BASICS OF PROMOTION ADVERTISING

Promotion advertising differs significantly from consumer francise-building advertising. The latter is long-term in nature and aimed at giving customers reasons to buy. Promotion advertising is short-term. It pushes for the order by providing incentives, coupons, rebates, premiums and contents.

The usual medium for promotion advertising is print. Some big-budget advertisers use broadcast (radio and television) to get consumers to look for their promotion advertising in their local newspapers. As a rule, promotion advertising should be specific and should call only for consumer to perform a desired action. Resist including extraneous points in the promotional ad. Focus on a simple call to action.

For example: Your ad copy may ask the readers to
(1) Redeem this coupon and save $2, or
(2) Buy two packas and get the third one free, or
(3) Fill out coupon and enter sweepstakes to winn $100,000, or
(4) Buy two of the products and receive a free gift worth $10.

Most promotion events are price or added-value oriented campaigns. As such, it is imperative that when writing copy, the ad should appeal more to the wallet than the emotion. Final point: Do not make your redemption procedure complicated and confusing. Avoid have a more that one time of offer wherein the consumer is forced to use math in order to determine which ones make him/her save more money. Your task is to make it easy for the consumer. Avoid having to make them decide. That's too much work for them.

read to:
making-money-with-voice-mail
sell-information-by-mail
business-name
learn-yours-money
115-ways-to-earn-money
service-business
starting-at-home-big-money-business
how-to-get-job-fast
get-rich-without-working
profitable-home-based-business

Readmore »»

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE # Part II

Many small companies set up advisory boards or outside professional people. These are sometimes known as Power Circles, and once in place, the business always benefits, especially in times of short operating capital. Such an advisory board or power circle should include an attorney, a certified public accountant, civic club leaders, owner/managers or businesses similar to yours, and retired executives. Setting up such an advisory board of directors is really quite easy because most people you ask will be honored to serve.

Once your board is set up, you should meet about once a month and present material for review. Each meeting should be a discussion of your business problems and an input from your advisors relative to possible solutions. These members of your board of advisors should offer you advice as well as alternatives, and provide you with objectivity. No formal decisions need to be made either at your board meetings nor as a result of them, but you should be able to gain a great deal from the suggestions you hear.

It should be that most of your customers have the money to pay at least some of the money they owe you, immediately. To keep them current and the number of accounts receivable in your files to a minimum, you should call them on the phone and ask for some kind of explanation why they're falling behind. If you develop such a habit as a standard part of your operating procedure, you'll find your invoices will magically be drawn to the front of their piles of bills to pay. Do not be hesitant nor too much of a "nice guy" when it comes to collecting money.

Something else that's a very good business practice, but which hew business owners do is to methodically build a good credit rating with their local banks. Particularly when you have a good cash flow, you should borrow $100 to $1,00 from your banks every 90-days or so. Simply borrow the money - place it in an interest-bearing account - and then pay it all back at least a month or so before it's due. By doing this, you'll increase the borrowing power of your signature, and strengthen your ability to obtain needed financing on short notice. This is a kind of business leverage that will be of great value to you if or whenever your cash position becomes desperate.

By all means, you should join your industry's local and national trade associations. Most of these organizations have a wealth of information available - everything from details on your competitors, to average industry sales figures, to new products, services and trends. If they give you a membership certificate or wall plaque, you should display these conspicuously on your office wall. You customers like to see such "seals of approval" and place additional confidence in your business when they see them.

Still another thing often overlooked - if at all possible, you should have your spouse work in the business with you at least 3 to 4 weeks per year. The important thing is that if, for any reason, you are not available to run the business, your spouse will be familiar with certain people and situations about your business. These people should include your attorney, accountant, any consultants or advisors, your major suppliers and creditors. The long-term advantages of having your spouse work four weeks per year in your business with you, greatly outweigh the short-term inconvenience.

Whenever you can, and as often as you need it, you should take advantage of whatever free business counseling is available. The Small Business Administration has many excellent booklets, checklists and brochures available on quite a large variety of businesses. They also have management and financial assistance programs that can definitely benefit just about any small business. Most local universities, and many private organizations hold seminars at very minimal costs, often without charge. You should also take advantage of free services offered by your bank and local library.

You may feel no great need for continuing education courses, but if you learn even one new bit of information that will be of ultimate benefit to you or your business, the little time spent at a seminar or in a night course, will be a wise investment. The important thing about continuing education courses, but if you learn even one new bit of information that will be of ultimate benefit to you or your business, the little time spent at a seminar or in a night course, will be a wise investment.

The important thing about running a small business is to know the direction in which you're heading - to know on a day-to-day basis, your progress in that direction - to be aware of what your competitors are doing - industry trends and sales figures for businesses comparable to the size of yours - to practice good money management at all times - and to prepare yourself to solve your problems before they arise.

Generally speaking, times are always tough for small businesses. In order to survive with a small business, regardless or the economic times, it is essential that you surround yourself with smart people, and practice sound business management at all times. Be sure that if you are doing well now, you will continue to be successful in the future.

Back To MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE # Part I

Readmore »»

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE # Part I

You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees or more; whichever, however or whatever, you've got to know how to keep your business alive during economic recessions. Any time the cash flow in a business, large or small, starts to tighten up - the money management of that business has to be on the ball.

Some of the things you can do and should do, include protecting yourself from expenditures made on sudden impulse. We've all bought things or services we really didn't need, simply because we were in the mood, or perhaps due to the flamboyancy of the advertising, or even because of the persuasiveness of the sales person. Then we sort of "wake up" a couple of days later and find that we've committed business funds to hundreds of dollars for an item or service that's not really essential to the success of our own business.

If you're incorporated, you can eliminate these "impulse purchases" by including within your by-laws a clause that states: "all purchasing decisions over a certain amount are contingent upon approval by the board of directors." This will give you a chance to consider any "impulse purchases" a second time after you've had a chance to think about the need for your purchase.If you're business is a partnership, you can tell whoever it is that attempts to sell you something, that all purchase decisions are contingent upon the approval of a third party. In reality, the third party can be your partner, one of your department heads or even one of your suppliers.

If your business is a sole proprietorship, you don't have much to really worry about because as an individual you have three days to think about your purchase, and then to nullify that purchase if you think you really don't need it or can't afford it. Especially in times of emergency, be sure that you don't "short-change" yourself on professional services. Anytime you commit yourself and move full-speed ahead without fully investigating all the angles, and preparing yourself for all the contingencies that may arise, you're skating on thin ice. Regardless of the costs involved, it always pays off in the long run to seek out the advice or experienced professionals before embarking on a plan that could ruin you.

As an example, an experienced business consultant can fill you in on the 1244 stock or Sub-Chapter S advantages. A very simple process, but one with tremendous monetary benefits to businesses. The 1244 status encourages investors to put equity capital into your business because in the event of a loss, amounts tup to the entire sum of the investment can be written off in the current year. Without the "1244" classification, any losses would have to be spread over several years, and this of course, would severely lessen the attractiveness of your company's stock. Any business owner who has not filed as a 1244 corporation, has in effect, but himself off from 90-percent of his prospective investors.

Particularly when sales are down, you must be "hard-nosed" with people trying to sell youluxuries for your business. When your business is booming, you undoubtedly spend more time allowing different sales people to show you new models of equipment or a new line of better-looking supplies, but when your business is down, skip the entertaining frills and concentrate on the basics. Great care, however, must be taken to maintain courtesy and allow these sellers to consider you a "friend," and call back at another time.

Whoever maintains your company's books should reflect your way of thinking, and generate information according to your policies. Thus, you should hire an outside accountant or accounting firm to figure your return on your investment, as well as the turnover on your accounts receivable and your inventory. Such an audit or survey should focus in depth on any or every item within your financial statement that merits special attention. In this way, you'll probably uncover any potential financial problems before they arise.

