and sending
it out to as many mail order dealers as you can find. You can also run ads in
other people's publications, inviting the readers to check with you regarding
placement of an ad in your publication.
And of course, you'll be wanting to work out some exchange advertising
deals (whereby another publisher runs your ad in his publication, and you
run his in exchange). From the experience of many, many publishers, this
can be one of the most effective ways of getting your ads run, at low/no
cost, and it is recognized to be successful in the field of Mail Order.
You probably won't be able to fill up all of your available ad space with paid
ads until you're well established - but no problem - first you fill your ad
space with paid ads, and then you fill in the empty space with ads of your
own.
Some beginning advertisers fill a part of their empty space with
complimentary ads for other mail order operators, send them a copy of the
issue in which the complimentary ad appears, and invite them to continue
the ad on a "paid" basis from there.
Many of them will appreciate the favor and send you a check or money order
to continue running their ad. If you undertake the publication of an ad sheet,
be sure to consider the possibilities of sending out 100 to 1,000 copies of
your ad sheet to other mail order operators to rubber stamp their
names/addresses as co-publishers and mail out for you.
Thus, if you had 50 other mail order operators sending out 100 copies each
of your ad sheet, you'd be talking about a circulation of 5,000 copies plus
the number of copies you mail out. If you can get this kind of program
going, you'll quickly build your reputation as well as your circulation, and at
the bottom line, your profits.
Some ad sheet publishers, once they've established themselves and are
putting out an impressive publication, set up distributor networks. Generally,
they run ads calling for distributor/dealers and asking for a $5 to $10
registration fee.
In reply to the registration application, they send out a letter explaining that
each distributor can buy at half price, so many copies of each issue of the ad
sheet, rubber stamp their name on each copy, and send them out as their
own.
In return, the distributors usually get 50% of the incoming advertising
orders, a half-price ad for themselves, and an opportunity to sell
subscriptions.
The bottom line relative to becoming a successful ad sheet publisher has to
do with keeping your production costs -printing and mailing - as low as
possible, while putting out a quality product that other people in the mail
order business will want to advertise in - while at the same time using it as a
advertising/selling vehicle for your own products.
My advice is that almost everyone involved in mail order selling should have
some sort of ad sheet - if for no other reason than as a means to an end -
an advertising vehicle for your own products, an extra income from
advertising revenues, and as an exchange media with which to gain greater
exposure for your own products in other people's publications.
Once you've got an ad sheet, or any kind of publication set up and being
seen by other mail order operators, you'll quickly gain stature and a certain
amount of prestige.
As with any business, your ultimate success depends on your own feasibility
studies, and your sharp-pencil planning completed before you order your
first issue printed. Think about it, weigh the pros’ & cons’, then go with your
decision.
This can also be accomplished by creating a website and selling ads on your
website. Create valuable newsworthy content for your viewers, then sell ads
according to the topic of your website.
This is an excellent way to create a cash flow. Promote your website and
bring a stampede of traffic or viewers to your website. The more traffic the
more money you will get for each ad.
ADVERTISING AD SHEETS = BIG PROFITS
Publishing and distributing a mail order ad sheet can be very profitable. They
are simple and easy to produce, with most quick print shops able to handle
the printing at fairly low cost. The important consideration is that you can
use them to pull in advertising dollars for yourself, as a free advertising
media for your own products, and as an exchange medium with which to get
greater exposure for your own ads.
Before starting an ad sheet, you should plan it all out - decide on an
interesting, informative title, choose a masthead, lay out your columns for
size, determine if it is to be a simple 8 1/2 x 11 single sheet of paper or an
11 x 17 sheet folded in half. You'll also need to know your production cost
for the number you intend to have printed, and the postage cost to mail
them out.
Most ad sheets start out as single sheets of paper, 8 1/2 x 11, printed on
both sides. Usually, the front side is divided into three equal columns about
2 1/4 inches wide, with a 1/2 inch margin from the edge of the paper on
both sides and top and bottom.
Assuming that the space occupied by your title, masthead and listing of
rates for advertisers interested in placing an ad with you is two inches deep,
this leaves you about 24 inches of advertising space to sell on the front side.
Figuring a cost of $50 for 1,000 copies of such an ad sheet, printed both
sides, and a third-class bulk-rate postage of $110, this means that your 24
inches of ad space will have to be sold at a rate of $6.25 each in order to
break even.
This means: You have to sell all of the ad space on the front of your ad
sheet at $6.25 per ad - and then expect to make your profits from the sale
of the back side of your ad sheet. Actually, it would be feasible to charge
$7.00 per inch for the space on the front side, and carry your own full page
ad on the back side. At any rate, don't box yourself into a loss situation
where you can't afford to place your own ads in your ad sheet.
You get ads by making up an advertising solicitation sales letter and sending
it out to as many mail order dealers as you can find. You can also run ads in
other people's publications, inviting the readers to check with you regarding
placement of an ad in your publication. And of course, you'll be wanting to
work out some exchange advertising deals (whereby another publisher runs
your ad in his publication, and you run his in exchange).
From the experience of many, many publishers, this can be one of the most
effective ways of getting your ads run, at low/no cost, and it is recognized to
be successful in the field of Mail Order.
You probably won't be able to fill up all of your available ad space with paid
ads until you are well established - but no problem - first you fill your ad
space with paid ads, and then you fill in the empty space with ads of your
own.
Some beginning advertisers fill a part of their empty space with
complimentary ads for other mail order operators, send them a copy of the
issue in which the complimentary ad appears, and invite them to continue
the ad on a "paid" basis from there. Many of them will appreciate the favor
and send you a check or money order to continue running the ad.
If you undertake the publication of an ad sheet, be sure to consider the
possibilities of sending out 100 to 1,000 copies of your ad sheet to other
mail order operators to rubber stamp their names/addresses as co-publishers
and mail out for you. Thus, if you had 50 other mail order operators sending
out 100 copies each of your ad sheet, you'd be talking about a circulation of
5,000 copies plus the number of copies you mail out.
If you can get this kind of program going, you'll quickly build your reputation
as well as your circulation, and at the bottom line, your profits.
Some ad sheet publishers, once they've established themselves and are
putting out an impressive publication, set up distributor networks. Generally,
they run ads calling for distributor/dealers and asking for a $5 to $10
registration fee.
In reply to the registration application, they send out a letter explaining that
each distributor can buy at half price, so many copies of each issue of the ad
sheet, rubber stamp their name on each copy, and send them out as their
own.
In return, the distributors usually get 50% of the incoming advertising
orders, a half-price ad for themselves, and an opportunity to sell
subscriptions.
The bottom line relative to becoming a successful ad sheet publisher has to
do with keeping your production costs - printing and mailing - as low as
possible, while putting out a quality product that other people in the mail
order business will want to advertise in - while at the same time using it as
an advertising/selling vehicle for your own products.
My advice is that almost everyone involved in mail order selling should have
some sort of ad sheet - if for no other reason than as a means to an end -
an advertising vehicle for your own products, an extra income form
advertising revenues, and as an exchange media with which to gain greater
exposure for your own products in other people's publications.
Once you've got an ad sheet, or any kind of publication set up and being
seen by other mail order operators, you'll quickly gain stature and a certain
amount of prestige.
As with any business, your ultimate success depends on your own feasibility
studies, and your "sharp-pencil" planning completed before you order your
first issue printed. Think about it, weigh the pro's & con's, then go with your
decision.
There are so many simple, yet really sure-fire ways of acquiring wealth, it's a wonder
everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn't already rich. When you come right
down to it, the only things needed for anyone to make bundles of money are the long
Range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force.
One of the easiest methods of building wealth, and the one most often used by the
"smart" people, is to furnish the expertise, equipment or growth capital to promising
beginning businesses. Basically, you buy in as either a part owner or limited partner;
then, as the business grows and prospers with your help, you reap your share of the
rewards.
The beautiful part about this whole concept is that you can repeat this procedure over
and over again. You can start out with, say marketing and sales leadership for a small,
garage-type business; then with your holdings and earnings from that business, invest
in another, and keep doing this until you own a part of twenty-five to an unlimited
number of businesses.
Looking at the idea from a dollar return point of view, if you were getting $200 per month
from 25 different businesses, your monthly income would amount to no less than $5,000
and that's not too bad for a fledgling millionaire.
Look around your own area. With just a little bit of business sense and perception,
you're sure to find hundreds of small businesses that could do better - perhaps even
become giants in their field - with your help.
Most small businesses need, and would welcome marketing, promotional, advertising,
and sales help. If a quick survey of a business turns you on with enthusiasm about the
potential profits to be made with just a few changes that you can suggest, then you are
on your way.
Basically, you set up an appointment to see and talk with the business owner about
some ideas and help that could double or triple his profits. When you approach him in
that manner, he's almost certain to want to see you and hear what you have to say.
In preparation for your meeting, set your ideas down on paper. Put them together in an
impressive marketing or profit-potential folio. Out-line your ideas, the costs involved and
the ultimate profit to be gained.
Then, when you arrive for the meeting, be sure to look and act the part of a successful
business person. A few pleasantries to break the ice, and then begin with your
presentation.
Through your proposal, you must instill confidence that you can do all you claim for him.
Guide him through the presentation to the ultimate profits - all for a 10 or 20 percent
limited partnership in the business, which really won't cost him anything Of course, if
he's reluctant to give up any part of his ownership, you come back with the idea of being
hired as a consultant.
Almost all small businesses need help of some kind. The owners get bogged down in a
myriad of everyday problems and things to do. They find there just aren't enough hours
in the day to handle everything that should be taken care of, and end up neglecting or
putting off some of the things they should be doing to keep the business prosperous.
As a result, the long struggle for business survival begins, with more than 60% of them
selling out at a loss or just closing up shop.
The other way to "cut yourself in" on a piece of someone else's business is to supply
needed money. If you can come up with 10 or 15 thousand dollars, you can easily "buy
into" some small businesses.
Be sure to look the business (and its market potential) over; but once you spot one that
can really be a winner with just a little bit of operating cash or money for expansion,
then start figuring!
You can reach a never ending supply of such businesses to choose from, simply by
running a small advertisement in your daily newspaper in the classified section under
the heading of Business Opportunities Wanted. Such an ad might read:
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE LOOKING FOR NEW
BUSINESS VENTURES. WILL CONSIDER BUY-OUT OR
PARTNERSHIP. PO BOX 123, CITY.
By the same token, make it a habit to look through the Business Opportunities
Available on a regular basis. Mark a few each day and follow up. Check them out, and see
what kind of a deal is being offered.
Remember, proper management and planning are basically the ingredients to success
in business; and most small businesses just don't have these ingredients in the
proportions needed to attain their greatest profit potential. Other people have done it,
and more are starting up every day.
There's no reason why you can't do it. In most cases little or no cash is needed. But with
just a little bit of action on your part, you could quickly become a multi-business owner,
and very wealthy as well.
Chapter 5
HOW TO START YOUR OWN MILLION DOLLAR
TEMPORARY HELP SERVICE
This is a service business with excellent growth potential, in dictions of strong stability, a
nationwide market with a growing demand and a risk factor that's rated average or less
than most new business ideas. Temporary Help Services are well suited to
absentee ownership situations; require no experience or technical knowledge on the
part of the entrepreneur; and have only minimal equipment needs. Net profits before
taxes for some established temporary help services have been reported as high as
$500,000 per year.
There's a difference between regular, private employment agencies and a temporary
help service. The employment agency is a "brokerage" office that matches unemployed
persons with available jobs. The temporary help service hires people onto its own
payroll, sends them out on contract jobs, and pays them accordingly.
Temporary help services make money "off the top." They send out temporary workers
on one-or-two-day-only jobs paying $15 an hour to the worker, and collecting $20 an
hour for the time the worker spends on the assignment.
More and more, businesses are willing to pay the premium costs for a trained person for
just a few days at a time, than to accept the burden of a 40-hours per week payroll
obligation and the task of finding enough work to keep such a person busy enough to
justify a full-time salary and the attendant support costs. Businesses everywhere are
finding it easier to pay more for "temporaries" than hired 40-hours per week
"permanents." That's the secret of success with this kind of business, and the point to
keep in mind when selling your services.
The successful temporary help service recruits as many skilled and qualified workers as
possible. These workers differ from the regular job-seekers in that they're looking for
"temporary" work only. For any number of reasons, they're only willing to work on jobs
lasting from one to five days, or perhaps two to three weeks, on any one job
assignment.
These persons are ideal for the employers needing help but not wanting to hire and
train full-time employees. Your task will be to find and attract top people and to maintain
complete files on them. What kind of jobs they specialize in, their attitudes about work,
and when or how often they're willing to work would be essential information to have in
our file. Each person should be tested in your office, sent out on a few assignments to
build a favorable reputation as a good worker, and then offered a permanent listing on
your roster of available specialists.
Work hard to build your roster of available workers. Within ninety days of start-up, you
want to be able to send someone out to fill any employer's needs, regardless of the job
requirements. Job assignments will range from loading dock and light clerical work to
word processing and even master-of-ceremonies work.
Depending on the size of your market, you could conceivably specialize in temporary
help for data-processing, the medical or legal professions, or perhaps the retail trade;
and you'd still make a lot of money. Generally though, we are going to show you
here how to start a "full-service" temporary help agency.
You'll need a good mix of employers in your area for best chances of real success. Your
area can be one of high unemployment or one with relatively few unemployed.
Whichever the case, the thinking of the business community and the work force
available should be non-traditional; there should be an undercurrent of thought toward
the idea of calling in specialists to handle a job quicker, and more efficiently, than the
full-time worker.
The people wanting to affiliate with you as workers will be housewives, college students,
retired people and a large number of people who like to work, but don't want to be tied
down to a regular job. When you explain the concept of your service, you'll be
pleasantly surprised at the number of traditionalists you'll convert to temporary workers.
First, you should visit your local Chamber of Commerce office. Explain the philosophy of
your service, meet the chamber officers and ask for their help. You'll find that they have
a listing of all the major businesses in the area, plus the names of the 'right' people to
talk to in selling your service. If you request, you might be invited to Chamber meetings
and be introduced to the business leaders in your community.
The only kind of information it is not likely they will be able to help you with is a listing of
doctors, lawyers and small, home-based, one-person enterprises. However, don't neglect
Contacting these people; they have a need for varied specialized help just as the larger,
More widely known firms in your community.
You can locate your offices just about anywhere. You'll find, however, that your greatest
success will come if you locate in a modern office building housing professionals such
as lawyers, accountants, investment counselors, insurance company offices, etc.
Project a professional image. Locate in a downtown or business section of your town
when you are able to do so.
Basically, you'll need 600 to 700 square feet of office space. You should have a
reception area, two offices and a room to store supplies. The more prestigious your
business address and office, the better caliber clientele you'll attract. People looking for
temporary work, and employers considering using your services, will doubt your abilities
if they aren't favorably impressed with your image.
It is possible to start this business in your home, but make sure you have the space for
a reception area, and at least a semi-private interview area. Most of your selling efforts
will be conducted by mail, phone and personal visits to the employer's place of
business, so you won't have any problem there. However, you may run into zoning
problems if your city zoning people discover a large number of cars parked at your
house every day. It certainly always helps to be on good terms with your neighbors, and
further, working by appointment will help keep traffic under control.
So, practically speaking, starting your business from home will require a much smaller
initial investment. In this particular business, rent and advertising will be your largest
expense, so beginning the business from your home is definitely worth considering if
your start-up funds are limited.
In actual operation, you could have the applicants interested in your services contact
you by phone. You would then set up appointments either in their homes or your own,
thereby eliminating congestion of cars in front of your home, as mentioned above. If you
began on a part-time basis, you could have a family member or friend answer your
phone and set up appointments for you. If you do begin part-time, and working out of
your home, you might look into the advantages of a professional telephone answering
service.
Another idea for saving on costs might be to rent unused space from a business already
established. These businesses might be sales and distribution offices, suburban
insurance agencies, quick print or copy shops, and repair service shops. Look around;
many businesses have had to take what was available at the time, and would be more
than happy to lease or share their vacant space. Keep in mind though, that you'll do
much better with an office of your own, and you should move into one just as soon as
you can afford one. Proper facilities that convey a professional image should be number
one on your list of priorities.
Your business image is projected by your address and the appearance of the building in
which you locate. Your reception area will set the mood of professionalism and
efficiency. The reception area should be inviting - walls painted in light pastel colors,
wall prints, floor lamps and wall-to-wall carpeting. It should also feel comfortable while
being functional. Comfortable modern chairs and sofa; perhaps a floor planter or two,
reception desk and ash trays all help to achieve this effect.
The main office need have only a desk and a comfortable chair, facing the door, a chair
beside or in front of the desk, and a file cabinet. A print or two on the walls, and perhaps
a bookcase are the only "extras" you might use to dress up your office.
