|
Distribute The Wealth With Business Cards
Distribute The Wealth With Business Cards
By Lisa Maliga
2004
For only pennies per card, you have in your hands one of the most powerful and versatile tools to promote your business.
Color Your Business Card
The first thing most people notice about your business card will be the color or lack of it. Is it a ho-hum, unexciting card that looks like thousands of others? Regardless of whether you have your card professionally designed, or you create it on your home or business computer and printer, color makes your card stand out. You can purchase prescored or perforated sheets of heavy paper or cardstock in a variety of colors and/or designs and patterns. Many word processing programs have a business card template, as will graphic design programs, and you can customize your business card in a matter of minutes. However, some occupations arent known for garish color schemes, such as a funeral director who would probably go for a somber color. Conversely, those involved in the field of childcare might opt for neons and vivid hues. Go with what works for your companys image.
Homemade or Professional
If cost is an issue, then you need to consider your designing skills. Sometimes a plain white or beige card with a simple font will be all you need. Other times, you might want a heavy matte cardstock with a four-color photo on your cards. When inquiring about prices from your local printer, make several calls. Also, if youre concerned about the quality of your business cards, it would be to your advantage to visit the printer and ask to see samples of their work.
While there are many online-based companies who do excellent jobs, you are again advised to contact them and discuss your needs about the size of the font, color, type of cardstock, cost of finished product, money back guarantees, and if they will snail mail sample[s] to you. Ask for their opinion, as they are the experts. They should be happy to consult with you. A reliable printer is just that someone who is proud of the quality of his or her work and will be able to prove it to you be it on or off-line.
Magnetized Business Cards
Make your card a part of any metal surface with a magnetic business card. Magnets arent just for refrigerators, as many offices have cabinets, credenzas and filing cabinets with surfaces just asking for magnets!
Your Winning Business Card
This method will expose your business and you might also win a prize! Many restaurants and retail establishments have free drawings if you include your business card in their ballot boxes. Your card might translate into sales if you have products they want.
Creative Business Card Distribution
This is a cost-effective way to drive sales to your door or traffic to your web site. In your local bookstore you will find dozens of appropriate categories pertaining to your market. For example, if your business involves lawn and garden care, insert your business cards into books pertaining to gardening, plants, flowers, botany, home repair, and other categories loosely or closely related to your business. That person who finds your card and is thinking of doing a project him or herself might decide to let you have the business! Or they may know of someone who would be interested in utilizing your companys services. Not every business card you distribute will have results, maybe you only provide a free bookmark, but its a free promotion method.
Scent Your Business Card
Not only will your business card reflect your business visually, you can have an added dimension that is guaranteed to make an impact on someones nose. The first time I tried this I got a sale because my Angel Type soap, which was pictured on the business card, had a dab of the pleasant and sweet fragrance on the card. This method works well for those of you who sell gift baskets, baked goods, flowers, or perfume. Perhaps your name, or companys name, is Rose, Rosemary, Jasmine, etc. or that is your logoso a matching aroma would be beneficial to helping people remember your company. Scented cards wont be appropriate for many people or businesses, but if yours does fall into a scented niche, it might mean quicker sales, and hopefully more of them! Remember that some people can be allergic to various odors, but most will respond positively if your card is not too harshly scented.
Presenting Your Business Card
Here is an area where many people need to be prepared. After all, how many times have you been in a situation where you wish you had a business card to give to someone? Perhaps you were in line at a store, or in a waiting room, and you end up chatting with someone and your business comes up. This person [or maybe more than one!] will exhibit interest in your business and ask for a card. But you dont have a single one with you! The solution is a simple and cost-effective one always carry enough business cards with you! Make sure that your planner, binder, wallet, portfolio, or business card container is full each day. Carry your cards in such a way so that theyre always in the same place and you dont have to fumble around hunting for them. This is an uncomfortable situation for both you and your prospective customer. So remedy the situation by having enough business cards and knowing where you keep them!
Remember, each card you distribute is a potential passport to wealth!
About the author:
Lisa Maliga, owner of Everything Shea Aromatic Creations, http://www.everythingshea.comoffers a fragrant selection of designer shea butter glycerin soaps, exclusive Whipped Shea Butter, & unique SoapCakes to personalize for gifts or promotions. Whipped Shea butter is custom made and preservative free!
Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars Kathleen GageTitle: Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
Author: Kathleen Gage
Email: kathleen@turningpointpresents.com
Word Count: 851
Copyright: 2004 by Kathleen Gage
Web Address: www.kathleengage.com
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter,
on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include
the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is
not required.
Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
By Kathleen Gage
If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you
how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be
aware of.
In the mid 80s I was an account executive for a radio station
located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very
familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.
Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there
is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very
little, if anything, about co-op dollars.
Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made
sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there
was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there
was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to
help them stretch their marketing dollars.
Co-opting is where you put in money for advertising and the
manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as
much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your
advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.
Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are
right, many people either arent aware of this or if they are
they think its too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in some
cases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your
marketing budget.
There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan
to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments
though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final
commitment.
Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger
relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more
traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of
business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and
profits.
The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with
standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for
you. Many retailers hesitate using the hidden dollars due
to feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.
Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help
you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely,
find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they
have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some
research upfront to save money over the long run.
The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the
word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork
burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an
account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an
ongoing business.
Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are
hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that
are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility
and reach.
One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is
that brand names do attract customers to your businessthat's why
you offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.
It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars.
Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with
advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly
advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it,
thus increasing your orders.
The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by
the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to
design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression.
For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact
location in order for them to co-op the campaign.
If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at
advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not
the expert they claim to be. Be aware.
Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and
reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive
reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you
are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be
sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash
flow problem.
Advantages of co-op advertising
- Extra money to advertise
- Account executive can do the paperwork
- More frequency
Disadvantages of co-op advertising
- Restrictions by manufacturer
- No guarantee it will work
- Limited creativity in ad copy
Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op
advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.
About the author:
Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker and trainer who
helps others gain marketing dominance and visibility within their
market. Get Gages FR*EE report Learn How One Salt Lake City
Based Business Consultant Made Over 100k from One Idea by visiting
www.kathleengage.com
The Truth About Multi-Level Marketing Dean PhillipsI know I'm going to ruffle a few feathers with this article,
so let me just say right now that all MLM marketing (AKA
network marketing) companies are not scams. Obviously, there
are some good, reputable companies out there.
However, there are so many bad ones that I'm compelled to
lump the entire industry together. If you're thinking about
getting involved with MLM, my advice would be, DON'T!
However, if you're bound and determined to test the waters,
then, please take this one bit of advice: Before getting
involved with any MLM company, investigate, investigate and
then, investigate some more. Don't believe and get caught up
in the hype.
Ahhhh yes, the hype! After you attend a MLM rally, you and
your MLM colleagues are as fired up as a pack of hungry
dingo's, ready to jump through burning hoops and run through
concrete walls! And then reality sets in. You're buying all
of these products, but you're really not selling a whole lot.
In fact, other than the products you sold to a few family
friends and co-workers, you really don't have a lot to
show for all of your efforts, now do you?
That's why I'm so against MLM. Because it's simply not for
the average person. And let's be honest here, most people
are average. And unless you have outstanding sales ability
and/or people skills, you're simply not going to make any
money with MLM.
In additon, the market is so completely over-saturated, most
of the time, you'll find that the people you're trying to
sell to are other distributors, and if you're all trying to
sell products to each other, that ultimately means nobody is
making any money!
Well, somebody is. A handful of super salespeople way, way
up there up at the tippy top of your upline! If you listen
closely, you can hear them all saying in unison "KA-Ching!"
Want to borrow my binoculars, so that you can see them?
About the author:
Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer,
publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be
reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net
Website: http://www.lets-make-money.net
The Truth About Stuffing Envelopes And Home Assembly Programs Dean PhillipsTwo of the oldest scams around appear to be as popular as ever. I'm referring to stuffing envelopes and home assembly programs. Let's talk about stuffing envelopes first.
Ads for envelope stuffing "opportunities" seem to be everywhere--from your mailbox to your newspaper to your e-mail box. Promoters usually advertise that, for a "small" fee, they will set you up to earn big money by stuffing envelopes at home. And they claim that they will pay you a dollar or more for each envelope stuffed, resulting in hundreds or thousands of dollars for you each week.
Now I want you to think about something very carefully. Why would any legitimate company, pay you a dollar or more for each envelope you stuff, when they can use high-tech mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes at a time for only pennies apiece?
The answer is, THEY DON'T PAY YOU! Here's how the scam works: After you send in your money, you will receive a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing ad that you originally responded to, in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll ever earn any money is if other people fall for the scam like you did, respond to your ad and pay the fee.
Home assembly scams work pretty much the same way as envelope stuffing scams. This scam requires you to invest money in instructions and materials and many hours of your time to produce items such as baby booties, toy clowns, and plastic signs for a company that has promised to buy them.
Once you have purchased the supplies and have done the work, the company often decides not to pay you because your work does not meet certain "standards." You are then left with merchandise that is difficult or impossible to sell.
If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with the following organizations:
The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP
(1-877-382-4357) or log on to:
http://www.ftc.gov
Also contact:
* Your state's Attorney General's Office.
* Your local consumer protection offices.
* Your local Better Business Bureau.
* Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.
* The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.
About the author:
Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer,
publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be
reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net
Visit his website at: http://www.lets-make-money.net
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