Continue To MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE # Part II

Readmore »»

EVALUATE HIGH-TECHNOLOGY STOCKS

HOW TO EVALUATE HIGH-TECHNOLOGY STOCKS
High technology is the last frontier in American business. Many of the new businesses revolve around some type of technology, whether it is direclty computer-related, communications-related or somehow tied in with the "Electronic Superhighway", whose arrival we all eagerly anticipate. Although tech stocks have declined sharply in during bear markets, they have proven to have outperform other stocks, re-bounding more sharply in subsequent recoveries.

There are three major advantages that point to small companies:
1.) They are generally free from government regulation because their earnings are often in a new field.
2.) The company stands to gain a lot of ground if the come up with a unique idea. The growing market will be theirs to dominate.
3.) The impact their earnings will have on their financial status will be considerable... therefore a success can increase their profitability greatly.

There are several rules to follow if you choose to be an investor in this high risk market. Firstly, do not be fooled by the size of the company. It is important to investigate the high-technology expertise of the firm and secure that it is a meaningful part of the firm's business. Secondly, it is vital that the company is serving a current social need in the marketplace. For example, cable was first intro-duced in the 1960's and interested investors long before it could draw subscibers.
Look for companies that are operating in the black.

Companies that offer teriffic scientific break-throughs but operate at a deficit are just too risky. It is also important that you ignore market indexes. Companies with technological superiority are not tied to a stock mar-ket environment over time. Lastly, keep current on all technological innovations. Buy trade magazines and read scientific papers and investment guides that deal with technology and technology-related fields.

Readmore »»

THE LURE OF EASY BANKRUPTCY

Here is a true story about bankruptcy, and the advantages it offers. A husband and wife team of practicing psychiatrists, with a joint income of $78,000 per annum, accumulate personal debts totaling $22,000, and also have outstanding a $33,000 mortgage on their com-fortable suburban New York home.

They are not in arears, nor even over their heads. They simply seek more discretionary spending power. Their solution to the problem? They file for bankruptcy and are able to immediately reduce their debt load to a mere 10 cents on the dollar, repayable on an extended schedule in very small amounts. An officer in one of their finance companies notes that they could refinance the mortgage or even sell the house. But you will see in a moment why that was not necessary.

Traditionally, personal bankruptcy has been a desperate last resort for those so deeply in debt and harried by creditors, that there really seemed to be no other solution. The typical profile included low-income, under- educated clerical workers or laborers, or perhaps transient non-homeowners. Common age groups were those who were in their twenties, or those over sixty five years of age. This is no longer the case. Today's profile includes people with good jobs, even families with two incomes. It is not surprising to find those with six-figure incomes declaring bankruptcy. The process comes no longer out of a dire necessity, but it is now a means by which people can rid themselves of debts that cramp their lifestyle.

The most common applicants for bankruptcy include recent college graduates who file in order to avoid paying back government-guaran-teed student loans. Their rationale? They feel society owed them an education. You will also find older, "keep up with the Joneses" types filing for bankruptcy. For suburban executives to Wall Street professionals, they are unwilling to live within their means. The passage of the Federal Bankruptcy Act of 1978 made the whole process much easier. This change significantly liberalized personal filing procedures in the name of consumer rights. Chapter 7 makes no reference at all to the debtor's income. It permits debtors to clear the slate by turning over all their assets except those specifically exempted to creditors. Among the exemptions: Up to $7,500.00 equity in the debtor's house (15,000 if both file); $4,000.00 in accrued dividends; $1,200.00 in automobile equity; $500.00 in jewelry; $200 per category of household items (including clothing, books, etc.) and more!

Chapter 13 requires that debtors show only a regular income to handle a reasonable three-year pay-back plan. The court's definition of reasonable happens to be as little as 1% to 10%, even when a payment of 50% could easily be managed.

Readmore »»

BIG PROFITS

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.

Read to:
moving-profit
to-make-your-business-grow-faster
make-big-dollars-with-bumper-stickers
home-based-business
starting-business-from-home
learn yours money
115-ways-to-earn-money
how-to-sell-royalties

Readmore »»

Make Big Money In Real Estate

Real Estate is one of the oldest forms of investing known to man. Real Estate investing is easy and fortunes are made in a simple manner. For example, and investor decides that a desert area will eventually become an industrial development. He purchases a number of acres at a very low price. If his guess turns out to be correct, ten years later he sells the land hundred times more than what he paid for it.This can happen in any part of the country and is not an exceptional case. As the population keeps growing in the U.S., land prices continue to raise and it means that Real Estate will continue to offer one of the best investment opportunities in the country. Compared to most forms of investment, Real Estate offers greater profit potential. Of course, not every piece of land will turn out to be a winner, and despite the great potential rewards in some cases risks are involved, so the necessity of careful study before invest.

One of the problem of Real Estate is his lack of liquidity. Liquid assists are those easily converted into cash like stocks or bons. Most Real Estate investments take years before you can make some money, so it is not wise to tie up all your assets in this type of investment. Your financial situation will determine how much you can wisely invest in properties. There is a difference between a land speculator and an investor. A speculator buys land with the intention to make a quick sale and fast profits and will not hold land for a long period of time. An investor, on the other hand, looks for a long time gain, and usually buys only what he can afford to keep for an
indefinite period of time.

If you are new at this field, it is wise to refrain from any a speculation until you become more informed, and you will have to devote considerable time to study and research. It is wise also to consult specialists before you act. Without realizing it, you already made a very successful investment in Real Estate if you bought your own home. Before you look for areas to invest, consider the condition of your own house. If you have any plan for selling it, good landscaping has been known to considerably increase the value of a home.

Large profits can be attained by purchasing run-down homes and restoring them for eventual selling, but some factors have to be considered:

* You must know something about architecture and remodeling and get and idea of how much it will cost to get the house back into shape. Consider what you will be able to do yourself and what it will cost you if you have to have it done.
* The location of the house is the most important factor to consider. Study the neighborhood, shopping, and transportation facilities.

It can also be profitable to lease land for commercial use. Land which borders highway is extremely valuable for purpose such as warehouse, gas station, etc. Land development companies frequently run advertisements offering country retreats. Be wary of these offers as they themselves make a large profit at the time they sell you the land, so it is much more profitable for you to buy your own.

When you buy property, buy at a price that involves a minimum financial risk. Invest only a modest amount of your own capital, when you sell, determine if a cash or installment sale is the best, based on your over-all income tax status. Learn by looking back on the mistakes made in the past and by reviewing the opportunities you have missed. Prepare a list of all properties available in your area and think up the best future use of the properties. Learn to purchase land before there is a demand. To buy land well in advance is the only economical way at today's prices. Then hold the property until you can resale for large profits. Don't sell all your desirable properties and keep just lemons.

If you are willing to leave the cities, you should not have any trouble finding inexpensive land for sale. If you discover a tract of land appealing to you but not listed for sale, contact the Country Register's Office and he will tell you who is the owner. Get in touch with him and he could be willing to sell. As a rule purchasing tracts of land within thirty miles from a growing city is often a sound investment. Deal only with qualified realtors. Be careful of individuals who offer quick profits.

Before taking any action, study what has been written about the subject. Know why you should and should not buy. Stay conventional and don't buy white elephants. Look for hidden defects and make the property attractive before offering it for resale. Study local conditions and be sure it is practical. Constantly look for bargains and quality properties with exceptional features that will make the sale easier. Follow up on For Sale signs, make inquiries. When discouraging elements occur, minimize your losses by whatever means available. Don't throw away money on repairs for poorly located property or in an area of surplus rental units.