Your second office equipment will be for testing your applicants. You can inexpensively
build a table along the length of two walls, partition into cubicles and computers.
Ideally, you should also have a sales office and a storage room. The sales office will be
where you greet and talk with employers who drop in to look you over to find out more
about your business. Mainly, this office will be where your people will work from when
calling prospective clients and selling your services by phone. The storage room needs
only shelves to hold various forms, mailing pieces, envelopes and business records.
One way to hold your start-up costs to a minimum is by leasing your office furnishings
and equipment. Whatever you do, remember that you're projecting an image, so don't
settle for less than the best. This is absolutely imperative in regard to any equipment
used for testing your applicants. You might be able to work out an arrangement with the
business department of a local college, or business school, to send your applicants to
them for testing on their machines. Such an arrangement, even at a cost of $5 to $10
per test, could save you several thousand dollars in start-up costs.
The first person you hire should be either an experienced manager or someone you can
quickly train to assume those duties. It's best to hold out for a person with at least one
year experience as a bona fide personnel manager. This person should be outgoing,
detail-minded, people-oriented and able to work well under pressure without losing his
sense of humor. You don't want someone likely to blow his cool when confronted with a
difficult situation.
Your manager will be responsible for organizing the interview and testing systems, for
setting up your sales solicitation program, and for supervising the temporary workers, as
well as your office staff. It's a highly responsible and demanding position, so don't be
reluctant to spend the money necessary to get the best. You will need to research to
determine what salary such a top manager receives in your area.
The next member of your staff should be an enthusiastic, hustling sales person. This
employee should be experienced and adept at selling by phone as well as in person.
Unless you can afford to pay a good direct mail advertising copywriter to create your
mailing pieces for you, it would be wise to look for direct mail advertising or copyrighting
experience in the background of the sales person you expect to hire.
Your sales person should spend the mornings calling prospective employers on the
phone, and the afternoons making in person sales calls. With this kind of work routine in
mind, look for sales people with high ambition and energy levels. Try to pick the kind
who will come in early and stay late to work on his direct mail efforts, clearing the decks
so that he uses his time during regular business hours to close sales by phone and in
person. You need and want a "closer" - not an order taker. Be as selective as you have
to be in choosing this salesperson.
In addition to the going rate which a sales person of this type should be paid, you
should also consider paying a 5 percent bonus for each new account brought in. When
you find the right person, it will be worth it, so make it worthwhile to join your staff. Not
all sales people will necessarily develop into good sales managers, so try to find one
who fits all your requirements. The sales manager would recruit, organize, develop, m a
salary plus override on the sales production of his staff of sales people.
You'll need an efficient and foolproof bookkeeping system to keep track of your payroll,
client billing, income taxes, work schedule, hours worked and all the money that comes
in. For this chore, I suggest that you contract with a company that handles this type of
work for a number of independent small businesses. Explain to them everything you
think you need; ask them to set up a system, and then instruct your receptionist on how
to keep it up to date on a weekly or monthly basis.
You'll save money in the long run if you will consult with an accounting firm and have
them set up a system that not only works, but can be interpreted and computerized from
the beginning. Later on, you may want or need to hire a full-time bookkeeper just to
keep up with the daily entries. If so, check out salaries paid in your area for that kind of
work.
The last member of your staff will be your receptionist. This person should be a lady of
better than average good looks, a lot of empathy for people in general, and an easy
smile. She should dress stylishly, but not provocatively. When she isn't answering the
phone or greeting customers, she can be administering tests, doing miscellaneous
typing, making folders for the records of your workers, and general office filing. And if
you have an accounting system set up, she could also assist with the daily bookkeeping.
The kind of temporary workers you'll want to attract will fit into several general
categories, and can be recruited in a number of different ways. Good places to look first
will be in the business, secretarial and technical schools in your area, and perhaps also
the colleges. To sustain your efforts, have a brochure about your company made up,
and make sure the placement directors or counselors always have an ample supply on
hand. Many schools stage "career days," when employers are invited to set up booths
on campus and talk to the students, pass out literature, and invite the students to visit
their companies. Make sure that you know about these, and that your firm is represented.
Another group will be housewives who perhaps held regular jobs before marriage or the
birth of a baby, and now want to get back into the job market. You can bring these
people in by posting bulletin board notices, arranging announcements at meetings, or
with guest speaking engagements. And of course you can try for guest appearances on
local radio or television talk shows.
Another group to recruit will be the "bored with life" people. These are in the 45-to-55
age group, not satisfied with the future where they are, and looking for a better
opportunity. It is imperative that you begin recruiting and signing workers as soon as
possible; at least a month before you open for business is not too early. According to
industry surveys, the most common reason for the failure of temporary help services is
not enough workers lined up to fill the client demand. When you get a request for help,
you should be able to send out a qualified person.
Each market area differs in the number of different types of workers a temporary help
motivate and supervise your sales staff. With those responsibilities, you'd want to offer
service should have available, but in every case, it's best to have more than you figure
to be a basic need. You must establish a maximum number of people within any one
occupational field that you'll sign up, or else you won't be able to keep everyone busy.
Unless you keep the workers you have registered working pretty much as often as they
want to work, you'll begin to lose them.
It's not hard to determine when a person is losing interest in temporary job assignments
through your firm. Whenever you call to give an assignment and you can't reach the
person you're calling, try several follow-up calls. It should become obvious to you that
he's no longer interested if you still can't reach him with your follow-up calls. It's a good
practice to ask for notification of vacation or other plans that will affect their availability
for work.
If you call and a job assignment is refused with a lame excuse, come right to the point
and ask if he wants to change his availability status, or if you should drop him from your
list of available temporary workers altogether. Never coddle a temporary worker. If he's
not available when you call to give an assignment, or he gives you a less than valid
excuse for not accepting, flag his "call assignment" card and move on to your next
available worker. You might call a couple of days later to check his availability and
interest in continuing to work, but don't waste too much time. You can always reinstate
such a worker, but it is probably better to spend the time recruiting a replacement.
As mentioned earlier, one of your major expenses will be for advertising. Your manager
and sales people should keep you advised on your current advertising impact and
results, and from this you should have a good understanding of how to use your
advertising budget most effectively. Your advertising should be "double-barreled,"
aimed at both the employer and the worker.
Generally, your efforts to add new employers to your client list should focus on direct
mail. Advertising efforts to recruit new temporary workers should be almost exclusively
devoted to newspapers. Years ago, some radio stations sold sixty-second
commercials to a few temporary help agencies.
The agencies talked to prospective employers, playing up the fact that they had skilled
workers to handle overload and deadline situations. These commercials were broadcast
in the mornings before 8 o'clock. Then they followed up during the afternoon hours with
commercials inviting people seeking temporary help to come in and sign up. Everything
worked well except that not enough prospective employ called often enough to justify
the expense. This advertising method is being followed on a small scale in some areas
even now, so watch for it.
For really professional results, you should get a free-lance advertising copywriter to do
your direct mail piece. This should be a 4-page brochure making these points:
1. All employers have sudden work overloads; face deadline situations; or are suddenly
left with a mountain of work for specially trained employees just when they are home
sick, on vacation, or off for an emergency.
2. Your company understands these work load problems, and has available skilled
professional replacement workers who can quickly step in and get the job done.
3. Your company thoroughly tests each of the specialists hired for these special staffing
crisis situations, and can assure the employer that they are tops in their individual areas
of expertise.
4. Your company is well aware that many businesses would like to save the expense
and headaches of hiring a full-time specialist of the same caliber of your people on a
"temporary" or "on-call" basis. Your people cannot be hired by the prospective
employer because they already work for you; but if and when a temporary worker is
needed, your company stands ready to fill the need, regardless of the job specialty
required.
5. Even if he doesn't need one of your people today, the need could arise at any time,
and suddenly. So he should just keep the brochure and your telephone number handy,
and don't hesitate to call you personally for whatever temporary help is needed.
Once you have the copy written, decide on the layout and type style you want to use; if
and what color will be used; and take it to a quality printer. Your brochure should be
printed on 60-pound coated paper, and folded to suit your needs by the printer.
Your complete mailing should consist of a short cover letter inviting the recipient to avail
himself of your services; a brochure explaining your services in greater detail; postage
paid business reply card. The mailing envelope and the cover letter should be
addressed to each business owner or personnel manager by name.
Pay the cost of a bulk rate third class postage permit; have your permit indicia imprinted
on your mailing envelopes; and organize your mailings to get between 200 and 500
letters into the mail three days a week, every single week. Don't skimp on your direct
mail advertising efforts, because this will be the lifeblood of your success.
Your newspaper ads for qualified workers looking for temporary assignments should be
display ads in the "Help Wanted" section. Most such ads are one column wide by 3 to 6
inches deep. Be sure you have an ad running in the Sunday paper, and at least one
more on Wednesday or Thursday. Before you even start soliciting accounts, you could
run an ad one column by 6 inches deep every day for a month.
These ads should invite the readers to come in and register with your company. Work
with your free-lance copywriter to say what you want to say. Overall, though, these ads
should explain that you have plenty of jobs going begging; that the worker sets his own
days to work, and can take jobs as often or as seldom as he likes. Stress the real
advantage of "paychecks on your terms" - an impossibility with a nine-to-five job. (We
have had reports of employed persons coming in to interview, going back and quitting
regular jobs, and becoming great "temporaries.")
Don't forget to send out news releases to all the media in your area when you open for
business. Leave yourself open for broadcast talk show interviews, and when you
promote someone, pass special mile-stones, or become involved in unusual stories in
connection with your business, at least telephone the media and give them this
information.
The most important requisite for success, however, is consistent advertising. In a city of
100,000 population, you should budget $10,000 for your first year advertising. Plus, get
involved in as many promotions and as much public relations contact and publicity
coverage as possible. Once you're beyond the "break-even" point in your business, you
will allocate funds for advertising based on your gross income.
In day-to-day operations, your manager will interview applicants; do testing; talk with
clients; solve problems; take orders from employers; and make job assignments.
Usually, his busiest time will be right after lunch when job orders start to come in. With
this in mind, you might want to arrange for him to take an early lunch period.
While your manager is "running the show" your sales person will be making telephone
calls in the mornings, and in person during the afternoons. It's a very good idea to send
out your direct mail advertising one week, and then call on these same people, either by
phone or in person, the next week. Remember that your sales calls should be relaxed
visits, allowing the prospect to learn more of your business and the kinds of people you
have available. During each sales call, the prospect should be left with the feeling that
your company can save him money, solve a lot of production and scheduling problems,
and take the exasperation out of his personnel requirements.
As a rule, you'll find that most jobs are called in during the afternoon hours. With this in
mind, it would be wise to have set procedure for your specialists to call you each
afternoon to let you know where they can be reached through 5:00 p.m. if they are
available for a job assignment the next day. You might want to set a policy of "No call
from you - No assignment for you."
Most temporary help agencies give their workers a supply of a 3-part time card when
they're hired by the agency. When the request for a worker comes in, the most qualified
in the required category is called. Job, name of company, location, approximate
length of job, and salary are all explained.
If they agree to take the offer, they fill in the time card for the day the work begins.
When they report for work, they have the time card signed by the employer to verify
starting time, and finishing time. One copy of the time card stays with the employer; the
temporary worker keeps a copy; and the other copy is mailed to your office. Smooth and
simple, but make sure you've got everything worked out before you begin.
Your bookkeeper notes the proper information on the ledger for that employee, files the
time card, and sends a ledger duplicate to accounting for billing. Of course a reminder
call should be made first, but as a rule, any account that hasn't paid within thirty days
should receive a personal visit.
As to the hard-core delinquent account, no more employees furnished, and a collection
agency to clear up the account will be your policy. You may want to look into the
advantages of selling your accounts receivable to a factoring company.
Unlike the brokerage type employment agencies, your temporary help
agency will not require licenses other than those required by any other
business in your area. You should, however, bond each of your employees in
order to protect yourself from any possible liability or other legal
entanglements. And of course you'll need to carry a standard business
insurance policy.
Is it, then - the HOW, WHAT, WHY and WHERE - of getting started with your
own profitable temporary help service! Remember, it takes solid and
consistent advertising, earnest recruiting, and selling.
So don't stop or let up until you have everyone in your area registered, and
every possible employer as a client, aware of your business. It's a big job
with lots of challenging work involved, and you'll need good people to help.
It is worthwhile to search out these people with care, to be sure you have
good, reliable employees - the rewards will be well worth it! Organize your
business for success, and get with it. The WHEN is NOW!!!
Chapter 6
HOW TO START A TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE
Organize yourself properly, decide how much money it's going to take for you to feel comfortably wealthy,
and then reach for it with your own Telephone Answering Service.
Our research has turned up hundreds of husband and wife entrepreneurs who, beginning with just a couple
of thousand dollars in borrowed funds, and a lot of ambition, are grossing $30,000 or more after just a
couple of years in the business.
The exciting part is that the door is wide open for you to do the same! The demand for
telephone answering services is growing!!! The advent of the electronic answering
devices is not even beginning to slow this demand!
A great many people are "turned off" by the frustration of expecting to talk with a
"live person," and having to listen to a recording that advises the caller to leave a
message at the sound of the tone.
Exasperation of this kind can sometimes cost a business person thousands of dollars in
lost profit. Realizing this, today's successful business person wants the personal touch
of a friendly, professional, "secretary" answering their phones for them.
The professional answering service operator can pass along the proper messages to
the different callers, take messages, get clarifications and even set up meetings with
special customers. In many instances, businessmen come to think of the operators at
their telephone answering service as vital to their success, and often regard them with
special favors or bonuses when a particularly lucrative deal is closed because of
courteous and efficient service by the people at the answering service.
To get started properly, you'll need an initial investment of about $10,000 for equipment
and facilities, plus working capital. In the beginning, with a 2 person operation, you can
have your operator selling by phone while you make in-person sales calls. You might
also want to add a couple of "hungry" commission sales people to help line up a good
list of accounts as fast as possible. These efforts will take planning and coordination
because you don't want two different sales people calling on the same prospect.
You can begin operating out of a spare bedroom or your garage - you'll need a leased
switchboard from the telephone company - with plans to move your operation into more
formal quarters at a later date. However, it's quite expensive and time consuming to
have a switchboard moved once it's been installed.
Our suggestion would be to locate a "beginning" small office, and plan on being there at
least 5 years from the start.
Many operations begin in a small 200 to 300 square foot economy office location, and
as their growth warrants, open a second location with space for eventual expansion to
include 3 or more switchboards. Our research has found that you'll need an average of
85 regular customers per switchboard in order to realize a minimum profit after
expenses.
Just about anyone with a business card will be a good prospect for your services.
People working out of their homes are very good prospects, especially those holding
down regular jobs while moonlighting with a part-time businesses of their own.
Every salesman is a prospect, people who work on a 24 hour "on-call" basis, repair service
business owners such as plumbers, electricians, locksmiths and auto mechanics...
There are other kinds of services that will be interested too, such as ambulance
companies, towing services, volunteer fire departments, survey or organizations, and
customer complaint departments of virtually every business in your area... By all means,
don't for get the doctors, dentists and other professionals.
A lot of beginners start by providing service only for theses intermittent users. These
people "put out the word" that if they can be reached at their regular number after 4 or 5
rings, the caller should dial the number of their answering service. The answering
service, which in this case is just a housewife answering her home phone, takes the
caller's message and either relays it to the customer or holds it until he checks in with
her. Very simple, very easy and very profitable.
Usually after such a "shoestring" operation has 15 or 20 such customers, it's necessary
to install a phone with multiple incoming lines. The cost and questions of the phone
company can be allayed by purchasing your own telephone and explaining that
you have several teenagers in the family. However, once you have 35 to 50 customers,
it's time to expand into a commercial operation complete with switch board and hired
operators.
The average rates to charge for your service should be about $35 per month for a
specified number of calls - usually 70 to 75 - with a surcharge of 25 cents for each call
beyond that number. Other calls such as "wake-up calls" and reminder calls for
appointments, are usually billed on a "per call" basis at about 50 cents per call.
Most telephone answering services provide a variety of other services to keep their
operators busy during the times when there are no incoming calls. These services
range from typing, envelope addressing, computer input services, subscription
soliciting and order fulfillment for mail order operators to reviewing books for publishing
agents. In recent years some have even included private post office, mail drop and
forwarding services.
The important thing is to keep your operators busy doing some kind of work that makes
money for you.
Generally a metro population of 35,000 people will support a telephone answering
service hoping for $50,000 per year; 75,OOO to 80,000 people will be needed for
$100,000, and 150,000 people for $200,000 per year or more. For more help and
further information, it would be wise to contact the Associated Telephone Answering
Exchange, Inc. This organization, the industry's watchdog group, can update you on
current practices and trends.
