Random Articles

5-inch-heel

2012-08-30T19:41:00.007-07:00

High - heeled shoes have long been many a girls best fashion friend. Perhaps it ' s the added height that makes women feel elegant or maybe just because men seem to appreciate the look. Whatever the reason, women are shoe freaks. Shorter heels are for comfort, but tall heels are meant to be admired. So how do you choose a heel height? A recent survey showed that among women who wore high heels, most chose a 5 inch heel. Why? For one thing, there ' s a practical aspect. A 5 inch heel is about 16 % shorter than its 6 inch counterpart. This means the bottom of your foot is 1 / 6 closer to the ground! Walking in high heels is not easy. The 5 inch heel can make the difference between walking gracefully or taking a spill. Other considerations are mostly vanity, but every woman likes to look her best. A long thin heel plays up a handsome leg, stretching the leg muscles, giving a lithe appearance. The most popular heel today is the stilleto, recommended for those with good balance. A 5 inch heel will do the trick, for both admiring looks and walking purposes. At least with the young, the stiletto rules. It ' s the Business heel of shoe fashion. Going to an interview or power lunch? Pair some 5 inch heels with an elegant pantsuit. You get height and an elegant and confident standing. Platforms are a good choice as you ' ll have no problem walking in them for extended periods of time. High heels are all for effect.

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Every woman wants to look just a bit more nice, taller, thinner or more voluptuous than she is already. Who can blame her? High heels can be worn to advantage with just about any ensemble. The growing trend of high heels with jeans is one example. Great with pantsuits, short and long dresses or even with shorts. If you ' re going to the beach, just bite the bullet and get out your sneakers. If you haven ' t the confidence or balance to manage the stiletto, give the spike a try. The last shape is not so extreme as the stiletto. A 5 inch heel is again recommended, if only for the safety factor. Spike heels echo the enchanting times of classic Old Hollywood. The curvy heel compliments the curvy female form in a voluptuous effect. Ha! No man can resist this imagery. At the other end of the high heel spectrum is the chunky heel. Now you might think this the one you wear hiking. On the contrary, men enjoy variety. The large chunky heel, by contrast, makes you look more petite. Its ' squareness serves to accentuate your curves. Men even think these chunky heels make women look “cute”. If you have a thing for shoes, there are more than enough choices. From stilettos to chunks, there ' s a fashion high heel that will be just right for every piece of clothing in your closet. If that shoe isn ' t in your closet, you may have to go shopping.

Who ' s up for a nice refreshing glass of H2O

2012-08-30T19:41:00.004-07:00

Who ' s up for a nice refreshing glass of H2O? That ' s right; toss those lattes, soft drinks and syrupy beverages out the window and gulp down the good stuff. Why, you may ask? It ' s simple! Water is our life source. It ' s the fluid our bodies need to function and stay alive. Our cells are filled with it. So, I guess the big question remains. How much water do you consume in an average day? You should be chugging 6 - 8 cups. Coffee, soft drinks and beer don ' t count. In fact, they actually require you to consume more. The salt, sugar and caffeine steal the water from your muscles and billions of cells. You need to stay hydrated at all times. Maybe a 5 gallon water bottle would be of some help. Got one in your home or business? My daughter always loves the dentist ' s office. It ' s funny to hear that, I know. No children typically enjoy visiting the dentist. However, my little girl finds it interesting and fun. Not only does she always receive a small toy, but she loves the 5 gallon water bottle in the waiting area. It ' s bizarre how something so simple can entertain a child.

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I ' m just glad she drinks so much water. It ' s great for her growing body and mind. This goes the same for every living human being. We all need a certain amount of water each day. Millions of Americans walk around dehydrated. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it ' s true. They live on sugary soft drinks and coffee. These are both terrible for your health. Not to mention the nasty effect they have on your caucasian whites. These drinks pull water off of your body, as opposed to restoring water to muscle tissue. Of course this has an effect on your overall health. So pull those soft drinks out of your refrigerator and replace them with a 5 gallon water bottle. These are quite convenient. You can simply flip a lever and enjoy some H2O. If you have children, installing a 5 gallon water bottle in your kitchen is a wonderful idea. Don ' t give them the option of soft drinks. Make it a special occasion thing; like once a week or so. I do this with my daughter and she drinks water and milk all the time. It doesn ' t bother here one bit, because it ' s what she ' s used to. Get on the H2O kick and live well!

4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Home Air Purifier

2012-08-30T19:41:00.001-07:00

4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Home Air Purifier If you use the internet, read magazines, or watch television, there is a good chance that you have heard of air purifiers before. This is due in part to the fact that air purifiers have increased in popularity over the past few years. Despite the increase in popularity, you may be wondering if you really need to buy an air purifier. Even if you do not really need to have one, there are still a number of benefits to making a purchase. In fact, four reasons why you should buy an air purifier are outlined below. 1 – Air Purifiers Produce Clean Air Air purifiers are designed to clean the air by removing harmful toxins and other pollutants. These pollutants, if left in the air, can be dangerous. For example, cigarette smoke that lingers in the air has a number of dangers, including an increased risk of lung cancer. An air purifier can help to keep a home’s air clean. As sited as an example above, many air purifiers eliminate harmful and potentially dangerous toxins and pollutants from secondhand cigarette smoke. Did you know though that there is so much more that air purifiers can clean as well? Air purifiers also clean pollen, mold and mildew, and animal infuriation. 2 – Air Purifiers Make Your Home More Healthy As it was previously stated, air purifiers work to capture and eliminate many harmful pollutants and toxins from the air, including pet disapprobation, secondhand tobacco smoke, pollen, mold, and mildew. The presence of these harmful and potentially dangerous toxins and pollutants can make a home a dangerous place to be. For example, pet animosity can be dangerous for those who have pet allergies. As for secondhand tobacco smoke, it is dangerous for everyone. In addition to making your home much healthier, air purifiers can also make your home a happier place to be, for all residents and even guests. In fact, that is another one of the many reasons why you should buy an air purifier for your home.

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3 – Air Purifiers Help Those with Allergies and Asthma As previously stated, there are many toxins and pollutants that fill most homes. In fact, did you know that some homes have more pollutants indoors than there is outdoors? This is true in many cases, mainly due to the fact that are windows are closed in the summertime due to the use of air conditioners and they are closed in the wintertime due to coldness. This doesn’t allow much opportunity for fresh air to enter the home or for polluted air to leave. Long - term exposure to household pollutants and toxins isn’t good for anyone, but it can be harmful or even deadly for those suffering from a number of medical conditions. Two of these conditions include allergies or asthma. If you suffer from asthma or allergies or if you have a family member who does, you are encouraged to use air purifiers as a way to seek relief. 4 – Air Purifiers Are Easy to Find and Buy As it was previously stated, air purifiers have increased in popularity. This is because many individuals are becoming more concerned with their health and many see air purifiers as a step in the right direction. This means that there are more air purifiers for sale and more retailers are starting to offer them for sale. In addition to having a number of air purifier makes and models to choose from, you also have a number of purchase points to choose from. Air purifiers are sold online, at local home improvement stores, as well as in many department stores. As you can see, there are a number of benefits to buying and using an air purifier in your home. Four of those reasons where outlined above. As a reminder, you have a number of different air purifiers to choose from, so be sure to read ratings and reviews online. This can help to ensure that you choose the air purifier that is best for you and your needs.

Today, you can find new and exciting ways

2012-08-30T19:40:00.006-07:00

Today, you can find new and exciting ways to store and transfer your information. Before there were tiny memory sticks, most used external zip drives to store and move things around. The memory stick changed all of that, and made things so much easier to use. The design meant that they could be used with all types of devices, and you could put a huge amount of information on something that is not much larger than a postage stamp. One of the most popular sizes of these is the 2gb memory stick, but there are many different sizes from which to choose. Though there are many sizes large and small, the 2gb memory stick is very common because of the amount it can hold and the price. They are not as expensive as they used to be, as happens with most items of this sort, and they come in at a price that many find affordable. They can hold a very large amount of digital photos, and that is probably one of the most common uses for these 2gb memory sticks. If you don’t use one with your camera, you are going to find your internal memory won’t hold an acceptable amount of pictures, especially if you love taking a lot of them. You may also find a need for the 2gb memory stick, or ones of other various sizes, when you buy a new mobile phone.

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I just got a new Razor phone, and in order to store photos without filling up my phone memory, I bought a card that goes with my phone. It is smaller than the one that goes in my camera, but it came with adaptors so that I can fit it in anywhere so I can remove the information. While you can’t get the same quality of photo with a phone, you can get larger sizes and save a ton of them at once when you use a memory card. What is really great about the 2gb memory stick is that when you finally get it full, you can download the information from that card into your computer with ease. You can do this no matter what type of information you have stored on your card. Most newer computers come with inputs just for the memory sticks, and all you have to do is insert the card and download. You can also find these docks when you go to a photo kiosk to download and print digital photos, making it fast and efficient. You don’t have to buy the 2gb memory card size, but having a little extra is always a great idea.

If you are looking to decrease

2012-08-30T19:40:00.003-07:00

If you are looking to decrease debt on your credit cards that hold a non - negotiable high interest rate, 0 percent balance transfers may be your best option for paying off your credit card. Also, a 0 percent interest balance transfer can get you some other perks through credit card companies that offer rewards. There are several things to look for when searching for a credit card company to transfer your balance so that you can receive a 0 percent interest rate, and if you take your time you can get some great deals. Probably every day you receive an offer in the mail to open a new credit card. If you have a balance on a card that you are trying to pay off, the last thing you would want to do is open an additional card putting you more in debt. However, often these card offers also offer an stimulus balance transfer so look carefully at these if you are looking for 0 percent balance transfers for your credit card debt. If you have a good to very good credit score, you can often get a new credit card with zero percent interest on any balance transfer you may have. Be careful with these, though, as many of them are only offered for an introductory period which is generally a few months. However, every so often there are fantastic offers for 0 percent balance transfers like the one I received the other day.

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After transferring my balance to this new card, I now have zero percent interest on my balance transfer until Hike of 2008, which is a year and a half. In addition, I received zero percent interest on any new purchases until March of 2008 as well. This will be perfect for the holiday season as our family finances tend to be in better shape around January and February, so I can purchase our holiday gifts and then pay them off in those months without any penalty. Of course, the only way these 0 percent balance transfers are beneficial to you getting out of debt is if you actually intend to pay them off. If you simply transfer the balance to a zero percent interest card and let it sit while you continue to make new purchases that you aren’t paying off, you basically are going to be in the same situation you started with. Although, I have known several people that simply keep opening new accounts and doing a balance transfer again once the introductory zero percent interest offers run out. This isn’t exactly illegal, but I’m not sure I would recommend it. I may need to look into it some more.

Day after day Americans receive oodles of credit card

2012-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Day after day Americans receive oodles of credit card pitches in their mail boxes. There ' s hardly anything you can really do about it, other than tear them to shreds and toss them in the trash can. I mean come on; how many credit cards do they really think we need. We ' re not trying to acquire one for each and every store we shop at. Anyway, there is one thing we all tend to notice on credit card offers, and that ' s " 0 on balance transfers. " This phrase often catches our eye. Sometimes we ' re even looking for it. Now, a bigger question lied in the details. Yeah, you know; the finer print. How long will the 0 on balance transfers last? Is it only for the first year or is it a fixed APR? Also, how large can the balance transfers be? These are pertinent questions for each and all of us who have credit card debt. Wow, did you know they start sending credit card ads your way once you ' re 18? I of course noticed this when I turned 18. Suddenly I was getting pitches from all the big boys like MasterCard and Visa. This seemed kind of cool to me at the time. It made me feel like I was truly reaching adulthood.

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However, since I ended up getting a credit card back then, these days I grapple with credit card debt. It was a trap in some sense. They love to snag you when you ' re still young and naive. So look out all you teenagers! A few years back I was actually searching for a decent 0 on balance transfers credit card offer. I needed a way to consolidate the hefty credit card bill I currently had. My APR was suddenly 13. 25. That ' s horrible. I needed to find that awesome credit card pitch with the 0 on balance transfers option. This way I could transfer my entire balance to the new card and no longer deal with the terrible monthly percentage rate. I think most folks can relate to this common routine. Heck, we all strive to do this at some point in our lives. The only down side is that most of the 0 on balance transfers deals only last a year before the interest rate rises. The web is a wonderful source to exhaust if you ' re in need of a better credit card deal. Get online and punch the words " 0 on balance transfers " in your Google search engine. Sort through the numerous results in order to see which credit card looks right for you.

Credit cards are certainly

2012-08-30T19:39:00.002-07:00

Credit cards are certainly one of the greatest weaknesses for human beings. Now, I can ' t really speak on behalf of everyone else, but Americans are seriously guilty when it comes to charging it. I worked in customer service for 8 years and saw people day - in and day - out, abusing those evil credit cards. I call them evil for obvious reasons. They tend to shaft you with the interest rates at some point or another. Of course if you can find 0 apr credit cards, then that ' s ideal. You want no interest rate on balance transfers and purchases. Ha, if you can actually find such a credit card, then I commend you. If you ' re not yet savvy when it comes to credit cards and how they work, let me fill you in. The perfect plastic would be 0 apr credit cards. Now, these are not so easy to come by. Typically what credit card companies do is pitch a 0 APR on balance transfers. This generally only lasts for a year. Then it ' s hard to say how high the annual percentage rate will go. This is their way of catching your interest. Maybe you have student loan debt of ten grand, which has a horrible percentage rate. Well, you can transfer the balance onto your new credit card and suddenly have a 0 percentage rate.

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That ' s great! There are no two ways about it. It would even be better if you could pay the debt off before the year of 0 APR runs out. Anyway, with most 0 apr credit cards it doesn ' t concern purchases. I have yet to see a credit card that offers 0 APR for a year on purchases. They want to make money off the interest. This is why they don ' t offer it with purchases. They know, however, that they will keep you if you transfer a balance onto their card. It ' s hardly ever over after one measly year. Then you will be forking out the interest each month. This is simply the way of the credit card. Maybe you ' re searching for 0 apr credit cards in order to do a balance transfer. Hey, you should absolutely delve into cyberspace and do a Google search. I ' m sure you will find several 0 apr credit cards currently available. Just remember that these 0 apr credit cards most likely regard balance transfers. It ' s doubtful that the 0 APR concerns purchases. So basically don ' t charge them unless you have to.

2010-01-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY FAST, RENTING MAILING LISTS

Anyone wanting or needing to build a fast source of income should
definitely consider establishing a mailing list rental business.
All it takes to get started is your time, and once you're
organized, you can easily parlay this business into a $100,000 a
year income.

The first thing of course, is the compiling of names for your
mailing lists. This is done simply by noting or listing on 3 by 5
index cards the names/addresses on all incoming mail. Arrange
these in zip code and alphabetical order, and you're almost ready
for business.

To build your list of names simply run an advertisement in as
many of the mail order publications as you can afford, offering
free list of 100 mail order buyers for a self-addressed and
stamped envelope. And again, as you get these responses to your
ad, list their names/addresses in your card file system, and file
them alphabetically with your other cards.

Another way to build your list of names fast is to run a short
classified type advertisement offering a free report of some sort
of money-making idea, in exchange for a self-addressed, and
stamped envelope. As you do with all of your other incoming mail,
list the names/addresses on your index cards and file them with
the other cards.

When you've got a thousand names in your file, the next thing is
to purchase a box of self-adhesive or peel and stick labels, and
type your names/address onto these sheets of labels. Typing 31
sheets--33 labels to a sheet will give you 1,023 names on 31
sheets of labels. Take the sheets of labels to your nearest
photo-copy shop; copy them onto plain paper masters and you're
ready for business.

Meanwhile, be sure to file your plain paper masters and hold
them/guard them with your life. You can send out the labels you
typed on to your first customer.

Look thru all the publications offering advertising space for
mail order operators--clip out and study those advertisements
offering mailing lists--and from these, make up or have made up
for you, a similar ad.

You should be offering your lists for a one-time a $5 per 100
names; $20 for 500 names; and $40 for 1,000 names.

Check with your paper sources for best wholesale prices on reams
of plain paper, gummed labels, and the peel & stick kind. At the
same time, explain what you're about to do with the owner or
operator of your local copy shop, and arrange a deal where by you
can copy your names at reduced prices, so long as you provide
your own paper.

Then, when your orders start coming in--you simply take your
"master mailing lists" to the copy shop, copy them unto plain
paper, gummed or peel & stick labels, and send them out to your
customers. Basically, we suggest that you do all your copying
once a week, package all your orders, for that week, and drop
them off at the post office with just one trip.

Much of the time, you can get free advertising and at the same
time pull in a lot of new names of people who are interested in
mail order, by writing and submitting articles to the various
mail order publications. If you arrange such a deal with a
publisher, run your mailing list ad, and tag your articles with
something such as: For more information or if you have a
particular questions, write to met at...

It would also be a good idea to check out your own capabilities
of producing and mailing out a mail order ad sheet--just a
one-page flyer with 3-columns of ads on one side and a full page
advertisement of some program or product you're promoting on the
other side. The, with such an ad sheet, you contact all the mail
order publishers and offer to run their ad in your publication in
they'll run yours in their publication.

Whenever you're selling a new name/address to your card file,
always mark on the card whether or not you received any kind of
orders from that person. You should also number your mailing
lists--mark "01" on the cards of the first 1,000 names you type
onto your masters, "02" on the next thousand and so on until you
retire or sell your business.

Finally, when you've accumulated 5,000 or more names in your card
file. (incidentally, you can easily store your 3x5 cards in old
number 6 envelope boxes or even shoe boxes. Whenever you're out
shopping, simply ask the store manager or owners if they have any
such boxes that they can give you.)

Anyway, as I was saying, once you've got 5,000 names on file, you
can begin contacting some of the national list brokers and
setting up arrangements for them to a broker or rent your list
for you. Usually, they get 20% of the rental fee each time they
rent your list--a small price to pay when you understand that
these people can rent your list to 50 to 100 times per year. They
do all the advertising and selling for you with your only
responsibility being to work out arrangements to get the lists to
the rental customers.

THE END OF THIS REPORT

2010-01-08T09:28:00.013-08:00

THE DO'S AND DON'T'S OF PROFITABLE MAIL ORDER ADS

Regardless of how you look at it, the most important aspect of
any successful mail order business is its advertising. In fact,
mail order success is wholly dependent, and even predicated upon
good advertising.

First of all, you've got to have a dynamic, spectacular ad that
attracts the eye and grabs the interest of the people you're
trying to sell to. Thus, unless your ad really "jumps out" at the
reader, your sales won't live up to expectations, and your ad
money will be wasted.

The eye-catching appeal of your ad must start with the headline.
Use the headline to very quickly create a picture in the minds of
the reader--a vision of all their problems being solved, and
attainment of the kind of happiness they seek. If your headline
fails to catch the attention of your prospect, you cannot hope to
capture him with the remaining of the ad, because it will go
unread! So in writing your advertisement for just a little while,
so you must quickly interest him in your offer, show him how he
can get what he wants, and then cause him to send immediately for
your "solution" to his problems. Your copy must exude enthusiasm,
excitement, and a positive attitude. Don't be afraid to use a
hard-sell approach! Say what you feel and believe about your
offer. And use common, "everyday," but correct English.