Before you attempt to sell, find out how the prospect can use the property profitably. Ask yourself if you would purchase it if you were in the prospect's shoes. Ask yourself if the future use will fit any of the many types of specific businesses. Can a hospital, a bank, an apartment complex, condominium or professional building be located on the property. Learn to analyze the pros and cons of a real estate problem. Break it down into its various elements. Know if the answers you come up with are satisfactory and practical. Try different approaches to the problem. You are necessary looking for the "top" or "bottom" of the market, or the current economic situation. You are looking for a variety of properties which have a higher value dependent on the use that can be established for them. There are always opportunities in Real Estate during good times and bad, but it is up to you to pick and choose only those very best deals, especially during times when it appears that Real Estate values and demand have reached their peak or in times when it is practically impossible for most anyone to get bank loans due to the tight money market or impossible interest rates.

Readmore »»

SERVICE BUSINESS

HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR OWN ERRAND SERVICE BUSINESS
People are busier than ever and the world around them hasn't changed. Grocerys still need to be bought, deliveries still need to be made, gifts still need to be bought, etc. You can take advantage of the needs of these hyper-busy people by running an ERRAND SERVICE. In essence, what you do is run errands for people and get paid for it. Think it sounds like a kid's business? Well, you won't make kid money!

If you are in a good sized metropolitan area with steady clients, you can make $15, even $20, an hour! You won't need much to start off with. You'll, of course, need a reliable car or, better yet, a van. The only real expenses at the start are: business cards and business stationery; a pager; and postage. Make a list of large businesses in your area, ones with large numbers of well-paid executives, such as banks, headquarters of large manufacturers, etc. You should then compose a letter detailing your services. List as many timesaving services as you can think of: grocery pickup, dry-cleaning delivery and pickup, post office errands, gift-shopping services, food pickup and delivery, etc.

Note: Don't transport people or children unless you have the proper licenses. Also, if you delivery messages, there may be state utility regulations you'll need to check into. Emphasize to these people how they will BENEFIT from your service: more time, less worries, less stress. Be competitive with your pricing. Call other delivery services in the area and find out what they charge, whether hourly or by the job. Make your prices competitive and your services personal, and you'll get the edge. Four other good ideas for publicizing your services: advertise in charity event publications that are read by executives; get permission to post your business card at dry cleaners, grocery stores, bakeries, upscale food stores and delis, etc.; produce press releases about your services showcasing a unique aspect of your business, i.e. you specialize in delivering wedding cakes, for example, and get them to all the newspapers and local magazines in the area; and notify senior citizen organizations about the services you offer.

Hints: Know your way around your area extremely well so you can plan the quickest route to efficiently accomplish all your errands. Be assertive, both with potential clients and with places you are visiting for a client. Be friendly, and you'll get more return business. Also, be confidential in respect for your clients. If you're willing to hustle, you can make it in the errand business. Once you get that first steady client, if you're good, you can count on word-of- mouth business. Then you'll really be rolling!

Readmore »»

WIN OVER YOUR FEARS

If you really want to do something you will always find a way.
But if you don't want to do it, you will find execuses.

The easiest way to combat fear is by not using excuses. Instead, you need to look for positive approaches to accomplish your goal. If you want to start a business, attend a meeting at the Better Business Bureau. Read some national magazines like "Income Opportunities" or "Spare Time." Start reading the business section of your newspaper. Gather some ideas and do a little reading before actually jumping into a business. Surely you can find some spare time to read.

Also, begin associating yourself with people who are in their own business already. If you're afraid to go out and make new friends, attend local business-related seminars in your community. Start watching television shows that are related to business. You'll eventually find people to associate with who know others and you'll be the part of a new crowd - the motivating ones!

FEAR is always your enemy. Look at it this way: If you never try, FEAR wins by 100%. However, if you do try, FEAR only has a chance of winning by 50%. If you needed a place to live and only had $10 to your name would you allow FEAR to win and make you homeless? No, most of us would find a job or borrow the money to have a roof over our heads! FEAR is the root of failure, depression and lifelong problems. Are you going
to let FEAR ruin your life?

FEAR also will cause you to lose out on many other things in life. If you FEAR the boss at work is going to fire you _ it will naturally be on your mind day in and day out. It will eventually wear you down and you will begin making mistakes on the job. You will also get depressed and build up resentments that may have never been there in the first place. Facing FEAR head on is the best way to combat it. If you think the boss is going to fire you _ go up and ask him. It takes guts, but isn't it better than putting yourself through many months of agonizing torture? Are you full of so much FEAR to even ask him because you think it will trigger him to say "yes" when he might not have been considering it at all? Believe me _ asking a boss "if" they are thinking about firing you will put you in no different position than you are now. In fact _ it will have the
opposite effect.

The boss will more than likely respect you for your candidness and ability to face FEAR head-on. Is FEAR holding you back from a lot of things? Are you afraid to confront people and tell them how you really feel? Do you smile in their face and talk about them behind their back? What's so hard about being truthful but using tact? Doesn't it get rid of FEAR and solve many problems? Complaining is also an act that emotionally drains you and goes hand-in-hand with FEAR. In fact, FEAR is normally the root of any complaint. People don't want to admit their FEAR so they will complain to release some tension. This is a crazy merry-go-round! Instead of complaining, try to find ways to solve the problem.

Readmore »»

How To Sell Royalties

Here is a way to cash-in on your ideas. If they are unique some company just may be willing to pay big bucks for some of them. This report explains how to protect your ideas to make sure that you get paid for them. Your saleable ideas can be something tangible or intangible. Ideas include such things as mechanical things, chemical compounds, designs, works of art, advertising and business plans, ideas for improving a design, flavor, etc.

Of an existing product or service. Many thousands of dollars are paid out to idea men each year by industries. If your idea will increase production, increase sales or improve the product, they will be willing to pay substantial money when they accept it. First, you must know how to protect the ideas that you generate. Ideas that are made public by word of mouth or even in writing become public property unless you first make an agreement to retain all rights to your ideas. Let s say that you have an idea for increasing the sales of an existing product for company A. Write them a letter similar to this one in duplicate: Gentlemen: I have developed a new idea for increasing the sales of your product.

This new method will not increase your costs in any manner. If you are interested in the full details I shall forward them to you upon receipt of the below signed agreement. AGREEMENT TO REVIEW IDEA. We the undersigned agree to receive in confidence full details about an idea for increasing the sales of widget s as submitted by (your name). It is further understood that we assume no responsibility whatever with respect to features which can be demonstrated to be already known to us. We also agree not to divulge any details of the
idea submitted without permission of (your name) or to make use of any feature of information of which (your name) is the originator without payment of compensation to be fixed by negotiation with (your name) or his lawful representative.

It is specifically understood that in receiving the idea of (your name) it will be reviewed in confidence and within a 30 day period we will report to (your name) the results of our findings and will advise whether or not we are interested in negotiating for the purchase of the rights to use said idea. Have them sign both copies and return one to you.

Then you must submit complete details of your idea to the company after they review your idea they must by law follow the instructions of the agreement. Many idea men are earning substantial money following this procedure. The sky is the limit buy make darn sure that you first get the agreement signed prior to disclosing your idea. Otherwise no go! To increase chances of having ideas accepted spend lots of time preparing complete minute details before you submit them. This is the key! Include illustrations of drawings if it's
necessary to get the story over.

Readmore »»

MAKING MONEY WITH GIVE-AWAYS

The guy who thought of giving away free rolls of film every time you have your films developed at his photo center - is a genius! You know the rest of the story, and so do thousands other photo centers around the world who copy this excellent promotion.