Meanwhile in setting up your own facilities, keep your cost in line with a realistic view of
your first year's anticipated income. It shouldn't be too difficult to find low-cost rental
space in an older building not far from the telephone company's exchange building - the
telephone company is usually just as reluctant to pay high rent as you are... Locating in
an older, less than "beautiful" building should not detract from your business because
few of your customers will ever actually see your offices. Most will sign up for your
services either through your in-person sales calls on them, or your telephone soliciting
efforts, and send their payment in by mail.
You'll need 125 square feet of space for each switchboard you plan to eventually install.
Also plan for a small reception area which can also double as a rest area for your
operators and general office area for bookkeeping, billing and other administrative
functions. Be sure there are convenient rest room facilities as well.
Before installation of your first switchboard, the phone company will require an
inspection of your office, mainly to determine if the floor is strong enough to support the
weight of the switchboard. Save yourself a lot of frustration by explaining this to the real
estate agents or building managers before they start showing you what's available. The
best thing is to ask for certified copies of the original building blueprints or previous
inspection reports, and have these in hand when you contact the phone company.
Once you are ready to go, consider the attitudes and feelings of the people who will be
working long hours on the switchboards for you - invest in some cheery paint for the
walls, non-glare lighting, carpeting for the floors and a few wall prints, pictures or other
decorations. Look around for good used office furniture and buy or lease only what is
absolutely essential. A pocket calculator and a used manual typewriter will work fine
until you get the business running on a dependably profitable basis.
When you order your first switchboard, listen to the telephone company's instructions,
read the operating manual and attend their training sessions. The more you know about
the equipment, the easier it's going to be to operate it, and the more you'll under stand
your profit potentials.
You also have a business answering line which can be used as your number for
customers wanting to use your number as their business number and/or for special
events such as a special number of survey replies or telephone orders such as
advertised on television for one-time-only sales promotions.
Even though you have the capabilities of 100 incoming lines, you shouldn't activate
more than 5 or 10 more than your actual customer list, it's then a simple matter for the
phone company to activate or "tie-in" according to your needs. Your rental/lease
payments to the phone company for equipment includes all maintenance, so whenever
you have a problem or something isn't working properly to suit your needs, call and ask
the phone company to send a repairman.
Some of the extras you can get with your board includes a "secrecy switch." This
feature prevents an operator from listening in if a customer has already picked up his
phone after the operator has answered. The customer could then request the operator
to hang up and conduct whatever conversation he wants with the caller.
Another feature is the "position-splitting" key. This involves plugging in a second head
set and simply turning the key to enable two operators to work the same board during
an especially busy period. When your customers want to call to check with you for any
messages, you can have them call their own number if they are calling from a different
number, or pre-designated trunk line. Most answering service owners experiment both
ways until they decide upon the system that works best for them. Whichever method is
finally chosen should be decided upon with the efficiency of the operators in mind.
In addition to your switchboard, you should install a time clock and message racks.
These are ideally located above or on top of your switchboard. The operator then takes
the call, jots down the message, punches the time clock and then quickly slips it into the
customer's message box.
When the customer calls in for his messages, the operator retrieves the messages from
his message box, reads them to him, again punches the time clock with each message
slip, and drops them into a "dead message" box.
You should keep these message slips for totaling at billing time, so it's a good idea to
have each operator file them in your customer folders as they finish their shift on the
board. Retention of these message slips for at least 30 days is not required, but it is a
good policy to practice. You may find a customer will want to check a message received
or double-check his billing against your records.
Basically, your message rack can be either pigeon-hole compartments in a wooden box
designed and built to fit your space, or lazy-Susan clips similar to what any restaurants
use for fast food orders. At any rate, you shouldn't have any problems in finding what
you need on the open market.
It isn't necessary that you have specially designed or printed message slips, but you
should have a plentiful supply available and within easy access to your operators.
Simple 4 x 5 inch pads should be all you'll need, and if you'll check with your local quick
print shops, you'll find most of them willing to make up a thousand or so pads of 50 to
100 pages each, from scrap paper, for almost next to nothing. Another essential to plan
on - buy in wholesale lots and keep handy for your operators - is pens. It may be
exasperating until the business is on a sound profitability basis, but in a busy month,
just charge it up as a business expense and order more pens.
You'll need some form of maintaining basic customer information such as address,
name and number to contact during an emergency and any special answering
instructions. For this, simply go with 3 x 5 or 4 x 5 index cards and place them in each
customer's message slot for easy operator reference. Many services have these cards
laminated in plastic to prevent them from getting dirty or deteriorating with constant use.
Efficiency is the name of the road leading to profits in any small business, so when you
begin with one switchboard, make sure you have that position-splitting key, and that you
balance the board - half of them on one side and half on the other side. This will enable
you to put two operators on that one board in times of emergency. Your customer lines
must be distributed according to usage across the board for maximum efficiency of your
operation.
Each time a customer "signs" for your service, you should have him sign a simple
contract that specifies the name and address of the firm to be billed for the service, and
the typed name as well as the signature of the person authorizing the service.
There should also be space on this contract for alternate phone numbers, names and
addresses as well as phone numbers of persons to contact in case of an emergency,
and any special answering instructions the client may want you to use.
Don't forget to include a clause requiring a 30-day notification of cancellation by either
party to the contract. It's also a good idea to state that a full month's payment must be
made for any partial month's usage, in order to cover any disconnect charges. You'll
probably want to stipulate that the last month's base charges are to be paid at the time
of service approval, in order to enhance your working capital situation.
Check with the phone company - find out if they or you are to bill the customer for hookup
charges, and the line into your switchboard. By all means get everything written out
and fully explained in the contract. You will be money ahead by paying a good contract
attorney to put all that you want into a legal contract that not only protects you, but also
is binding upon your customers.
One other item of paperwork you should have is an Errors & Omissions Insurance
Policy. This protects you and your operators against any liability from mistakes or
missed messages - very good to have, and available at very low cost through the
Associated Telephone Answering Exchange, Inc. by special arrangement with Lloyd's of
London. Your other insurance needs are those basic to any business. Always shop
around for the best rates.
One operator can easily go through 100 or more pens. Don't fight the how's and why's,
require at least three full-time operators for your board, plus at least one relief operator -
and don't forget about commission sales people.
Ideally, you should try to hire people with telephone switchboard experience, but in
order to get these people, you may have to offer short-shifts, moonlighting jobs to
regular telephone company operators. It will take some time to train inexperienced
people, so bear this in mind when you begin looking for people to hire. It's always a
good policy to hire your new, inexperienced people for the evening shift. Break them in
by having them "sit in" with an experienced operator during the day-time hours, and
have someone close at hand during their first week on the evening shift before turning
them loose to handle the board by themselves.
The most important qualifications to look for in an operator are voice and attitude. The
voice must be pleasant and sound alert, interested and ready to help the caller. Warn
your operators never to allow their "personal feelings" to show through when they are
answering the phone. They represent your business and your customers. As such, they
must project a professional manner at all times.
Teach your operators to answer the phones with a "happy smile" in their voices. Train
them to take their time with the callers, and get the message right by reading the
message back to the caller, and also be sure they ask the caller for the correct spelling
of his or her name. Unless specifically instructed otherwise by a customer, insist that
your operators never allow an incoming call to ring more than twice before answering it.
Hardly anything frustrates anyone calling a business number more than a telephone
that seemingly rings forever before someone answers it.
You can start your inexperienced people at $10 an hour, and your experienced
operators at $6 an hour. Try to explain to them that the success of your business
depends on them, and as your business prospers, so will their monetary rewards. Get
them involved and interested in helping you succeed.
It's going to take aggressive selling on your part to reach success with a venture of this
kind. You must spend at least 50 percent of your time making sales calls - if you can't or
don't wish to do any personal selling, then you will have to hire at least two full time
sales people to take your place.
In addition to your own sales efforts or people who fill your shoes in this area, you
should hire at least one other full time salesperson. You should plan to have someone
making telephone solicitations for at least 3 hours out of each working day.
Selling your service - building an ever larger customer list - is the name of the game for
real success. You've got the start up information, and from here on, the rest depends on
your own ambition.
Chapter 7
HOW TO START YOUR OWN HOME-BASED
SECRETARIAL SERVICE. . .
A new approach to serving one of the oldest and most basic needs of even the smallest
business community, a home-based secretarial service can satisfy the entrepreneurial
needs of even the most ambitious woman!
This is a kind of service business with a virtually unlimited profit potential. Third year
profits for businesses of this type, in metropolitan areas as small as 70,000 persons are
reported at $100,000 and more. It's a new idea for a traditional job that's growing in
popularity and acceptance.
As for the future, there's no end in sight to the many and varied kinds of work a
secretary working at home can do for business owners, managers and sales
representatives. Various surveys indicate that by the year 2,000 - at least 60 percent of
all the secretarial work, as we know it today, will be handled by women working at
home.
For most women, this is the most exciting news of things to come since the equal rights
amendment. Now is the time to get yourself organized, start your own home-based
secretarial service and nurture it through your start-up stages to total success in the
next couple of years.
Our research indicates little or no risk involved, with most secretarial services breaking
even within 30 days, and reports of some showing a profit after the first week! Your
cash investment can be as little as $100 to $500 if you already have a computer and
phone. You can set up at your kitchen table, make a few phone calls, and be in
business tomorrow.
While you're shopping for things you'll need, be sure to pick up a chair mat. If you don't,
you may suddenly find that the carpet on the floor of the room where you do your typing,
needs replacing due to the worn spot where the chair is located and maneuvered in
front of the typewriter. You'll also want a work stand with place marker and a convenient
box or storage shelf for your immediate paper supply. If you plan to do a great deal of
work during the evening hours, be sure to invest in an ad just able "long arm" office
work lamp.
When buying paper, visit the various wholesale paper suppliers in your area or in any
nearby large city, and buy at least a half carton - 6 reams - at a time. Buying wholesale,
and in quantity, will save you quite a bit of money. The kind to buy is ordinary 20 pound
white bond.
In the beginning, you'll be the business - typist, salesman, advertising department,
bookkeeper and janitor - so, much will depend upon your overall business acumen.
Those areas in which you lack experience or feel weak in, buy books or tapes and
enhance your knowledge. You don't have to enjoy typing, but you should have better
than average proficiency.
Your best bet in selling your services is to do it all yourself. Every business in your area
should be regarded as a potential customer, so it's unlikely you'll have to worry about
who to call on. Begin by making a few phone calls to former bosses or business
associates - simply explain that you're starting a typing or bookkeeping service and
would appreciate it if they'd give you a call whenever they have extra work that you can
handle for them. Before you end the conversation, ask them to be sure to keep you in
mind and steer your way any overload typing jobs that they might hear about.
The next step is "in-person" calls on prospective customers. This means dressing in an
impressively professional manner, and making sales calls on the business people in
your area. For this task, you should be armed with business cards (brochures also
help...), and an order or schedule book of some sort. All of these things take time to
design and print, so while you're waiting for delivery, use the time to practice selling via
the telephone. At this stage, your telephone efforts will be more for the purpose of
indoctrinating you into the world of selling than actually making sales.
Just be honest about starting a business, and sincere in asking them to consider trying
your services whenever they have a need you can help them with. Insurance
companies, attorneys and distributors are always needing help with their typing, so start
with these kinds of businesses first.
Add in a service for making travel arrangements for company executives.
For your business cards, consider a free-lance artist to design a logo for you. Check,
and/or pass the word among the students in the art or design classes at any nearby
college, art or advertising school. Hiring a regular commercial artist will cost you quite a
bit more, and generally won't satisfy your needs any better than the work of a hungry
beginner.
Be sure to browse through any clip Art books that may be available - at most print
shops, newspaper offices, advertising agencies, libraries and book stores. The point
being, to come up with an idea that makes your business card stand out; that can be
used on all your printed materials, and makes you - your company - unique or different
from all the others.
At any rate, once you've got your logo or company design, the next step is your local
print shop. Ask them to have the lettering you want to use, typeset in the style you like
best - show them your layout and order at least a thousand business cards printed up.
For your layout, go with something basic. Expert typing services, in the top left hand
corner... Dictation by phone, in the top right hand corner... Your company logo or design
centered on the card with something like, complete secretarial services, under it... Your
name in the lower left hand corner, and your telephone number in the lower right hand
cornerJ
Everybody that you call on in person, be sure to give them one of your business cards.
And now, you're ready to start making those in-person business sales calls.
Your best method of making sales calls would be with a business telephone directory
and a big supply of loose leaf notebook paper. Go through the business directory and
write down the company names, addresses and telephone number. Group all of those
within one office building together, and those on the same street in the same block. Be
sure to leave a couple of spaces between the listing of each company. And of course,
start a new page for those in a different building or block. Now, simply start with the first
business in the block, or on the lowest floor in a building and number them in
consecutive order. This will enable you to call on each business in order as you proceed
along a street, down the block, or through a building.
You'll be selling your capabilities - your talents - and charging for your time - the time it
takes you to get set up and complete the assignment they give you. You should be
organized to take work with you on the spot, and have it back at a promised time;
arrange to pick up any work they have, and deliver it back to them when it's completed;
and handle dictation or special work assignments by phone. You should also emphasize
your abilities to handle everything by phone, particularly w hen they have a rush job.
Establish your fees according to how long it takes you to handle their work, plus your
cost of supplies - work space, equipment and paper - then fold in a $5 profit. In other
words, for a half hour job that you pick up on a regular sales or delivery call you should
charge $10J
Another angle to include would be copies. Establish a working relationship with a local
printer. When your clients need a sales letter or whatever plus so many copies, you
can do it all for them.
Only make copies on the very best of dry paper copying machines, and only for 50
copies or less. More than 50 copies, it'll be less expensive and you'll come out with a
better looking finished product by having them printed on a printing press. When you
furnish copies, always fold in your copying or printing costs plus at least a dollar or more
for every 50 copies you supply.
By starting with former employers and/or business associates, many businesses are
able to line up 40 hours of work without even making sales call. If you're lucky enough
to do this, go with it, but -
start lining up your friends to do the work for you - girls who work all day at a regular
job, but need more money; and housewives with time on their hands. You tell them what
kind of equipment is needed, and the quality of work you demand. You can arrange to
pay them so much per hour for each job they handle for you - judging from the time you
figure the job would take if you were doing it; or on a percentage basis. I feel the best
arrangement is on an hourly basis according to a specified amount of time each job
normally takes.
Whenever, and as soon as you've got a supply of "workers" lined up, you turn all your
current assignments over to them, and get back to lining up more business. If you're
doing well selling by phone, and your area seems to respond especially well to selling
by phone, then you should immediately hire commission sales people. Train them
according to your own best methods and put them to work assisting you.
Your salespeople can work out of their own homes, using their own telephones,
provided you've got your area's business community organized in a loose leaf notebook
style. All you do is give them so many pages from your notebook, from which they make
sales calls each week.
Even so, you should still make those in-person sales calls... If for some reason you get
bogged down, and can't or don't want to, then hire commission sales people to do it for
you... Generally, women selling this type of service bring back the most sales... And for
all your commission sales people, the going rate should be 30 percent of the total
amount of the sale... Point to remember: Sooner or later, you're going to want to hire a
full-time telephone sales person, plus another full time person to make in-person sales
calls for you - Eventually, you want workers to handle all the work for you, and sales
people to do the selling for you - So the sooner you can line up people for these jobs,
the faster your business is going to prosper.
Later on, you'll want a sales manager to direct your sales people and keep them on
track, so try to find a "future sales manager" when you begin looking for salespeople.
Your basic advertising should be a regular quarter page ad in the yellow pages of both
your home service telephone directory and the business yellow pages. You'll find that
50 percent of your first time clients will come to you because they have an immediate
need and saw you at in the yellow pages, so don't skimp on either the size or the "eye catching"
graphics of this ad.
A regular one column by 3-inch ad in the Sunday edition of your area's largest
newspaper would also be a good idea. Any advertising you do via radio or television will
be quite expensive with generally very poor results, so don't even give serious
consideration to that type of advertising.
By far, your largest advertising outlays will be for direct mail efforts. You should have a
regular mailing piece that you send out to your entire business community at least once
a month. This is handled by sending out 200 to 500 letters per day. For this, you should
obtain a third class postage permit or else these postage costs will drive you out of
business.
Your mailing piece should consist of a colorful brochure that describes your business. It
should explain the many different kinds of assignments you can handle - a notation that
no job is too small or too large - and a statement of your guarantee. Do not quote prices
in your brochure - simply ask the recipient to call for a quotation or price estimate.
It's also a good idea to list the background and experience of the business owner, plus
several business testimonials and/or compliments. You could also include a couple of
pictures showing your workers busy and actually handling secretarial assignments. The
most important part of your brochure will be your closing statement - an invitation,
indeed - a demand that the recipient call you for further information.