Even so, you can and must remember to be honest. Don't exaggerate
or make claims you can't back up. Never make promises you cannot
or don't expect, to keep. To do so could get you in trouble with
the Federal Trade and Fair Practices people.

Stress the benefits of your product or service. Explain to your
reader how owning a copy of your book (for instance), or
receiving your services will make his life richer, happier, and
more abundant. Don't get involved in detailing all the money
you've spent developing the product or researching the
information you're selling, or you're selling, or your
credentials for offering it. Stress the "sizzle" and the value of
ownership.

It is important to involve th reader as often as possible through
the use of the word "you." Write your copy just as if you were
speaking to and attempting to sell just ONE person. Don't let
your ad sound as a speaker at a podium addressing a huge stadium
filled with people, but as if there were just one individual
"listening."

And don't try to be overly clever, brilliant or humerus in your
advertising. Keep your copy simple, to the point, and on target
toward selling your prospect the product or service because of
its benefits. In other words, keep it simple, but clear; at all
costs, you don't want to confuse the reader. Just tell him
exactly what he'll get for his money; the benefits he'll receive;
how to go about ordering it. You don't have to get too friendly.
In fact, becoming "folksy," and don't use slang expressions.

In writing an ad, think of yourself as a door-to-door
salesperson. You have to get the attention of the prospect
quickly, interest him in the product you're selling, create a
desire to enjoy its benefits, and you can then close the sale.

Copywriting, whether for a display ad, classified ad, sales
letter or brochure, is a learned skill. It is one anyone can
master with a bit of study, practice, and perhaps some
professional guidance.

Your first move, then, is to study your competition, recognize
how they are selling their wares. Practice rewriting their ads
from a different point of view or from a different sales angle.
Keep a file of ads you've clipped from different publications in
a file of ad writing ideas. But don't copy anyone else's work;
just use the ad material of others to stimulate your own
creativeness.

Some of the "unknown facts" about advertising--and ad writing in
particular--tell us that you cannot ask for more than $3 in a
short classified type ad. Generally speaking, a $5 item will take
at least a one-inch display ad. If you're trying to sell a $10
item, you'll need at least a quarter page--perhaps even a half
page of copy--and $15 to $20 items require a full page. If you
are selling a really big ticket item (costing $50 or more) you'll
need a four-page sales letter, a brochure, separate order coupon,
and return reply envelope.

If you're making offers via direct mail, best to get into the
postal system with it on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, to be sure it
does not arrive on Monday, the first and busiest day of the week.
And again, unless you're promoting a big ticket item, the quality
or color of your paper won't have any great effect on the
response you'll get, but the quality of your PRINTING definitely
will, so bear this in mind when you place your printing order.

One final point to remember: The summer months when people are
most apt to be away on vacation are usually not good months for
direct mail. But they ARE good for opportunity and advertisements
in publications often found in vacation areas, and in motels and
hotels.

Again, it cannot be stresses too much or often: Success in mail
order does, indeed, depend upon advertising, and as with anything
else, quality pays off in the long run. Read this report again;
study it; let it sink in. Then apply the principles outlined in
it. They have worked for others, and THEY CAN WORK FOR YOU!

2010-01-08T09:28:00.011-08:00

HOW TO WRITE PROFITABLE CLASSIFIED ADS

Everybody wants to make more money... In fact, most people would
like to hit upon something that makes them fabulously rich! And
seemingly, one of the easiest roads to the fulfillment of these
dreams of wealth, is mail order or within the professional
circles of the business, direct mail selling...

The only thing is, hardly anyone gives much real thought to the
basic ingredient of selling by mail--the writing of profitable
classified ads. If your mail order business is to succeed, then
you must acquire the expertise of writing classified ads that
sell your product or services!

So what makes a classified ad good or bad? First of all, it must
appeal to the reader, and as such, it must say exactly what you
want it to say. Secondly, it has to say what it says in the least
possible number of words in order to keep your operating costs
within your budget. And thirdly, it has to produce the desired
results whether inquiries or sales.

Grabbing the reader's attention is your first objective. You must
assume the reader is "scanning" the page on which your ad appears
in the company of two or three hundred classified ads. Therefore,
there has to be something about your ad that causes him to stop
scanning and look at yours! So, the first two or three words of
your ad are the utmost importance and deserve your careful
consideration. Most surveys show that words or like this. MAKE
BIG MONEY! Easy & Simple. Guaranteed! Limited offer. Send $1.00

These are the ingredients of any good classified
ad---Attention--Interest--Desire--Action...Without these four
ingredients skillfully integrated into your ad, chances are your
ad will just "lie there" and not do anything but cost you money.
What we've just shown you is the basic classified ad. Although
such an ad could be placed in any leading publication and would
pull a good response, it's known as a "blind ad" and would pull
inquiries and responses from a whole spectrum of people reading
the publication in which it appeared. In other words, from as
many "time wasters" as from bona fide buyers.

So let's try to give you an example of the kind of classified ad
might want to use, say to sell a report such as this one...Using
all the rules of basic advertising copywriting, and saying
exactly what out product is, our ad reads:

   MONEY-MAKER'S SECRETS! How to Write winning
   classified ads. Simple & easy to learn-should
   double or triple your responses. Rush $1 to
   ABC Sales, 10 Main, Anytown, TX 75001.

The point we're making is 1) You've got to grab the reader's
attention...2) You've got to go "further stimulate" him with
something (catch-phrase) that makes him "desire" the product or
service...4) Demand that he act immediately...

There's no point in being tricky or clever. Just adhere to the
basics and your profits will increase accordingly. One of the
best ways of learning to write good classified ad is to study the
classifieds--try to figure out exactly what they're attempting to
sell--and then practice rewriting them according to the rules
we've just given you. Whenever you sit down to write a
classified, always write it all out--and then go back over it,
crossing out words, and refining your phraseology.

The final ingredient of your classified ad is of course, your
name & address to which the reader is to respond--where he's to
send his money or write for further information.

Generally speaking, readers respond more often to ads that
include a name than to those showing just initials or an the
number of words, or the amount of space your ad uses, the use of
some names in classified ads could become quite expensive. If we
were to ask our ad respondents to write to or send their money to
The Research Writers & Publishers Association, or our advertising
costs would be prohibitive. Thus we shorten our name Researchers
or Money-Makers. The point here is to think relative to the
placement costs of your ad, and to shorten excessively long
names.

The same holds true when listing your post office box number.
Shorten it to just plain Box 40, or in the case of a rural
delivery, shorten it to just RR1

The important thing is to know the rules of profitable classified
ad writing, and to follow them. Hold your costs in line.

   Now you know the basics...the rest is up to you.

2010-01-08T09:28:00.009-08:00

HOW TO DEVELOP A WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTOR NETWORK

When you select a product, your choice should be based upon your
knowledge of how and to whom you're going to sell. You may have
the greatest bargain in the world, but it will be of no value to
you if you don't know who's going to buy it, or how you are going
to get the word out about it.

The first rule of achievement of a fortune is to produce or buy
your product for pennies and sell for dollars. So after
preliminary market research to determine who'll buy your product,
the next question to answer is: How munch will the majority of
this market be willing to pay for your product?

For the sake of our discussion, let's say that you've written a
"How TO" manual on how to make $100,000 a year compiling and
selling mailing lists. You check with a number of printers and
get a production cost of $1.50 per book in lots of 1,000. You
figure that with sharp advertising, you can "sell a million" of
these books at $10 per copy, but that advertising will cost you
$1.50 per book. Thus far, the basic cost of your book is $3 per
copy.

Even though you will probably be the one selling most of your
books, you must realize that it will take you an awfully long
time to move out a million copies of this book. It will keep you
busy 25 hours a day, 8 days a week to do it all by yourself. So
the thing to do is recruit as many other people as you can to
help do the selling. This means setting up a dealer distributor
network.

To do this, you must make it worthwhile for other people to sell
your product. You offer a percentage of the sales price to each
book they sell for you. Generally, this is about 50% for each
single copy sold; 60% when purchased in quantity lots of 25 to 99
copies; and 75% when purchased in lots of 100 copies or more. The
important thing is to shave your profits to a minimum when you
have other people doing the work for you.

Let's use, the, our example of a $10 book that costs you $1.50 to
produce in lots of 1,000. For people who buy from you in lots of
100 copies, you could cut your profit to $1 per book, sell it to
them for $2.50 per book, and let them do all the advertising, as
well as the selling. Don't offer more than 50% on single copy
dropship sales, because you'll have to furnish this type of
dealer with selling materials, and continue to do most of the
advertising yourself.

Setting up your distributor program will require advertising and
a sales kit for the sellers. Thus, you should make up a series of
"Dealers Wanted" ads and place them in as many different
publications as you can.

The national "opportunity" magazines are the best place to place
your advertising for dealers. Remember, the ad should be a call
for dealers, distributors and independent extra income seekers.
Do not try to sell your product in this ad. Use it only to enlist
or recruit people to sell for you. Remember too, the more you run
your dealers wanted ad, and the more different publications you
run it in, the more people you'll get to sell your product for
you. The easiest way to go is with "Dealers Wanted"
advertisements in as many worldwide publications as possible.

You'll lose your shirt attempting to recruit sales people via
direct mail, and you'll never make any headway with just a
"Dealers Wanted insert" in each book you sell. If you want sales
people, you must advertise for them.

To actually get these interested opportunity seekers to sell your
product for you, you'll need a dynamic sales letter and seller's
kit to send out in response to the replies to your advertising.
This kind of sales letter is usually four pages in length,
printed on 11 by 17 inch paper, to sell the prospect on the idea
of selling for you, use the amount of space and paper that's
necessary.

If you've written sales letter properly, that's all there is to
it. Some people charge an "up-front" dealer's registration fee.
We don't recommend this, for a number of reasons--mainly because
it immediately eliminates a great many people who might want to
least try to sell the product for you, but are not willing to
"pay" to sell for you.

Some sellers charge $1 to $5 for details and complete dealership
set-up to offset the cost of the initial seller's kit and
postage. This is what we recommend at the start. If you offer
your program for nothing, you'll get as many responses from
curiosity seekers and opportunity collectors as from bona fide
prospects.

If you charge for the dealership set-up, you should include a
sample of your product. For the more elaborate sales kits and
expensive products, most people ask for deposit, which is
refunded after a certain number of sales are made by the dealer.
Any charges more than $5 should not be mentioned in your "Dealers
Wanted" advertisements, but held over and fully explained in your
sales.

This is how you set up a dealer/distributor network: Get other
people to sell your product for you! You can, and should be
prepared from the start, before you place your first dealers
wanted ad, and proceed only as you can afford the advertising
costs from the profits of sales of your product.

It's simple, and it's easy, and, it can make your rich! You had
to have real interest to have ordered this report. We hope that
it has motivated you with the entrepreneurial spirit, and that
you act on it!

2010-01-08T09:28:00.007-08:00

MONEY-MAKER'S SECRETS TO RENTING PROFITABLE MAILING LISTS

As an entrepreneur involved in selling and/or promotion of
something by Direct Mail, you should already know that most
important aspect of your mailing have to do with the sales letter
or circular you send out, and the mailing list you use. With
these thoughts in mind, and assuming you've got what should be an
order-pulling sales letter or circular, let's focus our attention
specifically on the problem of finding mailing lists that produce
profitable orders.

Common sense should tell you that without a good mailing lists,
the time and money you spend for market research, advertising
layout and knowledge relating to the "rules of direct mail," will
just be wasted effort. In other words, unless you get you offer
to the buyers, you might as well save your time and money.

In order to reach your most-likely buyer, you must first
determine who your most-likely buyers are. This is not so hard as
it might appear. Actually, it's just a matter of recognizing that
automotive items will appeal to car-owners, while household
gadgets will sell best to the homemakers.

Regardless of how easy its is, this is the most-often over-looked
part of the beginning entrepreneur's planning. suffice it to say
that if you don't know who you're going to sell a product or
service to, your product or service is going to be pretty hard
for you to sell.

The next thing to really look into, is the competition your
product or service faces. If it has a limited market--not too
many people would stand in line to buy--and you are competing
with virtually the same product as supplies by other
companies--then you're going to have to either come up with a
strong "hidden angle" or else face defeat before you even
begin...

These are the "keys" to success in selling anything via direct
mail--pin-pointing exactly who your buyers are, presenting your
offer to them with an angle not being used by your competition,
and concentrating all your sales efforts only on the most-likely
prospects.

Assuming you "know" who your most-likely buyers are; that you've
got a "winning" sales letter or circular--and, a product or
service these people "will stand in line to buy," then your
problem is to get the message to these people.

Do not think you'll "save some money" by renting or buying
inexpensive mailing lists from advertisers in all those ad sheets
and "mail order" type publications that seem to flood your
mailbox. You'll waste a lot of time, and spend money chasing the
wind with these lists.

These list offered by "mail order" dealers are compiled from ad
sheets, mail order publications, and/or incoming offers received
by the list -seller...These people also compile lists they
use...A lot of them compile their rental lists directly from the
telephone/city directories...And even a few of them work the
"envelope stuffing" scheme to compile their rental lists--They
offer commissions to people who pay to join their envelope
stuffing programs, and then sell or rent the names of the people
who join their program...The people who join the program are
advised to compile lists from any number of sources, send out a
commission circular, and receive a commission for each incoming
order. The names of the buyers are then compiled onto another
list, and sold by promoters of this scheme to some of the larger
list-brokers as bonafide mail order buyers...Any time you rent a
list of 5,000 or more names from mail order type operator, you
can almost certainly count on the lists that's 1) Five or more
years old...2) Filled with names of people who have moved...3)
Going to be dominated with names of other mail order sellers...

Before renting or buying a mailing list from someone, use the
same kind of common sense you use in deciding upon a doctor,
lawyer or auto mechanic. something else to keep in mind--whenever
you rent or buy mailing lists from someone who has or is
advertising for dealers or mailing list brokers, you are going to
end up with a list of names used by many mail order dealers,
generally with the majority of them offering the same products or
services.

The best thing to do is to take a note pad and pencil to your
public library..Ask the librarian to let you look at the Standard
Rate & Data Service Directory pertaining to mailing lists. Within
this voluminous directory, you'll find the names, addresses and
telephone numbers of virtually all the reputable mailing lists
brokers in the country. These brokers explain within the
directory the different lists that are available for rent, what
kind of buyers the lists are made up of, and the date the list
was last cleaned--that is, the last time all the names on the
list were verified relative to the correctness of addresses.

Select a half dozen or so of the list brokers handling the kinds
of lists that are made up of buyers of products or services
similar to yours...Jot those names and addresses down on your
note pad..then go home and call them on the phone...

Tell the list broker about yourself, what you're trying to sell,
how much you're asking for it, and your-long range plans. Almost
all of them will want to see a sample of your mailing piece, and
more often than not, a sample of your product as well. Don't be
afraid to talk to these people--they're in business to help you,
and if they "steer you onto" a list that doesn't make money for
you, they figure you'll not buy from them again, so it's to their
benefit to see that you get the "right" list for your mailing
piece and offer. Most of them are will critique your mailing
piece and offer, making suggestions for improvements when
appropriate, and in general, act as a consultant to see that you
realize a profit thru their services.

Once you and the list broker have decided upon the mailing list
best suited to your offer, he'll generally require you to rent a
minimum of 5,000 names. The going price will range from $35 to
$95 per thousand names. Expensive, maybe...But if you pay $475
for 5,000 prospective buyers, and end up with 1,500 buyers of a
$20 "how-to" manual that you've written and printed at a cost of
50 cents per manual--that would mean a gross of $30,000..minus
$750 for 1,5000 manuals, plus another 60 cents each to send each
of these manuals out via 4th class mail witch would amount to
$1,035. Add these figures together for a total of $1,785 and
subtract this total from $30,000 and you stand a very good chance
of netting $28,000 or more...

So, you see, the important thing is to get your offer to your
most-likely buyers. The only way to do this--the fastest, and
least expensive way--is to work with a reputable mailing list
broker and forget about all that "wheel-spinning" within the
circle of mail-order-type people. Really, so long as you deal
with " mail-order-type" people, small-time dealers and
advertisers--you'll never achieve anything beyond a busy-busy,
hand-to-mouth existence in this business.

The bottom-line reason for most of the entrepreneurial failures
in the mail order business is simply that the beginner tries to
cut corners by using less that the most productive mailing lists
available. Indeed, the years are littered with people from all
walks of life who have had a good product and/or service ideas,
but failed to "get their ideas off the ground." Generally, these
people were trying to "save money" by compiling their own mailing
lists, advertising in "all-seller" type mail order publications,
and/or sending their offers out to "mail-order-type" people found
in the ad sheets or to lists purchased from advertisers in these
publications. In almost every case, the entrepreneur's efforts
along these lines, and based upon a "saving money" philosophy,
has always ended in heartbreak and great financial loss for the
entrepreneur...

YOU CAN SUCCEED, STARTING FROM SCRATCH! But, before you attempt
it--before you "jump in and reach your own mail order fortune,"
be sure you arrange all the odds in your favor..Anything less
than the "rules" stated within this report will surely be a waste
of time, and result in failure...

Remember: Your product has to be something you can buy or produce
in finished form for pennies, and sell for dollars. There has to
be an "eager" market for your product or service. You must
project the most professional of all images of yourself as the
"company" or supplier in all your sales letters, circulars,
advertising and/or dealings with your prospective buyers. And you
must "know" who your buyers are, and then concentrate your
efforts to reach only those people with your offer...

2010-01-08T09:28:00.005-08:00

AN EASY START TO MAIL ORDER!

Listing names of Big Mail Requestors, and sending out packages of
Big Mail is an easy way to get your start in the business of
selling by mail.

There are a number of mail operators pulling in an easy, extra
thousand dollars a month, by what you'd hardly call work--doing
nothing more than receiving money for advertising a list of
people's names interested in receiving Big Mails, and sending out
envelopes stuffed to overflowing with Big Mail.

Regardless of where you live, your age, teenager or senior
citizen, man or woman, there is no reason you can't do the
same---pull in an extra thousand dollars a month, with the same
idea.

Getting started is NOT as easy as turning on a water tap, but
then your initial investment will amount to practically
nothing---And the requirements upon your time shouldn't amount to
more than a few hours a week.

First, let's define the market---Who wants Big Mails, and why
they want it...Big Mails are wanted or should be wanted by just
about every person in business, especially those involved in
selling product via the mails, in order to keep himself abreast
of who is doing what, how they're doing it, the new offers being
made and the newcomers to the business. The reasoning is because
of the time and postage saved by automatically receiving all of
this information, as opposed to writing and mailing letters to
each individual offer you see that arouses your interest, not to
mention the time saved searching thru all the different
publications to discover these things. Some people--the dreamers
and the lonely--like to receive Big Mails simply for the sake of
having mail delivered to them every day. There's no sure way of
determining which of your Big Mail Requestors these people
are--so you just forget about it, and send your Big Mails to
everybody on your list. Besides, the actual number of people in
this category are fewer than you might suspect.