STRETCHING DOLLARS
A budget conscious market is always out looking for a free lunch. For this reason, you can build a marketing system that self-liquidates its associated cost, distributing gift certificates that offer free this or free that - all the customer has to do is pay a minimal shipping and handling charge.

FREE SOFTWARE
In Las Vegas, I met a poker player who sells software he put together for $29 and higher. To double the volume and reach other markets, he decided to repackage his software. He gave it a new name, made a new floppy disk label, and offered it at a ridiculous price:

FREE
To receive the software, all you have to do is fill out the gift certificate and send it back to him with $8.69.

THEY WENT APE!
He was giving the certificates to schools, businesses, and stores who give away the certificates as their own promotional gifts to their customers. Because the cost to produce and mail this disk is 60 cents, he was making $8 with every certificate that was redeemed for the free software. $800,000 IN 27 WEEKS Take a snapshot of this picture: Say, a total of 1 Million certificates were circulated. Let's say you paid half a penny to print and distribute these million certificates. Your cost is $5,000. If you generate a 7% conversion, you'll earn $560,000.00

NUMBERS GAME
If you give other people permission to make copies of and give away your certificates, your cost to circulate 1 Million certificates will go down. But your opportunity to make money remains the same.

1% response = $80,000
2% response = $160,000
3% response = $240,000
5% response = $400,000
10% response = $800,000

Readmore »»

MAKING COMMISSION CIRCULARS PAY

One of the biggest mistakes that people new to mail order make is thinking that getting commission circulars and mailing them to people on mailing lists will pay. It doesn't. At the VERY best, you will get 4% responses but usually you will get 1% or less.

So how do we make commission circulars pay?
The only way that you can make them pay by mailing them to mailing lists is to have your OWN mailing list of people who have bought from you before. That basically means that you have got to take a risk and lose money before you can make any. Once you have found your own pattern of doing this, you can repeat it as many times as you like and make as much money from it as you have time to carry out your own plan.

I consider that advertising in mail order magazines is the easiest, most certain and cheapest way of building up your own list. To get results from advertising, you need to almost GIVE something away. You could offer a Report for just two stamps. This would cover your costs but not your time. When you send the Report out, you include with it your commission brochures and, if they are good, you will get a number of sales.

Another thing worth advertising is 'Big Mails'. Make up your own Big Mail by getting involved in as many commission circulars as you can as well as Co-Publishing a couple of magazines which will also cut down the cost of your advertising. Yet another way of building up your mailing list is to mail to mailing lists or through other mailers who can possibly do it cheaper than you can but make YOUR offer almost a 'give-away'. You can use your brochure to get enquiries for just a stamp or sell something very low cost that will bring in a quantity of replies rather than large money. I don't recommend giving 'free' as in my experiments, I have found that giving 'freebies' rarely brings follow-up sales whereas those who give a stamp also give better follow-up results.

You may well have realised that building-up your own mailing list is going to take time. Most advertising in mail order magazines will only bring one, two or three replies per issue. That is a large number of issues to get one hundred names for your mailing list. If you have the money to invest, your best bet is to advertise by mailing to mailing lists or through other mailers. Once you have compiled even a small list, you should mail to these people once a month. It doesn't matter if you include the same items in your mailing although do try to include at LEAST one thing that is new and different.

To improve response, include a personal letter. I have found that a written letter is best but you can type it. However, NEVER send a printed letter. You will notice yourself that when YOU receive mail, YOU will read a written or typed letter but NOT a printed one. Others are much the same as you. Your letter should be short and point out a few advantages to be had from your products.

Readmore »»

Get Profits to Dial 1-900

Would you like to start a business in which you don't have to make anything and your product is information, but can earn profits of more than 95 percent? Of course you would. Such a business does exist and is predicted to be a 20 billion dollar a year industry by the year 2000. New technology in the telecommunication industry, now offers hundreds of ways that entrepreneurs can make huge profits operating a "Pay-Per-Call" business. This business will make hundreds of fast-track entrepreneurs rich during the 1990's.

Why not you?
Several Information Providers (nicknamed "IP's" in industry circles) are now grossing between $5,000 and $50,000 a month by providing information on a pay-per-call basis. For a very select group of IP's, monthly income exceeds $100,000. And for a few (mostly in the provocative sexually explicit field) monthly income has reached upwards to half a million dollars! This very hot new business opportunity is, the fastest growing, most exciting, money-making opportunity of the 90's.

This business is the 900-number telephone information service. In this business, unlike toll-free 800 numbers, every time someone calls your 900 number, a charge appears on his phone bill, and you make a profit. The caller pays for the information or service he receives via his phone and the phone company acts
as your collection agency. The per-minute charge makes this business interesting and profitable. Charges range from as low as 50 cents to as high as $50 per minute; during his lunch hour, a stockbroker in New York charges $50 per minute to give hot stock tips to 900 number callers.

You may already be familiar with some types of 900 number services; sport updates, weather and traffic updates, romance and dating lines, and so forth. However, these common services only scratch the surface of the fascinating information you can provide through a 900-number program. Consider these two successes: Surf line and Alaska Men's Magazine. The former is a local Malibu, California-area, number that provides instant updates on surfing conditions. Surfing fans, who live for that perfect wave, often call this number several times a day and spend about $1 a minute for the privilege.

Alaska Men's Magazine's 900 number sells information about eligible bachelors who live in Alaska. It is an instant personal/mate wanted advertising service. It is successful because few women live in Alaska, so many Alaskan men are looking for spouses, and many women in the lower forty-eight states are looking for husbands. America's Funniest Home Videos invited the nation to help select the winner of the $100,000 grand prize for the funniest american home video. One annoucement made by the host, Bob Saggett (lasting approximately five minutes), resulted in another $250,000 program grossing, by my calculations very nearly enough to pay the the $100,000 grand prize. This next example is the cream of the crop. The Wheel Of Fortune ran a 21 day program. Each week Pat Sajack invited callers to call and play Wheel Of Fortune. The cost of the call was $2.00 per minute. Through the course of 21 days The Wheel Of Fortune received 4.7 million calls.

That's 4.7 million calls, not minutes. The average number of minutes each caller was on the line was five minutes and the average cost of a call was $10. Forty-Seven Million dollars was grossed in less than 30 days. This is only a small sampling of the many uses a 900 line can be used for Dozens of categories for 900-number services exist, but they boil down to four basic concepts: romance, financial, maintenance, and entertainment.
"Romance" line- that is, true confession, dating, and similar topics--now earn about 80 percent of all industry revenues. However, like the video industry, that situation is changing rapidly as the business becomes more professional and offers stronger concepts to consumers.

"Financial" appeals to people's urges to make money, save money: stock and bond price lines, sports updates for gamblers, and horse racing lines. "Maintenance" refers to technical support lines. A computer operator, for example, must call a technical support number because they are having problems with either there software or hardware.

"Entertainment" refers to everything else, mostly for recreational purposes: miscellaneous products and services, soap opera updates, rock stars, and contest.

FIVE SERVICE METHODS
To satisfy these four basic concepts, you can offer one of the five methods which your target market can call:
* Interactive auditext--pre-recorded messages responds to caller's choice.
* Live audio: an operator or group discussion interacts with a caller.
Obviously, this is more expensive for you to operate than pre-recorded messages.
* Interactive video: a caller's personal computer retrieves text and graphics from an on-line data base.
* Facsimile: sends pre-stored faxes of printed information in response to caller request. News reports, stock reports and so forth can be made available through pre-programmed computerized fax services.
* Messaging: callers leave recorded messages, such as their name, address, product specifications, order information, etc.