All of this can very easily be put together in a Z-folded, 2-sided self-mailer. Again, look
for a free-lance copywriter and artist to help you put it together. Once you've got your
"dummy" pretty well set the way you want it, make copies of it, and either take it or send
it to several direct mail advertising agencies. Ask them for their suggestions of how they
would improve it, and for a bid on the cost if you were to retain them to handle it for you.
Listen to their ideas and incorporate them where - and if you think they would make
your brochure better. And, if one of them does come in with a cost estimate that's lower
than your independent, "do-it-yourself" costs, then think seriously about assigning the
job to them.
This is definitely the most important piece of work that will ever come out of your office,
so be sure it's the very best, and positively indicative of your business. This will be the
business image you project, so make sure it reflects the quality, style and credibility of
your business - your thinking, and your success.
Your brochure should be on 60-pound coated paper, in at least two colors and by a
professional printer. The end result is the Z-folded brochure - Z-folded by the printer -
with your third class mailing permit indicia showing on the cover side. This cover side
should be flamboyant and eye-catching. You want your mailing piece to stand out in the
pile of 50 or 60 pieces of other mail received by the recipient.
When you're ready to mail, simply take a couple of cartons of your brochures to an
addressing shop, have them run your brochures through their addressing machine,
loaded with your mailing list, bundle them and drop them off at the post office for you.
A mailing of 100,000 brochures, via this method - generally could be completed and on
its way in one 8-hour day.
In essence, you'll want to solicit business with a regular routine of telephone selling, in person
sales calls at the prospective client's place of business, media advertising and
direct mail efforts. All of these efforts are important and necessary to the total success
of your business - don't try to cut corners or spare the time or expense needed to make
sure you're operating at full potential in these areas! In addition to these specific areas,
it would be wise for you to attend chamber of commerce meetings, and join several of
your area civic clubs - you'll meet a great number of business leaders at these meetings
and through their association, you will gain a great deal of new business - and even
help in many of your needs.
Once you're organized and rolling, you can easily expand your market nationwide with
the installation of a toll free telephone and advertising in business publications. Perhaps
you can add to your primary business with a "mailing shop" of your own - the rental of
mailing lists - specialized temporary help services - telephone answering services - and
even survey workJ
The "bottom line" thing to remember in order to achieve total success, is planning. Plan
your initial operation through from start to finish before you even think about soliciting
your first customer. Get your operational plan down on paper - itemize your needs,
estimate your costs, line up your operating capital, and set forth milestones for growth.
Set profit figures you want to be realizing 3 months... 6 months... l year... 2 years... and
3 years from your business start-up date. Learn all you can about the "support systems"
involved in operating a profitable business - planning, a advertising, selling,
bookkeeping, and banking - and continue to update your knowledge with a program of
continuous learning. Do your homework properly, and there's just no way you can fail
with a Home-Based Secretarial Service.
Chapter 8
LEGAL WAYS TO GET THE BILL COLLECTORS OFF
YOUR BACK - And Make A Killing Doing Work-Shops
To Teach Others . . .
Sometimes, the formal and legal declaration of personal bankruptcy is the
best way to go when you're "snowed under" with bills, and you just can't see
your way clear to survive.
Actually, bankruptcy allows you to make a fresh start. Generally, it takes
only a small amount of money, a careful evaluation of your assets and your
liabilities. In many cases, a lawyer is not necessary.
If you have very few assets, mountains of debt, and not enough income to
meet your obligations, then your best bet is almost always the filing of
straight bankruptcy. What you'll need is the proper forms "S3010
Bankruptcy forms, for an Individual Not Engaged In Business." These can be
purchased from any full-line office supply store, especially in an area serving
attorneys' offices.
You'll need to know which district you live in for Federal Court purposes - so
look in the white pages of your telephone book under U.S. Government -
Courts - and take down the address of the nearest U.S. District Court. Check
it out to be sure that your residence is in this court's jurisdiction.
You then fill out the forms you purchased, listing all of your creditors - those
with priority being listed first - meaning those who have extended credit to
you against some sort of security or collateral, followed by those who have
extended credit to you on just your signature or reputation.
You must be sure to list all of your creditors because any that you fail to list,
will be able to sue you and collect even after the bankruptcy has been
adjudicated. At the same time, be sure to include the names of anyone and
everyone you may have co-signed a note or a loan for, as well as anyone
who may have co-signed for you.
The laws governing personal bankruptcy vary in all states, but generally, a
bankruptcy judgment will not take away the house you live in, basic home
furnishings, a car that's necessary towards your gainful employment, nor the
tools of your trade. Check these things out to be sure against the list of
items regarded as the necessities of life by your state.
When you've got all the forms filled out, and notarized, you take them to the
Clerk of the U.S. District Court in your jurisdiction. You pay the clerk $50,
and from there, you're home free. The clerk notifies your creditors, and
reminds them that being as you've filed bankruptcy papers, they cannot
bother you about your debts anymore.
However, they are invited to your hearing. Usually they don't show up,
because by that time, you have very few, if any, nonexempt assets left that
they are really interested in. But, whatever assets you do have that are
nonexempt, will be sold by the Court to appease your creditors.
Any money realized from these sales is then added to the total amount of
money you may have turned over to the court at the time of your filing, and
divided equally amongst your creditors according to priorities.
After all of this has taken place, and usually about 3 months after you've
been adjudged bankrupt, you can start all over again to incur debt, pay bills
and establish a new credit rating. However, you should be especially careful
about talking with your old creditors because they may attempt to maneuver
you into signing a "reaffirmation" of your old debt.
The thing to do is to be sure that you carefully read anything you affix your
signature to, and don't agree to pay on any debt that has already been
discharged through your bankruptcy!
In some bankruptcy filings, it is definitely advantageous to hire an attorney
to represent you. This is especially true for people who have assets such as
real estate they want to protect, and/or people who have been operating
home-based businesses or been accused of fraud.
Remember this, if you decide to process your bankruptcy without a lawyer,
then it is your responsibility to fill out all the necessary forms accurately and
completely, and every bit as precisely as if you had paid an attorney to do it
for you. Leaving out a creditor's name or address or forgetting a loan that
you co-signed for, will surely bring on litigation against you even after your
bankruptcy has been adjudicated.
Be sure you understand all the papers, ask the Court Clerk for advice, and if
you run into problems, then take it in to an attorney.
Besides the regular bankruptcy laws, there's also a little-known and little used
method of getting reorganized with your debt, particularly when you've
got a steady job and just need more time to straighten your indebtedness
out. This is the wage-earner's provisions of Chapter XIII of the Federal
Bankruptcy laws.
Basically, these provisions allow you to make new arrangements with your
creditors and pay off all your debts over a new 3-year period of time. When
you filed for indebtedness relief under the provisions of this law, nothing is
recorded permanently on your credit record. You get to keep all your assets,
but you must pay off all your debts.
But, so long as the Court grants you relief under these provisions, and you
pay your creditors according to the repayment schedule agreed upon by the
Court, your creditors cannot bother you. Even if they have begun a suit
against you, once the Court has given you relief, they cannot touch you!
Once you've filed under these provisions, your creditors are immediately
restricted from even contacting you, and get only what the referee or trustee
doles out to them.
Often-times, if a creditor threatens to sue you, the most effective thing you
can do is to tell him frankly that if he sues you, you'll have no other
alternative except to file bankruptcy papers. In many instances, this will
cause him to take a second look and to do whatever he can to assist you in
paying him the money you owe, but over a longer period of time, and at
smaller monthly payments.
The absolute bottom line is that your creditors know only too well that if you
do file for bankruptcy, their chances of receiving even half of what you owe
is practically nil. Thus, it's in their best interest to do everything they can to
help you to continue making payments on the amount you owe, regardless
of how small those payments may be.
When a creditor does sue you, and gets a judgment against you, he can
then get a court order directing the sheriff to seize your personal property
and sell it, with all monies realized going to the creditor to satisfy your debt.
When they see this about to happen, many people connive to make
themselves "judgment proof." In other words, they hide their assets or move
them out-of-state before the sheriff or marshal arrives. This is illegal, but is
done as often as not.
Many creditors will attempt to "garnishee" your wages. This is done by
getting a court order directing your employer to set aside part of your wages
or salary every pay period and turn it over to him. First, of course, he has to
find out where you work; and even then, in most states, there are limits set
relative to how much a creditor can garnishee for your wages.
If you have no job, and no visible assets, or you live in a state where your
wages cannot be garnisheed, your creditors actually have very few ways of
ever collecting from you.
Many techniques used by creditors and collection agencies are
illegal. A creditor or agency can write letters to you; call you once a day in
quest of a payment; and even knock on your door to ask about a payment,
but he is forbidden by law to harass you or invade your privacy, or use
deceptive means to get you to pay your bills. He cannot use foul and abusive
language over the telephone, tell anyone besides you the reason for his
phone call, inconvenience you or in any way threaten your job or your
reputation in the neighborhood where you live.
Still, the best idea for reorganization and settlement of your debts when you
find yourself in an untenable position, is in-person visits and explanations of
your situation with your creditors, and a desire to explore other possible
ways of mutual satisfaction without involving collection agencies or
bankruptcy. Give it a try - it's a lot easier than most people realize.
Workshops.
Advertise workshops for teaching people how to deal with debt collectors.
Once the phone calls start coming in…you’ll know the size of hotel meeting
room you will need. Simply charge about $30 per person (allow them to
bring a free guest). Place about 40 people in a meeting room and give a 90
minute presentation on how to stop bill collectors. Once a week would bring
you about $1,200 a week. No bad for 90 minutes of work. Make sure to
advertise in small weekly newspapers in small towns around your area.
Chapter 9
HOW TO MAKE FAST CASH WITH YOUR CAR,
VAN, OR PICKUP TRUCK
YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THE INVESTMENT!
NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE SOME MONEY!
In this report you will discover a wide variety of money-making options available to
anyone who owns a car, van, or pickup truck, and is willing to turn it into oriented
transportation.
If you are like most people, you have dreamed of owning your own business and being
your own boss for years! The problem is that you just don't know how to get started, or
what business to get into.
Have you also thought about where you would come up with the money to get started in
a business? Of course you have! But the beauty of using your own vehicle to make
money is that your business investment is already behind you!
Providing services is the fastest growing and highest paying business fields you can
enter today. Using your own vehicle to make money is perhaps one of the most
underrated opportunities to generate needed cash.
As the cost of living continues to soar, most people have found that their regular jobs
just don't pay them enough. What they need is a career change or extra income.
Starting your own part-time or full-time business can be the difference between making
ends meet or ending up hopelessly in debt.
This report will allow you to explore money-making avenues you have perhaps never
considered before. One opportunity presented in this report may lead to other ideas that
are not. The process will help you decide what business you want to get into with your
vehicle. Basically there are two--product and service. You can sell products or perform a
needed service. Occasionally the two can be combined.
Once you are certain you really want to start your own business, remember that self motivation
is what causes people to follow through with action. What is your motivator?
A new home? Getting away form a job you detest? Making enough money to provide
your family with a better quality of life? Whatever your motivation, it will be the driving
force that helps you succeed! Try to choose the type of business you will feel the most
comfortable in. It will be difficult to remain enthusiastic and confident if you aren't happy
doing your work.. Seek encouragement from your family and friends. Prepare yourself
mentally for success. Any- one can deal with being physically tired. But if you are doing
something that creates emotional strain, then that can be debilitating.
Chapter 10
CARPET LAYING
If you can read a tape measure and cut a straight line, you can become a
highly-paid, independent carpet layer. It doesn't take a lot of expensive tools
and supplies to get into the carpet laying business, but you will need a
vehicle to transport carpet.
Carpet laying isn't a profession that requires a special education, but there
are tricks of the trade that should be learned. You can do that by working for
another carpet layer for awhile, or reading books on the subject. Experience
is the best teacher, however, and after a few installations you will gain
confidence.
As a carpet layer you can charge up to several dollars per square yard for
installation. A higher rate can be charged for jobs that are more time
consuming, such as linoleum or inlaid flooring jobs.
Once you have gained experience you should be able to easily lay 30 yards
of carpeting per hour. That can amount to hundreds of dollars per day as
you lay carpeting in houses, hospitals, apartment buildings, schools,
churches, and any other place that requires your services. The potential to
earn big money is enormous!
Chapter 11
A ROMANTIC PROPOSAL
This is one of my favorites. This field is wide
open and has great earning potential. I don’t
Know how well it would do during a depression
however.
There will always be those busy professionals
who will need help arraigning for a romantic
proposal for their intended spouse.
You will have to be creative and resourceful in
making their proposal happen. Many times they
will already know what setting, location, and conditions they will want when they propose.
Sometimes you will completely run the show though and have to come up with
something romantic and original.
Perhaps you’ll reserve a table at a nice restaurant with flowers, candles, and custom
dinner cloths. When the proposal is ready after dinner have the waiter bring the
engagement ring and present it to the future fiancé. - Just an idea. You can come
up with something much better than that!
To start just have some business cards made up, get a website, and advertise in the
local paper. A compelling press release wouldn’t hurt either. You’ll want to start
cultivating ideas for romantic proposals as well.
If you are creative and a bit of a romantic at heart this one is for you! Earnings should
easily be six figures. Of course simple jobs will cost the client less than more elaborate
proposals involving hot air balloons and such.
Remember that your clients will most likely be affluent, so present yourself accordingly.
The real beauty of this business is that it can be started almost overnight with little
outlay of capital if you have the creative aspect down.
Chapter 12
Carpet cleaning
Carpet cleaning is a great business to be in, especially if you enjoy earning
$30 to $75 an hour! Many family businesses have Von Schrader Associates
who go into business for themselves clean carpets, upholstery and walls in
homes, offices, restaurants and stores.
The Von Schrader Company will help you start your own profitable business
with no ongoing leases, franchise fees, rentals, dues or royalties to pay. The
money you make is all yours! For more information write to or look up online:
The Von Schrader Company,
1600 Junction Ave.,
Racine, WI 53403.
Chapter 13
CHIMNEY SWEEP
Chimney sweeps
Easily earn $20.00-$30.00 per hour! Cleaning chemicals
used are very inexpensive (only $2-$3 per cleaning) leaving a huge 97%-
98% profit on every job. Just one job per evening could earn you up to
$2,500.00 per month working part-time. Every chimney is a potential job.
For more information write to or look up online:
BLACK MAGIC CHIMNEY SWEEPS, 3548
Mountain Road,
Stowe, VT 05672.
TRAVELING VINYL REPAIR BUSINESS
Chapter 14
TEMPORARY TATTOO SERVICE
It doesn’t take a health license and you can get started fast. Now you can
own your own removable tattoo business and make money just about
anywhere you want to set up a sign or booth. As the crowds get in line you
can apply quality tattoos in seconds. Over 200 designs to choose from. Make
thousands weekly and travel anywhere you want to. For more information
write to or look up online:
DON LINGS REMOVABLE TATTOOS,
P.O.. Box 309,
Butterfield, MN 56120.
Note: There are other companies who supply removable tattoos as well. Just do a search
For them online.
Chapter 15
HOW TO MAKE UP TO $1,000 EVERY WEEK
WITH YOUR CAMERA!
As millions of Americans look for greater control over their financial destiny,
the dream of self-employment has become more compelling than ever. Just
the idea of launching a small business to become their own boss, and
financially independent, drives many people to stake their life savings on
everything from franchise opportunities to some gadget they've invented.
The entrepreneurial spirit is, of course, a part of our great national tradition.
The problem is that many people devote a lot of their time to half-baked
ideas and high-risk flings that have little chance of success.
There is always some gamble involved when you start a business, whether
your investment is $50.00 or $500.00, or more. But once you begin to view
your new business as "gambling," the risk-to-reward ratio tilts out of wack!
The shrewdest and most successful entrepreneurs know that "taking the
plunge" works best when you take along time-tested principles that put the
odds in their favor.
TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
AND BUILD YOUR BUSINESS AROUND IT
If you decide to join the ranks of self-employed freelance photographers,
you will soon discover there is no magic in being able to earn thousands of
dollars every year. Forget about the notion that you can start up a business
just because you have a camera laying around you know little or nothing
about. If you try the casual "learn on the job" approach with photography,
your competitors will capitalize on your mistakes, promoting customers to
turn elsewhere for the products and services you market. Then your
business will be floundering by the time you acquire the knowledge of what
it takes to succeed. Never expect people to pay you while you practice on
them and waste their time and money.
And never take an assignment you know you can't handle. Being honest with
yourself and your customers will be to your benefit in the long-run.
The best approach to starting your freelance photography business is to
start off slowly and build on a base of knowledge and experience. In other
words, take the knowledge that you presently have about your camera and
build a company around it. Start out by offering a particular service where
you can be competitive from the first day you are open for business.
