BUSINESS IDEA FOR BEGINNERS

Did you know that you can market mail order materials in your own area, to your own friends and co-workers without losing any money? It’s easy! All you have to do is find a product, mark up the price to take care of your commission and sell it.

One of the easiest items to sell in your local area is printing. Call any print shop (Minuteman, Quik Print, Pip, etc.) and ask them the price for printing 1,000 copies of the same original (one-side). Prices will differ across the nation, but I have found the medium range to be between $60 and $90. However, most mail order printer’s prices range between $20 and $30 for the same job! That’s about a 50% difference — even going by the lowest local rates.

Okay — now we have an idea. Let’s do our preparation and I’ll lead you step-by-step into the marketing of this idea. Let’s stick with our example of printing. Before you begin to advertise printing services in your local area, you need to locate an honest and good mail order printer. If you don’t, you will be stuck with unsatisfied customers if the order isn’t right.

In order to locate a good printer, you will need to read mail order publications. Compare prices and services. Look at the quality of their advertisement. Is it professional looking? Does the printing look sloppy? Find a printer with the lowest prices but the most services. It is more important to have someone who is reliable, ships on time and never lets you down versus saving $1 per order.

Three printers we recommend are, however, there are many other good ones in mail order:

Kem’s Graphics
549 Friendship Rd
Seneca, SC 29678

JRS Printing
PO Box 2508
Calcutta, OH 4392

Tom Leash
64 W Main St
Dallastown, PA 17313

To get a current Big Mail of up-to-date information, write to the following and request a copy of their current publications to get you started:

George Norr
PO Box 70268
Salt Lake City, UT 84170

G&B Records
PO Box 10150
Terra Bella, CA 93270

Once you’ve narrowed your company selections down to a few choice ones, you probably will want to send each of them a small order. Keep records of the date you sent each order and how long it took to get back. I would mail all my orders on the same day. This way, you would automatically know “which” printer was the fastest in shipping orders. (This fact is very important when dealing with local customers who want their order yesterday or last week.)

Now, compare the quality of the printers you have selected. Choose the best! Remember, when you deal with local customers you will have to provide the same type of commercial quality they are used to receiving locally. Even though they will be paying less, no customer should expect “less.” Your business will grow if you offer the same quality for less money.

After you have selected the printer you want to use, write them a letter. Explain that you are going to market their services locally and would like to obtain their “best” price. Often times, they will discount their prices even more just to get repeat business. This brings you in more commissions.

Now, all that’s left is to make yourself a price sheet listing YOUR prices (marked up from the prices your printer charges you and how much the same item sells for locally). Pass these price sheets out at work. Place on car windshields. Tack on bulletin boards. Advertise in the paper. Drop off at small business establishments. Contact people in the paper who are planning a wedding or pass out flyers in your neighborhood. When you get an order, you keep your portion of the customer’s money and send the order to your printer, who normally dropships to you or your customer.

This is only one idea for selling mail order printing in your local area. There are 1,000′s of other mail order products that are superior as well as a lot of talented folks who provide exceptional products that cannot be purchased at all locally! Just choose one that interests you and find a way to sell it in your neighborhood.

Another way of selling locally is by contacting Coal Publishing, 27 South 4th Ave, Highland Park NJ 08904. Start a newspaper in your area and have local businesses place advertisements. When you have secured advertisers, send the ads and payment to Coal’s “Small Business Keeps America Growing” newspaper services. Copies are professionally printed and shipped back to you. Have kids and teenagers help you distribute them and you’re in business. This idea can net you as much as $1,000+ per week once you build up the advertisers for it.

Selling locally is the quickest and easiest way to start a business of your own without any money. It’s better than working for McDonalds. Just look around — opportunities do exist everywhere!

ATTACK FEAR OR IT WILL HOLD YOU BACK!

Last week I was fixing a computer system for a client of mine at their office. They worked for a secure company and depended on a regular salary on a bi-weekly basis. The client commented on how “lucky” I was to own and operate my own business and wished he could do the same.

I replied, “Why don’t you do it?” The reply was, “I have kids and a family and we live from paycheck to paycheck. I couldn’t possibly break-away not knowing where our next meal was coming from! It’s too scary!”

I explained to him how easy it was to start his own business while still holding down his present job. Then, when the business was bringing in more income than his job, he could quit. You would think this would have calmed his fear. Unfortunately, he replied, “But where do I find the time? What if it doesn’t work? I simply don’t have any extra money to lose!”

Immediately I determined that FEAR haunted this person’s life. He had been stuck in the 9-5 existence for so long and depended on such a normal routine for so long that he was absorbed in it. Unless he wanted to at least TRY, our conversation was worthless to continue.

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

Also, begin associating yourself with people who are in their own business already. (An alcoholic never stopped drinking by hanging around his or her drinking buddies. They made a change by associating with people who DON’T drink.) Afraid to go out and make new friends, attend a local business-related seminar in your community. Start watching television shows that are related to business. You’ll eventually find people to associate with who know others and you’ll be the part of a new crowd — the motivating ones!