Now, let's define what's inside a Big Mail Package you or your
buyers--Big Mail Requestors--will be receiving in the
mail---Generally, you'll find a least one, but usually several
publications: ad sheets, tabloid mail order newspapers, and an
occasional newsletter. The rest is almost always a collection of
various product advertising circulars. At least two of these
circulars will be from the person sending the package to you in
the first place.

Many, if not most of the beginners in this business, first get
their name listed as a Big Mail Requestor, on as many Big Mails
Wanted list as possible. They then Save the mail they receive and
once a week, every other week, or once a month, they stuff their
accumulated Big Mail into individual envelopes and send it to the
names on their list of people who have paid to be listed as Big
Mail Requestors.

Don't forget---All Big Mail suppliers always include a least a
couple of two-sided circulars of their own. These are usually
Commission Circulars--product advertising circulars, sometimes
provided by a prime source or distributor with a blank space on
the reply coupon for the dealer doing the mailing to rubber stamp
his business name and address. More often than not, the
distributor furnishes the dealer with "camera ready" copies of
circulars to use. The dealer takes these circularss to a quick
print shop, and has several thousand copies made up with his
business name and address imprinted on each circular.

Everytime you send out a package of Big Mail, always include two
advertising circulars of your own--circulars that may interest
the recipient and cause him or her to send to you for the product
or service offered.

These can be commission--dropship--products that you have
devised, produced and are selling.

Incidentally, the best way to go with commission circulars is to
ask for or get a camera-ready copy of the original, and have a
large quantity of them printed locally with your name in place of
the supplier. This will save you hours of very boring work
entailed in rubber stamping your name on several thousand
circulars. If for whatever reason it's too expensive to get your
circulars printed locally, then check around for a printer who
does business by mail, and will make your circulars for you with
your name and address on the ordering coupon. Also it will almost
always pay for you to have the printer fold your circulars for
you before he ships them to you, he can do it all in about an
hour, while it could take you a couple of days to a week or
longer to fold 5,000 circulars yourself.

You can include as many product circulars in your package of Big
Mail as you want, but..It's been proven time and time again that
three very good--outstanding--circulars related to the same idea,
bring back more responses than envelope overflowing with
circulars. What I'm saying is that a circular inviting the
recipient to send for Book #317, " How To Make Money Writing &
Selling Simple Information", plus a circular on Book #365"
$50,000 a Year from Mail Order Ads",will pull far more inquires
than 10 or 12 different circulars inviting the recipient to send
for a mixture of related items.

The reason is quite simple---After about 3 circulars you begin to
overwhelm the recipient with opportunities. In reality, he'd like
all of the books you're offering but he only wants to spend so
much and therefore he's faced with a decision of which ones to
send for---and more often than not, he ends up not sending for
any of them.

Including as mini-catalog listing of your offerings is quite
different, and generally acceptable to most people receiving big
mail packages, or product advertising in the mail. Generally,
this is regarded as not so much loose paper and something they
can hang on to for a while and maybe order from, much the same as
they order from Wards or Sears Catalog.

When you've got your name listed on a number of lists as Big Mail
Requestor, ad after you've got a steady supply of this kind of
mail coming to you, start placing ads of your own in some larger
circulation ad sheets and other mail order publications as a Big
Mail Supplier. For ideas on ads to use, glance thru any mail
order publication and come up with one you think will bring the
most replies.

Now you're on your way with the basic plan and "know-how" for a
fast start as a Big Mail Supplier.

In order to expand your big mail operations into a real
money-making business, compile a list of magazines, newsletters,
mail order tabloids and ad sheets.Then draft a letter to these
publishers, advising them that you supply them with several
hundred prospective subscribers each month. Explain that your
prospects come from responses to national advertising, which you
run at no cost to them, the publishers...Go on to explain that
your national advertising offers Free Trail Subscriptions to the
nation's leading money-making publications, and that you feel
your list will be incomplete without his publication...

Sweeten the pot further by detailing how you'll be sending the
names and addresses of these fresh prospects on peel 'n stick
labels---that these mailing lists will belong to him on
receipt---and that you encourage him to copy them for follow up
mailings...

You charge each of these publishers $100 a year for this service,
and even when you have 100-150 signed, keep looking for and
attempting to sign more publishers. Don't ever stop soliciting
publishers, and go after the biggest as well as the very smallest
of them...

With a number of accounts signed and paid, you place an ad such
as the following, in several national publications:

FILL YOU MAILBOX WITH OPPORTUNITY! World's leading Money Making
publications! Free trail subscriptions! $2 for processing to (
your name and address).

When the responses to your ads come in, type the names and
addresses onto "master" sheets or put them into your computer
system as respondents to your advertising. Sometime around the
15th of each month, copy your masters onto the number of customer
sheets of labels you need, and send them out. You bank the money
from your advertising respondents.

One hundred publishers time $100 each means $10,000 per year...
A minim of 200 Respondents to your advertising each month means
another $4,800 per year...And then, by contracting with a
reputable list broker such as Group One Communications, 2321 NE
Dixie Highway, Jensen Beach, Fl 33457---to handle the rental of
the "Hot" names you accumulate each month, you should be able to
double or triple these figures...And $30,000 income your first
year in the Big Mail business is nothing to "cry about" at all!!!

Meanwhile you've got all these new prospects, to whom you can
send your own sales materials...You can also expand your services
and become a subscription agency, a publications distributor, or
even a mail order publications Advertising Agency...

You could compile, publish and sell directories of newsletters,
tabloids and ad sheets...Directories of Mail Order
Associations...Mailing lists of people wanting Big Mails...or
mailing lists of people want Commission Circulars.

2010-01-08T09:28:00.003-08:00

HOW TO WRITE MONEY-MAKING "HOW-TO' REPORTS

This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order business - the
basic "How To" Report. It's something anyone can produce, and
with all the proper ingredients at the right time, you can
become independently wealthy! The hard part, of course, is
getting all the proper ingredients at the right time.

Your basic "Money Making report" is usually two pages in length,
sells for $3, and outlines instructions, details, or a "How-To
Method" for solving a problem: making more money, saving money,
attaining greater happiness, or fulfilling an ambition or desire.

One of the most successful reports was and still is, a short
report on "How To Keep Moles Out Of Your Yard", by one of the
deans of self-publishing, Jerry Buchanan. Another of the most
successful and biggest money-makers ever written, had to do with
the many different ways to prepare and serve hamburger. Simple,
basic, grass roots kind of information is what we're talking
about.

Any man, woman or child can write a saleable report on any
subject - providing he or she has knowledge of that subject
through personal experience, research, or both. A lot of women
write successful money-making reports based upon better ways of
solving household problems. And a lot of men write successful
money-making reports on how to get greater pleasure from
leisure time activities such as fishing, woodworking or other
hobbies. The list of subjects one can write about is endless,
and reports on how to make more money easier and faster are no
more limited to male authors than expertise in cooking is
limited to female authors.

Writing your report is easy and quite simple. However, it does
take longer, and requires more sweat, blood and anguish for some
people to produce a "finished" product than it does others, even
if they are equally intelligent and knowledgeable.

The best advice anyone can give you on how to write a
money-making report is to advise you to write as though you were
talking to someone - as though you were instructing your next
door neighbor via the telephone on the subject at hand. I use
the word telephone here to point out that regardless of how much
you wave your arms, point your finger, or even draw pictures,
you aren't getting the message across, and your neighbor won't
"see" what you're talking about until you tell him in the kind
of language he can understand.

Write in a style similar to the book reports you used to give
when you were in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Do you remember
the "theme papers" you used to have to research, outline and
write for term finals? You got a good grade if you presented
your material in a straightforward style, had the facts, an
didn't pad out your paper.

Be factual, and be clear. Know your reader and use the kind of
language he expects you to use. This does not mean that you
should drop to the level of military barracks talk or that you
should elevate yourself to the level of a pseudo Rhodes Scholar.
It just means that in writing the basic "How-To" report, you
should bear in mind that these reports serve as personal
one-to-one consultations between you and your reader, and that
your language should establish a rapport he can feel. Outline
what you want to say before you write it. This helps; in fact
I very definitely recommend it. Many writers "think" as they're
typing or writing what they want to say, myself included. But
believe me, everything flows smoother, with a lot less rewrite
involved, and the finished product is always much better when
you've outlined what you want to say before you start.

When doing business by mail, these Money-Making "How-To" reports
we've been talking about are known by many names: folio,
booklet, pamphlet, guide, or even Personal Success Plan. In
reality, these reports are written guidelines that give the
reader more information on a subject he wants to know more about.

Money Making reports have been, and can still be written to show
other people how to start, develop, enjoy or expand a hobby;
how to learn and develop new or greater abilities; how to
start, develop and operate a new business, or even expand a
current one; how to develop and prepare for a new career; how
to make more money; how to save money, better one's standard of
living and have more time for leisure; how to solve personal
problems and enjoy life more; how to attain success in any
endeavor.

You'll find that the better selling reports are well researched,
authoritative, factual and helpful to the reader in the
achievement of his goals. Your report can be put together and
sold as anything from a two-page typewritten paper to a
multipage typeset and professionally bound book. an important
point to remember here is that the people who are going to buy
your report are going to be interested in the information it
contains - not how long it took you to put it together, the
reason you wrote it, or the number of pages you've written - so
long as it contains the information he wants.

Picking a subject to write about - one that has sales appeal and
that will sell well for you - is not as hard as it sounds. The
best rule to follow is to write only about something you already
know a great deal about. With this advice in mind, it will
follow that your best writing will be about those subjects that
particularly interest you. And remember, the more you are
involved or interested in the subject, the easier it will be for
you to write about that subject in a manner that will hold your
reader's interest. Your knowledge and enthusiasm will show
through - causing your reader to overlook any technical writing
weaknesses.

How do you determine the subject that's best for you to use for
your first report? Channel your thinking along these lines: If
you love to fish, you could probably put together a money-making
report on "How To Catch The Big Ones". If you love to sew, you
could probably write a report on "Tips for Beautiful Sewing".
If you have experience in advertising, you could write a report
on "How To Write An Ad For Best Results"; experience in
printing, a report on "How to Prepare Copy and Layout for Best
Printing Results"; experience in business, a report on "Better
Business Operating Techniques".

It's worth repeating: Whatever you write about, make it
something you know about, and are especially interested in. Art
Fettig writes about motivation and ideas for selling because he
has spent many years doing just that - motivating people toward
larger sales volume and "brainstorming" new ideas for more
sales. Doug Hooper writes about the power of positive thinking
because he has practice it and believes in it; it works for him
and he knows it can work for you. Paul J. Micali writes about
the techniques of closing more sales. He has spent all his life
teaching people to become better sales people, and he never
tires of talking about how easy and rewarding selling is with
the proper thinking and approaches. Maryanne Raphael writes for
all of us about the many and different writers' markets open and
available to freelance writers, because she has spent many years
searching and learning all about these markets as a freelance
writer. Whenever we talk with her, she's always "neck-deep"
with assignments from countless publications. She knows the
problems of the freelance writer, and she passes along
information of great value because she's been there. Dottie
Walters writes about the opportunities for women in business
because she's been "down to her last dime", started a business
on sheer determination alone, and knows the tremendous potential
of women in the business world. Today, she is one of the most
sought-after women in this country as an inspirational speaker
for women's groups. She gets paid for speaking before these
groups, and sells thousands of dollars worth of books at these
engagements besides! I could go on and on - naming friends and
telling you how they have taken a subject they were interested
in, found out everything about it they could, and parlayed it
into a fortune by starting with the writing of a "How-To"
report. Rather than go on with these stories of how others have
done it, and are doing it, let's get on with the task of showing
you how you can write your own "How-To" report and parlay it
into a personal wealth vehicle of your own!

Once you've decided on the subject you're going to write about,
the next step is thorough research. Visit your public library
and "bone up" on your subject. Read as much about it as you can
find - newspapers, magazines, books - everything! Start
collecting clippings, talk to your neighbors, your friends and
relatives, and take notes on all information you gather from
reading and personal discussion.

When you've spent a good six weeks intensively researching your
subject, gathering notes and discussing it as often as you can
with as many different people as possible, you should be ready
for the next step - the sorting, compiling and assembly of your
notes. Simply read through all the notes and clippings you have
accumulated, discarding those that are repetitious, and
organizing those you're going to use according to your "subject
coverage" outline. Don't let the outline part of your project
become an obstacle. An outline is simply listing the order in
which you want to write about or discuss each aspect of your
subject.

Everything that's written should have a natural beginning, a
body and an ending. When you outline your subject, and your
"subject coverage", which can be likened to a table of contents,
you'll find it easier to say what you want to say. You'll be
ABLE to say everything you want to say. You won't have to worry
about forgetting or leaving out an important point you want to
make. The coverage of your subject will be more complete, and
your writing will be much smoother.

Once you've completed your research, organized your notes, and
have your "subject coverage" outline set, you're ready to write
the money-making report that just might make you rich!

Start writing, and write as though you were talking to someone,
because writing, after everything has been analyzed, taken
apart, studied, improved upon, and put back together, is still
nothing more or less than a written conversation between two
people. Write your how-to report as though you were instructing
a high school graduate in how to do something his first day on
the job.

It makes no difference whether you write it all out longhand or
pound away at a typewriter. Just get it all written! Once
you've got your material organized, start writing and don't stop
until you're finished!

When you have finished, be proud of yourself! Take a break, go
out to dinner, enjoy a night on the town! In other words, put
this first draft of your report aside for a few days and allow
your brain, your body, and your creative juices to rejuvenate
themselves.

After a couple of days off, take up your report and go through
it with a sharp pencil, just as you imagine an editor would do.
Strike out, rewrite and polish each paragraph for clarity,
accuracy and flow.

This is the time to make sure that what you've written is easy
to read, easy to understand, and each sentence follows the one
before it just as surely as spring follows winter. The smoother
the conversation or the writing of your report flows, the easier
it'll be to read, and the easier it is to read, the more copies
you will sell.

Now you have a money-making report that has the potential of
making a great deal of money for you. If you are a good typist,
go ahead and type it out in finished form. If you're not a
typist, you can have it typed by someone who is, or even have it
typeset for a small fee.

2010-01-08T09:28:00.001-08:00

HOW TO START & OPERATE A SUCCESSFUL CO-OP MAILING SERVICE

Aside from advertising, the biggest expense involved in mail order business is postage. This means that virtually everyone involved in mail order is on the look-out for ways to save money getting their sales offers out to prospects. The answer is co-op mailings.

Here's how a typical co-op mailing service works: A person with something to sell via mail sees an advertisement inviting him or her to send their circulars or brochures to co-op mailing service. The co-op mailing service receives these circulars or brochures and hires housewives or handicapped people to fold and stuff them into envelopes and then mails them. For this service, they charge anywhere from $10 to $100 per thousand--and it's a good deal to the mailer.

Now, quite naturally the co-op mailer can do this and make any money unless he's got a number of circulars or brochures from several customers in each envelope he sends out. And that's precisely how he makes his money--by including 10 to 16 such circulars in each envelope. Look at it from a mathematical point of view; Say he charges 12 people $50 per thousand to fold and stuff their circulars in his own outgoing mail. Twelve times 50 dollars comes out to 600 dollars--he uses his own mailing lists, so there's no big expense involved there--but he does have to pay for people to fold and stuff envelopes unless he's got it organized where he and his family do this...The going rate of people to fold and stuff circulars is about $20 per thousand...And to bulk rate 1,000 envelopes is going to cost $110...Add to that about $12 1,000 envelopes and you've got a total overhead of $142...Subtract that amount from $600 he took in, and you have him realizing a profit of $458...Not bad for mailing...

The best thing of all about starting and operating a co-op mailing service is that you can include your own circulars or brochures with each envelope you send out. You stuff circulars or brochures from 12 different paying customers, and at the same time, include at least two of your own.

So how do you get started in such an easy and highly profitable business...

The simplest way is to have and advertising coupon-- 3 1/2 by 6 inches--made up and include one with everything you mail out.

Another sure-fire method of pulling in orders is to turn a simple classified ad in as many of the national coverage mail order publications as you can afford. Such an ad look like this:

   CO-OP MAILING! Best customers in
   the country. Just $50 per thousand-
   you supply the circulars--we mail!
   Excello Mailing Services, Po 99
   Washington, DC 20001

A couple of things you should do in order to handle the orders you'll be getting...Be sure to have a number of people lined up/available to do the folding and stuffing of envelopes for you--and also, be sure to get yourself a bulk rate postage permit.

With those details out of the way, all you really have to do when the orders come in is drop off the circulars to be folded and stuffed into envelopes, with the envelopes, your return address can be rubber stamped on the envelopes as they are applying the mailing address labels as well as your bulk rate mail permit indicia, and you're on your way.

By including a co-op mail advertising coupon with each piece of mail that you send out, plus regular advertising in most of the mail order publication, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how fast your profits will grow. Once you get organized and have all the bugs worked out of your system, you might also want to expand your business to include your local area.

To do this, you either call on your local area businesses and professional people, or else hire commission sales people to do the selling for you. Most small businesses are interested in sending out regular sale flyers or catalogs, so you or your sales people simply call upon these people and offer to do the job for the.

Contact with a good printer in your area will also be to your benefit. You can offer to have the circulars printed--you collect a commission from the printer, and make a bundle of profits with your mailing services.

If you sign just 5 different stores in 5 different shopping centers, you could really be rolling in money within just a very short period of time. $50 per thousand--times 5 stores--you have $250. And when you multiply that times 5 different shopping centers, you're talking about $1,250. Then if you get all of these people to go with your services on a regular basis--say once a month, you've got yourself a very respectable monthly income that will certainly keep you from the Poor House...

Whenever you send out mail, you should always include your co-op mail advertising coupon, plus at least two advertising circulars of your own. By doing this, you'll continue to pull in more business for your mailing services, and at the same time make money from whatever you're selling on your advertising circulars.

Finally, as with any business you might be thinking of starting, the business should be primarily something to keep you busy and pay your bills. Any business that your start should be "vehicle" to eventually make you rich. Thus, you'll have to know about the business, but just as soon as you can afford it, you should hire other people to do the work. In other words, with this particular business Don't involve yourself and commit your time to the folding and stuffing. Hire other people to do this work for you while you work on the expansion of the business by calling on local people that can use your services. At the same time, it would be wise to hire a number of commission sales people--the more people you have calling on prospects, the more money you're going to make and the faster your business will grow. Actually, and dependent on your energies, there's no reason why a co-op mailing business can't bring in $100,000 a year or more. The opportunity is available in almost every city and hamlet in the country. We've told you how it can be done, and the rest is up to you!

THE END.

2010-01-08T09:27:00.013-08:00

BIG MONEY WITH FOLIOS

One of the easiest, if not the easiest, ways of getting started
with a profitable mail order business of your own is through the
promotion and sale of money-making folios or reports.

Generally, the beginner purchases a series of these
reports-complete with reproduction rights. He reproduces them in
whatever quantity and as often as he likes-usually at a cost of
less than 5 cents each, sends out an advertising circular.

