The 1st annual SCOMPA Rummage Sale has been planned. SCOMPA is the Southwest Community of Motion Picture Artists and is a non-profit organization currently working on film projects for the local DFW community – such as American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
Address: 3321 Collins Blvd. Garland, TX (Jupiter and Collins)
Date and Time: Saturday November, 22 at 8 am and will end around 4 pm or sooner.
Don't miss out on great bargains!
7 Ways to Boost Your Small Business into the Big Time
By Alanna Parke Kvale - Alanna is a regular contributer to www.whole-earth-pets.com and to www.ella-ments.com
(1) Business Cards
Probably the #1 marketing tool is the humble, little business card. It’s the smallest piece of real estate in your marketing bag and usually the least expensive. It can be plain black and white or full color—expensive and embossed or designed on Publisher and printed right in your home office. It all depends on your particular business and budget.
Keep plenty of cards with you at all times—in your pocket or purse. Invest in a nice business card holder and keep it filled. Give these little beauties out to everyone you meet. And always give them two at a time. One for the person to keep and one for them to pass on to someone else, for you.
Pop a couple into the bills before you mail them. Sending a thank you letter to a good customer or client? Pop in a couple of your cards to make sure your name stays in front of their face.
Include a couple of cards along with your tip in a restaurant. And don’t forget to pop a card into that fishbowl at the front door for the weekly lunch giveaway. You might just win a free lunch while spreading the word about yourself and your business.
When you stop in the restroom to wash up, leave some cards on the counter. Give some cards to the teller at the bank, in the drive-through or at the desk. And don’t forget the person behind the counter at your local dry cleaners, the grocer store, drug store, etc. You get the idea. Think how many people you encounter in a single week. And they are all potential customers or clients.
If you have friends and relatives with their own businesses, swap a stack of cards with them and help promote each other. There are even communities online who are doing just that. I recently exchanged cards with several women on iVillage.com.
You can even include a message on the back of your card—discounts, specials, etc. An engraver of my acquaintance used to put a 10% discount notice on the back of his business card, and then hand them to Good Samaritans he encountered in his travels around town.
The point to remember is that the opportunities to network are all around you, so never miss one.
(2) Flyers
Another of the most useful marketing tools is the simple flyer. Here too, what you end up with will depend on your type of business and your budget. And of course, your own personal style. Plain or fancy—it’s your choice.
They can be:
*Handed out.
*Sent out in envelopes.
*Tacked up on bulletin boards.
*Hung on doorknobs.
If you decide to distribute them through the mail, or go door to door, hanging them on doorknobs, you might want to consider using the piggyback method, along with other merchants who are advertising. This is a great way for everyone to save a little cash.
Keep the flyer simple; if it seems too busy and difficult to read, you’ve lost the customer’s interest. Keep in mind, that after a long day of being bombarded with information, your potential customer will give that humble little flyer about three seconds to grab their attention.
So, make that Headline a real Attention Grabber. Say clearly what you need to say and make sure your contact information is clear, accurate and up-to-date.
And don’t forget a Call to Action. If you want them to call for information, tell them to call. If you want them to place an order, tell them what they need, where to call and how they can pay.
(3) Brochures
The brochure is your all-purpose marketing tool and it can do many things to promote
your business. It can:
*Inform your potential customer about your product or service.
*Answer specific questions concerning your product or service.
*Establish credibility in the mind of your potential customer or client about you and what you have to offer them.
*Act as a selling tool, getting your potential customer or client to pick up that phone or go to your website and place an order.
Here once again, the type of brochure, its look and style will reflect your own needs and type of business. And its uses are numerous.
*For inquiries about your business—mail the brochure.
*Attending trade shows or conventions—a brochure us a must for point of sale displays.
*For meeting with potential clients—a brochure can be a great leave-behind, sure to keep your company in their minds.
*If you’re using a direct mail campaign for your business, a brochure makes an excellent addition to your package.
(4) Post Cards
Post cards can easily become a marketer’s dream tool. They’re inexpensive to produce and mail, simple to design and colorful.
Whether you design and print them out yourself, let the USPS help you with prepaid post cards that you simply print on, or go online to one of the many PostCard Houses. A post card is an easy, quick way to put you and your company name in front of your target market.
A creative post card mailed two or four times a year will bring in a good response. Pick a nice color that reflects your style and business type. Your potential customer or client will start to recognize those colorful little squares as yours, when they come across their desks or in the mailbox.
(5) Sales Letters
It’s said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Nothing proves that old axiom like the powerful, all purpose sales letter.
Your credibility is immediately established since people believe that if it’s in writing, it must be true.
A belief is determined at a sub-conscious level and writing bypasses the conscious level and goes directly to the cerebral cortex. This is the part of the brain that analyzes situations and facts, where reasoning is developed.