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

FEAR also will cause you to lose out on many other things in life. If you FEAR the boss at work is going to fire you — it will naturally be on your mind day in and day out. It will eventually wear you down and you will begin making mistakes on the job. You will also get depressed and build up resentments that may have never been there in the first place.

Facing FEAR head on is the best way to combat it. If you think the boss is going to fire you — go up and ask him. It takes guts, but isn’t it better than putting yourself through many months of agonizing torture? Are you full of so much FEAR to even ask him because you think it will trigger him to say “yes” when he might not have been considering it at all? Believe me — asking a boss “if” they are thinking about firing you will put you in no different position than you are now. In fact — it will have the opposite effect. The boss will more than likely respect you for your candidness and ability to face FEAR head-on.

Is FEAR holding you back from a lot of things? Are you afraid to confront people and tell them how you really feel? Do you smile in their face and talk about them behind their back? What’s so hard about being truthful but using tact? Doesn’t it get rid of FEAR and solve many problems?

Complaining is also an act that emotionally drains you and goes hand-in-hand with FEAR. In fact, FEAR is normally the root of any complaint. People don’t want to admit their FEAR so they will complain to release some tension. This is a crazy merry-go-round! Instead of complaining, try to find ways to solve the problem.

A relative of mine used to drive me crazy complaining about her husband slurping his food. She never told him about it because she had a FEAR he would be embarrassed. But when I told her I was going to tell him for her if she didn’t confront the issue head-on, it scared her into talking to him. She was kind but stern about her complaint. She didn’t instigate an argument but honesty told him it was bothering her. He immediately made a change and they lived happily ever after!

Update 6-27-10

If you liked this article you may find Erica Douglass’ recent post, “Could the Biggest Obstacle to Your Success Be…You?“, interesting too.

CUSTOMER RESPONSE CARD

We all do it. If we get good service or order a product we like — we order from the company again. However, if there is something we don’t like or are dissatisfied with the service in any way, shape or form, we never bring it to the attention of the company. We simply don’t use their services again and think that solves the problem.

Let me share with you something that happened here locally to me. A new pizza shop moved into the neighborhood and I decided to try them out. When I placed my order I informed them that they had been highly recommended and this was my first order. When I picked up the pizza and brought it home it was HORRIBLE! I couldn’t believe I actually paid $14 for the thing. It wasn’t even worth $2 in my opinion.

Naturally, I had made up my mind never to order from this particular pizza shop again — but a few days later the owner called me to ask my opinion on what I thought of the pizza. (He had got my phone number off the check I paid my order with.)

Feeling a little embarrassed and reluctant to tell him how horrible it was, I said, “It was okay but not something I would order again.” The owner became very interested and asked me to give him more specifics. I explained that the sauce was too tangy and there was not enough cheese or pepperoni on the pizza — even though I ordered double of both items. He asked me to give his pizza one more try, but this time it would be free of charge. I accepted.

And guess what? The quality was greatly improved and I am now a steady customer.

You can use the same situation for your mail order business. Only you can’t afford to call everyone that orders from you. That is where the “Customer Response Card” is vital to your growing business. You hardly ever see them in mail order because people don’t think they really work. That’s because they have never put them to use. That’s where you can be different and innovative — and profitable — all at the same time.

“Customer Response Cards” can easily be typeset by any competent typesetter. They should ask such questions of the customer, as:

• How do you rate our service?
• Was the quality of our product or service excellent, good, fair or poor?
• What would you suggest for us to do in order to improve our services?
• Would you order from us again?
• Any additional comments?

Lines should be left for the customers’ name, address and telephone number. In addition, the “Customer Response Card” should be pre-addressed with your address and preferably pre-stamped for their convenience.

If you decide to use “Customer Response Cards” they will serve a very important function in your daily business. First of all, when customers receive them they will know you are concerned about them and their order. They will feel important that you have asked for their opinion and will feel free to make helpful suggestions, complain or brag about your company.

However, you must keep in mind that a complaint is NOT a reflection on you personally. A complaint should be an indication that there is some unfinished business to take care of. Almost 90% of the time, if you listen and try to understand a customer complaint — the customer is more than satisfied.

Then, if you offer to make up for the difference or offer them free services or a money-saving coupon on their next order, they will be much more than satisfied. Not only have you kept a customer but built a trust with them at the same time.

Solve complaints from “Customer Response Cards” as quickly as possible. Customers may make a complaint on a postcard more readily than calling you or writing you a letter. This helps draw your attention to problems before they get out of hand — problems you might not even know existed!

And never forget to thank your customers for providing you with their opinion. You could send them back a discount coupon to use on items you sell on their next order or simply send them a “Thank You” card. Remember that a customer’s opinion is worth its weight in gold. There are professional marketing firms that are paid $1,000′s of dollars per year by companies to find out what people really think of their products. A “Customer Response Card” is a very low-cost way of determining trends and interests that your customer market has. If you keep on top of things, you will never have to hire these high-paid professionals. You’ll know more than they do!