As has been said so many times in countless mail order advice
publications, you never really make any real money until you
control the product. When you buy the reproduction rights to a
set of reports, you control the product. You can advertise the
sale of these reports individually via national classified ads,
and follow up with your advertising circular as a "full page"
advertisement or send it out as part of your direct mail
packages. The bottom line is simply that when the orders come in,
you keep all the money for yourself, reproduce the reports for
pennies and end up with a profit that's beyond the belief of
other people in other types of businesses.

It's virtually impossible to convince most people that you can
make a profit of at least $1.00 per sheet of paper, but it's
being done every day of the week, and is actually the easiest way
there is of making money! Give it a try yourself, and you'll
probably be flabbergasted too.

The best part of getting started with these folios is that you'll
have an opportunity to see how they're written, precisely what
kind of information they contain, and from there, the background
you'll need to start writing similar folios and reports of your
own.

Let's say you send for the group of reports on the many ways of
making money in various small businesses. Just as soon as you get
them, read them over carefully. Make sure you understand and
fully comprehend the information and instructions in each report
because any one of them-all of them-are very definitely
problem-solving reports that can aid you in your own quest for
success. Jot down a few notes relative to those you want to use,
and/or pertinent information you might want to incorporate into a
report of your own-one that you write yourself and not only set
the selling price on, but also who or how people sell it.

The next thing is to take this series of reports to some of the
print shops in your area and ask them for a bid on their costs to
print up an inventory supply for you. When you finally find a
shop that'll print them at a cost that's agreeable to you, have a
supply printed up. After they're printed, be sure to separate
your originals or masters from the supply you're going to be
selling. It's best to keep these master copies in a file cabinet
or someplace completely removed or separate from where you store
your inventory.

You're just about ready to start raking in the big money-but
first-you have to get the word out that you've got these reports
ready, and for sale to anyone that wants to buy a copy. We
suggest that you select one of the reports you fell will interest
the most people-Such a report might be "How to Get Big $$$....."

Make up a simple classified ad: FREE REPORT!
"How to Get Big $$ in Your Mailbox--Everyday! Send SASE to CASH,
Box 123, Anywhere USA 01020. Place this ad in as many of the
national coverage mail order publications as you can afford to
advertise in, and then hang on for a deluge of orders.

With each order, simply take a copy of this report and include it
with a copy of your advertising flyer listing all of your other
reports---with your name/address in place ours, of course-and
send it back to them in the self-addressed, stamped envelope that
they sent you. In most cases, you'll find that about half of
those people who have sent in for a copy of the free report, will
turn around and send you $15 for the complete set with
reproduction rights.

Simple-easy-and with a profit potential in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars because you'll find that every one of these
reports will sell for years and years to come!

As mentioned earlier, you should study the reports you buy and
from them, eventually write your own reports, making up your own
advertising circulars, and not only set your own selling price,
but control the number of people selling them. Writing and
selling simple "business success" reports is how most of the
"biggies" in mail order got their start-it's the bread and butter
of most mail order businesses-and the only right way to go if
you're trying to make it with a minimum investment.

GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY:

Send for your FREE listing of the many "How To" reports that you
can purchase and reproduce for pennies and sell for dollars.
Infopreneur Box 96, Purdy, MO 65734-0096.

2010-01-08T09:27:00.011-08:00

SUPER PROFITABLE NEW TECHNIQUES FOR SELLING BOOKS BY MAIL

  The total number of books sold by small, part-time mail order
entrepreneurs is growing each year. Total sales each year for the
past five years have increased by almost 30-percent over the
previous year's sales.

  Two "new angles" have greatly contributed to this phenomenal
growth in total sales.

  One is the practice of offering a wide selection of books via
"mini-catalogs" The other "angle" is the practice of sending
these "min-catalogs" to prospective buyers as "inserts" in
printed materials the prospect has already ordered.

  Mini-catalogs are usually printed on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of
paper, then folded in half along the length, and simply slipped
inside the covers of a magazine or the folds of a newspaper.
Often-times, a mini-catalog is folded and sent out as a
self-mailer. Both of these methods of obtaining circulation are
very profitable.

  A book-selling "mini-catalog" is made up of a "full-page
commercial" on the front page. This is your main sales thrust, or
primary attempt to sell a "featured" book with ease of your
mailings. The second, third, and half of the last page of the
min-catalog should be two columns of listings of other books you
have to offer.

  Each listing should consist of the title of the book offered,
followed by a short description of either the book itself, or how
the book can benefit the buyer. This is then followed by the
catalog number of the book, and the price.

  The bottom half of the page of your min-catalog should be
devoted to your customer order coupon. The "mini-catalog" should
be typeset, and printed on a different color of paper for each
mailing. Recent sales results indicate that the better quality
paper your mini-catalog is printed on, the more sales it brings
in for you.

  Two major publishers who are currently supplying ready-made
catalogs for your use in generating business are;

  PREMIER PUBLISHERS of Forth Worth, TX, and WILSHIRE BOOKS of N.
Hollywood, Ca.

  Write to them on your letterhead, and ask for samples of their
promotional material.

  Once you've got a mini-catalog with which to advertise your
books, you must bring all your efforts to bear on the problem of
obtaining maximum circulation of your mini-catalog among the
prospective book buyers.

  The easiest and least expensive method is as follows: Check at
your newspaper offices for a listing of all their distributors
and/or route carriers. Contact these people and ask them to give
you a price they would charge to include one of your
mini-catalogs with each paper they sell or deliver. Determine how
many "min-catalogs" you'll need for this kind of distributors,
have that number of min-catalogs printed, hand them out to your
contracted distributors and newspaper carriers; then sit back and
prepare to fill book orders. It's simple and easy, but best of
all it really results in big profits for your book-selling
business!

  Another simple method would be to line up students from
different junior high schools in your area, and pay them each $10
per thousand to deliver your min-catalogs door-to-door. If you
have junior high school age children, this could be the easiest
and least expensive method of distribution for you.

  Major cities also have professional distributing services which
deliver advertising material to the residents. Check your local
phone directory for their names and addresses.

  The orders which you develop through the local distribution
method can be filled by mail.

  To expand your market beyond the local area, you need to
solicit the business by mail. Several excellent books are
available on developing sales by mail. A few are listed here.
Order from the distributor who supplied this report to you.

#366 FORTUNES WITH BOOKS MANUAL, BY LEE HOWARD...$7.95
#360 FREE ADVERTISING FOR MAIL ORDER DEALERS....$10.00
#365 &50,000 A YEAR FROM MAIL ORDER ADS.........$10.00

THE END OF THIS REPORT

2010-01-08T09:27:00.009-08:00

HOW TO GET BIG DOLLARS IN YOUR MAILBOX-EVERY DAY!

No other business venture seems so inviting, or attracts so many
people than that of selling via mail order. On the surface, it
appears to be an easier and faster way to become rich than almost
any other method of doing business. All the people in the world
are your potential customers; you work from the privacy and
comfort of your own home; you set your own working hours; and you
answer to no one but yourself.

Ideally, you should have a product of your own--something you can
produce at very low cost, and sell at top price. If you are
buying something, advertising and reselling it, in order to
realize a profit, you have to mark it up at least 500%. This is
not an unreasonable mark-up for mail order sales.

Your product has to have mass appeal, and it has to be something
not readily available to your prospective customers except
through you. The product should be such that you "carry an
inventory" without worry of spoilage, aging or other damage. It
should be something you can send through the mail--deliver to
your customer--for next to nothing in relation to your selling
price.

The best money-making product of all is a "How-TO" report such as
this one. You don't have to be a literary genius, or even an
experienced writer to write one of these reports. In fact, the
easiest way is to buy a set of these reports--read them each
over, set it aside and write a similar one with more elaboration
or from a different point of view. Give your report a
commercially appealing title, set a price for it, advertise it
widely in a number of nationally circulated mail order
publications, and you could have something that will continue to
bring in money for you for many years to come.

The absolute best money-maker of them all is a report you've
found a great need for, researched thoroughly, and written from
scratch. Discovering these needs is not that difficult a task.

If you don't have the time to write and market one of these
reports, or just cannot produce one for whatever reason, the next
thing is to purchase a set of these reports with reproduction
rights. Here, you can have a number, reprinted for as little as
one or two cents each, and sell them for one to five dollars
each. The only problem with that approach is that after a year,
nearly everyone in mail order will have a copy of these reports,
and will be trying just as hard as you are to sell them.

Now, if you have bought the reproduction rights to the reports,
you simply rewrite them, put new titles on them, make up a new
advertising circular, and send them out as new reports each year.
There are a number of mail order self-help reports that have been
making the rounds for the past 25 years in just this manner.

Just because you haven't got the time or the tools to write one
of these reports is no reason for not producing one. If you have
an idea or the background material, and the confidence that such
a report will sell--get in touch with someone who specializes in
this kind of writing.., and have them put the finished product
together for you. Generally, the fees will run to $100 per page.
But this is an "incidental fee" indeed, if you come up with
something that has the potential of bringing in several thousand
dollars per year for the next ten years or so. Remember, once you
have it together and written, you just continue making copies of
your original and filling prepaid cash orders for as long as you
wish to stay in business.

You should also have advertising circulars, a catalog or a
"follow-up" offer for every order you get. Many people make the
mistake of "sending their whole store" in response to every
inquiry. When you receive an inquiry to your advertising, you
should have a prepared sales letter describing the item you're
advertising, and perhaps a circular listing in catalog style some
of the other products that tie in with the product of your sales
letter. This is known as the "Featured Selection Plus Alternates"
approach.

When you receive an order for the product you've been advertising
or featuring in your direct mail efforts, include one of your
product catalogs in the package with the customer's order. The
most effective practice is to include an advertising circular or
brochure of a leader item or special-of-the-month, and your
catalog. The main thing NOT to do is include more than a couple
of separate "featured selection" circulars. Keep your eyes on how
the big mail order houses do it, and duplicate their operating
plan within your own means.

The important point to remember here is to be sure to include
something different--something new--something your customer has
not seen or been offered a chance to buy--with each contact you
make with him. Once you've broken the ice and got him spending
money with you, continue showing him products of a related nature
that should stimulate his appetite for greater success. For sure,
he'll never be more in mood to buy from you than when he receives
something he has ordered. So every time you fill and send out an
order to a buyer, include an opportunity for him to buy even more
from you.

You can make a very comfortable income, but you'll never get rich
so long as you're having your orders dropshipped for you. Having
a connection with a prime source that will dropship orders for
you is one of the surest and best ways to "learn" the business of
selling by mail--but if you really want to make it big, you'll
use dropshipping sources for learning, and to back up your
primary product with follow-up offers.

If you don't have a primary product of your own, the next best
thing is to buy in quantity lots at wholesale prices. A word of
caution here, though: do not buy a quantity supply of anything
until you've seen a sample of the product and thoroughly tested
the saleability of that product.

Too often, the beginner is sold a quantity of a certain product
at so-called wholesale prices, only to find that after he had
spent his capital he either doesn't want to put forth the effort
and time to sell that particular product, or that he can't "give
it away," let alone sell it. Suppliers who operate for you
orders, generally derive most of their income from the sale of
these initial "required" inventories. Always investigate and
check out the saleability before you buy anything more than just
a single sample.

Selling your reports depends on your advertising. You have to get
the word out that you have "money-making information" available
for sale. Start out small by using short classified type ads.
Look at how the established mail order report sellers are doing
it, and copy their methods. Do not copy their ads--instead, use
them as idea stimulators for your own original copy. Place an ad
in one of the largest circulation publications you can find, then
use the money that comes in from the first ad to place similar
ads in three or four other publications.

One of the insider secrets of the mail order business is in
multiplying your advertising exposure. This means simply that you
start with an ad in one publication, and from there, expand your
exposure by advertising in more publications. Be patient, and
wait for the returns from your current ads, then use that money
to increase the number of people who will have a chance to see
your ad. It's as simple as that, and it works every time. Try it
and see for yourself.

All of this means as you are getting started with a new mail
order business, you have to reinvest all your business income
back into the business. To do otherwise is a straight line to
business failure.

2010-01-08T09:27:00.007-08:00

   THE EASIEST MOST PROFITABLE MAIL ORDER
   BUSINESS OF THEM ALL

  To be rich--to have an endless supply of money for anything and
everything--is the goal of almost every man, woman and child in
the world. More specifically, the people who don't have but would
like to have money enough for everything they've always wanted,
are continually searching for some "secret combination" that will
open the doors to unlimited wealth for them..

  Sooner or later, these people all turn to mail order selling
and, one way or another, give it a try as a pathway to the
fulfillment of all of their dreams. And, why not..

  They are constantly bombarded with "fabulous get rich quick"
opportunity offers in their mail boxes. In just about every
magazine they look at, full page advertisements promising UTOPIA,
Just for clipping and sending in the attached coupon, jump out at
them.

  Each and every one of these opportunity offers seems to promise
complete fulfillment of the readers "needs, wants and desires."
They all make it sound as if all one has to do is sign up--send
in a small fee--get the details--an explanation of the plan--an
almost immediately, their mail boxes will begin to overflow with
letters containing cash, checks and money orders. No big
investment--no business knowledge--and no work required..

  My friend, all this is "advertising hype" designed to "lead the
reader into seeing and tasting" the fulfillment of all his
dreams. He's so overwhelmed by "the solution to his wants"
offered by the advertisement, and he reads "only what he wants to
read" in these opportunity offers. That's "Top-of-the-line"
copywriting, and worth it's weight in gold!

  Disregarding the obvious "chain letter and envelope stuffing
schemes," these opportunity offers for "riches beyond your
wildest dreams," gives one of two money-making plans.

  The first is some sort of "book of knowledge" written by
someone on typing ability but generally sadly lacking in the
experience of "having done it himself," and/or the ambition to
get away from his typewriter long enough to "make his own mint"
using the plan he's advising you to follow.

  These writers tell you to "knock out" a how-to report about
something that you're an expert on--to run a low-cost classified
ad offering it for sale in a national publication--and then sit
back and let the money roll in..The thing is, what does a
shipping clerk, and engine lathe operator, or retail sales clerk
know that other people will pay money to learn?

   Even if one of these people were to come up with a saleable
how-to report, where are they going to get "expertise" to write a
real order-pulling ad, and which national publication is the
"right one" for him to advertise in...The truth of the matter is
that very few, if any--shipping clerks, engine lathe operators,
or retail clerks--know the first thing about writing how-to
reports, composing classified ads, or placing advertising in
national publications...

  In fact, the very idea of undertaking such necessities to
successful mail order selling--at the risk of losing a lot of
"hard-earned" money--is so frightening to so many people that
they never get beyond this part of the instruction sheet. And
most of those that do rely upon what they "think" they know about
writing how-to reports composing classified ads, and placing
advertising in national publication--would be much better off,
and receive a lot more value for their money, by spending it at
the neighborhood church or community center.

  The other kind of money making plan these "dream fulfillment"
advertisements offer is a Super Profitable Mail Order Dealership
of your own..

  You buy the book that explains all the procedures for making
millions via mail order...Included with your "book of knowledge,"
is a camera ready circular advertising this book--the same one
you sent for to make YOU rich--and a dealership instruction
sheet.

  This beautiful piece of sales copy explains how everyone in all
parts of the world is just waiting for the chance to buy a copy
of this book--after all-- you were eager to buy it, weren't you?
Thus, the instruction sheet goes on to explain, all you've got to
do is either order a supply of these circulars--at inflated
printing costs--or better yet, take the camera ready copy to your
near-by "quick-print" shop and have it reprinted with your
name/address on the order coupon. From there, you simply send
these circulars to waiting buyers, deduct 50% from each order you
receive--this is your gross income--forward the customer's name,
order and remaining 50% of the sales price on to the people you
bought your book from, and you're supposedly, home free!

  Two very important factors of this plan must be considered
before anticipating any income..Profits have be weighted against
your costs of making each sale..But even before these factors can
be considered however, the prospective seller must be sure of the
"mass appeal" of the product he's about to offer, and precisely
his "available prospective customers." In other words, and in
case of a report or book, it's the "appeal of the title" and the
mailing list or number of opportunity buyers he can present his
offer to..These are the bottom-line factors that will decide
whether or not your efforts result in your pockets being filled
with profits or monthly payments and debt...

  Assuming you've understood the theme of our discussion thus
far, you're probably thinking that "supply the needs of the mail
order sellers" is where all the big money is being made in mail
order. And, if this is the trend of your thinking, you're
absolutely right! It always has been, and it always will be your
bigger profit maker...

  Thus, the easiest and most profitable mail order business is
supplying mail order sellers with mailing lists--the names and
addresses of people looking for money-making opportunities...

  Unless a mail order seller has ready and dependable source of
fresh prospects--names and addresses--to send his offers to, his
business will soon wither and die. Every mail order seller in the
country needs constant supply of new names/addresses for his
business to grow and his profits to build. The need for, and the
demand for prospective mail order buyers is glutinous and
unlimited! All you have to do is organize your ability to supply
this need, and then turn contact mail order operators with your
program to supply them with new prospects.

  You start with a basic supply of 10,000 names--we offer you a
basic supply of 10,000 names on plain paper masters, all set to
copy onto your own labels as often, and whenever quantities your
buyers request--for just $1.00...these are names and addresses of
our own customers--people who have spent anywhere form $2 to $850
for money-making reports, manuals and programs that we
offer...After more than 20 very successful years in business,
we've found that the more often a mailing list is used, the more
money the people that mailing list spend..

  We run our own mailing list subscription service which brought
in more than $65,000 for us last year. Here's how we operate our
service, and recommend that you consider duplicating...

  Each week, we send out sales letters offering our Mailing List
Subscription to mail order entrepreneurs across the country.
Basically, we're offering to supply them with a 100 names of our
buyers within the past week, on peel and stick labels, for $5 or
10- week subscription period $50.. 200 names for $9 or $90 for a
10-week subscription...300 names for $12 or 300 per week over a
10-week subscription for just $120...

  Operationally, our girls type the names and addresses of our
customers from incoming orders onto "label masters" as they are
received...On Friday afternoons, these girls then photo-copy
these masters onto sheets of labels for our mailing list
subscribers, with never more than 12-subscribers receiving any
part of, or the same thousand names...

  We generate orders--get our names--thou a number of different
methods. By far, most of the names come from the advertisement
below, which is run on a regular basis in a number of national
publications...

   FREE! All-new home-based money-making opportunity! Send SASE
to:

  Of late, this small classified ad has been generating better
than 4,000 names per month for us. The report we send out is a
simple one-page instruction sheet explaining how anyone can make
extra money by saving, and selling, his in-coming mail. Along
with each of these reports we send out, we include a copy of out
Money Tree circular, and our mailing list subscription service
sales letters. In reply to this package, and average 3 out of 4
people send in to get in on the Money Tree Program, and/or
mailing list subscription service. From there, we just keep right
on going by setting these people as "independent commission sales
people" for our entire list of business success reports and
business start-up manuals.

  The most important part of a Subscription Mailing List Service
is to have a good supply of names--a mailing list ready-to-use,
organized and on hand. As mentioned earlier, we feel you'll need
at least a basic supply of 10,000 names as a starter supply.