YOU DON'T NEED A HIGH RENT STUDIO
OR EXPENSIVE FURNITURE TO GET STARTED
You don't have to open a studio with elegant French provincial furniture,
glass showcases, and large expensive frames all over the walls, to go into
business as a freelance photographer. It's actually just the opposite; you
don't need a studio at all!
What you will need is: a camera, a couple of strobe lights, light stands, and
a black-and-white darkroom setup. From there, it's just as easy for you to
go to your customers as it is for them to go to a studio.
How much money you make will depend on the amount of time you want to
devote to your business. The beauty of being a freelance photographer is
that you can create your own markets, and establish your own rates.
If you go into freelancing with the intent to earn extra money working on
weekends, you should be able to earn $1,000 - $2,000 per weekend if you
did nothing but shoot weddings followed with package deals. If you decide to
go into business on a full-time basis, then you could earn up to $50,000 and
more depending on your specialty.
It really boils down to one important thing; you must have the ability to use
the equipment you have to produce a good photograph. People are willing to
pay top dollar if you produce quality results. They don't like paying for poor
work that isn't pleasing or effective.
BEING SUCCESSFUL IS SELLING WHAT YOU
ALREADY KNOW HOW TO PRODUCE
In this report we are assuming that you already know something about
operating a camera, taking pictures, exposure, lighting, composition, and
darkroom procedures. That is the production end of it. Turning that
knowledge into salable photography is the next step.
The first rule to remember is that if you are offered a job, and you don't
even know the basics, you better say "no thank you," and tell your client
why you're passing it up. Tell him what you do specialize in at that moment.
When the next job comes around, you will have an established reputation of
being honest and that same person will be back 1) because he respects your
honesty; and 2) because if you say you can do a job, you can.
ADVERTISE YOUR WORK IN A PORTFOLIO
Make up a portfolio of quality 8x10 prints to show your potential clients. It
should consist of both color and black-and-white prints. Mount our 8x10
prints on attractive 11x14 boards. That way you can include a few 11x14
prints as well.
A complete portfolio should include some 35mm slides. Display them in
8.5x11 plastic sheets, which will hold 20 slides. If you intend to produce
24x22 transparencies for commercial and industrial assignments, sheets are
available.
When you are satisfied with your portfolio, call on advertising agencies and
show the art director what you are capable of. Make appointments with the
art and fashion directors of department stores and boutiques. Show business
and industrial firms, and consider beforehand how their advertising and
public relations departments could use your services.
Be prepared to show your work to anyone at anytime. Everyone is a
potential customer, and you never know who will be needing your services
next. Carry your portfolio in the car at all times. If you are proud of your
work, show it! Make advertising what you do a part of youth everyday life.
KNOWING WHAT TO CHARGE
The first thing to remember is that you aren't going into business to give it
away. Being fair to both yourself and your customers is the principle you
should follow when setting fees.
The way to do that is to determine what amount will adequately compensate
you for your time, talent, and investment in equipment on a job-by-job
basis.
Don't fall into the trap of charging less for your work just because you aren't
working out of a studio, or don't have brand-new, expensive equipment. You
still have overhead!
At times your expenses will seem endless as you pay for photo supplies,
office supplies, advertising, travel expenses, water and electricity if you
operate your own darkroom, darkroom supplies and equipment, taxes,
business license, business stationery, portfolio costs, business cards, and
depreciation on your vehicle and photo equipment. Never let anyone
convince you that you should work for less because you don't have
overhead.
What you ultimately decide to charge for your work is something you will
have to decide yourself. The area you live in, the economy in that area, the
competition, and how much you need are all influencing factors.
These are basically two ways to set your fees:
1) You can charge per individual photograph or job. On a job you would
have to know exactly how many different shots they would require, and
allow for differences in your price quote; or,
2) You can charge an hourly rate that compensates you for your time and
talent. Your hourly rate does not include the rolls of film you shoot, proofs,
processing, or prints ordered by client. Your hourly rate does not include the
rolls of film you shoot, proofs, processing, or prints ordered by your client.
Your hourly rate is for your time only, starting from the time you leave your
home until you finish the job and return home.
In some cases charging by the hour just wouldn't be practical. For example,
prom sets, graduation packages, dance schools, or Little League Teams
where you are further ahead to charge by the photo.
Commercial shots on the other hand, where you may be asked to take a
single photo that ends up taking 1-2 hours to set up, wouldn't pay if you
charged by the photo.
EARN MORE THAN $100,000 PER YEAR
WORKING ONE OR TWO DAYS A WEEK!
Whether it's a good or bad economy, one thing is for certain - there will
always be weddings and work for freelance photographers.
Word-of-mouth advertising works well no matter what product or service you are
selling. But it works especially well if you are a photographer in the wedding pictures
business. When a bride is pleased with the quality of your work, she will pay a $1,000
for your time, talent, albums for each of the parent couples, wall photos, and her album.
But it is her album that everyone she ever knew, or ever will know, will be invited to look
at.
Most of your work will come through referrals from brides who were happy with your
work. You should also promote your business, however, by showing samples of your
work to florists, bridal shops. boutiques, and caterers who normally have a lot of
wedding business.
Just tell them you would be happy to send business their way, if they will do the same.
Always sign a contract with the bride so there are no misunderstandings. Specify
exactly which photos will be taken, and of whom.
Always include a "Release Paragraph" which states that you are not responsible for the
loss of photographs resulting from camera malfunction, accidents in development, or
film lost in the mail. You may also want to include a "Model Release" which will give you
the right to use any photos as samples for advertising purposes.
SETTING YOUR FEE
Make certain the bride completely understands what your fee is, and what she will
receive in return. There are various ways you can price weddings:
1) Offer a complete package that includes an engagement photo for the
newspaper, formal bridal portrait, and coverage of the rehearsal party,
wedding and reception.
2) Coverage of the rehearsal party, wedding and reception.
3) Wedding and reception
4) Wedding only
Weddings can be a goldmine. It's not uncommon for a complete package that includes
an 8x10 album for the bride, and a 4x5 album for each set of parents to run $1,000 or
more. Many photographers set a $500 minimum charge for weddings. Even if you only
did two weddings per weekend at the minimum charge, you could easily make $52,000
per year. Two complete wedding packages per week would earn you over $100,000 per
year. That's working one day per week! Now imagine how much money you could earn
working full time!
OTHER “PHOTAGPHER OR “VIDEOGRAPHER”
THAT CAN MAKE YOU BIG MONEY!
Dance recitals are only once a year, but taking photographs of beautiful
children in their costumes can mean increasing your bank account
substantially.
Dance schools are everywhere, and they come in all sizes. By offering a photo package
of one 8x10, two 5x7's, four wallet photos, and one 5x7 class photo, you can make
anywhere from $1,000 for the smallest classes, up to $5,000 for a class of 400-500
students. If you make the teachers responsible for posing the students, and offer one
pose per child, you can process the largest classes in just a few days.
CHILDREN'S SPORTS PHOTOS
Children's sports, such as Little League baseball, football, hockey, soccer,
and basketball offer a very profitable opportunity to make fast cash for a
freelance photographer.
Every team (and the hundreds of parents in the stands) all want group shots
and individual photos of every player. Most leagues will have at least 8-10
teams, with up to 30 children on a team, depending on the sport.
The person to approach for working out arrangements for a photographic
session may be the coach, a director, committee, or sponsor. Dealing with
one person works best. Check with the city or county recreation department.
They will know who is using their facilities.
REAL ESTATE & ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Some of your best clients can be real estate agents, residential and
commercial contractors, and architects. Real estate agents know that
photographs are more effective in advertising a home or business than the
typical classified ad. Doing all of a real estate agency's listings can add
substantially to you income.
INSURANCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Insurance companies will reimburse a policy holder only for those items they
have documented. Increasingly, insurance adjusters are urging clients to
photograph everything that's covered by their policy on their home or
business. It's difficult to argue with a photographic inventory and for that
reason people will pay you to photograph their possessions and file them
away in a safety deposit box.
FAMILY PORTRAITS
When you take family portraits it's best if you don't use a studio. People
always act and look more natural in their own homes or yards. Family pets
are also easier to include when they are in familiar surroundings.
You can promote your "on location" family portrait service in the Sunday
newspaper. Note the fact that they won't even have to leave the comfort
and privacy of their home, because you will come to them. Charge an initial
fee, which includes the first portrait (16x20s and 20sx24s are not
uncommon) plus travel expenses and other shooting costs. Always promote
the Christmas card portraits, which the labs will offer.
You can make some fast cash by making arrangements with a golf course or
country club to have action photos taken of golfers when the hold
tournaments and there is a crowd. Set up your camera on the first tee for
foursome shots and action shots as each player swings.
PONY & CHILD PHOTOS
Back in the 1940s and '50s photographers would travel the country and go
door to door. For a fee, children could put on a cowboy hat, vest and chaffs,
and climb onto a saddled pony to have their picture taken.
All you have to do is rent a gentle-natured pony, have a three-piece (one
size fits all children) cowboy outfit, and an assistant standing by just in case
the pony gets skittish, or the child decides to jump off. Then make
arrangements to appear at 'crazy days' festivals, school carnivals, family
reunions, shopping mall promotions, parades, or any other place where
crowds gather.
PHOTOGRAPHING SCHOOL & COMMUNITY BANDS
Make arrangements with the band or booster club and make arrangements
to take color group photos of the band and individual members.
Mail sample prints to band directors outside your area and arrange for
appointments to show your work and explain package offers and fees.
GRADUATION PHOTOS
Contact the senior class advisor and make arrangements to take graduation
photos of seniors in their caps and gowns as they practice before the actual
graduation ceremony. College graduation photos are a great target market
also. If you don't have a portable background, use the stage curtains.
Borrow a diploma from the school that each graduate can hold.
CHURCHES & SYNAGOGUES
When church members become old enough to become regular members
they are confirmed and officially admitted to the church. Churches usually
want group shots of the entire class plus individual photos for each family.
A bar mitzvah in the Jewish faith is similar to confirmation. When a boy
turns thirteen, he then becomes a recognized member of his religion and the
synagogue in a ceremony. With a confirmation and bar mitzvah are joyous
occasions that are followed by a reception for family, friends, and religious
members.
ANIMAL SHOWS & PET PORTRAITS
Pets and animals add up to a multi-billion dollar business in America. What
animal and pet owners spend every year on food, grooming, pet-sitting, pet-walking,
health products, and accessories is staggering. Offer your services
as a pet and animal photographer and they will buy that also. There are
freelance photographers who make a good living just going from one show
to another that features horses, cats and dogs. Get in touch with your local
veterinarian, who should be able to provide you with the names and
addresses of sponsors for the various shows and organizations.
ANTIQUE DEALERS & AUCTIONEERS
Some large antique dealers have photos taken of their items for sale, and
send the photos or color slides of special or unusual pieces to other dealers
or customers. When auctioneers are hired to auction off items from an
estate, bankruptcy, a large business or industry, or any other large job that
has valuable items on their list of sale items, they will often use color slides
for TV, ads, brochures, and other promotional pieces.
GOLF COURSES & COUNTRY CLUBS
You can make some fast cash by making arrangements with a golf course or
country club to have action photos taken of golfers when the hold
tournaments and there is a crowd. Set up your camera on the first tee for
foursome shots and action shots as each player swings.
Chapter 16
PREPARING RESUMES:
HELP OTHERS GET BETTER JOBS.
(This is great for you and other people)
Here's a business you can start for virtually nothing, and parlay into a million
dollar enterprise in five years of less. Many established resume writing
services in the large metropolitan areas are reporting annual incomes of
$500,000 or more. Even the smaller operations, in towns as small as 15,000
are experiencing sales of $150,000 or more.
No special knowledge, education or experience are required for total success
in this business. An awareness of the general format of the "modern
resume," and the ability to keep oneself up-to-date on refinements or new
approaches to presenting resume material are about the only prerequisites
to successfully operate a resume writing service.
Probably the most exciting and motivational aspects of this business idea are
the low investment and risk factors involved, and the growing demand for
resume service. Up until the past couple of years few if any Americans really
had to look for jobs. People in general have either forgotten how to look for
a new job, or never knew how in the first place.
Since the start of World War II, back in 1941, the American worker has been
spoiled by an affluent society and an ideal market for the job seeker.
Usually, all he had to do whenever he lost a job or wanted to change jobs
was to report in to the local branch of his local employment service office,
check in at his union office, look at the want ads in the Sunday paper, or call
a few friends and ask about job openings.
But no more! Times have changed! There are fewer jobs and an increasing
number of people applying for those jobs that are available. Just recently,
the post office department in a large west coast city advertise that
applications would be accepted on two days only, for 600 upcoming
openings. Would you believe that twenty thousand applicants showed up to
fill out applications!
Can you imagine the post office personnel people reviewing all those
applications, and then interviewing all those people, according to the fair
employment practices act?
On another day, word got out that there was going to be an opening for a
forklift driver at a local warehouse. Fifteen hundred men and women showed
up even before the job was advertised!
Times are tough, and we're moving ever deeper into the age of
specialization. Employers are demanding to know more about the applicant -
his work record, natural talents and personality traits. They want more
information upon which to base their interview selections than just the cold
facts on the application form.
Personnel managers are placing a higher premium on their time, and
delegating to others the job of "weeding out" the unqualified applicants from
those whose backgrounds and goals come closest to fitting the needs of the
company.
To get in to see the person doing the hiring nowadays, the job applicant has
to "sell the short-stopper," and that calls for a professionally written resume.
More and more firms are demanding resumes. Industry estimates are that
by the year 2000, most of the jobs worth having will require a written
resume before even an initial interview is granted. And that's where you can
fit into the picture with your Professional Resume Writing Service. Probably
80 percent of the people searching for jobs don't have a resume. Of the 20
percent who do have resumes, many are ineffective; they simply do
not adequately present the applicants total qualifications.
Everyone - with or without a resume - is looking for this key: A
professionally written resume, a sales presentation of their qualifications and
experience that will get the job for them - the job they want. The job
hunters are wound up in their own specialties and problems.
They don't know how, and they don't have the time - AND they are willing to
pay you to put it all together for they. Just as you are willing to pay a
doctor, dentist or investment broker, those who need a resume are willing to
pay you for this service. The market exists in every city and town in this
country, and the demand for this service is growing daily. Your opportunity
for success beyond your fondest dreams has never been greater! The brass
ring is here! Grab it, and hold on!
You will need a COMPUTER.
Setting up and operating from your own home will be the most economical
way to begin. In addition to your typewriter, you should have a typewriter
stand, typist's chair, adjustable long-arm lamp, and a file cabinet.
To prepare yourself properly, invest in a good book on how to write "job winning"
resumes. Select a book which discusses both the cover letter and
the format of the body of the resume. There are also software programs
available.
The most important part of any resume package is the cover letter the
applicant sends as part of the resume. This letter states the specific job the
applicant is applying for, explains why be believes he is qualified, and
pointedly asks for an interview. In most cases, you'll be able to provide an
"all-purpose form letter" which your client can adapt to any position that
interests him. More later about actual writing of the resume and the cover
letter.
The format and style of the body of the resume are the items you want to
learn from your book. Resumes of today generally follow this outline:
1. Name
2. Address
3. City, state, zip
4. Phone Number
5. Type of job or position wanted
6. Goals and/or desires in life
7. Job history, starting with current or last job held
8. Special courses, education or training completed.
9. Military History
10. Formal Education
11. Activities while attending school: athletics, offices awards
12. Hobbies and special interests
13. Notation that names of business and personal references will be
furnished on request.
14. Availability
15. Health
Once you are organized with space and equipment, you are ready for
business. All that is necessary from this point on will be advertising, client
review, and producing the final product.
Your advertising needs, in comparison with many other businesses need not
cost you an exorbitant amount of money. It should, however, be consistent
and eye-catching.
You should contact your area's most widely read newspaper and arrange to
run a one-column by one inch ad every day for the next six to twelve
months. By purchasing your ad space on a daily insertion basis, and over at
least a six month period, your rate will be much mower than the rate
charged for shorter contracts.
Your newspaper ad might read something like this: A Complete, Professional
Service MIDWEST RESUME SERVICE Resumes -- Letters -- Portfolios that
result in jobs! Phone 123-4567 Aside from an ad in the newspaper, and
perhaps a similar one in your area shoppers' papers, the only other
advertising efforts you should worry about are those that don't cost money -
- free bulletin board announcements, radio and television talk show
interviews, and low cost flyers, circulars or brochures that describe your
services.
One method of gaining business exposure which is most often overlooked is
the radio and television talk show interview. Call the broadcast stations in
your area and get the names of the producers of these talk shows. Then
write them a letter explaining your services, and how you believe an
appearance on their program could be a great service to the public.