TWO TYPES OF SERVICE
Once you choose a method that suits your concept, you have to decide whether to market it locally or nationally. A national line uses a 900 number offered through one of four national common carriers. Telesphere Information Services 900, AT&T, Sprint Gateways, and MCI. Or, if you want to start locally, you can contract with your local telephone company for a local or regional 976 line. T. Harv Eker, a young California entrepreneur known as the "Biz Opp Wiz," said in a recent report on 900-number service business, " I recommend that a small " infopreneur" start with a local 976 number to learn the ins and outs of this risky business. You can study your target market and test your advertising and your service idea for far less than it costs to start a 900 service."

Experts show that eight or nine out of every ten 900 services fail. However, if your concept hits big, you can make phenomenal profits. And you can reduce your risk by following the experts' advice about how to choose and market the best idea. Russ Blackwell, an executive with Microlog Corp., a major 900 service bureau explains, " In 90 percent of the lines, call volumes do not reach anticipated levels. The services may still make money, but they often do not make as much as the infopreneurs expected."
The reasons this occurs are numerous.

First, people's profits fall short of their expectations because they got overly excited about this business and forecast profits far higher than any they should reasonably expect. Second, people try to sell bad ideas. For example, Blackwell says, "One service tried to sell insurance to the elderly. It was a legitimate application, but hardly anyone called because senior citizens rarely use 900 numbers. They think it has a stigma, and they prefer to make toll-free calls.

Instead, Blackwell asserts, the largest target market research young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five--in short, impulse buyers. Other seemingly good 900 information ideas that flopped include quilting information and gardening information. Why did these ideas fail? They did not meet the essential criteria that experts have learned make a 900 number successful.

1. PERCEIVED VALUE: People must believe they receive a high value from the information. They must think that the information is worth the price of 95 cents a minute, $25 a call, or whatever the service charges. If people can get the information for free or cheaper elsewhere, they will not use your service. Jim Coffee, General Manager of Audio Communications, Inc. (ACI), insists, "You must carefully identify your target customer and offer very significant value." By target customer, he means you must analyze the demographics and buying habits of your potential callers.
He adds, "The success of your program depends on two elements:
first, your content, which is measured by the average hold time (AHT); and second, the quality of your marketing or your advertising measured by the number of "connects" or calls. AHT means that your callers are willing to stay on the line and listen to the entire message or to interact with the program or the operator. Your content must encourage them to stay on the line and increase their charges.

2. IMMEDIATE VALUE: Futhermore, your callers must perceive that
they need the information you offer right now--IMMEDIATELY. This factor is why Surf Line succeeds--surfers want to hit the perfect wave right now-- and Quilt Line failed--quilters can mosey over to the library and lock up the right stitch when they feel like it.

3. REPEAT CALLS: Once your callers reach your information
service, they must call back again and again. Your content must repeatedly satisfy a continuing need. Stock prices change every day, the weather changes every hour, traffic conditions change often during rush hours, people often want to make contact with potential dates. Repeat calls make or break this business.

convenient and easy to reach. It must be far more convenient than any other method or medium. A caller should only push a few buttons to reach the desired information, or go only through one operator.

SECRETS OF STARTING UP
Your first task is to think of a concept that meets these criteria. Second, you must identify an easily reached target market. Eker advises that you start with a tried-and-true category at the local level. This could include sports line or "conditions" line-local beach, skiing, vacation, traffic, or similar line that affects people's leisure or driving time. Most important, you must develop a highly targeted marketing plan to reach you audience. To do this, find out from your local media--newspapers, radio, TV, cable, magazines, etc.-- about their audiences. Then, select the media and develop advertising that will reach your audience.

As one example, a traffic line will be most popular in the mornings and afternoons during prime drive times, so a local radio advertisement targeted at young workers who listen to a rock station may make sense. Unfortunately, in the radio business, "drive time is prime time," and you pay higher rates. You could explore placing some less expensive radio ads just before prime drive times begins (about 7 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. in most markets) to reduce your costs. You should blend a series of ads, some before, some during, and some after drive time to reach the greatest number of people. On the other hand, Eker says, sharing a little known secret, "The best place to advertise a 900-number services may be your local cable TV channels. Although most people don't know this, you can buy local cable TV ads placed on national cable channels very, very inexpensively--as low as $1 per minute for local broadcast TV. Each local Tv company receives two minutes per hour for local advertising on each channel. So, for example, you could advertise a Sports Line on ESPN, WTBS, TNT, WOR, or WGN and reach almost all the sports fanatics in your area. And do so for as low as $12,000 a year.

In short, you must thoroughly, search for the best marketing alternatives and have the available financial resources to buy advertising. Once you think you have a terrific, saleable idea, getting started in this business is very simple. Although you could buy your own equipment to hook up to the common carriers, that equipment can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Instead, use what is called a service bureau. A service bureau handles all of the operational details. You simple pay its start-up charges and on-going fees and make your information available. You either provide cassette tapes or call in to change the information as you need to do so. It takes as few as two or three days to get your service on line. Or, in an interesting variation, you can work with another information provider (IP) in a joint venture to sell a service that the other often larger IP cannot do. Many major newspapers and magazines are using joint ventures and partnerships to establish line services. In this case, you may receive a percentage of the profits, usually 25 percent, a royalty, or a continuing fee.

Coffee's ACI and other service bureaus that double as information providers also offer joint ventures and partnerships. If you don't have the money to carry a marketing program, this may be a good way to go and reduce your start-up costs, yet lets you get started in this lucrative opportunity. Another secret to this business, says Eker, is that you must be prepared to cut your losses--FAST. You should also plan a to test a range of program concepts through various media.

This business works like the direct mail and catalog business. You must test your services, prices, and advertising again and again to find the right formula. When you hit it big, you then should run with the winning combination. But if an ad doesn't draw many callers, or even if the call volumes are just not high enough to make the profit you want, discontinue the service quickly and try something else. Or better, have another services already underway.

PROFIT POTENTIAL
When you hit, you can make amazing high profits. On average, 900 numbers charge $1 for the first minute and 75 cents for additional minutes. The average call lasts three to five minutes, so your revenues per call average $2.50 to $4. If you invest $40,000 you only need 10,000 to 16,000 calls to break even.

Your cost on each call will equal $1.50, giving you a profit margin of about 40 percent per call before you deduct your overhead, operating costs, and taxes. Here is what a typical month's revenues, expenses, and
resulting profit might look like:
Monthly Revenues: $100,000 (25,000 calls at $4 per call)
Fees to the Carrier: $40,000 (average 40% of gross)
Fees to service: $3,000
Marketing: $40,000
Overhead: $10,000
Total expenses: $93,000
Monthly profit: $7,000

If you invest $60,000 in the total start-up, your return on your investment per month would equal 11.7 percent. More likely, Eker notes, a national start-up that would generate $100,000 per month in revenues would realize 8 to 13 percent per month. "The goal is to realize between $1.08 and $1.13 for every $1 you invest," he notes.

Readmore »»

Cleaning Up Profits

The continuing growth of families with two paychecks is a good indication that maid services are booming. Two paychecks also mean that time is limited for busy families. In fact, more than their cleaning skills or the type of cleaning equipment they use, the success of maid service is premised on two factors: time and Convenience. With both husband and wife working, the couple of neigh has the time nor the energy to do housework.

Plus, the principle of delegated work simply suggests that "... if the work that needs to be done can be farmed out to someone who will do it for less than what you can earn given the same amount of time needed to do the job, it is better to pay someone else to DDO the job for you. If for anything else, doing housework that fits descreption.

A clean SYSTEM
Knowing how to clean a house is no guarantee of success in the housecleaning Business. The key to a successful cleaning business is good organization and systematic process that lends to an efficient cleaning routine. Most maid service operators recommend the team system, with two to three maids in a team who visit the same accounts, homes or businesses, every week or every day. Teams divide their chores, rotating tasks among team members, from one account to the next, in order to reduce monotony.