  The next most important ingredient is your subscriber sales
letter. A copy of our current sales letter is included at the end
of this report. It pulls very well for us, as I'm sure it'll do
for you--but the important point here is an example of how to
write such a sales letter, as with a pattern in front of you,
perhaps you can write an even better one. You must have a sales
letter that appeals to the needs of your prospective buyer, and
at the same time, solves an outstanding problem for him.

  The next thing is to get one of your letters out to all the
mail order sellers you know of, and/or can locate. Set up a
business plan--you will compile 1,000 mail order operators per
week, from incoming mail and advertisements you run across..List
these names on 3x5 cards, and arrange in zip code order so that
you have a record of who you've sent your offer to, and
then...Continue adding to this file of mail order people..Then
each week, get a thousand letters in the mail--100 or 200 letters
per week just won't pull in the orders fast enough for you--5,000
letters per week, and you'll soon be making $1,000 per week, over
and above printing and postage costs!

  So, and as reiteration of what has been stated earlier, the
big-big money in mail order is, always has been, and always will
be made by those people with the "moxie" to supply the mail order
operators with the products and/or materials for them to operate
a by-mail business. After everything has been "torn apart and put
back together again," the bottom-line fact remains--The easiest,
and most profitable mail order business is mailing list supply
business.

  Everyone doing business by mail needs a mailing list of
prospects to whom he can send his money-producing offers. Every
mail order operator alive, and with the slightest bit of ambition
to make money, is constantly on the look-out for sources of fresh
names--prospects to whom he can send his offers. So long as
people continue to "sell by mail," there will be a demand for
mailing list!

  Look at it mathematically: if you had 100 subscribers to your
mailing list service paying you just $10 per week, you'd be
grossing $1,000 per week! Just 10 subscribers give you $100 per
week--20 subscribers, $200 per week--and from there, you're
limited only by your efforts to bring in new subscribers..When we
started our service, we sent 1,000 sales letters the first week,
and from those first letters, we came up with 25 subscribers with
5-days...Needless to say, we continued to build our subscriber
list and can truthfully say that this particular division of our
business is not only the easiest to operate, but very definitely
the most profitable of our entire operation!

  Once you've got your mailing list service established, it's
only natural that your should "add to it, or have something else
to go along with it brings in additional money." Keeping the
thought in mind, of supplying the needs of people hoping to
become rich via mail order selling, we think the logical addenda
or extra service to a mailing list service is the furnishing of
"original business success reports" that can be
reprinted/reproduced and sold by your mailing list subscribers!
From there, it's only natural that you become a "business
opportunity book dealer or seller."

  Riches beyond your wildest dreams, via mail order, are entirely
possible and waiting for you--provided you have your "finger on
the pulse" of the market, and a business plan that will enable
you to attain total success. Most opportunity offers costs you
money, a lot of your time, plus that even a "work-acholic" would
shy away from, and they deliver only enough income to keep you
"reaching" for the brass ring, untold frustration and
indebtedness...

  There are secrets in mail order--Number One, an ability to
analyze and understand the market...Number Two, the ability to
select and offer the right product at the right time--Number
Three, an ability to write advertisements and get it in front of
the majority of your potential buyers...

  Wishing you the greatest of success in all your money-making
efforts, the only thing left is for you to read over the
instructions as presented herein, get organized with your own
program, and start selling it. Everything worthwhile takes a
little bit of time to organize; a little bit of money to get
started; and a little bit of work to "push it thou to total
success," but of all the money-making possibilities you've ever
been offered this one can definitely be the easiest and most
profitable for you! Take care, and let us hear from you as you
grow...

   OUR ALL-NEW MAILING LIST SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE,
   CAN REALLY START THE ORDERS ROLLING IN FOR YOU!

100 names-all less than 30-days old-on peel & stick labels just
$5.. A six week subscription -100 names per week on peel& stick
labels-just $25 100 names-all less than 30-days old-on plain
masters, ready for copying onto your own labels-just $4.. A six
week subscription-100 names per week on plain paper masters-just
$20... 200-names-all less than 30-days old-on peel & stick
labels-just $9... A six week subscription-200 names per week on
peel & stick labels-just $50... 200-names all less than 30-days
old-on plain masters ready for you to copy unto your own
labels-just $7... A six week subscription-200 names per week on
plain paper masters-just $40... 300 names all less than 30-days
old-on peel & stick labels-just $12 A six week subscriptions-300
names per week on peel & stick labels-just $70...300 names less
than 30-days old- on plain masters ready for you to copy unto
your labels-just $10 A six week subscription-300 names on plain
masters-just $55... 500 names-all less than 30-days old-on peel &
stick labels-just $22.50.. A six week subscription-500 names per
week on peel & stick labels-just $120...500 names- all less than
30-days old-on plain masters ready for you to copy unto your own
labels-just $15... A six week subscription-500 names per week on
plain paper masters-just $75 1,000 names-all less than 30-days
old-on peel & stick labels-just $40 A six week subscription-1,000
names on peel & stick labels-just $225 1,000 names-all less than
30-days old-on plain paper masters ready for you to copy unto
your own labels-just $25... A six week subscription-1,000 names
on plain paper masters-just $150... ****Additional thousands on
peel & stick labels, just $25 per thousand....Additional
thousands on plain paper masters, just $15 per thousand...

Remember, these are NOT names we've traded for, or compiled from
the telephone book, or purchased from some other publisher,
mailing list brokers or mail order dealer! These are
names/addresses of people who have sent money in to us within the
last 30-day period for advertising orders, self-improving tapes,
and business opportunity dealerships. Our girls compile these
lists fresh every week, from our incoming mail. These are the
hottest, most responsive names-mailing lists-you'll find
anywhere!

Indeed, this is a special service that until now has been offered
only to those subscribers and association members; but we've had
so many requests from "beginning extra-income seekers" wanting to
get started with only a few hundred names per week that we've
just recently expanded our mailing lists subscription service to
accommodate the small, and beginning mailer. After all, you'd
have to be spending a lot of money on postage alone to send out
1,000 names per week.

I urge you to give our mailing list subscription service a
try...I know you'll want to renew, and keep those orders with
cash, checks and money orders coming in on a regular basis...

Even with the "increased moving around" of people looking for
work these days--we guarantee our lists to be 93%
deliverable...And to back-up this guarantee, whenever you get
back an offer you've sent to a name on one of our mailing lists
marked "undeliverable" by the post office, just send that
envelope on to us and we'll replace that name and address with a
fresh name and address...

The bottom line of this offer is simply this. No longer do you
have to buy more names than you can use at prices that would make
your ancestors turn over in their graves--Now you can subscribe
to a regular mailing list service of fresh names--all less than
30-days old, most less than 10-days old-proven mail order buyers,
in the amount you can best handle according to your mailing
plans, and at prices that allow you a margin for real profits!
You'll be receiving fresh mailing list via First Class Priority
Mail every week, with Monday Postmark!

Let us start the orders rolling in for you--help you to put Real
Money in your pockets! Select the mailing list program that best
suits your needs--and affordability--and get your subscription
check to us today!

2010-01-08T09:27:00.005-08:00

THE BEGINNER'S OPPORTUNITY GUIDE

The "Mail Order" business is not a business of itself, but is
another way of DOING business. Mail Order is nothing more or less
than selling a product or service via advertising and the offers
you send out by mail.

Therefore, to start and succeed in mail order business of your
own, you need just as much, and in some cases, more business than
you would need in any other mode of business.

Remember too there are "good guys" in mail order, and there are
"bad guys", just like in any other business. So, your best bet
for a "proper start" with the greatest chance for success is
after a thorough investigation of the products being offered and
being sold; an analysis of the costs involved to get a fledging
mail order operation off the ground; and a good "sixth sense" of
what your potential customers will buy. You'll need a great deal
of practice, and persistence as well.

Mail Order is over saturated with plans, directories, sales
material and products that have been around for ten, fifteen,
twenty years and longer. Many of these materials were not that
good in the beginning, and yet they're still being sold as "quick
secrets to wealth and fame". This is part of the reason for the
"junk mail" reputation of mail order.

Just a little investigation on your part will show that most
successful people doing business by mail are always on the alert
for "new products" and they quickly add these products to their
own sales inventories as they become available. This is a "must
for success" rule, regardless of whether you do or don't produce
your own products.

It's almost impossible to gain much success with a single
product...report, booklet, book or manual. The best way is to
search around for a number of related products, then, after
arranging "drop shipping" deals with the suppliers of the
products you want to include in your listing along with your own
self-produced product, make up a "catalog listing". It is best if
this is a single 8x11 sheet of paper, printed on both sides,
listing the titles of the reports and/or books you have
available, including your own, with a "tear off" order coupon at
the bottom.

One of the best programs available in mail order today is offered
by Premier Publishers. This company offers you a variety of
circulars, with an order coupon on the bottom of each circular.
At present, they can provide six different circulars, listing
over 100 different low-cost reports and manuals, such as the
report you are reading now. The circulars are grouped according
to price range and subject matter of the reports described in the
circular. There is an open space on the order coupon for you to
insert your name and address. After inserting your name, you can
take or send the circular to the printer of your choice, and have
copies printed in the quantity you need. The next step is to
insert these circulars, along with one of your own product
circulars, in all your mailings. Premier Publishers allows you a
full 50% commission on each sale of items on their circulars.
They will dropship you, keeping your customer's name
confidential, and in no way encroaching upon them. In addition,
discounts up to 80% off the retail price are available to you
when you are ready to carry your own stock, and buy reports or
books in quantity.

This is what you need for a "money-making" start in this
business: a full page circular advertising your own product, plus
another full page circular listing products or titles related to
your primary offering. Premier Publishers advise you to send two
full page circulars; one advertising your own product (if you
don't have a primary product of your own, they'll furnish you a
single book circulars to feature), and another advertising a list
of related products ot titles available to your customer.

Once you start receiving orders form this mailing, you must
immediately acknowledge receipt of the orders and follow up with
other offers. The "follow-up" offer is where most beginners fail.
Either they don't have follow-up materials to send or they just
don't send out these follow-up offers. Here again, Premier
Publishers can provide the material for the follow-up. They can
supply you with a 24 page Unique Books catalog, which list 400
titles for your customer to choose from. These catalogs can be
ordered in small quantities, with your name and return address
already imprinted. To follow-up after receiving orders from your
customers, simply write a short note, thanking your customer for
his patronage, and advising him when to expect to receive his
order, and then include a follow-up offer, such as the book
catalog, in the mailing. And that's how you will build your
business, and attain success in mail order.

But, let's get back to the beginning and help you to learn what
it takes to succeed in mail order. Don't believe those ads that
tell you it doesn't take any money. First off, you are going to
need envelopes: #10 mailing envelopes with your name and return
address imprinted in the upper left corner. You'll also need a
return reply envelope with your name and address on the face of
the envelope with each #10 envelope you send out. These can be
either #6 or #9 return envelopes. Ask your printer or office
supply store to let you inspect samples.

To realize profits of any consequence, you'll need to send out at
least a thousand, preferably five thousand letters per mailing.
And back this up, you'll need a supply of envelopes for your
acknowledgement and follow-up offers. you can purchase imprinted
mailing and return reply envelopes form your local quick print
shop; but for better prices, and with the thought in mind of
keeping costs in line, it is best to shop around for the best
prices. Generally speaking, you'll find the lowest prices offered
by those printer who do business by mail. Look for "printing by
mail" advertisements in all the mail order publications you come
across. Write them for a price list and a sampling of their work.
For envelopes, we suggest you contact any of the firms listed on
the next page for their current prices.

Speedy Printers
23800 Aurora Rd
Bedford Hghts, OH 44146

Pittman Printing
1135 Merrill Ave
Potervilles, CA 93257

National Press Inc.
527 W Randolph
Chicago,IL 60606

Mahair Sales
415 Morris Bridge Rd
Zephyrhills, FL 33599

FOR EXTRA LARGE ENVELOPES

Envelope Converters, INc.
4815 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11237

Gray Arc
882 Third Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11232

FOR ORDER-MAILING ENVELOPES

New England Business Svcs
500 Main St
Groton, MA 01471

U.S. Box Corp
1298 McCarter Hwy
Newark, NJ 07104

YOU'LL ALSO NEED SHIPPING LABELS

Label Center
308 Washington
ST Louis, MO 63101

L & D Press
152 W 42nd St
New York, NY 10036

Labon of Hollywood
Box 54386
Los Angeles, CA 90054

C&J Fox & Co.
PO Box 6186
Providence, RI 02940

FOR LETTERHEAD PAPER: Try your local commercial printers first,
and then contact the following for the best prices:

National Engraving Co.
PO Box 2311
Birmingham, AL 35201

E.M Printing CO.
187 Conklin Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11236

FOR CIRCULAR PRINTING:

Stephen Gaffney
110 Ashburton Ave
Yonkers, NY 10701

White Oak Stationery
PO Box 429
Colesville, MD 20904

J.E Thomas Ent.
PO Box 253
Detroit, MI 48221

FOR TYPESETTING & GRAPHIC LAYOUT/DESIGN

Fitch Graphics
PO Box 76850
Atlanta, GA
30328

Graphics South
1348 Kings Hwy
Shreveport, LA 71103

Stern Graphics
335 Great Neck Rd.
Great Neck, NY 11021

FOR COPYWRITING HELP

Lee Howard
PO Box 1140
Clearwater, FL 33517

Grafix-One
947 Hickory RD
Hillsdale, MI 49242

FOR BOOKLET PRINTING

Champion Printing
PO Box 148
Ross, OH
45061

Speedy Printers
23800 Aurora Rd
Bedford Hghts, OH 44146

Dinner & Klien
PO Box 3814
Seattle, WA 98124

FOR HARDBACK PRINTING

Harlo Printing Co.
16721 Hamilton
Detroit, MI 48203

Automation Printing
PO Box 12201
El Cajon, CA 92022

IF YOU NEED BUSINESS CARDS

Paul K. Alexander
14504 Lanica Circle
Chantilly, VA 22021

Nancy Jo Laub
Stelle RR #1
Caberry, IL 60919

Caprice Printing
401 Cossen
Elk Grove, IL 600007

POSTERS

Ben & Sons Press
3513 W Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60625

As you can see, the mail order business is very closely tied in
with the printing business. Unless you have your own printing
plant, always shop around for the best prices and keep your
"production costs" in line.

For a complete listing of firms with products available on a
dropship basis for sale by mail, send $7 to the distributor who
supplied this report. Ask for item #629, American Dropshippers
Directory.

Once you've gotten your envelopes ready, and your circulars made
up, you'll need a potential customer list. Again, don't believe
the advertisements and "free" advice that states that all you
have to do is send your materials out to a "fresh opportunity
seekers" list. We have found that the best prospects are those
people who have purchased similar or related items.

Here again, Premier Publishers can help out. They generally
receive 2,000 new names each month. These names come from
Premier's national advertising...people who are interested in new
ways of making money...easier ways to build a mail order
business.

Certainly Premier responds to all these inquires, but they do not
offer the same items the various dealers and distributors are
offering. Premier offers their mailing lists for rental. Write
for current description of names which are available.

When selecting a supplier to work with in the mail order
business, always be sure they are quick to fill orders. Customer
complaints are the last thing you want, and poor service leads to
a dissatisfied and lost customers. Always be sure your supplier
"protects" your customer list, and always make sure he goes that
"extra mile" to work with you, and not just for his own profits.
This is the kind of service you want from your supplier.

Finally, you'll need to consider advertising the different
offerings you have for sale. We suggest that you start small with
a few experimental ads in your local paper or shopping news. Then
you can move on to the bigger publications such as GRIT, CAPPERS
WEEKLY, BUDGET ADS, FAMILY TRAVEL LOG, INSIDERS, AMERICAN
BUSINESS, SPARE TIME, MONEYSWORTH, etc.

2010-01-08T09:27:00.003-08:00

HOW TO START YOUR OWN HOME-BASED SECRETARIAL SERVICE

A new approach to serving one of the oldest and most basic
needs of even the smallest business community, a home-based
secretarial service can satisfy the entrepreneurial needs of even
the most ambitious woman!

This kind of service business with a virtually unlimited profit
potential. Third year profits for businesses of this type, in
metropolitan areas as small as 70,000 persons are reported ar
4100,000 and more. It's a new idea for a traditional job that's
growing in popularity and acceptance.

As for the future, there's no end in sight to the many and
varied kinds of work a secretary working at home can do for
business owners, managers and sales representatives. Various
surveys indicate that by the year 2,000--at least 60 percent of
all secretarial work, as we know today will be handled by women
working at home.

For most women, this is the most exciting news of things to
come since the equal rights amendment. Now is the time to get
yourself organized, start your own home-based secretarial service
and nurture it through your start-up stages to total success in
the next couple of years.

Our research indicates little or no risk involved, with most
secretarial services breaking even within 30 days, and reports of
some showing a profit after the first week! your cash investment
can be as little as $10 to $25 if you already have a modern,
electronic typewriter. You can set up at your kitchen table, make
few phone calls, and be in business tomorrow.

If you don't have a modern, office quality electric typewriter
comparable to the IBM Selectric--a portable just won't do,
because it'll break down, wear out, and fall apart after a month
of heavy use..If you're aware of this delicacy of a portable
electric, you can conceivably begin with one, but you'll
definitely have to graduate to a bigger, heavier machine as soon
as possible.

An IBM Selectric, complete with start-up supplies kit which
includes a dozen ribbons, can be purchased for less than a
thousands dollars. On the contract, this would break down about
to about $175 for down payment and monthly payments of less than
$50 per month over a 2-year period. Naturally, you'd want to
include the standard service contract which costs about $100 per
year, and means that whenever you have a problem or want your
machine serviced, you simply pick up the phone and call the
service department. They'll ask you what kind of problem you're
having, and then send some one to fix it immediately.

Shoestringers can rent an IBM Selectric for about $60 per mont,
plus a small deposit. And those of you who are really on a tight
budget, can contract an equipment leasing firm, explain your
business plan, and work out an arrangement where they buy the
machine of your choice for you, and then lease it back to you
over five or ten year period for much lower payments.

Whatever you do, get the best typewriter your money can buy.
The output of your typewriter will be your finished product, and
the better, "more perfect" your finished product, the more
clients you'll attract and keep. It's also imperative that you
have one of the modern, "ball" typewriters. Only these kinds of
typewriters give each character a clear, even and uniform
impression on your paper. Typewriters of the "arm & hammer" type
quickly become misaligned, producing a careless look on your
finished product.

As mentioned earlier, you can start almost immediately from
your kitchen table if you've got a typewriter. However, in order
to avoid fatigue and back problems, invest in a typing stand and
secretary's standard typing chair just as soon as you can afford
them. Watch for office equipment sales, especially among the
office equipment leasing firms. You should be able pick up a new,
slightly damaged, or good used typewriter stand or desk for
around $20 to $25. A comparable quality secretary's typing chair
can be purchased for $50 or less.

While you're shopping for things you'll need. be sure to pick
up a chair mat. If you don't, you may suddenly find that the
carpet on the floor of the room where your do your typing, needs
replacing due to the worn spot where the chair is located and
maneuvered in front of the typewriter. You'll also want a work
stand with place marker and a convenient box or storage for
immediate paper supply. If you plan to do a great deal of work
during the evening hours, be sure to invest in an adjustable
"long arm" office work lamp.