Once you start getting customers each resume should not take more than
an hour or two. After you have the resume typed, call the client in to check
it over and approve it. In almost every case, he will be very favorable
impressed and ready to go with anything you suggest. The secret is in the
quality of your work.
So, you explain to your client that his resume will make a more favorable
impression on the prospective employer when it is printed on better quality
paper. Suggest to him that you have it printed for him on colored "offset"
paper instead of ordinary bond. Ivory, tan or blue shades are desirable. For
the really expensive-looking resume, suggest that it be printed on 11 x 17
paper, and then folded in half to make a kind of "book" about the client.
The charges for your service should be about $150 for the interview, original
resume, 50 copies on white bond paper, and a universal cover letter. For
colored offset paper, or for 11 x 17 sized sheets, check current prices at
your print shop.
You should pass those costs on to your client, plus a nominal service charge.
Also explain to your client that you can up-date or add to his resume
whenever the need arises, and for this service you charge $30, plus the cost
of printing as many copies as he requires.
Now for the cover letter -- probably the most important part of any resume
submitted for job consideration. The first thing you ask your client regarding
the cover letter is if he intends to submit his resumes in answer to
advertised positions, or if he intends to "shot-gun" them out to possible
employers.
According to his stated plan, you simply use one of the two general forms for
cover letters.
And that's it -- the basics you need for starting your own highly profitable
resume service. A couple of thing to always bear in mind: Your success will
be directly related to the quality of the finished product you put out. Learn to
do it right, and then strive for perfection with every job you complete for the
client.
Remember too that the image you project is the credibility rating you will
carry with your customer. Shabby surroundings, a disorganized office and a
less than professional appearance will doom you to failure. Be impressive!
Keep your eyes open, and move into an office among professional people as
soon as you can.
Finally, put some real planning into starting your business; get it well
established and running smoothly; then hire other people to do the work.
The object of a business of your own is not steady employment for you, but
financial security and independence -- to achieve and enjoy the fruits of your
labor. Plan your business, nurture its growth and then hire other people to
do the work while you guide, supervise and make bank deposits.
Chapter 17
HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY AT GARAGE
SALES, FLEA MARKETS & SWAP MEETS
START SELLING TO BUYERS WHO ENJOY
THE THRILL OF THE HUNT
Flea markets, or swap meets as they are also known, are the mother of all
garage sales. For any of you that haven't yet been initiated, they are nothing
less than part discount store and part carnival.
Whether economic times are good or bad, flea markets remain the best
place to buy almost anything for yourself or your home at affordable prices.
That's why at the first sign of sun up on a Sunday morning the giant drive in
theatre parking lot in El Cajon, California; the Orange County Marketplace in
Costa Mesa, CA, or the Annex Antiques Fair and Flea Market in Manhattan
come by the hundreds carrying flashlights before vendors have even finished
setting out their merchandise.
Experienced shoppers theorize that by 9 a.m. the truly valuable items will
already be gone. But still the carnival-like atmosphere keeps the crowds
coming, and going, and coming.
Buyers are poking among everything - records, chrome wheels, music
cassettes, antique furniture, tools, car seats, saddles, World War I gas
masks, porcelain dolls, fishing lures, doll furniture, T-shirts, stereos, polished
rocks, quilts, sunglasses, and just when you think you've seen it all, a clown
starts selling balloons!
AS A VENDOR YOU CAN MAKE INCREDIBLE
PROFITS IN A SHORT TIME!
It has been estimated there are over 30,000 flea markets operating each
weekend across America, totaling more than $14 billion dollars in sales.
Among the thousands of flea markets, the Rose Bowl market at Pasadena,
California really stands out.
That's probably because there are 3,000 dealers and, by mid-afternoon,
over 50,000 shoppers, all of whom are there to find a treasure and the
ultimate bargain.
The Rose Bowl market is an intimidating seven acres, and you would be
amazed at what people buy. There are watches, antique fountain pens,
pressed glass.
Oriental rugs, Indian pottery, art, and weapons.. authentic dinosaur bones
setting alongside old rusty metal do-dads. No one, including the vendor,
knows what the doo-dad is, but someone pays $25 or $50 for it anyway.
From the buyer's point of view, he came looking for a genuine treasure, and
this may be it! It seems incredible, but it seems people will buy anything!
DECIDING WHAT ITEMS YOU SHOULD SELL
Aside from the size crowd you can expect, flea markets, swap meets, and
garage sales have something in common. Garage sale type items account for
a part of the merchandise being sold at a swap meet, but homemade crafts
and new merchandise are also widely available.
Many vendors purchase new products at below wholesale prices, and make
huge profits. Those who have gone through the initiation process report
earnings of up to $5,000 per weekend and more.
The key to successful flea market sales is to display attractive, interesting,
impulse-buying merchandise at attractive prices. And mixing second-hand
pieces with new or more common items that sell well, can be quite a
challenge.
But once you get a feel for what people expect, and fill that niche in the
market, you'll be on your way to making more money in a single day than
you ever thought possible.
HOW TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF BUYERS
TO YOUR FLEE MARKET SPACE
There are hundreds, or in the case of the larger meets, even thousands of
vendors who set up to sell their merchandise at flea markets. If you want to
get the attention, and keep it, of everyone from those who showed up with
flashlights to those entire families who came dressed up from church to
browse, you must somehow stand out from the others.
Strategy is everything. For example, experienced shoppers usually make a
reconnaissance tour along the outside circle of a flea market, knowing that
the less experienced dealers are there. Then they slowly work their way
inward to the more heavily trafficked middle section.
It also helps to know a little about the "history" of items that are antique,
collectibles, or can otherwise become a conversation piece. If an item has a
history, it's automatically worth more money.
Don't be afraid to talk to people who stop at your space to browse. From a
shopper's point of view, one of the great delights of flea markets is the
conversation. People are attracted to dealers who are storytellers, loaded
with fascinating information about the items they have for sale. And be a
conspirator. If your customer has gotten a great bargain, let them know.
Setting up a canopy will not only give your space a professional store-like
appearance, it will also give you protection from the hot sun or rain. After
setting up your tables, arrange your wares and display merchandise in an
organized manner. Remember, a junked-up messy area can take away from
the value of some items. It can also cause people to start tripping all over
the place.
If you set up signs make certain they are neat and easy to read. Be creative
in your approach to getting people's attention and interest. Balloons tied to
your tables, canopy, etc., is a attraction that gets attention, for example.
Don't be embarrassed to bargain. In fact, you'd best be prepared to haggle,
because everyone expects it. It's part of the flea market tradition.
There are various reasons why people have garage sales. Some run out of
storage room, or are moving away and getting rid of items they don't really
need. Others do it as a fund-raising event for a local charity, or get really
serious and start having ongoing sales. The best reason, however, to have a
garage sale is to make some FAST CASH!
Now you should decide what items will go where. After you are satisfied with
your layout, you can save a lot of time and energy by distributing copies for
anyone who will be helping you set up. In that manner, each person will
know exactly where to unpack merchandise that was previously gathered
from various locations inside the house, etc. All of the cartons should have
been placed in a designated area.
If you plan on selling coffee, sandwiches, etc., make sure you set up your
lunch table and coffee pot near a electrical outlet. The last thing you want
are extension cords stretching across the floor where someone could trip and
hurt themselves. You should also designate an outlet for all shoppers who
want to try out electrical items.
Make certain you have enough table space. If customers are forced to
rummage through cartons filled with mixed merchandise, they may leave in
frustration, and leave you an even bigger mess.
If you don't have enough tables to display your merchandise neatly, borrow
some from your friends, relatives, neighbors, or your church. Every item
should be easy to view.
QUICK TIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOU MORE MONEY!
* First impressions are lasting impressions. Remember, you are displaying
someone else's "Treasure," not your "Junk."
* Before you place merchandise in your yard, mow the grass. Line
Everything up in an orderly manner. Entice your customers by creating
a show-room right on your front lawn. Wash up any toys that look dirty
and unsanitary.
* Almost no-one will buy soiled and dirty clothing. Wash your sale clothing,
place them on hangers, and mark sizes plainly on pieces of paper attached
with stick pins.
* Label and price everything.
* Never use a pen or magic marker to write prices directly onto an item.
That immediately reduces the value. Use masking tape, or self adhesive
labels instead.
ADVERTISING YOUR GARAGE SALE:
You could have the best-organized garage sale in the world, offer the best
deals and greatest bargains anywhere, and still not make any money if
people didn't know about it. You must advertise!
Today, all major daily and weekly community newspapers have a separate
"Garage Sale" section. Weekly shoppers and penny saver type publications
will often run garage sale ads for very little money.
When you write your ad make certain that:
You make your ad stand out with headings such as "Super Deals Garage
Sale." "Bargain Hunter's Garage Sale," or something similar that makes a
page-scanner stop in his tracts!
Give your address, but if it's difficult to find just say, "Just off E-35 at Rose
lawn & follow the signs."
If you are having a multi-family garage sale, say so. This will leave the
impression you have a wide variety of items to sell. Also let collectors know
if you have items of special interest to them. Indicate if poor weather will
cancel the sale.
Chapter 18
Secret Money Making Techniques!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY BUYING & SELLING
USED CARS & TRUCKS
Today, with the average consumer now spending $25,000 or more for a new
car, consumers realize the importance of investing in lower-priced used cars.
With millions of buyers entering the used vehicle market every year, a
wealth of opportunities exists for anyone who is looking for extra income, or
a new and lucrative full-time career. The key to making money in this
business is to buy low, and sell for the highest profit possible! This report
will show you how to get started down your road to riches!
OPERATING YOUR OWN USED CAR BUSINESS
The goal of many people is just to make a little extra income. If you consider
$1,000 to $2,500 or more for a single sale in one month to be "extra
income," you could easily make that in your spare time without much effort.
On the other hand, you may be one of those people who want to be their
own boss. While it's true that the risks are often greater than if you just
worked for someone else, it's just as true that risks and rewards go hand in
hand. If you're willing to take the plunge, the potential returns are also
greater. If you have a bit of an adventuresome spirit and confidence in your
abilities, operating your own used car business may be the
ideal way for you to make big, big money!
ADVANTAGES OF OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
The opportunity to express your own ideas and do things exactly as you
want is among the primary advantages of operating your own business. The
challenge and excitement of running your own operation also ranks high on
the list. Another big advantage is that you will receive all the profits
generated by your time and efforts. Then the potential exists to develop a
part-time business into a full-time career that produces an income you never
thought possible.
SKILLS & ABILITIES NEEDED
The same type of personal skills that are necessary to successfully work for
someone else are also required to be successful in working for yourself.
Personal skills would involve being conscientious, dedicated, determined,
and persistent, in addition to possessing good human relations abilities.
There is also another type of skill that is necessary that involves the ability
to manage and organize your activities, and possibly those of others if you
hire car salespeople to work for you.
This skill should be taken very seriously, because it is these skills that can
cause one business to be a huge success while the other is a total failure.
Lastly, you will need technical skills. These are the skills that include the
knowledge to perform the activities involved in the used car business. It is
this combination of technical, personal, and management skills that will
make your operation successful.
GETTING YOUR USED CAR BUSINESS ESTABLISHED
Whether you are operating your business on a part-time basis, people will
expect you to provide the type of service any consumer expects. They will
also associate the type of service they can expect with the image you create
for your business. This image will be impressions you make on others.
For example: Will people perceive you as handling high-, medium-, or low priced
vehicles? Will your used cars appeal mostly to the rich, the poor, or
the middle class? Do you sell something for everyone or do you specialize?
(Just pickups, just vans, etc.)
Any positive image is fine, as long as you are consistent in everything you
do within the scope of that image. The image you create will largely set the
tone for all your business activities, including selection of a businesses
location, type of vehicles handled, prices charged, etc.
SELECTING A LOCATION
If you are going to buy one or two cars at a time for resale on a part-time
basis, then working right from your home shouldn't pose a problem for you.
However, if you intend to eventually have a large, full-time business
operation, the most important ingredient that can lead to success or failure
can depend on your location. What constitutes a good location varies with
the type of business. But in the used car business it means being highly
visible in a high traffic area and being situated so that driving customers can
get to you. In many cases, the location you consider ideal may not be
available or if it is, the cost may not be practical. In that event, you will have
to do strong advertising and promotion work to make customers aware of
who you are, what you are selling, and where they can find you.
Whether you select a location at your home or in a business district, you
must make certain you are operating within city and county zoning
ordinances. Zoning ordinances are regulations specifying what each parcel of
property within a community can be used for. If the location you decide on is
not zoned for the type of business you want to start, you can appeal to the
zoning commission to obtain a "zoning variance." If approved, you would be
allowed to use the property for your business.
HOW TO LOCATE USED CAR SUPPLIERS
To get started in the "Buy-Low, Sell for Huge Profits" used car business, you
will have to locate suppliers. In some cases you will be able to buy directly
from individual car owners. At other times you will go to independent auction
houses or attend U.S. Government Auction Sales where you can often
purchase vehicles for pennies on the dollar.
At independent auction houses vehicle owners have auctioneers sell their
vehicles by getting buyers who are at the auction house to bid against one
another. Generally, there is a minimum bid set. The person who offers the
highest bid over the minimum set has the winning bid. The seller however,
also has the right to sell the vehicle below the minimum bid if he chooses.
Incredible bargains can be found at independent auction houses.
Independent auction house sales take place throughout the U.S.A., many on
a weekly schedule. For additional information of auction house locations
refer to your telephone directory under "Auctions" or "Car Auctions," or write
to:
National Auto Research N.A.D.A. Used Car Guide Co.
P.O. Box 758 8400 Westpark Drive
Gainesville, GA 30503 McLean, VA 22102-9985
(404) 532-4111 (703) 821-7193
(800) 554-1026 (Except Georgia) (800) 544-6232
(800) 523-3110 (In Virginia)
U.S. GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS
A wide variety of personal property either no longer needed or seized by the
Federal Government is periodically placed on public sale.
The Department of Defense and the General Services Administration are the
principal Government sales outlets for surplus property. As items become
available for public sale, catalogs and other types of announcements are
distributed to people who have expressed an interest in bidding on the types
of property being offered.
Sales generally are on a competitive bid basis, with the property being sold
to the highest bidder. Among the many thousands of items sold are
automobiles and other vehicles of every imaginable make and model. In
fact, tens of thousands of vehicles are sold by the government at public
auctions throughout the country every year!
How can there be so many vehicles for sale? Because the Government is so
huge that it's difficult to even comprehend just how much property is
amassed for resale. In fact, the government seizes, confiscates, and
forecloses on property that results in many millions of pieces of property
every year, and the numbers continue to grow.
Incredibly, the government isn't like a private business that is interested in
making a profit on items it sells. The government is mostly interested in
eliminating the enormous stockpiles of seized and surplus vehicles and other
properties. As a result, many thousands of vehicles are offered to the public
through government auctions at a fraction of their actual values. This is
where you can buy just about any model of vehicle you want at super-huge
savings, and make incredibly-high resale profits.
HOW TO GET ON THE GOVERNMENT'S
VEHICLE AUCTION MAILING LIST
Both the Government Services Administration(GSA) and the Department of
Defense maintain mailing lists on persons interested in seized and surplus
property sales.
People on these lists are sent catalogs and other sales announcements in
advance of sales and are given the opportunity to inspect the vehicles and
other property and submit bids.
Each GSA regional office maintains a mailing list for sales of property located
in the geographical areas it serves. For general information about sales
conducted by GSA, or to be placed on the mailing list, write to any of the
following addresses.
The Department of Defense maintains a centralized mailing list for the sales
of its property located in the United States. The Defense Surplus Bidders
Control Office, Defense Logistics Services Center, Federal Center, Battle
Creek, Michigan 49016, maintains this list.
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAUS
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION 6
GSA Customer Service Bureau GSA Customer Service Bureau
7th and D Streets, SW 1500 E. Bannister Road
Washington, DC 20407 Kansas City, MO 64131
Serves: District of Columbia, Serves: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Maryland & Virginia Nebraska
REGION 1 REGION 7
GSA Customer Service Bureau GSA Customer Service Bureau
Post Office & Courthouse 819 Taylor Street
Boston, MA 02109 Fort Worth, TX 76102
Serves: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Serves: Arkansas, Louisiana,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
REGION 2 REGION 8
GSA Customer Service Bureau GSA Customer Service Bureau
26 Federal Plaza Bldg. 41-Denver Federal Center
New York, NY 10278 Denver, CO 80225
Serves: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Serves: Colorado, Montana, North
Rico, Virgin Islands Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
REGION 3
GSA Customer Service Bureau REGION 9
Ninth & Market Streets GSA Customer Service Bureau
Philadelphia, PA 19107 525 Market Street
Serves: Delaware, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, CA 94105
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia Serves: Samoa, Arizona, California,
Guam, Hawaii, Nevada
REGION 5
GSA Customer Service Bureau REGION 10
230 S. Dearborn Street GSA Customer Service Bureau
Chicago, IL 60604 Auburn, WA 98002
Serves: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Serves: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,
Ohio, Wisconsin Washington
HOW TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF USED VEHICLES
Whether you attend auctions or purchase a vehicle outright from a seller,
you must know what it is worth. The best way to determine a vehicle's
average market trade-in or wholesale value, average loan or average retail
value is, is to subscribe to the N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide, published
monthly by the National Automobile Dealer's Used Car Guide Co., 8400
Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102-9985. Write for current subscription
rates.