Getting Started
In finding clientele, target your advertising efforts, in terms of both the demographic and geographic distribution of your desired audience. Although maid service is no longer for the rich, it is not for low-income Markets either. You must be aware of where your prospective accounts are located, zip codes on which to focus your efforts. When setting up your rate structure, consider your hourly fee per employee and to estimate how longt Cleaning will take.

Provide a base rate while allowing for optional services at extra charge. When meeting with clients for the first time, try to upsell add-on services.

Readmore »»

WORK WITH PAWNSHOPS

A pawnbroker makes loans on personal property left as collateral.The property can be redeemed when the loan plus interest is repaid. The interest rates for pawnshops, which may be regulated by state or local laws, may range from 5% to 6% a month. Loans can usually be renewed, but only if the interest for the original period has been paid.

Pawnbrokers will accept a variety of personal property as collateral.Usually, items that are small or of modest value (jewelry, clocks, computers,camcorders, silverware, etc.) Brokers won't lend more money than they think they can get if the pledged item is not redeemed and has to be sold.When a pledged item is not redeemed, brokers are required to notify pawners that the loan period has expired and to give them a final opportunity to redeem their personal property before the broker has the right to sell the item. In some jurisdictions, brokers may keep all the money received from the sale of the unredeemed pledge. In other cases, the broker may only keep the original loan and any interest due, but must turn any excess over to the pawner.

In many states, pawnbrokers are required by law to file with the local police a daily list of items that have been pledged. They must report and give a description of the object along with serial number and other points of identification. This gives the police an opportunity to check these pledge items against any list of reported stolen items. In somebody buys a stolen item from a pawnbroker, it must be returned, and the broker must refund the purchase price to the customer.

DEBT LIMIT. Installment debt should not exceed 10% of take-home pay. A debt ratio of 20% indicates trouble ahead. However, when computing for your debt ratio, you must not include mortgage payments in the amount of debt.

Readmore »»

A Photographer To Make Money

SPECIAL EVENTS
1. Photograph vocational school graduates
2. Wedding photographer
3. Photograph large parties
4. Photograph at banquets
5. Prom and graduation photos
6. Photograph fashion shows
7. Photograph trade shows
8. Wedding movies
9. Photograph new stores' grand openings
10. Photograph local performances
11. Commencement day photographs

PEOPLE
12. Take pictures of people mounted on a horse
13. Make polaroid pictures of seamen going abroad
14. Take pictures of people wearing special costumes
15. Photograph people on a fancy motorcycle
16. Take pictures of people in nightclubs
17. Take pictures on the beach
18. Antique photo shop - produce 1890's type portraits for the

"nostalgic crazy"
19. Take I.D. photos
20. Take passport photos
21. Specialize in legal photography
22. Produce community yearbooks
23. Produce company year books
24. Produce composites for models, actors and actresses
25. Photo fund raising
26. Take slow-motion sports film for athletes
27. Take executive portraits
28. Photograph children on a pony
29. Take portraits of children in department stores or malls
30. A day in a child's life - an album of 30 pictures
31. School photography
32. Santa Claus portraits
33. Travelling industrial photographer
34. Ilustrate manufacturers' sales manuals and catalogs
35. Ilustrate manufactuers' sales manuals and catalogs
36. Public relation photos for business
37. Photograph store fronts
38. Produce progress photos on construction sites
39. Real estate photography
40. Produce illustrated promotional brochures for business

firms, hotels, etc.
41. Interior decorator's photographer
42. Photograph in-store merchandise displays

ON THE ROAD
43. Foreign fashion photography for textile and fashion

manufacturers
44. Photograph tourists in famous places
45. Summer camp photographer
46. Roving festival photographer
47. Sell scenic prints to gift shops and hotels
48. Offer personalized vacation photo packages to resort clients
49. Sell slide shows of interesting places or subjects
50. Build a mobile portrait studio in a trailer or van
51. Be a slide-show lecturer on different subjects and geographic locations

MAKING NOVELTIES
52. Candid keychain photos
53. Photo stamps
54. Color postcards for hotels or resorts
55. Exceptional color scenes for calendar printers
56. Personalized Christmas cards - with family portraits or

photos of family home
57. Photo buttons
58. Photographs on coffee mugs
59. Photographs on shirts
60. Imprint a photograph of a child on the face of her doll
61. Photo sculptures
62. Bookends adorned with any desired photographic subject
63. Decorative photo plaques
64. Personalized photo matchbooks
65. Instant personal postcards by gluing polaroid shots to blank

postcards
66. Stationery imprinted with personal portraits
67. Custom calendars

SERVICES
68. A microfilming service
69. Photo duplicating service
70. Slide duplicating service
71. Restoring old photos
72. Producing filmstrips
73. Duplicating negatives to sell
74. Slide-titling service
75. Making offset negatives and plates
76. Collecting old photos to make into books
77. Making photomurals
78. Retouching service
79. Custom photo lab
80. Blowing up photos, on the spot
81. Photo oil portraits
82. Selling prints to photo agencies
83. Camera rental
84. Camera exchange
85. Repairing cameras
86. Teaching photography

MISCELLANEOUS
87. Making postcards
88. Publicity photography
89. Photographic essays for various publications
90. T.V. news freelancing
91. Selling news photos
92. Taking and selling peculiar photos
93. Selling local photos for travel magazines
94. Aerial photography
95. Documentary film making
96. Photos of human interest
97. Composing photo guides for tourists
98. Photographing accidents for lawyers and insurance companies
99. Photographing parades

Readmore »»

LEARN YOUR’S MONEY

- LEARN HOW TO MAKE A LIVING AS A WRITER

Write publicity, advertising, books. Send for free manuscript report and “How To Publish Your Own Book”, from: Carlton Press, Inc., 11 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001.

- HOW TO SELL “ANTI-CRIME” PERSONAL PROTECTION DEVICES

Sell security devices by mail such as low-cost burglar alarms, shriek alarms, etc. Write for free catalog and profit plan: The Peterzell Co., box 966, Winter Park, Fl 32790. Sell the 15 report “Anti-Crime” program by mail. Earn over $9.00 on every $10.00 sale. Free brochure for self-addressed stamped envelope: Anti-Crime, Dept. R35, Box 6466, San Francisco, Ca 94101.

- HOW TO SELL BIBLES BY MAIL FOR BIG PROFITS

Low wholesale prices pay biggest profits. Wide choice of fine bibles, plus complete selection of religious greeting cards. Free details. Noble co., 1801 S. Lumber, Chicago, Il 60616.

- HOW TWO BEST SELLING BOOKS CAN MAKE BIG PROFITS FOR YOU

To make money in mail order, you have to sell something that everyone wants. Two items that fit this category are two books: “1001 Things You Can Get Free” and “105 Ways To Make Money At Home”. If you want to add these best-sellers to your line of mail order products, contact the source of wholesale price information. Write to: Johnson Smith Company, Attn: Import-Export Division, 35075 Automation Drive, Mt. Clemens, Mi 48043. Some items that mail order novices try to sell will be big winners. Others will be colossal flops. for a list of 40 of mail order’s top money makers, you should read “What Sells Best In Mail Order Magazines”. This valuable report could save you a lot of money in the long run. It’s available for a long (#10) self-addressed stamped envelope and $2.00 from: Mail Order’s Best Sellers, P.O. Box 6466, San Francisco, Ca 94101. Attn: Dept. AS-R35.