When buying paper, visit the various wholesale paper suppliers
in your area or in nearby large city, and buy at least a half
carton--6 reams--at a time. Buying wholesale, and in quantity,
will save you quite a bit of money. The kind to buy is ordinary
20 pound white bond. Open one ream for an immediate supply at
your typewriter, and store the rest in a closet, under your bed,
or on a shelf in your garage or basement.

In the beginning, you'll be the business--typists, salesman,
advertising department, bookkeeper and janitor, so, much will
depend on your overall business acumen. Those areas in which you
lack experience or feel weak in, buy books or tapes and enhance
your knowledge. You don't have to enjoy typing, but you should
have better than average proficiency.

Your best bet is selling your services is to do is all
yourself. Every business in your area should be regarded as a
potential customer, so it's unlikely you'll have to worry about
who to call on. Begin by making a few phone calls to former
bosses or business associates--simply explain that you're
starting a typing service and would appreciate it if they'd give
you a call whenever they have extra work that you can handle for
them. Before you end the conversation, ask them to be sure to
keep you in mind and steer your way any overload typing jobs that
they might hear about.

The next step is "in-person" calls on prospective customers.
This means dressing in an impressively professional manner, and
making sales calls on the business people in your area. For this
task, you should be armed with business cards (brochures also
help..), and an order or schedule book of some sort. All of these
things take time to design and print, so while you're waiting for
delivery, use the time to practice selling via the telephone. At
this stage, your telephone efforts will be more for the purpose
of indoctrinating you into the world of selling than actually
making sales.

Just be honest about starting a business, and sincere in asking
them to consider trying your services whenever they have a need
you can help them with. Insurance companies, attorneys and
distributors are always needing help with their typing, so start
with these kinds of businesses first.

For your business cards, consider a freelance artist to design
a logo for you. Check, and/or pass the word among the students in
the art or design classes at nearby college, art or advertising
school. Hiring a regular commercial artist will cost quite a bit
more, and generally won't satisfy your needs any better than the
work of a hungry beginner.

Be sure to browse through any Clip Art books that may be
available--at most print shops, newspaper offices, advertising
agencies, libraries and book stores. The point being, to come up
with an idea that makes your business card stand out; that can be
used on all printed materials, and makes you--your
company--unique or different from all others.

I might suggest something along the lines of a secretary with
pad in hand taking dictation; or perhaps a secretary wearing a
dictaphone headset seated in front of a typewriter. You might
want something distinctive for the first letter of the company,
or perhaps a scroll or flag as a background for your company
name.

At any rate, once you've got your logo or company design, the
next step is your local print shop. Ask them to have the
lettering you want to use, typeset in the style you like
best--show them your layout and order a least a thousand business
cards printed up.

For your layout, go with something basic. Expert typing
services, in the top left hand corner..Dictation by phone, in the
top right hand corner..Your company logo or design centered on
the card with something like, complete secretarial services,
under it...Your name in the lower left hand corner, and your
telephone number in the lower right hand corner.

Everybody that you call on in person, be sure to give one of
your business cards. And now, you're ready to start making those
in-person business sales calls.

Your best method of making sales calls would be with a business
telephone directory and a big supply of loose leaf notebook
paper. Go through the business directory and write down the
company names, addresses and telephone number. Group all of those
within one office building together, and those on the same street
in the same block. Be sure to leave a couple of spaces between
the listing of each company. And of course, start a new page for
those in different building or block. Now, simply start with the
first business in the block, or on the lowest floor in a building
and number them in consecutive order. This will enable you to
call on each business in order as you proceed along a street,
down the block, or through a building.

You'll be selling your capabilities--your talents--and charging
for your time--the time it takes you to get set up and complete
the assignment they give you. You should be organized to take
work with you on the spot, and have it back at a promised time;
arrange to pick up any work they have, and deliver it back to
them when it's completed; and handle the dictation or special
work assignments by phone. You should also emphasize your
abilities to handle everything by phone, particularly when they
have a rush job.

Establish your fees according to how long it takes you to
handle their work, plus your cost of supplies--work
space--equipment and paper--then fold in a $5 profit. In other
words, for half hour job that you pick up on a regular sales or
delivery call, you should charge $10...

Another angle to include would be copies. Establish a working
relationship with a local printer, preferably one who has a copy
machine comparable to a big Kodak 150 Extraprint. When your
clients need a sales letter or whatever plus so many copies, you
can do it all for them.

Only make copies on the very best of dry paper copying
machines, and only for 50 copies or less. More than 50 copies,
it'll be less expensive and you'll come out with a better
finished product by having them printed on a printing press. When
your furnish copies, always fold in your copying or printing
costs, plus a least a dollar or more for every 50 copies you
supply.

By starting with former employers and/or business associates,
many businesses are able to line up 40 hours of work without even
making sales call. If you're lucky enough to do this, go with it,
but-

Start lining up your friends to do the work for you--girls who
work all day at a regular job, but need more money, and
housewives with time on their hands. You tell them what kind of
equipment is needed, and the quality of work you demand. You
arrange to pay them so much per hour for each job they handle for
you--judging from the time you figure the job would take if you
were doing it, or on a percentage basis. I feel the best
arrangements is on a hourly basis according to a specified amount
of time each job normally takes.

Whenever, and as soon as you've got a supply of "workers" lined
up, you turn your current assignments over to them, and get back
to lining up more business. If you're doing well selling by
phone, and your area seems to respond especially well to selling
by phone, then you should immediately hire commission sales
people. Train them according to your own best methods and put
them to work assisting you. Your sales people can work out of
their own homes, using their telephones, provided you've got your
area's business community organized in a loose leaf notebook
style. All you do is give them so many pages from your notebook,
from which they make sales calls each week.

Even so, you should still make those in-person sales calls..If
for some reason you get bogged down, and can't or don't want to,
then hire commission sales people to do it for you..Generally,
women selling this type of service bring back the most sales. And
for all your commission sales people, the going rate should be 30
percent of the total amount of sale. Point to remember: Sooner or
later, you're going to have to hire a full-time telephone sales
person, plus another full time person to make in-person sales for
you--Eventually, you want workers to handle all the work for you,
and sales people to do all the selling for you--So the sooner you
can line up people for these jobs, the faster, your business is
going to prosper.

Later on, you'll want a sales manager to direct your sales
people and keep them on track, so try to find a "future sales
manager" when you begin looking for sales people.

Your basic advertising should be a regular quarter page ad in
the yellow pages of both your home service telephone directory
and the business yellow pages. You'll find that 50 percent of
your first time clients will come to you because they have an
immediate need and saw your ad in the yellow pages, so don't
skimp on either the size or the "eye-catching" graphics of this
ad.

A regular one column by 3-inch ad in the Sunday edition of your
area's largest newspaper would also be a good idea. Any
advertising you do via radio or television will be quite
expensive with generally very poor results, so don't even give
serious consideration to that type of advertising.

By far, your largest advertising outlays will be direct mail
efforts. You should have a regular mailing piece that you send
out to your entire business community at least once a month. This
is handled by sending out 200 to 500 letters per day. For this,
you should obtain a third class postage permit or else these
postage costs will drive you out of business.

Your mailing piece should consist of a colorful brochure that
describes your business. It should explain the many different
kinds of assignments you can handle--a notation that no job is
too small or too large--and a statement of your guarantee. Do not
quote prices in your brochure--simply ask the recipient to call
for a quotation or price estimate.

It's also a good idea to list background and experience of the
business owner, plus several business testimonials or/
compliments. You could also include a couple of pictures showing
your workers busy and actually handling secretarial assignments.
The most important part of your brochure will be your closing
statement--an invitation, indeed--a demand that the recipient
call you for further information.

All this can very easily be put together in a Z-folded, 2-sided
self mailer. Again, look for a freelance copywriter and artist to
help you put it together. Once you've got your "dummy" pretty
well set the way you want it, make copies of it, and either take
or send it to several direct mail advertising agencies. Ask them
for their suggestions of how they would improve it, and for a bid
on the cost if you were to retain them to handle it for you.
Listen to their ideas and incorporate them where-and if- you
think they would make your brochure better. And, if one of them
does come in with a cost estimate that's lower than your
independent, "do-it-yourself" costs, then think seriously about
assigning the job to them.

This is definitely the most important piece of work that will
ever come out of your office, so be sure it's the best, and
positively indicative of your business. This will be the business
image you project, so make sure it reflects the quality, style
and credibility of your business--your thinking, and your
success.

Your brochure should be on 60 pound coated paper, in at least
two colors and by a professional printer. The end result is the
Z-folded brochure--Z-folded by the printer--with your third class
mailing permit showing on the cover side. This cover side should
be flamboyant and eye-catching. You want your mailing piece to
stand out in a pile of 50 or 60 pieces of other mail received by
the recipient.

When you're ready to mail, simply take a couple of cartons of
your brochures to an addressing shop, have them run your
brochures through their addressing machine, loaded with your
mailing list, bundle them and drop them off at the post office
for you.

This takes us back to the planning on how to compile your
mailing list. I suggest that you begin with Cheshire Cards by
Xerox. You type the name of your addressee on the cards, maintain
these cards in the order of your choice, take your boxes of cards
to the addressing shop whenever you have a mailing, and there's
no further work on your part. The addressing shop loads their
machine with your cards, prints the address on your cards
directly onto your brochures, and gives the cards back to you
when the mailing is completed. A mailing of 100,000 brochures,
via this method--generally could be completed and on its way in
one 8-hour day.

In essence, you'll want to solicit business with a regular
routine of telephone selling, in-person sales calls at the
prospective client's place of business, media advertising and
direct mail efforts. All of these efforts are important and
necessary to the total success of your business--don't try to cut
corners or spare the time or expense needed to make sure you're
operating at full potential in these areas! In addition to these
specific areas, it would be wise for you to attend chamber of
commerce meetings, and join several of your area civic
clubs--you'll meet a great number of business leaders at these
meetings and through their association, you'll gain a great deal
of business--and even help in many of your needs.

Once you're organized and rolling, you can easily expand your
market nationwide with the installation of a toll free telephone
and advertising in business publications. Perhaps you can add to
your primary business with a "mailing shop" of your own--the
rental of mailing lists--specialized temporary help
services--telephone answering services--and even survey work..

The "bottom line" thing to remember in order to achieve total
success, is planning. Plan your initial operation through from
start to finish before you even think about soliciting your first
customer. Get your operational plan down on paper--itemize your
needs, estimate your costs, line up your operating capital, and
set forth milestones for growth.

Set profit figures you want to be realizing 3-months...
6-months... 1 year... 2-years... and 3-years from your
business start-up date. Learn all you can about the "support
systems" involved in operating a profitable business--planning,
advertising, selling, bookkeeping, and banking--and continue to
up-date your knowledge with a program of continuous learning. Do
your homework properly, an there's just no way you can fail with
a Home-Based Secretarial Service.

2010-01-08T09:27:00.001-08:00

HOW TO START YOUR OWN HIGHLY PROFITABLE SHOPPING CENTER PAPERS

  One of the easiest of all businesses to establish, publishing
shopping center papers-- CAN MAKE you very rich--almost as fast
as finding gold, or inheriting an oil well.

  Revenue and profits come from two main sources: The businesses
in the shopping center your paper serves, and the people reading
the paper. It doesn't matter that there's already a "Shopper's
Paper" in your area, or that you know nothing about the
publishing business and don't own a printing press.

  The first thing is to understand the specific needs of your
market. The stores, shops and businesses in the downtown area
advertise to reach all the people, and thus, they're hurting from
the competition of similar stores, shops and businesses in the
neighborhood shopping centers closer to where the people actually
live. Yet, these shopping center stores, shops and businesses
ONLY SERVE CUSTOMERS LIVING WITHIN A 5-MILE RADIUS OF THEIR
BUSINESS LOCATION!

  So, the thing to do is organize a plan, and then work that
plan. Contact the store owners or managers of the stores in each
shopping center in your area.

  You can include stores or shops and businesses not in the
shopping center itself, but clustered within the same immediate
area. However, it's important that your emphasis be placed on the
individuality of each shopping center.

  Explain to each of these business people that you're starting a
"shoppers paper" that will carry advertising only for businesses
in that particular shopping center. With this kind of "local
advertising media," the competition, nor have to bear the
advertising costs of city-wide circulation.

  The second selling point in your distribution or circulation
system. Take a section of your city street map; draw a 5-mile
circle around each shopping center; then take it to your local
quick print shop, and have him give you several printed copies
blown up to twice the original size.

  Then as you're selling each business owner, show him the
shopping center location on your map with the 5-mile circle
around it. Explain that your door-to-door distributors leave a
copy at each home or apartment within that circle only. This
means you'll have to estimate how many homes or apartments are
within each shopping center's customer circle.

  Getting your papers out to all of these homes and apartments
needn't be that big a problem. Simply talk with the 7th and 8th
grade counselors at the schools within the service circle.
Arrange to pay the counselors $15 per thousand papers delivered
for you. The idea is to get the counselors to line up the
students to do the delivering for you, and pay them a percentage
of the total you give him. The same plan can be worked with boy
scout and/or girl scout troops. You might even contact the youth
organizations at the churches within the service circle, and
propose your delivery operation as a fund-raising project.

  At the bottom line, the businesses gathered in or near each
shopping center will buy advertising space in your paper because
your rates will be cheaper; you'll be carrying advertising for a
specific location only; and your distribution will be direct to
their customers only.

  You can begin, and handle all phases of your business operation
single-handedly, but after the first couple of editions, you'll
make much more money by hiring others to do the selling for you.
Simply run an ad in your weekend newspapers, promising big
incomes to commission type advertising sales people. Word your ad
so that those interested call you on the phone.

  When they call --get their name, address and phone number. Then
explain that you're looking for just a few top-notch go-getters
who can handle several thousand dollars a week in advertising
commissions from individual merchants located in neighborhood
shopping centers. Ask them to tell you a little bit about
themselves, and then invite them to get acquainted meeting in the
banquet or meeting room you've reserved in a local restaurant or
motel. Give them the time, and date, then tell them you'll see
them at the meeting.

  As the meeting, show them a prototype or dummy of one of your
papers. Tell them they'll each be assigned a territory that
includes 3-shopping centers. You then explain/teach them the
reasons why there's big money in shopping center papers just as
I've explained to you.

  Explain your advertising rates---$10 per column inch for a
press run/circulation of 5,000; $15 for 10,000 and/or $20 for
15,000 copies distributed---and that you pay 50% for each sale.

  Each paper has room for $1,400 worth of advertising as a single
8 1/2 by 11 sheet printed on both sides; double that for an 11 by
17 sheet folded in half; or 4-times that much as two 11 by 17
sheets. Multiply the salesman's commission of &700 per paper
times three for each of them to make $2,100 per week--assuming
that you publish your papers on a weekly schedule.

  Remember, your basic idea should be to create an individual
"shoppers paper" for as many different shopping centers as
possible. Because of the closeness of prospective advertisers in
a shopping center, a good salesman will be able to sign all the
stores in at least three different shopping centers in a week.

  Once you've explained the marketing philosophy behind your
papers, and the money potentials available, you should have all
the eager salesmen you care to sign on. Remember, each sales
person is assigned 3-different shopping centers--you give him a
dummy of your paper for each of his shopping centers, with the
space availabilities marked--send him out to fill those spaces
with paid advertisers--and you'll both be home free!

  Whenever possible, ask for and get your money up-front or at
the time of the sale. In many instances, this won't be possible,
so you'll need some sort of standard contract. A short visit to
your local community college advertising department, or your
local public library for a look at a few instruction books on how
to draw up a space advertising contract, will give you a form to
copy and use as your own. Billing your advertisers at the end of
30-days will bring in lots of sales, but it will also require a
bookkeeper/secretary and statements as well as letterhead
envelopes and postage.

  Allowing your advertisers to buy now and pay later will also
require that you allow your salesmen to "draw" against the
commission they have coming. This too will present some special
problems, namely a need for operating capital. Most of the time
you'll be able to sell or factor your accounts receivable for
about 80% of the total due. When you do this, you'll be giving up
another 20% of your gross income, but you will have immediate
cash available. The thing you must do is weigh your operating
costs against the overall benefits and make your decision based
upon these factors.

  The design, layout and production of your paper should be quite
simple. Visit a local stationary and/or office supplies
store---pick up a blue printers pencil, some larger transfer
(rub-on) letters (either 60-point or 72 point size should be
sufficient for your needs), and also--pick up a pad of "fade out"
graph paper and a roll or two of border tape.

  Use the rub-on letters to print or write the masthead or title
of each of your shopping center's papers at the top of the graph
paper. With your border tape and razor blade, make a U-shaped
frame around the page, a half inch in from the outside edge of
the paper.

  If you're getting started from your "kitchen table," and using
a typewriter, make sure your type is "elite" or the small type.
Now, measure the inside of your frame from the bottom of your
masthead to the top of your border tape at the bottom of your
frame; and from side to side, measuring from the inside edges of
your border tape along the sides. You should end up with a space
9 1/2 inches deep by 7 1/2 inches wide.

  Take these measurements to your local print shop and ask them
for the dimensions of a space 30% larger. This should amount to a
space 10 3/4 by 13 1/2 inches--so ask him for some 11 by 14 inch
paper. Scrap paper that has a clean backside will do quite
nicely.

  With your blue pencil, lay out a frame 10 3/4 by 13 1/2
inches--then divide the 10 3/4 width into seven equal columns.
Run the paper into your typewriter and type out the classified
ads you have set. If you have a camera ready ad that's too large
for your regular column dimensions, paste it into position on
this sheet. When you have this page all "written" or pasted up,
take it to your printer and have him reduce it to 70 % of its
current size and run off a couple of copies for you. Cut out this
reduced copy and paste it inside your master frame, add any
proper sized camera ready ads and you're ready to take your paper
to press.

  Almost all shopping center papers start out as one page
circulars printed on both sides, and put together on the "kitchen
table" as I've described here. Working alone and trying to start
from scratch, you probably won't have all your available space
sold when you go to press. If this is the way it works out for
you, simply fill in the empty spaces with ads of your own.

  Promotional ads inviting people to call you, for example, for
ad rate information, and to place their ads.

  Also, some of your better mail order offers. In order to give
the impression of lots of ads from lots of different people,
enlist the help of your relatives and friends--allow them to
advertise a For Sale or Trade item free. It's important that you
seemingly have ads from a lot of different people with lots of
different phone numbers and/or addresses listed.

  For these classified ads, you should charge $1 per line, and
hence, the name "dollar Papers." Don't forget, your second source
of income will be garnered from people who have seen or read your
paper, and place ads of their own as result.

  Once you've got separate pages--a front and a back--for your
first paper ready, simply take it to your quick-print shop and
have run off the number of copies you've promised to circulate
for your advertisers. Have him print it on yellow or orange 20
pound bond, or even recycled construction paper.