N.A.D.A. also publishes guides as follows: Official Older Used Car
Guide...Official Wholesale Used Car Trade-in Guide...Official Title &
Registration Book...Official Recreation Vehicle Guide...Official
Motorcycle/Snowmobile/ATV Personal Watercraft Appraisal Guide...Official
Smaller Boat Appraisal Guide...Official Larger Board Appraisal Guide...Official
Mobile Home Appraisal Guide and the Mobile Home Appraisal System.
A weekly used car market guide is also available from: National Auto
Research, P.O. Box 758, Gainesville, GA 30503. Write for current
subscription rates.
REGIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS
The average values listed in the N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide are based
upon reports of actual transactions by dealers and auction houses
throughout each area for which a guide is published. A used car guide-book
normally includes 1)Domestic Cars; 2)Imported Cars; and 3)Trucks.
Manufactures' names are listed alphabetically.
SECURING LICENSES AND PERMITS
City, county, state and/or federal licenses or permits are often required
before entering a particular business or service operation. Often, these are
issued solely as a fund-raising measure, and are therefore easy to obtain
simply by submitting a fee.
On the other hand, licensing is also used as a method of regulating the
competency of those entering a particular field and to protect the public from
shady operators. In some cases an exam is administered, and moral and
financial requirements may need to be met as well.
In the used-car business, most states require that you obtain a dealers
license if you are buying and selling vehicles for the purpose of making a
profit. However, you are not required to apply for a license if you only make
an isolated or occasional sale. You are not considered to be in the business
of selling motor vehicles in that event. "Isolated or occasional sales" in many
states means "the sale, purchase, or lease of not more than five motor
vehicles in a 12 month period".
Once you begin to sell more vehicles for profit than is allowed by your state
law on an annual basis, you should apply for a Dealer's License by
contacting your State Department of Public Safety or Department of Motor
Vehicles.
Check with your attorney or other city officials to determine what licenses
and permits are needed. Simply starting up a business without having the
proper authorizations can result in severe penalties, and you could be forced
to discontinue operations.
Many states, and some cities and counties, require that sales taxes be
collected. The stated sales tax permit is available from the State Department
of Revenue, City and county permits are available from the tax department
in those jurisdictions.
Even though a certain amount of "red-tape" must be tolerated to obtain
some licenses and permits, this is usually a one-time occurrence. Then, it's
just a matter of simply submitting an annual renewal fee.
Chapter 19
BED AND BREAKFAST
THE EASIEST HOME-BASED BUSINESS
There's an exciting new "down-home" kind of business springing up among
homeowners all across the country. It's called Bed and Breakfast.
Basically, this is a transplant of European Hospitality, adapted and refined to
the American way of doing things. To foreign visitors, it's the comfort and
hospitality of home - staying overnight "with people of the land" and
enjoying a hearty breakfast - without the traditional gaudiness and plastic
feelings visitors get from most big cities in the United States. To U.S.
citizens, it is a welcome alternative to the same old hotel/motel circuit,
Now, all it takes is a spare bedroom, a good cook and an outgoing
personality. Prices per night range from a low of $25 to $125 or more.
If you have an extra bedroom, a large home, or extra space in your farm
house, you have the necessary beginnings to start making extra income as a
Bed and Breakfast Inn. One of the beautiful aspects of this idea is that so
long as you're hosting "overnight visitors" on a small scale, no licenses will
be required. It's always best, however, to check with your local authorities
just to be sure.
Naturally, your "visitors" will expect a clean, neat and comfortable home. So
assuming that your home meets these prerequisites, and you have a spare
bedroom, simply "doll it up" a bit. Make sure it's painted brightly, there's an
outside window, lots of room, closet space and bureau, and perhaps a small
writing desk, and a large comfortable bed, or twin beds.
Most foreign visitors will expect and appreciate a "quick tour" of the
interesting sights in your area. However, as your particular popularity as a B
& B Host grows, you'll find that a lot of American tourists and business
people on the road will begin availing themselves of your hospitality.
Certainly with these people, it won't always be necessary to give the "Red
Carpet" visitors' treatment.
Which brings us to the basic appeal of a Bed and Breakfast Inn. Travelers
seem to be looking for, and appreciate a quiet "home-style" place to stay.
Generally, they enjoy visiting with the people off the superhighway and want
to get away from the sterilized atmosphere and sameness of hotels and
motels.
Most people will either call or write to you ahead of time, inquiring about the
possibilities of staying at your home while in your town or city. This means a
bit of advertising on your part, or listing your availability with a B & B
broker. Some people will check the local telephone listings, and the
newspaper advertisements when they arrive in a strange town. And some
people will just be driving across the country, come to a town or city they think is
interesting, and start driving through the residential areas looking for Bed and Breakfast
Inns.
Thus, you should have a small sign posted either in your front yard or on the front of
your house. This sign needn't be much more than about two feet wide by about ten
inches deep. It need only state: BED AND BREAKFAST - Inquire Within or Call
123-4567.
For newspaper advertising, a similar listing in the personal column of your local paper,
particularly on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, will be all you'll need. But when it
comes to the yellow pages of your telephone and business directories, go with a small
display ad that describes in greater detail the comforts and pleasures of your services.
Be sure to list your services with all the travel agencies in your area.
A brochure or a short synopsis of what you offer will most assuredly give the travel
agents an idea for steering visitors your way. At the same time, listing your services in a
number of national travel magazines - particularly those that cater to women - will bring
customers in for you.
Listing your services with a broker usually won't cost you anything up front, but they will
expect a certain percentage - usually about 25% of the total bill. This same
arrangement applies with travel agents.
Now, suppose you're organized and ready to receive your first customers. You greet
them as host or hostess and offer to assist them in getting situated in the room or rooms
you have for them. If they'd like to take a drive around your area and see the points of
interest, you do that. And then in the morning, serve them a big, delicious breakfast.
You'll probably find that foreign visitors will want to stay several days. With most
people of this country who are just traveling through your area, it'll be a one-night
stopover. Whatever, if they want to sleep comfortably through the night, eat breakfast
and be on their way, so be it. If they want to sit around after breakfast and plan an
itinerary for a complete visit of your area, your assistance and help will be greatly
appreciated. (Remember those recommendations)!
That's it! The complete how and why of this tremendously profitable business that's
becoming more and more popular. It's called Bed & Breakfast, and it's very definitely a
low investment idea. And you can parlay it into a very interesting and comfortable
income producing business - all from the comforts of your own home!
Chapter 20
How To Start Your Own Highly Profitable
Catering Service
People with money seem to be on a binge to prove their status and flaunt
their wealth by staging large, catered parties. As a matter of fact, in some
circles of affluence, a party or social get-together isn't considered an event
of any significance unless it's a catered affair.
With the same kind of reasoning, businesses of all sizes are using catered
lunches, cocktail parties and dinner meetings to build their images and
increase company sales. It's a matter of keeping up with the competition in
promoting a company and/or product.
On a smaller, but just as busy marketing scale, more and more working
mothers are paying to have catered birthday and graduation parties, as well
as wedding receptions handled by caterers. The reasons are simple to
understand - if she's working outside the home, today's mother just doesn't
have the time or the energy to do all the planning and staging of a
memorable party.
Besides those reasons for turning everything over to a caterer working
mothers feel a little guilty about the time away from their children they lose
because of their jobs. Thus, they're ready and willing to make it all up to
them by paying for a lavish party the child will remember for years to come.
Caterers handle everything from birthday parties for children, to breakfast in
bed and intimate candlelight dinners for two, to company dinner parties for
50 and wedding receptions involving a thousand or more guests. This kind of
entrepreneurial business is definitely growing and becoming more popular
with people of all income levels.
An imaginative caterer in a large metropolitan area can easily gross
$150,000 per year, while a small, part-time caterer in a small town can
count on at least $10,000 to $15,000 per year. One small, but very
ambitious caterer is reported to have grossed $250,000 after only 2-years in
business!
You don't need special education or training to become a successful caterer.
You do need an affinity for people and a kind of intuition as to what people
enjoy in different environmental settings.
A quick survey of successful caterers across the nation shows that many
began with zero capital by working out of their homes. The basic start-up
investment would appear to be around $500, with some big spenders
capitalizing their idea with as much as $15,000 in order to get off to a fast
start. This seems to be an ideal business for an ambitious couple to start and
operate with very little capital investment required. One person can spend
his time hustling up business while the other would do the planning,
organizing and actual catering.
As with any business, your success will be directly related to the soundness
of your planning, and the working of that plan. Understand exactly what
your client wants, and give him what he wants in the way of service that
reflects upon the client in a complimentary manner.
Basically, you can start with an advertisement in your local newspapers. This
advertisement need not be much more than a simple announcement:
Creative Catering - Specializing in personal service - We can handle any
party or special event from start to finish - no idea too small or too large -
Your satisfaction is always guaranteed! We can handle everything for you...
Call us, and let us make your parties worth remembering…
Naturally, the first thing you want from anyone calling to ask about your
services, is that person's name, address and phone number. Then you want
to know what kind of party or event they have in mind. As soon as you have
this information, relax a little bit and inquire to find out about the person or
the company - the people - sponsoring the party and their ultimate goals or
reasons for the party.
If it's to celebrate a birthday, graduation, anniversary or a wedding
reception - finding out about the interests, background and ambitions of the
guest of honor will be of value to you in your planning. Taking a few minutes
to learn everything you can about whoever the party is for, and the people
giving the party, will also make it much easier to close the sale than any
sales pitch or special persuasive tactics.
People like to talk about themselves, and they especially like to tell everyone
why they're honoring someone, even when they pretend to keep it a secret
who initiated the idea. So, it's important that you be a good listener, that
you have the ability to get people to talk about themselves, and that you
take notes on the things they tell you.
This same principle applies to business people, regardless of who's talking to
you or the purpose of the catered affair. The more polished and adept you
can become in getting your prospects to talk about themselves, the more
information relative to their background you can elicit and the more you
listen; the better your parties will be, and the greater success you'll attain in
the catering business.
You take the information you glean from this first interview and
plan/organize the event on paper. This means you're going to have to have
contacts or at least working relationships with innumerable service
businesses.
If your client wants to stage a birthday party for a 12-year-old he or she
greets the guests as they arrive, makes sure everybody knows who he is.
Do you greet the guests, does the mother or father, or the little boy or girl?
Where do you come up with party favors at less than regular retail prices?
Where are you going to get the soft drinks - your cost - and the glasses or
paper cups to serve them in? What about ice?
What kind of games to play? Who will be the conversation leader? Will there
be a clown or someone special to keep everything moving according to plan?
Where do you get the ice cream and cake? What games to play? How to get
everyone involved? And finally, a feasible and polite reason for ending the
party and sending everyone home…
All this takes planning, organization, and if you're going to make a profit, a
definite awareness of cost control. Get it all down on paper as a proposal to
the people who want to pay you to carry it off. Figure out your costs, the
time involved in putting it all together, and then get back to your prospect.
Always leave room for changes in your proposal. In fact, expect them -
invite input and suggestions from the client - and always have an alternate
idea in your mind for each of those on your written proposals.
Discuss your proposal with the client just as you would a script for a television
show, make the suggested changes and ask for a 50-percent advance deposit.
From there, it's just a matter of following your plan.
Regardless of size or type of party - whether your client is a working mother
or a giant corporation - the format is always the same: initial inquiry,
interview, your proposal, second interview for any changes, agreement,
deposit, staging the party itself, and your final payment.
As mentioned earlier, success in this business comes from your planning -
having a lot of contacts - and working your plan.
An important word of caution: Try not to get "boxed in" to setting or even
revealing a tentative price until you've had a chance to listen to what the
prospect wants, to study your own capabilities, and to make a formal written
proposal. If a customer wants to know how much you charge - and if you
feel it necessary in order to eventually close the sale - you can tell him 50 to
100 dollars per hour, plus expenses, and of course, depending on the type of
event the customer wants.
As for how much the average party costs, again tell him that it varies
anywhere from 50 to 5,000 dollars. Always keep in mind that you are a
professional, and that if the ordinary person had your knowledge, contacts
and ambition to do it himself, he wouldn't be calling you on the phone. He
needs your help for any number of reasons. You specialize in this kind of
work or service just as a doctor specializes in medicine and a lawyer in legal
matters. Therefore, you should, and do expect to be paid accordingly.
Something else - this business thrives on word-of-mouth advertising -
referrals - and thus, is a direct "freeway" to the kind of customers where
money is of no concern. However, in order to gain access to this market,
your business emphasis has to be on service.
This means the capability of handling everything for the customer, from
having the invitations printed and sent out to cleaning up after the last guest
has left. Businesses and people in the upper income brackets, like to pick up
the phone - tell someone that they want a party on a certain date - and then
forget about it, knowing everything will be taken care of without further
worry or time involvement from them. Once you've developed your expertise
and clientele to this level, you'll have a business in the $200,000 to
$250,000 per year range.
Definitely arrange for a display ad in the yellow pages of your telephone
directory. You will probably get 40% of your inquiries from this source alone.
Generally speaking, radio and/or television advertising will be too expensive
when compared with the immediate results. However, it is recommended
that you consider these media prior to special holidays.
Working with restaurants, supper clubs, bridal shops and the entertainment
business in general, can bring in hundreds of referrals for you. Rubbing
shoulders with, and circulating as a part of your area's civic and service
clubs, should also result in more business for you.
Keep your eyes and ears on the alert. Wherever you go, and with whomever
you associate, always be ready to promote and sell your services, if not on
the spot, at least make a note to follow up when conditions are more in your
favor.
Promoting and selling your services will require at least half your time, and
that's why two people operating catering services are so successful from the
start. The actual selling is quite simple so long as you emphasize the service
and time-saving aspects.
The more time-consuming work you can handle for the client, the easier it's
going to be for you to close the sale.
Handing out business cards is one of the least expensive ways to advertise,
promote and sell your services. One enterprising caterer makes
arrangements with the sponsors of all his parties, to see that each of the
guests gets one of his business cards.
Another gives each of his clients a stack of his business cards, and tells them
he will pay them $25 finders fee for each prospect they refer to him. He tells
them to write their name on the back of the cards, and to hand them out to
their friends. And then, whenever a person tells him that John or Jane
suggested he call, and he presents the card with John or Jane's name on the
back, this very successful caterer sends John or Jane a $25 check.
Another very successful caterer pays commissions to a group of housewives
and college students who solicit - via their home phones - interviews for him
with brides-to-be. They get their leads from announcements, and pictures of
brides-to-be in the local papers.
Many caterers pay sales people a commission for letting them know when
they hear about a party or special event being planned by one of their
business customers.
The possibilities go on and on, and are seemingly unlimited. Time is
becoming more valuable to a lot more people every day, which means there
are more and more opportunities for great wealth and personal
independence as a professional caterer. In reality, the success for just about
any person entering this field, will be limited only by his or her own
imagination and energy.
There is definite opportunity for great wealth within the catering field.
Anyone with a sense of service to others can succeed. Very little "ready cash"
is needed to begin. Therefore, the only thing standing between you
and the realization of your dreams, is the action it takes on your part to get
started.
Chapter 21
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FORTUNE
WITH SELF-IMPROVEMENT SEMINARS
Ever since the beginning of time, ambitious people of the world have
attributed some "indescribable" secret to the success of those people with
wealth. These people have spent, and will continue to spend, millions of
dollars to cultivate these "secrets" within themselves.
Particularly since the early seventies, there has been a growing demand by
the public to attend classes, workshops, and self-improvement seminars that
will enable them to align their thinking as well as their actions, with those of
people who have already achieve success.
The popularity of such best-selling how-to manuals as, Winning Is
Believing... Think And Grow Rich... How To Develop A Winning Personality...
Overcoming Shyness... Imagineering... New Life Options... Winning By
Negotiation... Successful Visual-Verbal Communications... Conversationally
Speaking... and countless others lends reinforcement to the to the "need" for
self-improvement seminars.
You can promote and stage these seminars either as a generalist or as a
specialist in a specific area of expertise -and attain wealth for yourself
almost beyond your current imagination! The market potential has only
barely been scratched, affording a real ground-floor opportunity for those
with the gumption to take action.
