There is one thing you can count on when you begin your own
business. You won’t be bored. There are plenty of details to work out; a number of tasks
that await each day. You won’t find Yourself looking at the clock very often, that’s for sure!
What do you do? That’s easy! What ideas do you have? More
importantly, what would you like to do?
What are your current interests? What hobbies do you have that you’d like to
work at more and make them pay?Let’s say you have a vivid interest in history.
You’ve spent
a lot of time reading history books.
Let’s say you’ve even specialized and most of your reading
is about the American Civil War. Do you think there might be something you can
do about the Civil War?Of course there is! If you have a computer and subscribe to
the Internet, why not try polling people via e-mail about their interest in a Civil War
newsletter that you will publish monthly—on line! A substantial interest will help you set a subscription
price and begin enrolling people. If you
have enough interest, this could be your full-time job. You’ll spend the month
coming up with the assorted items for
the monthly newsletter, from articles about unusual aspects of the war, to
commemorations of anniversary-related events that month, to news about meetings
held everywhere for other Civil War enthusiasts, to book reviews of the latest
volumes written. If you have an interest in the Civil War, you’ll know that
there isn’t any period of history which has generated more interest and more
books about the particulars.But what if you’re not into computers? If you’re interested
in the Civil War, contact the local universities and colleges and find out who
teaches the subject on their campus. Contact those individuals for suggestions
first. It could very well be that they long to write their own book about the
Civil War, but don’t have the time during the academic year to do the necessary
research to write it on their summer break. You have the time, though, and they
may be willing to hire you as a researcher for them.
You should also buy any Civil War magazine you can lay your
hands on and turn to the classified sections of their pages. A current issue is best.
Read everything you can. There may be direct advertisements needing help, or names and companies
with interests in the Civil War whom you can contact. Find out if there are any local Civil
War Roundtable chapters in your area. Find out if there are any Sons of Confederate Veterans
(or Union) or United Daughters of the Confederacy (or Union) chapters locally.
Attending those meetings will bring you into contact with a number of like-minded individuals. Some of
these folks might pay you to write
about their ancestors. Or they may know publishers who
specialize in Civil War history who would be willing to listen to an idea you had for a book. Or
you could contact some local community colleges and put together your own course on the
Civil War and get paid to teach it. This is the kind of analysis you need to do with any of your
ideas. Make lists! Put your idea at the top and think of all the possible connections to it.
Leave no idea out! Nothing should be considered silly or off-limits! This is your business now!
The most obscure contact can yield the greatest results. Try them all! This should also serve notice that any idea is possible for
business. If it’s something you like to do, why not try it? Many of these ideas
can be followed up on your own time, even while you’re still working for someone else. If you hate the job you’re currently doing, wouldn’t it be
great to work at something you truly love? Especially if what you love has an
interest for others— enough interest to have someone put down a few bucks for
your product or service. The Civil War is a great example. People who have an
avid interest in it will shell out a few bucks
to read anything about the subject. The more they read, the more they
want to know. And there are thousands of ideas that can sustain the same kind of
interest! Securing clients for your service is the key. New
subscribers to a newsletter will more than offset the ones who, for whatever
reason, don’t renew. The more new customers you obtain, the more likely your
business will experience tremendous success. Prospecting for new clientele is an ongoing process. It
never stops! Some people may not care For that end of the business, but you’ll be different. Why?
Because you’re working in your own business, doing what you love to do in an
area that you have a great amount of knowledge and curiosity. When you talk
about it, there will be no hiding the fact that you truly believe in your product
or service. Talking about it is fun. Talking about it is prospecting. Hence,
prospecting is fun! How do you get people to open up today when you’re in a
conversation with them? You ask them about a subject you know they like — and then let them
talk. Prospecting in your business is going to be much like that. You’re going
to feel compelled to talk to people about a subject because it’s your favorite
topic. Those that share that interest are going to like listening— and talking
about it! They’re prospects! They’re interested! They’re potential clients! You
may choose to advertise your product or service. This has more start-up costs
to it, depending on where you advertise. Try and be market-specific! In other
words, advertise to an audience most likely to be interested in your subject
matter. For Civil War buffs, there are plenty of magazines that you can
successfully target an audience. Advertising the same product or service
through your local newspaper at two or three times the price makes less sense
since it’s more money and not as efficient. You can also reach an audience through some type of direct
mail. This also carries a significant expense in terms of postage costs. Thus
you want to be sure that you are reaching an audience base most likely to
respond. This should be a secondary approach, however. Reaching out via the phone
lines is more cost-effective. You can start getting news out about your product or service
through your family and friends.They can do a lot of word of mouth advertising for you. The
more people they talk to, the faster the word about your business gets around.
If you are also prospecting by calling others, even remote acquaintances, all
the better. The more people who know, the more likely you can get referrals.
This is the hardest part of the business— getting enough people to know about
what you’re doing. But once you know how to do it and you’ve started the
machine rolling, this all becomes easier. You may end up with more clients than
you know what to do with— a great situation to have! There are a number of resources for you to review and
contact as you get started. The advice and information you can obtain may help
you to avoid some of the more common mistakes. Every connection you make might
lead you to a nest of prospects. Act now
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