  Until you really get rolling, you can hire a couple of kids to
hand out your papers to everyone as they drive into the shopping
center parking lot, drop off a stack for check-out stand
giveaways at each store or shop in the shopping center, and/or
persuade a couple of newspaper carriers to include one with each
newspaper they deliver. Another fast hand-out method is to hire a
student to give one to each bus rider as he gets off the bus at
busy "park and ride" locations.

  As your shopping center papers become known, you take on sales
people to do the selling for you; when you have more space to
handle the requests for advertising space, contact a larger
printer who works with web presses and news-print paper. Look
around, and you'll find one who'll handle all your typesetting,
layout, printing and even bulk delivery to your distribution
pick-up points. Expanding to tabloid production will lower your
production costs, give you greater efficiency and result in more
profits for your business.

  Where there is really tough competition, many publishers of
Shopping center Papers include stories about the shopping
center---what the land was used for before it was developed as a
shopping center---profiles on the different store owners, where
they're from and what they did before opening their store or
shop---and news of community interest within the customer circle.
Many increase their incomes by running mail order opportunity ads
from dealers in all parts of the country.

  Basically, shopping center paper is the same as a mail order ad
sheet. The big difference is that it serves as an advertising
showcase for a small circle of merchants in a specific area, and
is circulated among the people most likely to do their shopping
in that specific small circle of merchants; each circle has a
need for an advertising showcase of its own, and it will be to
your benefit to turn away advertising requests from merchants
outside that circle.

  The only advertising you'll have to do is via the quality and
image you project with each issue or edition of your papers.
There are a number of popularity-building promotions you can, and
should run: Free ads for baby sitting and/or child care services;
$100 worth of free groceries if the shopper spots his picture or
name in your paper; and free merchandise or service for solving
picture puzzles. Don't look for much free publicity or help from
newspapers, radio and/ or TV stations in your area--at least, not
until you're very well established, because you are in direct
competition with them.

  As mentioned earlier, this is an easy business to organize,
requires no special education or training, and will pretty much
perpetuate itself once you're beyond the start-up stages. The
important thing of course, is the opportunity for at least one
such paper in even the smallest communities. The profit potential
in even small to medium-sized cities is almost beyond belief...

  You have an idea, and I've provided the organizational details
to make it work for you--- it's working very profitably for a lot
of entrepreneurs in a number of locations around the
country---the only thing missing now, is action on your part. get
with it, and start enjoying the fruits of your own success!

2010-01-08T09:26:00.009-08:00

HOW TO START A TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE

Organize yourself properly. decide how much money it's going to
take for you to feel comfortably wealthy, and the reach it with
your own Telephone Answering Service.

Our research has turned up hundreds of husband and wife
entrepreneurs who, beginning with just a couple of thousand
dollars in borrowed funds, and a lot of ambition are grossing
$250,000 or more after a couple of years in business.

The exciting part is that the door is wide open for you to do the
same! The demand for telephone answering services is growing!!!
The advent of electronic answering devices in not even beginning
to slow this demand! A great many people are completely "turned
off" by the frustration of expecting to talk with a "live
person," and having to listen to a recording that advises the
caller to leave a message at the sound of the tone. Exasperation
of this kind can sometimes cost a business person thousands of
dollars in lost profit. Realizing this, today's successful
business person wants the personal touch of a friendly,
professional "secretary" answering their phones for them.

The professional answering service operator can pass along the
proper messages to the different callers, take messages, get
clarifications and even set up meetings with special customers.
In many instances, businessmen come to thick of the operators at
their telephone answering service as vital to their success, and
often reward them them with special favors or bonuses when a
particularly lucrative deal is closed because of courteous and
efficient service by the people at the answering service.

To get started properly, you'll need an initial investment of
about $10,000 for equipment and facilities, plus working capital.
In the beginning, with a 2 person operation, you can have your
operator selling by phone while you make in-person sales calls.
You might also want to add a couple of "hungry" commission sales
people to help line up a good list of accounts as fast as
possible. These efforts will take planning and coordination
because you won't want two different sales people calling on the
same prospect.

You can begin operating out of a spare bedroom or your
garage--you'll need a leased switchboard from the telephone
company--with plans to move your operation into more formal
quarters at a later date. However, it's quite expensive and
time-consuming to have a switchboard moved once it's been
installed. Our suggestion would be to locate a "beginning" small
office, and plan on being there at least 5 years from the start.

Many operations begin in a small 200 to 300 square feet economy
office location, and as their growth warrants, open a second
location with space for eventual expansion to include 3 or more
switchboards. Our research has found that you'll need an average
of 85 regular customers per switchboard in order to realize a
minimum profit after expenses.

Just about anyone with a business card will be a good prospect
for your services. People working out of their homes are a very
good prospects, especially those holding down regular jobs while
moonlighting with a part-time businesses of their own. Every
salesmen is a prospect, people who work on a 24 hour "on-call"
basis, repair service business owners such as plumers,
electricians, locksmiths, and auto mechanics...There are other
kinds of services that will be interested too, such as ambulance
companies, towing services, volunteer fire departments, survey
organizations, and customer complaint departments of virtually
every business in your area..By all means don't forget the
doctors, dentists and other professionals!

A lot of beginners start by providing service only for these
intermittent users. These people "put out the word" that if they
can't be reached at their regular number after 4 or 5 rings, the
caller should dial the number of the answering service. The
answering service, which in this case is just a housewife
answering her home phone, takes the caller's message and either
relays it to the customer or holds it until he checks in with
her. Very simple, very easy and very profitable!

Usually after such a "shoestring" operation has 15 to 20
customers. it's necessary to install a phone with multiple
incoming lines. The cost and questions of the phone company can
be allayed by purchasing your own telephone and explaining that
your have several teenagers in the family. However, once you have
35 to 50 customers it's time to expand into a commercial
operation complete with switchboard and hired operators.

The average rates to charge for your service should be about $35
per month for a specified number of calls--usually 70 to 75--with
a surcharge of 25 cents for each call beyond that number. Other
calls such as "wake-up" and reminder calls for appointments, are
usually billed on a "per call" basis at about 50 cents per call.

Most telephone answering services provide a variety of other
services to keep their operators busy during the times when there
are no incoming calls. These services range form typing, envelope
addressing, computer input services, envelope stuffing,
subscription soliciting and order fulfillment for mail order
operators to reviewing books for publishing agents. In recent
years, some have even included private post office, mail drop and
forwarding services. The important thing is to keep your
operators busy doing some kind of work that makes money for you.

When you decide to lease an office get going, complete with
switchboard--it's important that you try to get as close to the
telephone company's switching or exchange station as possible.
This is due to the mileage charges it'll cost you for landlines.
Remember too that each exchange station handles prefixes limited
to customers within a certain radius of that station. What all of
this means is that if most of the businesses in your area have a
234 and 345 prefix, you'll want to locate your answering services
offices as close to the station serving these prefixes as
possible. Basic installation and set-up of one switchboard will
cost you close to $4,000...

Generally, a metro population of 35,000 people will support a
telephone answering service hoping for $50,000 per year; 75,000
to 80,000 people will be needed for $100,000 and $150,000 people
for $200,000 per year or more. For more help and further
information, it would be wise to contact the Associated Telephone
Answering Exchange, Inc. This organization the industry's
watchdog group can up-date you on current practices and trends.

Meanwhile, in setting up your own facilities keep your costs in
line with a realistic view of your anticipated first year income.
It should't be too difficult to find low-cost rental space in an
older building not far from the telephone company's exchange
building- the telephone company is usually just as reluctant to
pay high rent as you are..Locating in an older, less than
"beautiful" building should not detract from your business
because few of your customers will ever actually see your
offices. Most will sign up for your services either thru your
in-person sales calls on them, or your telephone soliciting
efforts, and send their payments in by mail.

You'll need 125 square feet of space for each a small reception
area which can also double as a rest area for your operators and
general office area for bookkeeping, billing and other
administrative functions. Be sure there are convenient restroom
facilities as well.

Before installation of your first switchboard, the phone company
will require an inspection of your office, mainly to determine if
the floor is strong enough to support the weight of the
switchboard. Save yourself a lot of frustration by explaining
this to the real estate agents or the building managers before
they start showing you what's available. The best thing is to ask
for certified copies of the original building blueprints or
previous inspection reports, and have these in hand when you
contact the phone company.

Once you're ready to go, consider the attitudes and feelings of
the people who'll be working long hours on the switchboards for
you--invest in some cherry paint for the walls, non-glare
lighting, carpeting for the floors and a few wall prints,
pictures or other decorations. Look around for good used office
furniture and buy or lease only what is absolutely essential. A
pocket calculator and a used manual typewriter will work fine
until you get the business running on a dependably profitable.

When you order your first switchboard, listen to the telephone
company's instruction, read the operating manual and attend their
training sessions. The more you know about the equipment, the
easier it's going to be to operate it, and the more you'll
understand your profit potentials.

The traditional telephone company switchboard is known as the
model 557 or TAS-100. This board handles 100 incoming secretarial
lines and 15 office trunk lines, with this board, you have the
capabilities of receiving incoming calls and making outgoing
calls at the same time. You also have a business answering line
which can be used as your number for customers wanting to use
your number as their business number and/or for special events
such as a special number for survey replies or telephone orders
such as advertised on television for one-time-only sales
promotions.

Even though you have the capabilities of 100 incoming lines, you
shouldn't activate more than 5 or 10 more than your actual
customer list. As you add to your customer list, it's then a
simple matter for the phone company to activate or "tie-in"
according to your needs. Your rental lease payments to the phone
company for equipment includes maintenance, so whenever you have
a problem or something isn't working properly to suit your needs,
call and ask the phone company to send a repairmen.

Some of the extras you can get with your board includes a
"secrecy" switch. This feature prevents an operator from
listening in if a customer has already picked up his phone and
answered the call, but it does not prevent the customer from
picking up his phone after the operator has answered. The
customer could by request the operator to hang up and conduct
whatever conversation he wants with the caller.

Another feature is the "position-splitting" key. This involves
plugging in a second headset and simply turning the key to enable
two operators to work the same board during an especially busy
period.

When your customers want to call to check with you for any
messages, you can have them call their own number if they're
calling from a different number, or pre-designated trunk line.
Most answering service owners equipment works both ways until
they decide upon the system that works best for them. Whichever
method is finally chosen should be decided upon with the
efficiency of the operators in mind.

In addition to your switchboard, you should install a time clock
and message racks. These are ideally located above or on top of
your switchboard. The operator the takes the call, jots down the
message, punches the time clock and quickly slips it into the
customer's message box. When the customer calls in for his
messages the operator retrieves the messages from his message
box, reads them to him, again punches the time clock with each
message slip, and drops them into a "dead message" box.

You should keep these message slips for totalling at billing
time, so it's a good idea to have each operator file them in your
customer folders as they finish their shifts on the board.
retention of these message slips for at least 30 days is not
required, but it is a good policy to practice. You may find a
customer will want to check on a message received or double-check
his billing against your records.

Basically your message rack can be either pigeon hole
compartments in a wooden box designed and built to fit your
space, or a lazy Susan clips similar to what restaurants use for
fast food orders. At any rate, you shouldn't have any problem in
finding what you need on the open market.

It isn't necessary that you have specially designed or printed
message slips, but you should have a plentiful supply available
and within easy access to your operators. Simple 4 x 5 inch pads
should be all you'll need, and if you'll check with your local
quick print shops, you'll find most of them willing to make a
thousand or so pads of 50 to 100 pages each, from scrap paper,
for almost next to nothing. Another essential to plan on--buy in
wholesale lots and keep handy for your operators--is pens. It may
be exasperating until the business is on a sound profitability
basis, but in a busy month, one operator can easily go thru 100
or more pens. Don't fight the how's and why's just charge it up
as a business expense and order more pens.

You'll need some form of maintaining basic customer information
such as address, name and number to contact during an emergency
and any special answering instructions. For this, simply go with
3 x 5 or 4 x 5 index cards and place them in each customer's
message slot for easy operator reference. Many services have
these cards laminated in plastic to prevent them from getting
dirty or deteriorating with constant use.

Efficiency is the name of the road leading to profits in any
small business, so when you begin one switchboard, make sure you
have that position-splitting key, and that you balance the board.
In other words, don't put all of your similar customers--such as
plumers, electricians and doctors on one side of the board.
Instead, divide them across your board--half on them on one side
and half on the other side. This will enable you to put two
operators on that board in times of emergency. Your customer
lines must be distributed according to usage across the board for
maximum efficiency of your operation.

Each time a customer "signs" for your services you should have
him sign a simple contract that specifies the name and address of
the firm to be billed for the service, and typed name as well as
signature of the person authorizing the service. There should
also be space on this contract for alternate phone numbers, names
and addresses as well as phone numbers of persons to contact in
case of emergency, and any special answering instructions the
client may want you to use. Don't forget to include a clause
requiring 30-day notification of service cancellation by either
party to the contract. It's also a good idea to state that a full
month's payment must be made for any partial month's usage, in
order to cover any disconnect charges. You'll probably want to
stipulate that the last month's base charges are to be paid at
the time of service approval, in order to enhance your working
capital situation.

Check with the phone company--find out if they or you are to bill
the customer for hook-up charges, and the line into your
switchboard. By all means, get everything written out and fully
explained in the contract. You'll be money ahead by paying a good
contract that not to put all that you want into a legal contract
that not only protects you, but also is binding upon your
customers.

One other item of paperwork you should have is an Errors &
Omissions Insurance Policy. This protects you and your operators
against any liability form mistakes or missed messages--very good
to have, and available at very low cost thru the Associated
Telephone Answering Exchange, inc. by special arrangements with
Lloyd's of London. Your other insurance needs are those basic to
any business. Always shop around for the best rates.

In the beginning, you and your spouse or partner can operate a
telephone answering service. However, we strongly suggest that
you add to your "operator staff" just as quickly as your customer
list warrants. The longer you try to operate with just 2 people,
the longer it's going to take you to achieve real profitability.

Remember, you want a 24 hour, seven-days-a-week, full service
operation. This will require at least three full time operators
for your board, plus at least one relief operator--and don't
forget about commission sales people.

Ideally, you should try to hire people with telephone switchboard
experience, but in order to get these people, you may have to
offer short-shift, moonlighting tom regular telephone company
operators. It will take some time to train inexperienced people,
so bear this in mind when you begin looking for people to hire.
It's always a good policy to hire your new, inexperienced people
for the evening shifts. Break them in by having them "sit in"
with an experienced operator during the daytime hours, and have
someone close at hand during their first week on the evening
shift before turning them loose to handle the board by
themselves.

The most important qualifications to look for in an operator are
voice and attitude. The voice must be pleasant and sound alert,
interested and ready to help the caller. Warn your operators
never allow their "personal feelings" to show thru when they're
answering the phone. They represent your business and your
customers. As such, they must project a professional manner at
all times.

Teach your operators to answer the phones with a "happy smile" in
their voices. Train them to take their time with the callers, and
get the message right by reading the message back to the caller,
and also be sure they ask the caller for the correct spelling of
his or her name. Unless specifically instructed otherwise by a
customer, insist that your operators never allow an incoming call
to ring more than twice before answering it. Hardly anything
frustrates anyone calling a business number more than a telephone
that seemingly rings forever before someone answers it.

You can start you inexperienced people at $4 an hour, and your
experienced operators at $6 an hour. Try to explain to them that
the success of your business depends on them, and as your
business prospers, so will give them their monetary rewards. Get
them involved and interested in helping you succeed.

It's going to take aggressive selling on your part to reach
success with a venture of this kind. You must spend at least 50
percent of your time making sales calls--if you can't or don't
wish to do any personal selling, then you'll have to hire at
least two full time people to take your place. In addition to
your own sales efforts or people who will fill your shoes in this
area, you should hire at least one other full time sales person.
You should plan to have someone making telephone solicitations
for at least 3 hours out of each working day.

Selling your services--building an ever larger customer list--is
the name of the game for real success. You've got the start-up
information, and form here on, the rest depends on your own
ambition...

   Associated Telephone Answering Exchanges, Inc.
   Bankers Square
   100 Pitt Street
   Alexandria, VA 22314
   (703) 683-3770

TYPICAL EQUIPMENT COSTS:

TWO OPERATOR CHAIRS...........................$90
DESK & CHAIR..................................100
TWO SIDE CHAIRS................................50
BOOKCASE.......................................50
FILING/SUPPLY CABINET..........................50
CALCULATOR.....................................50
USED TYPEWRITER...............................150
BASE FOR SWITCHBOARD...........................60
MESSAGE RACK...................................75
TIME CLOCK....................................250
OFFICE FURNISHINGS/DECORATIONS................150
5-THOUSNAD MESSAGE PADS........................25
24-DOZEN PENS..................................12
SWITCHBOARD LEASE (ONE BOARD)...............4,000
CABLE INSTALLATION (ONE BOARD)..............1,500
RENT ON OFFICE................................600
UTILITY DEPOSITS...............................50
BUSINESS LICENSES..............................50
BUSINESS INSURANCE............................350
LEGAL FEE.....................................100
SUPPLIES..................................... 200


   TOTAL $7,957

2010-01-08T09:26:00.007-08:00

HOW TO START YOUR OWN SUCCESSFUL WINDOW WASHING SERVICE

Here's a business that, almost more than any other with equal
potential for real wealth, meets the most stringent requirements
of just about any skeptic. In fact, there's so much in favor of
the "little guy" with this business, it's a real mystery why more
people don't choose this one as the vehicle for their ultimate
independence and financial security.

This is a business that can make you rich very quickly...It's a
kind of service business that can can very profitably be operated
by one person--male or female..The basic knowledge needed for
success is simple and easy to learn..Very little monetary
investment is needed for equipment--usually less than
$100...There are virtually no storage space requirements...You
can operate out of your home for virtually as long as you like;
and yet, there's a real demand for this type of business
everywhere...

The success potential for window washing services is present in
the smallest of towns as well as the largest metropolitan areas.
Your risks will be minimal, while your rewards can far surpass
even your wildest dreams. Generally, a one man operation in a
city of 50,000 can expect to gross $4,000 or more per month after
90 days. Operating expenses for one person operations grossing
this amount should be less than $1,000 per month.

Ideally, your plan should be to solicit new accounts, do the
work yourself and establish a regular customer route. Once you've
established such a service route, and you're beginning to realize
a good profit, you should hire part-time help to do the work
while you solicit new accounts and establish more regular
customer routes.

You should concentrate on providing regular window washing
services for all the one and two story office buildings and
storefronts in your area. Start with those closest to your home
and expand your efforts outward. Choose a busy thoroughfares
leading into your city's downtown area. Select the one closest to
your home and begin calling on business owners and store managers
all along the street into the downtown area.

Usually, you won't have to do much more than introduce yourself,
briefly explain your services, and leave your business card. We
did this regularly on a once-a-week basis, and after 6 weeks, we
had enough business to keep one man busy--6hours a day, 5 days a
week.

Until you become well established, don't even bother soliciting
work on windows higher than the second story. However, it's best
to call on every business, one after the other as you make your
way to the downtown area. Later on, you can call upon churches,
private schools, businesses located on side streets branching off
the main thoroughfares, and even homes if you'd like to try that
market. Generally though, you'll find the residential market too
time-consuming to make your efforts really profitable, plus the
fact that you simply won't be able to charge enough to make it
worthwhile in comparison to your commercial customers. Apartment
houses and condominiums are quite a different story however,
particularly when you can land several customers in the same
building.