- POCKET BIG $$$ WITH A COMPUTER PORTRAIT BUSINESS

Learn how to operate this lucrative business. Take pictures with a TV camera and instantly print it out with a computer. Call toll-free for details: (800)221-7660. Or request free brochure, from: Casi, Computer Amusement Systems, Inc., 95 Morton St., New York, NY 10014.

- EARN UNLIMITED PROFITS SELLING GOLD IMPRINTED ITEMS

Personalize items with gold imprinting, bibles, books, leather goods, paper products, etc. Write for free brochure and sample, from: Magic Systems, inc., P.O. Box 24986, Tampa Fl 33623. Get more information and samples also, from Signet, 50 High St., Buffalo, NY 14203.

Readmore »»

TRUE FACTS ABOUT MLM

TRUE FACTS ABOUT “MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING
PYRAMID PLANS, For the past few years, “pyramid” schemes and/or “multi-level” marketing programs have been sweeping the country. They may look like “winners” on paper, but the big question is: Do they really work?

A reliable firm recently made an extensive survey. For over a year they accumulated all incoming mail which advertised various typed of pyramid and/or multi-level marketing programs. Then, a questionnaire was designed and sent to over 5,000 of these multi-level program participants. Of the replies received, over 98% said they LOST MONEY!!!

As example, a man in eastern Virginia sadly told how he spent over $7,000.00 in two years on multi-level programs. Total income received to date: - slightly over $700.00!!! A woman in southern California said she joined a total of 47 programs. She wrote, “I didn’t even get the cost of postage back” and “my husband is as mad as hell at me for wasting so much money”! Letters received from senior citizens and single parents are even more tragic.

Less than 1/2 of one percent claimed they “broke even”, but when asked if they would be interested in joining “one more ‘fool proof’ multi-level program”, all but one replied “NO”! Another little known fact about “pyramids” and/or “multi-level” schemes is that they are illegal!! The U.S. Postal Service has put thousands of formerly respectable mail dealers out of business for promoting these get-rich-quick schemes. Why? In their book “Mail Fraud Laws”, U.S.

Postal Service states that the “endless chain” schemes of pyramids and multi-level marketing are just as illegal as the old fashioned chain letters. In addition, the book adds (and we quote), “The road to riches is buying a distributorship for selling a common product. The big profits are to come from recruiting agents and dealers to sell the product. As a distributor, there are promises of a percentage of the money his dealers put into the scheme plus commissions on their sales.” “While all multi-level distributorships are not fraudulent, the pyramid type resembles the illegal the illegal chain-letter scheme.

The profits come not from selling the product, but ininducing others to put their life savings into a distributorship. Where a scheme flourishes, the supply is soon exhausted and thenew investors are left with a faded dream……”.Postal Inspectors recommend that one should: “Be wary if the promoters are more interested in selling distributorships than they are a product or service that consumers need”.

And to “Ask those selling franchises for the names and addresses of those making the fabulous profits. also, “Ask to see their business records, and interview those actually operating a franchise”/ “Also, check the company with your Better Business Bureau”. Another good idea when you are solicited to join one of these programs, is to take the sales literature you receive to your local Postal “Fraud” Inspector and ask them for their opinion. this little act won’t cost you anything and could save you a lot of time and money (and even legal fees)!!

Also, beware of schemes where you are instructed to send checks to a number of different names and addresses. This is a sure sign that you are joining an illegal endless chain. Also, watch out for schemes where you are assigned a number, and/or others use a number instead of their right name and address. (What are they afraid of? Or are they trying to throw Postal authorities off their trail?) A good tip to keep in mind is when any sales material you receive in the mail states that it is “not illegal” or “perfectly legal”M - or something similar - it usually is 100% ILLEGAL, and can get you into more trouble than you’ve ever bargained for. And

Always keep in mind, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse!”
But, if you don’t believe these facts, by all means join as many get-rich-quick schemes as you can afford. You can bet your life that someone will appreciate your money and may be getting rich just as quick as their sales literature promises - but we bet it won’t be you. And don’t be surprised if one day you get a formal “request” from Postal Authorities asking you to immediately discontinue your mail order activities! In any event, if you are one of many who have faith in these rip-off schemes and confidence that they can make you an overnight millionaire, we have just three words for you: “Good Luck, Sucker!”

Readmore »»

Producing How-TO CD’s

Producing How-TO CD’s
Minimum Start-Up: $2,500Average Start-Up: $5,000Revenue: $12,000One Person Business: YesThe CD is entitled: “This CD Can Make You Filthy Rich”, and it’s about producing how-to CDs - a concept whose time has come. At $15 each, plus $3 shipping & handling, the producer of CD will gross $18,000 selling 1,000 CDs. The production cost is quite small. The audio program was written by the producer who brought the script to a “Narration House” where a professional announcer does the voice recording using a professional studio.

NARRATION HOUSES
You can order radio commercials as well as other “voice” recorded programs to be produced by so-called “narration houses”. This business is usually run by a professional announcer who owns or has access to a professional recording studio. Just send your script to a narration house and have them record it for you. The amount you are charged depends on the length of your material and the type of tape on which you want your “master copy” recorded. A recording of 30-minute material may cost you $450.

THE INTERVIEW FORMAT
Another popular format for a How-To CD is what we call the “Interview” format. This is where the author or producer of the CD is interviewed on a subject in which he or she is an expert. Since this format is prepared on a “question and answer” basis, it is relatively easy to structure, allowing for a more logical presentation of the ideas the author wants to cover. With this format, the author can prepare 30 to 50 questions which, together with the answers, can be edited down to a 30 to 40 minute program. Depending on where the interview is produced, this format may cost less than a straight presentation where the bulk of the work uses the voice of a professional narrator.

YOUR MARKET
In a “How-To” project, it is always recommended that you select your topics based on your expertise or access to information. From a marketing standpoint, it is equally beneficial for you to be familiar with the market to whom you expect to market your How-To CD.If your topic is very selective, use direct mail to market your CDs. If it is an extremely popular topic that can be promoted on TV, use 60-second TV spots or print ads.

Readmore »»

Temporary Help Agency

Temporary Help AgencyMinimum
Start-Up: $10,000Average Start-Up: $100,000Revenue; $100,000 - $2.5MilProfits; $25,000 - $250,000One Person Business: Yes
The high cost of maintaining a full-time employee contributes to the growth of the temp-help business. Advancement in computer hardware and software enables companies to staff mean and lean, preferring to hire temps during peak seasons rather than lay off workers during slower times. On any given day, over 1 million people work on temporary assignments. By 1995, trade statistics estimate that 1.25 million jobs will go by way of “temps”, creating an aggregate annual payroll of about $10 billion. These figures suggest that the temporary help business is here to stay. It is one to watch through the turn of the century. Unlike the temp boom of the late 70s, today’s temp-help has gone beyond clerical help, with 37% of placements involving professionals.

JOB MATCHMAKERA
temporary-help service acts as a matchmaker between businesses seeking temporary help and individuals who want a job. The temporary agency pays the employee on a weekly basis a set rate, and in turn bills the business/client a predetermined rate, usually 10% to 15% more than was paid the employee.

START-UP HURDLEIf

there is a single hurdle that makes starting a temporary-help agency “difficult”, it has to do with your ability to cover the payroll up front. As a temp agency, the demand for cash flow presents a two-sided problem. While you are expected to pay your workers on a weekly basis, you are also expected to extend your clients 30 to 60 days credit. So while you’re waiting to get paid, you need to have enough cash to cover your payroll. For example, if you place 10 workers at 40 hours each for the week, at a rate of $8 an hour, it would require $3,200 cash for the week. That’s $12,800 in 4 weeks! To avoid this problem, it is advisable to hire your workers as independent contractors. You can act as their agent, and collect your commission when they are paid.