So, if you want your customer or client to believe in you, trust you, put it in writing, but make it accurate and true.
The moment the customer reads your sales letter, they become involved—you’ve already got them thinking about your product or service. You’ve made a connection.
With a good sales letter, you can influence a customer’s desires. With a great sales letter, you can even motivate them to pick up the phone, send in a reply card, or click onto your website. You have them emotionally involved.
And it’s a well-known fact that people by on emotion, then justify it later with logic.
Always remember that your sales letters should be designed to generate sales. Make your customer an offer he can’t refuse. Sell-don’t tell.
It’s also said that time is money. So let your sales letter work for you. Send it early and send it often.
(6) Web Site
What can a web site do for you? What can’t it do! Nowadays, it’s a must have, something you must add to your marketing repertoire. With one click, you go from local shopkeeper to global guru in your field.
You go from the shop around the corner, to the shop around the world. Imagine what that will do for your sales!
And a lot goes into a good web site, but it’s worth every bit of effort, and you’ll reap the rewards many times over.
Keep in mind when putting your web site together, that while all the bells and whistles might seem desirable, it’s not what will sell your goods or services. You need words—promises, testimonials, proof that your Widget is better than all the other widgets in the world. Proof that by using your Widget, the customer’s life will be so much easier, so muck better. Proof that he or she simply can’t go another day without having one of your Widgets.
(7) Professional Copywriter
This is the most important booster for your business, for without this one, all the rest will never happen. A professional copywriter can put together the sales letter, postcard, brochures and flyers that will make your customers or clients sit up and take notice. And most importantly, hand you their money, time and time again.
A professional copywriter knows how to make that customer or client eager to pick up that phone, click onto your website, send in that reply card. Eager to spend their money on your Widgets. You need a word specialist whose sales copy is both persuasive and compelling.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But the right words can help you sell a thousand pictures, or widgets, or anything else you might want to sell. Persuasion is the key.
Alanna Parke Kvale
Freelance Copywriter
apkwritingservices@yahoo.com
972-769-9232
Reprinted with permission of www.whole-earth-pets.com and Alanna Parke Kvale
It’s a simple need - a furry companion to share our lives, someone to greet us when we come home each night, someone who accepts us unconditionally. And we’ll sometimes go to great lengths to secure that lovable companion.
Unfortunately, there are people out there ready and willing to take away our money and our trust. They are the pet adoption scammers.
It sounds innocuous at first. Just an ordinary person trying to find a home for their beloved family dog or cat. They tell the unwary victim how they are being transferred and simply cannot keep their much-loved animal, and how they are looking for a kind, compassionate animal lover to give their pet a good home. They’re even willing to give up the pet for free, if only you will pay the necessary shipping charges, from their location to yours. Depending on that location, this could amount to several hundred dollars. The scammer will then contact you and say that customs authorities are holding the animal at the airport at his location. They will even prey upon your kind heart by telling you that the animal is being mistreated. Then they’ll ask for additional fees, to release the animal. Keep in mind, there is no pet waiting to be adopted, it’s all part of the scam to separate you from your hard-earned money.
Another method these scammers use to get your money is to pretend they are working for a nationally known animal rescue organization. Natalia Corres, Founder of Whole Earth Pets recently exposed a would-be scammer, who claimed to be part of the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). Posing as part of a non-profit organization looking for a way to help people adopt pets, the woman began placing ads and soliciting “adoption fees” or “re-homing fees” for, as it turned out, non-existent animals.
After contacting the real Animal Rescue Foundation, Ms Corres discovered this has been going on for some time. Bobbie Thompson, of ARF says, “We’ve reported them to the Internet Crime Complaint Section of the FBI, but so far have not received anything about stopping them.”
The Center for Disease Control has also issued a warning concerning these online scammers who target people interested in adopting animals from outside the United States. The CDC urges caution when dealing with overseas adoptions.
“Pet scams have been going on for years, but they seem to have become more prevalent with the struggling economy. Scammers are taking advantage of animal lovers and SPCA International feels it is very important that people know how to spot a scam. The number one indicator of a pet scam is the insistence for you to give money upfront for vet bills, a reward, or shipping. It is truly tragic that scammers are willing to take advantage of animal lovers’ compassion,” states Stephanie Scroggs, SPCA International Director of Communications.
While there are many reliable organizations out there to help you adopt that furry companion, be cautious and know who you are dealing with, before sending your hard-earned money. Want to know where you can find that lovable pet? Ask your veterinarian or pet groomer. Check with your local SPCA chapter or go to your city’s animal shelter.
The perfect furry friend is out there waiting for you. Be careful, play it smart, and you’ll find the perfect pet to be a part of your family. Then come back to Whole Earth Petsand tell us about “your” rescue story.