As mentioned earlier, you can headquarter in and operate
completely out of your home. You can store your cleaning
equipment and supplies in a corner of your garage. Your
bookkeping and other paperwork can be taken care of at the
kitchen table, with whatever office supplies your need, easily
stored in a dresser drawer.

Speaking of office supplies, you should have a supply of
business cards--and an adequate supply of billing statements with
your business name and address, plus mailing envelopes and return
reply envelopes. You can get away with rubber-stamping your
business name and address on your statements and envelopes, but
your business will grow faster--you'll probably save time and
money as well--by going with printed supplies from the beginning.

There are nor "real reasons" not to list your home address as
your business address, but listing a post office box number--if
you prefer--wil not really harm your image. Te important thing is
personal contact--someone from your company regularly calling
upon prospective customers.

Talk with them. Listen to them. Get to know them. Find out
who's currently doing their windows for them, if they have any
complaints and how you can offer them a better deal. When you've
actually investigated the service they're contracted for, and
you're certain you can offer them a better deal, put your ideas
into the form of a written proposal and give it to them. Don't be
afraid to submit a proposal for a better deal, remember when you
do, your proposal should offer more than just a price break.
Under-cutting a competitor's price usually means less profit for
you, and an overall deterioration of your reputation. It may
temporarily result in more work for you, but you're in business
to attain wealth--not work yourself into an early grave.

If your spouse is home during the day, she can answer the phone
for you and generally set up appointments for you, while you're
out making sales calls. She can also type out your monthly
statements, see that they're sent out on time, and pretty much
handle your bookkeeping for you. Should it not be feasible, or
for some reason inconvenient for your wife to handle your
incoming calls for you, look around until you find a good,
dependable Telephone Answering Service. Many of these telephone
answering services handle typing jobs as well, so if you're
lacking someone to handle these chores for you, chances are you
can find all the services you need without much of a search.

It's important with this type of business that you have a
"live" voice answering your calls. selecting the right people to
handle your calls, and spending the extra time necessary to train
them according to your desires--even paying a little more to have
things done the way you want them done--is almost always well
worth the time and added expense. Remember, this is a service
business with your growth dependent upon the personal contact you
and your representatives have with prospective clients. Work on
it, develop it, and cultivate your personal contact transactions.

As the size of your company increases and you hire crews of
people to handle work assignments, you can usually get your
answering service to take on the added duties of job assignments
notification or dispatcher. All of this simply points up the
possibilities of operating your business out of your home
indefinitely, should you choose to do so.

If someone along the line you decide to set up an office in a
location other than your home, you might want to make an offer or
otherwise induce one or two of the people from your telephoning
answering service. Regardless of how large your work force
becomes, it's always best if you supply the window washing
equipment and supplies.

Employees should be allowed to take the equipment home with
them, and required to use their own vehicles for transportation
to each job site. By all means, spend the extra money to supply
your workers with uniforms. Matching shirts and trousers with a
big patch on the back of the shirts, listing your company name
and phone number, is not only impressive in projecting image,
it's also one of the cheapest and best advertising methods.

Once you've hire people to do the actual window washing for
you, get a couple of magnetic signs showing your company name and
telephone number. Be sure to "wear" these signs on your car as
you make your sales calls and spot check on the progress of your
work crews. Later on, you can get similar signs for your crew
chiefs. If you should opt for company-owned vehicles, you'll find
vans to be the most convenient and serve your needs most
efficiently. Be sure to have your company name, phone number and
logo painted on each side of these vehicles--and allow your crew
chiefs to drive them home at night--all of which benefits you
with practically free advertising.

The kind of equipment you'll need to professionally wash
windows is relatively simple...A12 or 18 inch window brush,
aluminum telescopic brush handle...6 inch, 10 inch and 18 inch
squeegees with replacement rubber blades...A couple of plastic or
galvanized water pails, one 2 gallon and the other 5 gallon...And
an 8-foot step ladder, plus maybe a 16 foot straight ladder...

Your start-up should include 5 gallons of liquid soap..a good
supply of clean rags, towels and chamois..And a sharp razor blade
scraper...

This entire list of supplies and equipment should total no more
than $250 in cost. You'll need to add to your equipment only as
your business grows and you have need to hire more personnel...

Some professional window washers are proclaiming an alternative
or "better method" than with the use of window brushes and
squeegees. They're advocating the use of "strip washers." These
are 3/4 inch pieces of aluminum pipe covered with a nylon sleeve
that fits the pipe. These are similar in appearance to the handy
do-it-yourself paint rollers, and are used in much the same
manner. These strip washers reportedly work very well on all but
the dirtiest of windows.

Another alternative is an extension pole and brush device.
Water is pumped thru the handle and out the brush in a
rinse-wash-rinse cycle. Most professionals claim this device is
ideal for second story windows, but for best quality workmanship,
they still prefer the basic brush and squeegee approach.

Still another alternative is a hose-water-fed brush that
utilizes de-ionized water where ladders aren't feasible.
De-ionized water is a kind of water from which all minerals and
foreign elements have been removed. Using this kind of water
assures the window washer an easier and faster job with no
worries about streaking or water drops.

Your prices should range between $20 and $25 per hour. Pay for
hired help should start at $5 per hour. It's important that you
do some homework on the various glass treatments in vogue these
days. Many of these coatings and coverings require special
treatment such as the use of soft towels instead of brushes that
might scratch the surface of the window coating.

The professional technique for washing windows cleanly and in
the least amount of time is as follows: A few drops of cleaning
solution in your bucket of water. remember, too many soap suds
are detrimental to quality work. Wet your brush from the bucket
and then scrub the window. Take your squeegee and make one wiping
pass across the top of the window. Be sure to keep the end of the
squeegee pressed firmly against the molding or top sill of the
window frame. Wipe the squeegee, and then do the same thing down
each side of the window. from this point on, it's just a matter
of wiping the window clean with one continuous stroke. You do
this by arching and looping your wiping strokes across the window
pane, back and forth, never stopping or lifting the squeegee
blade from the glass. With this in method, you can wipe even the
largest window clean in just a matter of seconds. Practice at
home on your own windows and those of your neighbors. You'll
quickly develop a knack for this method and wonder why you never
discovered it before.

  When you've finished with the squeegee, take a chamois and
carefully "blot-wipe" any excess water that may have not have
been picked up along the sides and bottom of the window frame. In
reality, that's all there is to it.

  You'll find the spring and summer months to be the busiest, but
because of the increasing popularity of painting holiday scenes
and special sale announcements on business windows, be alert for
year 'round opportunities along these lines as well. Keep
plugging away and offering your services to businesses throughout
your area, particularly along those busy thoroughfares where
moving traffic contributes to the build-up of dirt & grime on
windows.

  When you're ready to hire helpers or people to do the work for
you, a simple ad in your local newspaper's "help Wanted" column
should bring you more applicants than you'll ever use. After
you've hired the one or the ones you want, keep a record of the
ones you liked but didn't hire, and check with them when you want
to add onto your crew of workers again.

  Bulletin Board notices will also bring in a surprising number
of applicants. Another good idea is to spread the word that
you're looking for part-time help, amongst your local firemen,
policemen and teachers. depending on your area's pay scale, you
can do pretty well by contacting the temporary help services in
your area.

  About the only regular advertising you'll need to do is a
medium to large display ad in the yellow pages. This is a must
because once you're established you'll find at least

50% of your business coming from having seen your ad in the
yellow pages. An "insider's" trick to advertising in the yellow
pages--Try to name your business with the very first letter of
your business name beginning with A-B-C, or X-Y-Z. Statistics and
surveys tend to prove that when people look for a service in the
yellow pages, they invariably pick from either the top or bottom
of the alphabet.

  Aside from the yellow pages, your next best advertising will be
the "reminder" kind, such as note pads with your company name
imprinted on them, special calendars or holders, special date or
appointment books, and/or sports caps with your company
name/emblem on them. However, as this kind of advertising is
quite expensive, it's good to keep in mind, but best to hold off
until you can well afford it.

  Any radio, television, newspaper and/or direct mail advertising
efforts will cost you much more than any business you receive
from it, so don't even consider this type of advertising.
However, do think about, and submit "press release" material to
these media as often as you can, because any publicity coverage
they give will surely be well worthwhile.

  Telephone soliciting for business works well, but you should
have a list of businesses and their telephone numbers, plotted
out according to new routes you're trying to build. Time spent
travelling between jobs will cost you money, just as time spent
looking up telephone numbers along a certain planned route will
seemingly take forever. If and when you decide to drum up new
business by phone, you'll have much greater success if you can
offer some sort of promotional gimmick to get them to try your
service.

  We had great success one time by offering to do windows for
free if they'd let us put a sign in the window--These windows
cleaned by AAA Window Cleaning Service--666-5824... Another time,
we did the windows for half price as an introductory offer..And
still another time, we joined with our telephone answering
service--on a combined promotion...half price on three months of
telephone answering service just for trying our window washing
service...The ideas, gimmicks and promotions you can use are
limited only by your imagination...

  Later on, we hired some good-looking college girls--on a
commission basis--to call on businesses along the new routes we
are trying to develop. They just introduced themselves as
representatives of our firm, explained our services and offered a
half priced introductory service. They ended up selling better
than 60% of the business they called upon.

  During one summer, we even tried a crew of these young ladies
as window washers--they weren't the best...We dresses them in
snappy red & white suspender-type short-shorts and drew quite a
crowd on each job. It was good advertising for us--we got free
newspaper and television coverage, and an untold number of new
business leads--but the glamour of the whole thing grew old very
quickly. But it was a gimmick that brought in new business,
caused a lot of people to recognize that we were in the window
cleaning business, and made our selling job easier.

  Truly, this is an easy business to start...and with just a bit
of imagination on your part, as well as persistence and quality
workmanship, you can easily become financially secure as you
want...And it takes is action on your part, so reach for it and
may you always enjoy the fruits of a bountiful success!

THE END OF THIS REPORT

2010-01-08T09:26:00.005-08:00

HOW TO START YOUR OWN HIGHLY PROFITABLE CATERING SERVICE

People with money seem to be on a binge to prove their status and
flaunt their wealth by staging large, catered parties. As a
matter of fact, in some circle of affluency, a party or social
get-together isn't considered an event of any significance unless
it's a catered affair.

With the same kind of reasoning, businesses of all sizes are
using catered lunches, cocktail parties and dinner meetings to
build their images and increase company sales. It's a matter of
keeping up with the competition in promoting a company and/or
product.

On a smaller, but just as busy marketing scale, more and more
working mothers are paying to have catered birthday and
graduation parties, as well as wedding receptions handled by
caterers. The reasons are simple to understand--if she's working
outside the home, today's mother just doesn't have the time or
the energy to do all the planning and staging of a memorable
party.

Besides those reasons for turning everything over to a caterer,
working mothers feel a little guilty about the time away from
their children they lose because of their jobs. Thus, they're
ready and willing to make it all to them by paying for a lavish
party the child will remember for years to come.

Caterers handle everything from birthday parties for children, to
breakfast in bed and intimate candlelight dinners for two, to
company dinner parties for 50 and wedding receptions involving a
thousand or more guests. This kind of entreprenuerial business is
definitely growing and becoming more popular with people of all
income levels.

An imaginative caterer in a large metropolitan area can easily
gross $150,000 per year, while a small part-time caterer in a
small town can count on at least $10,000 to $15,000 per year. One
small, but very ambitious caterer is reported to have grossed
$250,000 after only 2-years in the business!

You don't need special education or training to become a
successful caterer. You do need a affinity for people and a kind
of intuition as to what people enjoy in different environmental
settings.

A quick survey of successful caterers across the nation shows
that began with zero capital by working out of their homes. The
basic starting up investment would appear to be around $500, with
some big spenders capitalizing their idea with as much as $15,000
in order to get off to a fast start.

This seems to be an ideal business for an ambitious couple to
start and operate with very little capital investment required.
One person can spend his time hustling up business while the
other would do the planning, organizing and actual catering.

As with any business, your success will be directly related to
the soundness of planning and the working of that plan.
Understand exactly what your client wants, and give him what he
wants in the way of service that reflects upon the client in a
complimentary manner.

Basically, you can start with an advertisement in your local
newspapers. This advertisement need not be much more than a
simple announcement: Creative Catering-Specializing in personal
service- We can handle any party or special event from start to
finish-no idea to small or too large- Your satisfaction is always
guaranteed! We can handle everything for you.. Call us, and let
us make your parties worth remembering...

Naturally, the first thing you want from anyone calling to ask
about your services, is that anyone calling to ask about your
services, is that person's name, address and phone number. Then
you want to know what kind of party or event they have in mind.
As soon as you have this information, relax a little bit and
inquire to find out about the person or the company--the
people--sponsoring the party and their ultimate goals or reasons
for the party.

If it's to celebrate birthday, graduation, anniversary or a
wedding reception--finding out about the interests, background
and ambitious of the guest of honor will be of value to you in
your planning. Taking a few minutes to learn everything you can
about whoever the party is for, and the people giving the party,
will also make it much easire to close the sale than any sales
pitch or special persuasive tactics.

People like to talk about themselves, and they especially like to
tell everyone why they're honoring someone, even when they
pretend to keep it a secret who initiated the idea. So, it's
important that you be a good listener, that you have the ability
to get people to talk about themselves, and that you take notes
on the things they tell you.

This same principle applies to business people, regardless of
who's talking to you or the purpose of the catered affair. The
more polished and adept you can become in getting your prospects
to talk about themselves, the more information relative to their
background you can elicit, and the more you listen; the better
your parties will be, and the greater success you'll attain in
the catering business.

You take the information you glean from this first interview and
plan/organize the event on paper. This means you're going to have
to have contacts or at least working relationships with
innumerable service businesses.

If your client wants to stage a birthday party for a 12-year
old---he or she greets the guests as they arrive, makes sure
everybody knows who he is---then what about party favors---a soft
drink and a conversation leader until all the guests arrive--the
opening of presents--icecream and cake--and games to play, a
thank you gift for coming, and a reason to end the party at a
pre-determined time...

Do you greet the guests, does the mother or father, or the little
boy or girl? Where do you come up with the party favors at less
than regular retail prices? Where are you going to get the soft
drinks-your cost and the glasses or paper cups to serve them in?
What about ice? What kind of games to play? Who'll be the
conservation leader? Will there be a clown or someone special to
keep everything moving according to plan? Where do you get the
ice cream and cake? What games to play? How to get everyone
involved? And finally, a feasible and polite reason for ending
the party and sending everyone home...

All this takes planning, organization, and if you're going to
make a profit, a definite awareness of cost control. Get it all
down on paper as a proposal to the people who want to pay you to
carry it off. Figure out your costs, the time involved in putting
it all together, and then get back to your prospect.

Always leave room for changes in your proposal. In fact, expect
them--invite input and suggestions from the client--and always
have an alternate idea in your mind for each of those on your
written proposals. Discuss your proposal with the client just as
you would a script for a television show, make the suggested
changes and ask for a 50-percent advance deposit. From there,
it's just a matter of following your plan.

Regardless of size or type of party--whether your client is a
working mother or a giant corporation--the format is always the
same: initial inquiry, interview, your proposal, 2nd interview
for any changes, agreement, deposit, staging the party itself,
and your final payment. As mentioned earlier, success in this
business comes from your planning--having a lot of contacts--and
working your plan.

An important word of caution: Try not to get "boxed in" to
setting or even revealing a tentative price until you've had a
chance to listen to what the prospect wants, to study your own
capabilities, and to make a formal written proposal. If a
customer wants to know how much you charge--and if you feel it
necessary in order to eventually close the sale--you can tell him
50 to 100 dollars per hour, plus expenses, and of course,
depending on the type of event the customer wants.

As for how much the average party costs, again tell him that it
varies anywhere from 50 to 5,000 dollars.

Always keep in mind that you are a professional, and that if the
ordinary person had your knowledge, contacts and ambition to do
it himself, he wouldn't be calling you on the phone. He needs
your help for any number of reasons. You specialize in this kind
of work or service just as a doctor specializes in medicine and a
lawyer in legal matters. Therefore, you should, and do expect to
be paid accordingly.

Something else--this business thrives on word-of-mouth
advertising--referrals--and thus, is direct "freeway' to the kind
of customers where money is of no concern. However, on order to
gain access to this market, your business emphasis has to be on
service.

This means the capability of handling everything for the
customer, from having the invitations printed and sent out to
cleaning up after the last guest has left. Businesses and people
in the upper income brackets, like to pick up the phone--tell
someone they want a party on a certain date--and then forget
about it, knowing everything will be taken care of without
further worry or time involvement from them. Once you've
developed your expertise and clientele to this level, you'll have
a business in the $200,000 to $250,00 per year range.

Definitely arrange for a display ad in the yellow pages of your
telephone directory. You'll probably get 40% of your inquires
from this source alone. Generally speaking, radio and/or
television advertising will be too expensive when compared with
the immediate results. However, it is recommended that you
consider these media prior to special holidays.

Working with restaurants, supper clubs, bridal shops and
entertainment business in general. can bring in hundreds of
referrals for you. Rubbing shoulders with, and circulating as a
part of your area's civic and service clubs, should also result
in more business for you.

Keep your eyes and ears on the alert. Where ever you go, and with
whomever you associate, always be ready to promote and sell your
services, if not on the spot, at least make a note to follow up
when conditions are more in your favor. Promoting and selling
your services will require at least half your time, and that's
why two people operating catering services are so successful from
the start.

The actual selling is quite simple so long as you emphasize the
service and time-saving aspects. The more time-consuming work you
can handle for the client, the easier it's going to be for you to
close the sale.

Handing out business cards is one of the least expensive ways to
advertise, promote and sell your services. One enterprising
caterer makes arrangements with the sponsors of all his parties,
to see that each of the guests gets one of his business cards.

Another gives each of his clients a stack of his business cards,
and tells them he'll pay them $25 for each prospect they refer to
him. He tells them to write their name on the backs of the cards,
and to hand them out to their friends. And then, whenever a
person tells him that John or Jane suggested he call, and he
presents the card with John or Jane's name on the back, this very
successful caterer sends John or Jane a $25 check.

Another very successful caterer pays commissions to a group of
housewives and college students who solicit--via their home
phones--interviews for him with brides-to-be. They get their
leads from announcements, and pictures of brides-to-be in the
local papers.

Many caterers pay sales people a commission for letting them know
when they hear about a party or special event being planned by
one of their business customers.

The possibilities go on and on, and are seemingly un limited.
Time is becoming more valuable to a lot more people every day,
which means there are more and more opportunities for great
wealth and personal independence as a professional caterer. In
reality the success for just about any person entering this
field, will be limited only by his or her own imagination and
energy.

There is definite opportunity for great wealth within the
catering field. Anyone with a sense of service to others can
succeed. Very little "readycash" is needed to begin. Therefore,
the only thing standing between you and the realization of your
dreams, is the action it takes on your part to get started...