Dale Carnegie - the author of the book, How To Win Friends and Influence
People - was certainly one of the first, if not "the first" self-improvement
seminar marketer/teacher. Back in the Great Depression of the thirties, he
recognized this need in people to improve themselves - he worked out a deal
with the local management of his home town YMCA - got the word around
that he was holding classes on self-improvement - and the rest is one of the
truly classic unemployed-to-multi-million-dollar success stories of our time.
A self-improvement seminar is conducted much the same as a Toastmaster's
Club meeting... It can be held just about anywhere, from the informal
atmosphere of someone's living room to the formalities of the Hilton
Convention Center.
Basically, a self-improvement seminar is a gathering of people where one or
more speakers talk on a specific subject. More often than not, only a certain
aspect of self-improvement, such as How To Develop A Positive Mental
Attitude - is the thrust of the seminar. In other words, the more successful
seminars deal with "specialized areas" of self-improvement.
These speakers usually wind up their talks with audience involvement
question and answer sessions. Most of them "wind down" with the speaker
circulating through the audience, plus lots of opportunity for the purchase of
self-help books and tapes by the people wanting on-going motivation and
reinforcement relative to what they've just heard. Always - sometimes even
as the featured subject of the seminar - there's a great deal of motivation
projected during these meetings.
At the bottom line, motivation is more the purpose of these seminars than
the attendees learning something they don't already know. The favorite
words of most seminar speakers are usually, "It's the difference between
having a dream and taking action - a matter of saying I can, believing it,
and then doing it - because you can!"
Successful seminars are generally based upon the concept of giving you the
power to believe you can. The speakers usually speak from insights and
expertise gained from their own life experiences.
Self-improvement seminars give the attendees the tools - and the
motivation - to succeed. Thus, a well-organized and well-presented seminar
that helps people up the ladder of success can't help but succeed because
we are a success-oriented society - it's an easy sell with an income potential
limited only by your ability to express yourself.
You won't need an office to make it big with self-improvement seminars. The
public doesn't visit you - you take your programs to them. Self-improvement
seminars appeal to almost everybody - from blue-collar workers to top
executives.
The average cost per person to attend a seminar is very close to $300 - so
your basic audience will be from the upper-income brackets - but if you
handle the promotional aspects properly, you'll pull them in from lesser
income brackets as well.
Many seminar promoters employ sales teams to call upon top company
executives and either get them to partially pay the cost of several employees
to attend as educational or business improvement investments - or to foot
the bill for the sponsorship of a "group seminar" for all of that company's
middle management personnel. Many specialty speakers make in excess of
$100,000 per year with regular motivational and/or self-improvement
seminars in this fashion.
In the beginning though, you'll get your start by staging seminars for the
general public in restaurant banquet rooms, hotel ballrooms, and convention
centers. These will entail advertising costs, plus the charges for the rented
space, and an "on-hand" inventory of the materials you want to sell to the
people who attend your seminars.
Generally, you'll do best with an intensive radio advertising campaign during
the week preceding your seminar date. In a metropolitan area of half a
million population, you should probably spend a couple of thousand dollars
on radio advertising, plus about half as much for flamboyant newspaper
advertising.
Some seminar promoters invest a quarter of their budget in newspapers,
then a quarter in direct mail and/or telephone advertising, with half going
into radio. Of course, the allocation of your advertising budget should be
related to the previous proven pulling power of each media within that
particular market. Not too much concern is given to television advertising,
excepting for guest appearances of the community service talk shows.
Most promoters spend all of this effort and money to promote a series of
free seminars. These free seminars usually draw huge crowds, during which
special "front men" turn everybody on with super-motivational stories
designed to whet the appetite of those in attendance for more. These free
seminars generally last only 45-minutes to an hour, and are strictly
motivational in purpose.
Each person in attendance is handed a brochure describing the up-coming
"main event" as they leave these free seminars. An attempt is made to get a
commitment - at least a deposit for the cost of the "real thing," which is
usually set for the week following.
Those who do not commit themselves to attending the big one are then
contacted by professional telephone sales people and given the complete
sales presentation between the time of the free seminar and the date of the
real thing, which and experienced telephone sales people - you can count on
closing about 30 to 35% of those who attend your free seminars.
If you don't have the confidence or inclination to participate - be the
principal speaker - at your seminars, you can hire local sales training people,
professional people from the medical specialties, local "experts" known
through your area newspapers or broad cast media, and/or nationally known
speakers willing to travel and operating through speakers' bureaus.
Finally, a reiteration of the fact that there are literally millions of people in all
parts of the country willing and able to pay you for helping them to improve
themselves. You can start with meetings in your living room, or your local
restaurant. All it takes is action on your part to get set up and a push from
yourself to start making it happen. Best of luck and now get going with it.
Chapter 22
HOW TO START AND OPERATE
YOUR OWN BARTERING CLUB
Bartering is not negotiating! Bartering is "trading" for a service, or for the
goods you want. In essence, bartering is simply buying or paying for goods
or services using something other than money (coins or government printed
paper dollars).
Thus defined, bartering has been around much longer than money as we
know it today. Recent estimates indicate that at least 60 percent of
companies on the New York Stock Exchange use the principles of bartering
as a standard business practice. And congressmen barter daily to gain
support for their pet projects. U.S. aircraft manufacturers barter with foreign
airlines in order to close sales on million dollar contracts. Perhaps you have
experienced at one time or another in your life a friend saying, "Okay, that's
one you owe me..." Basically, that's bartering.
The reason bartering enjoys renewed popularity in times of tight money is
simply that it is the "bottom-line" method of survival with little or no cash.
In times of high interest rates, cash in anyone's pocket is indeed a very
precious commodity, and bartering is even more popular. Bartering affords
both the individual and the established business a way to hold onto cash
while continuing to get needed goods and services.
In addition to saving a business borrowing costs, bartering can improve its
cash flow and liquidity. For anyone trying to operate a successful business,
this is vitally important, and for individual families in these times, it makes
possible the saving of cash funds for those purchases where cash is
necessary.
To start and successfully operate a bartering club, YOU MUST THINK IN
TERMS OF A BANKER. After all, that's precisely the reason for your business
- to receive and keep track of people's deposits while lending and bringing
together other people wanting or needing these deposits.
So your first task is to round up depositors. As a one-man operation, you
can start from your home with nothing more than your telephone and
kitchen table, but until you get helpers you'll either be very small or very
busy (probably both).
You can run a small display ad in your local newspaper. A good ad would
include the following ideas:
NEW BARTERING CLUB!
Trade your expertise and/or time for the
merchandise or services you need. We have
the traders ready - merchandise, specialized
skills, buyers too! Call now and register.
ABC BARTERING 123) 456-7890
When respondents to this ad call, you handle them just as a banker handles
someone opening a new account. You explain how your club works:
Everyone pays a membership fee of $300 to $500, and annual dues of $100
to $300. The depositor tells you what he wants to deposit, perhaps $150
worth of printing services, and what he's looking for in return - storage
space for his boat over a three month period. If you have a depositor with
garage space for rent and needing printing services, you have a transaction.
But let's say you have no "perfect match" for this depositor. On your list of
depositors you have a dentist who's offering $500 worth of dental work for
someone to paint his house. A woman with a garage to rent in exchange for
dental work for her children. An unemployed painter willing to paint houses
in exchange for a side of beef, and a butcher who wants to trade a side of
beef for advertising circulars.
Remember, when a new member joins your club, he makes a deposit and
states his wants or needs. In the above example, you have a typical
bartering club situation. Your service is to spend or line up those deposits to
match the wants or need s of the club members.
An affinity for people and a good memory are vital to this kind of business,
especially if you're running a "one-man show." Generally, when you have a
buyer for one of your depositors, you notify him or her right away with a
phone call.
You simply tell her that Club Member A wants to rent your garage. She tells
you fine, but she doesn't want any printing services. You simply tell her to
hang on because you are currently in the process of contacting the dentist
who will do the work on her kids' teeth. And so it goes in the operation of a
bartering club.
Some of the larger bartering clubs (with several thousand members), simply
list the deposits and wants or needs on a computer, and then invite their
members to come in and check out the availabilities for themselves. Others
maintain merchandise stores where the members come in to first look at the
computer listing, and then to shop, using credit against their deposits. The
smaller clubs usually publish a weekly "traders wanted" sheet and let it go at
that.
These methods all work, but we've found that instead of leaving your
members to fend for themselves or make their own trades, the most
profitable system is to hire commission sales people to solicit (recruit if you
will) new members, specifically with deposits to match the wants and needs
of your present members.
These sales people should get 20% of the membership fee from each new
member they sign, plus 3 to 5 percent of the total value of each trade they
arrange and close. This percentage, of course, to be paid in club credits,
spendable on merchandise or services offered by the club.
You'll need a club charter, a board of directors or officers, and in many
areas, a city or county license. Check with your city or county clerk for more
information on these requirements. You should also have a membership
contract, the original for your files and a duplicate for the member. In most
cases you can write your own, using any organization membership contract
as a guide, or you can have your attorney draw one up for you. You'll also
need a membership booklet, or at least an addenda sheet to your contract,
explaining the rules and bylaws of your club.
It's also suggested that you supply your members with consecutively
numbered "club membership identification cards" for their wallets or purses.
Some clubs even give membership certificates suit able for framing. You can
pick these up at any large stationery house or commercial print shop.
Two things are important to the make up of the membership package you ex
change for membership fees:
1. It must be as impressive as you can make it.
2. It must be legal, while serving your needs almost exclusively.
Basically, you should have at least 100 members before you begin.
concentrating on arranging trades. As stated earlier in this report, the
easiest way to recruit new members is to run an ad in your newspapers, and
perhaps even on your local radio stations as well.
Follow up on these inquiries with a direct mail package, which would
typically consist of a brochure explaining the beauty and benefits of being a
member of your bartering club, a sales letter, and a return reply order form.
After you've sent out the direct mail piece, be sure to follow up by phone,
and if necessary, make a call in person as any other sales person would do.
Another way of recruiting new members is via the Amway Introduction Party
Program. Allow a certain number of club credits for each party a club
member arranges for you. Insist on at least 10 couples for each party, and
then as the "Attraction of the Evening," you or one of your salespeople give
a motivation-benefits available recruiting talk. Be sure you get the names,
addresses and phone numbers of everyone attending, and be sure that
everyone leaves with your literature.
If all those in attendance at these parties do not join, then follow up on
them, first by phone and then with personal sales presentations. Once
you've got them interested in your club, do not let go or give up on them
until you have signed them as members.
Another thing - take a page from the Party Plan Merchandiser's Handbook,
and look for those who would be most likely to want to promote a similar
party for you. Offer them an item of merchandise they might be particularly
interested in, and club credits if they'll not only join, but also stage a party
for you.
A bit more expensive, but just as certain of success are free seminars. Rent
a large meeting room, advertise in your local papers, and then put on a
hard-sell recruiting show. Such a plan is very similar to the party plan idea,
but on a larger scale. An inside tip: Whenever you stage a recruiting party or
seminar, always "pad the audience" with your own people, who will of course
lead the way for those you're trying to recruit.
As stated earlier, you can start operations out of your home, but working out
of your home has a number of growth inhibiting factors. After a certain
period of time, the growth of almost any kind of business is retarded when
it's operated out of a home.
So just as soon as you possibly can afford to, move into an office of some sort.
Keep your eyes open and consider the feasibility of sharing an office with an
insurance agent or real estate broker. Check your newspaper classifieds for
businesses willing to share office space or to rent desk space or other office
amenities.
This is the kind of business that demands an image of success. You just can't
keep people from "dropping in" when you're operating strictly on a local
basis. And when you attempt to hire sales people, a place of business to
work out of is just as important to them as how much commission they're
going to receive. Image is super important, so don't neglect it!
Ideally, you should have one salesman for every 50,000 people in your area.
Run an ad in your local newspaper, and also list your needs with your state's
employment service. Hire ONLY commission salespeople. Give them a
percentage of the membership fee for each new member they sign, plus a
small commission on each trade deal they close.
Assign each of your people specific territories, and insist that they call on
potential commercial accounts ranging from the "hole in the wall" rubber
stamp shop to magazine publishers and commuter airlines. There's plenty of
business available in every city or metro area in the country. Encourage your
sales people to be creative and imaginative when calling on prospects. Then,
be sure that you keep an open mind and listen to their wild trading
proposals (some "wild" proposals have been known to become "wildly"
successful!
Schedule "open discussion" sales meetings every morning before your
salespeople "hit the bricks." Have each of them report on their selling efforts
from the day before, and present to you a written list of prospects they plan
to call on today. Set up sales motivation workshops to be held at least once
a month, and at least once a week schedule a motivational speaker or play
one of the widely available success/inspirational tapes as a closing feature of
your morning sales meetings.
Stock sales success books and en courage your people to borrow them, take
them home and read them. Your sales people will make you rich, but only if
you turn them on and keep them flying high with personal motivation.
Should you or should you not accept installment payments from new
members? Yes, by all means! But only when you've got their signature on a
contract drawn up for your benefit and deemed legally binding by your
attorney. What about bank cards? Yes indeed! In fact, you'll find that your
capability of handling bank cards will double or even triple your sales.
Precisely how much are you going to need in actual start-up costs? We
would estimate at least $500 for your printing and legal fees, unless you can
trade charter member ships in your club for these services. Time wise,
you're going to be putting in 18-hour days, and 7-day weeks, until you get
those first 100 people signed up. And there won't be any money for salary or
long-deserved vacations from these first 100 members you sign. You'll need
it all for advertising, membership packets and office set-up. However, if you
can really work at it, you should be home free in six weeks or less. Then you
can set up your office, hire a couple of girls to handle the paperwork, and
take on a salesperson or two.
Reputation and success in matching offers to wants will be just as important
as image, so give it your all. Don't give up; stand behind the implied, as well
as the real promises you make to your members.
A couple of final notes: Should you offer a guarantee of satisfaction? Only so
long as it makes money for you, and you can back it up. There's not a
person in business anywhere who enjoys refunding a customer's money. But
don't forget that the existence of your business depends on service.
The more you project an image of a "people pleaser," the greater success
you're going to achieve. This is definitely not a business for someone who
doesn't enjoy "waiting on" people. You've got to like people, enjoy helping
them, and want the inner satisfaction that comes from selling new ideas.
This is definitely a growth business. Bartering Clubs in metropolitan
population areas of 300,000 or more are reporting incomes of over a million
dollars. The average in cities of 100,000 population is about $150,000 per
year.
Actually, no experience or special training is required. The operation of a
Bartering Club is equally suited to women or men. Both do equally well as
salespeople. It's a business that fills a need, and a kind of membership
program people will stand in line to be a part of, once they've been
introduced to the benefits.
This is the plan. It's going to take your time and effort to get organized, but
after your initial work to establish this business, you can become quite
wealthy in a relatively short time.
Read over this plan again; determine if this is "the one" for you, and then go
all out. It's up to you, and all it takes now is action on your part.
Chapter 23
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON STORAGE UNIT AUCTIONS
This is another one of my favorites. You can start this with just a truck a trailer and
a few hundred dollars.
As the recession deepens this business will get better because more people will not
be able to pay their storage rental fees. After a few months of non-payment the
storage company puts the contents of their unit up for auction.
You will have to call the storage companies in your area to find out when the auctions
Are held.
At auction time everyone bidding on a particular abandoned unit is allowed to see
the contents from outside. You will not be allowed to go into the unit itself. You will
have to make an “educated” guess as to how much it might be worth.
Usually the contents for a mid-sized unit go for under $100. Large units with furniture
might fetch a few hundred. It is rare for units to go for more than $200 though.
Once you win the auction you will be allowed to haul off your new merchandise.
Just take it home and rummage through the new load and separate it into items
for sale at garage sales, swap meets or even Ebay.
Of course you’ll want to clean it up a bit to raise the value. Don’t forget to check
pockets and behind pictures in frames. I knew someone who found $2,300 in an
old coat pocket! Inspect everything!
If you are going to sell in a yard sale or garage sale one way of boosting interest
(especially if you are selling furniture or appliances) is to advertise the sale as an
estate sale. For some reason people expect to find larger items there and are a
little more willing to spend a bit more. You should employ as much psychology
into your sales as is practical in order to get the best results.
Well, that wraps it up for the business ideas, the fun part starts once you start your
plan and put it into action. Now go get’em!
Dear valued customer:
We realize this was a massive amount of information and we hope you will utilize these
money makers soon. It was our pleasure to bring you good news that will enhance your
financial future.
Thank you for ordering from 21HomeBusinesses.com. We sincerely hope we sparked your
already great imagination and provided you with useful information on how to make money from
home with all these money makers.
Copyright 2009/21HomeBusinesses.com/All rights reserved.