Readmore »»

BUSINESS EXPO-SEMINARS

PRODUCING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXPO-SEMINARS

Minimum Start-Up: $1,500Average Start-Up: 10,000Revenue: $25,000 - $5Mil+Profits: $20,000 - $1MillionOne Person Business: Yes
In this information Society, we have an insatiable appetite for knowledge. Add to this our desire to network with people who share our interests, professionals in our own trade. For these reasons, seminars and expositions have continued to grow. At a time when the explosive growth of electronic systems offer abundant ways information can be delivered, we continue to prefer the old fashioned, person-to-person contact with our peers. As seminars become more and more specialized, the number of seminars continue to grow. According to industry statistics, there are over 1000,000 seminar sessions each year. There seems to be a wide spectrum of topics on which to develop a seminar.

The Business Opportunities market is at a strategic crossroads where new economic opportunities intersect with our growing disenchantment with conventional employment. Thus, our continuing search for a “better way to earn a living” makes Business Opportunities Expos and Seminars one of the most profitable products. Remember, where our economic interest lies, we are all opportunity seekers. And that’s a huge market.

TABLE-TOP EXPO

The most cost effective way to produce a “Start A Business” seminar is to have sponsors cover the cost of promoting the expo/seminar. In exchange, you can arrange for sponsors to have a mini expo. Compared to conventional expos that use booths for exhibits, a “table-top expo” can take place in a foyer or hotel lobby. A number of tables can be arranged where different, non-competing sponsors can consult with attendees regarding business opportunities being offered.

THE $10 EXPO/SEMINAR

If all your marketing and production costs are paid for by participating sponsors, your revenues will depend exclusively on admission. In a city of 1 million or more people, it is reasonable to project an attendance of 2,500 to 3,500, each paying $10 for 3-hour seminars and an on-going consultation-style tabletop expo.

Readmore »»

All-Cruise Travel Club

All-Cruise Travel ClubMinimum Start-Up: $500Average Start-UP: 10,000Revenue: $25,000 - $250KProfits: $10,000/MonthOne Person Business: Yes
Most Travel Clubs are organized on the premise of building a sizable membership capable of negotiating discounts with various travel providers. The Travel Club makes money earning a commission every time a member purchases airline tickets, books a hotel room, or goes on a cruise. Today, things have changed quite a bit.

SELLING MEMBERSHIPS
With a swelling membership basis it is difficult for travel clubs to ignore the profits of charging for membership, no matter how insignificant the amount. With 10,000 members, a travel club charging only $20 a year will earn $200,000 in membership dues. This revenue is over any commission the Club earns when a member travels.

SPLIT DISCOUNTSA
Travel Club normally acts as a travel agent for the exclusive use of its members. As an “agency”, it gets standard agent commissions from airlines, hotels and cruise lines. This can range anywhere between 10% and 18% of the purchase price. What travel clubs usually do is offer its members a rebate equivalent to 50% of its commission (meaning 5% to 9% of their purchase price). If the member spends $1,000, he/she gets back anywhere between $50 and $90. This is enough reason for people to join a travel club, especially if the membership dues are just $20 a year.

ALL-CRUISEAs
today’s market shifts from the “all-in-one” and “do-it-all” service companies to that of “specialized” services, so do travel clubs. Based on industry statistics, the best area to specialize in is the Cruise business, the fastest-growing segment in Travel.

YOUR BUSINESSSell
memberships to your All-Cruise Travel Club and offer rebates on all cruises and peripheral services the member books through the club. Find products or services that you can give as bonus for signing up for a year’s membership. You may even want to seek distributors who will purchase membership cards in advance, at 15% of the retail price. This means that if the membership retails for $20, a distributor buys it from you for $3. If you sell 10,000 memberships this way, you’ve just earned $30,000. Then, add to this revenue from commissions when members take a cruise.

C.L.I.A.
The Cruise Lines International Association is a trade body representing the interests of the Cruise Lines segment of the travel industry. Membership to the Association is only $245 per year. The Association also has a certification program that can bring your business immediate credibility by being able to sell direct all-cruise packages. To contact CLIA, call 1-800-372-CLIA.

Readmore »»

ADVERTISING MAPS

The Road to Big ProfitsMaps serve a purpose. People use them for directions. They trust them and depend on them to get them where they want to go. It tells them where the local attractions are, and other places if interest, particularly among tourists - the people who use maps the most. Considering the credibility and the power of maps as a printed medium, it takes an entrepreneur 2 seconds to realize that there’s money in maps…as an advertising vehicle. You can design your city map to be as large as 28″ x 40″ which can be printed by commercial print houses with large format presses. Or you can use the 11″x 17″ format and bring it to your neighborhood quick printer.

THE MAP

What you’re going to make a map of is as critical as deciding about how you’re going to do it. These are the two questions that will make the foundation of your business. Big cities are very seldom a great market for City Maps. However, if you break them apart and make maps for selected business districts, even down to selected neighborhoods, the taking is plenty. Focus on dense retail districts. Target those with neighboring restaurant rows, historical spots or other tourist attractions. Purchase reprint rights of already existing maps as this would prove significantly easier and more cost efficient than producing one yourself. “Cartoon” maps may be visually entertaining, but they are seldom useful. You will probably attract more advertisers if you can equate your advertising rates with potential use.

Advertisers position advertising blocks on the outer edge of the map area. Depending of the size of your map and the paper you plan to print it on, you can have as many or as few “blocks” to offer for advertising. Encourage your advertisers to buy more than 1 block of advertising. This will not only make your map look more exclusive, but it will also make your selling task much easier.

Readmore »»

Producing Newsletters On CD

Producing Newsletters On CDMinimum Start-Up: $2,500Average Start-Up: 10,000Profit Margins: 50% to 75%One Person Business: Yes

Brandel Communications is currently developing a newsletter that will be released on Compact Discs, mailed to you once every two months. The subscription rate is $195 a year. (Our production cost: around $3 per CD. With 6 CDs a year, our total cost is $18 per subscriber.) Instead of print or video, we have decided to tap the CD market, the fastest growing communications media.

OPPORTUNITY SEEKERS
To offer a subscription to this (still unnamed) newsletter, we are running full page ads in opportunities magazines, as well as implement a direct mail campaign. Our initial marketing thrust will be directed at individuals seeking to start their own business, or a second source of revenue. The BizOpp market is at a strategic crossroads where new economic opportunities intersect with our growing disenchantment with conventional employment. This market thinks! And it is quick at recognizing new opportunities. This is why we decided that the growth of How-To CDs depend on the variety of titles available.

WE CAN REPRESENT AND SELL YOUR CD TITLES.

While we are selling subscription to our newsletter, we offer customers the opportunity to purchase other CD titles. We also have a regular New Titles ad which lists new PowerGuides and How-To CDs available. Every time we send out a newsletter and a catalogue, we include your CD on our title list and orders are sent directly to you. We do not take a commission or a percentage of your sales. Your customer’s orders and payments come directly to you. You fulfill the orders and keep the money. We will design and print your ad for you.

CREATE YOUR OWN NEWSLETTER

We will accept advertising from those of you who plan to produce your own CD newsletter. Producing a newsletter on CD allows you to collect subscriptions in advance, which is extremely helpful in generating cash flow during your start-up stages. Producing a newsletter gives you a continuing link with a market that shares your common interests. Consider also the interest factor for a newsletter in CD form is quite high.

PRODUCTION NOTES

As of this writing, it is still uneconomical to try and produce your own CDs in-house. It is still cheaper to create a master program and then have it produced by a replication service who can produce copies of your CDs in quantities of 1,000 or more, at under $3 a piece.

Readmore »»