Offline Business Promotion
By Peggy Ross

Most of us who sell both on and off line need offline business promotion.
I receive frequent emails asking me how they can get more exposure to their businesses off line, especially party plan women and women who own their own business either by wholesale or making their own products.

My answer is always the same- Be the talk of your town in a good way!

I know it may sound off the wall but in 1998 I found myself the talk of the town and was surprised how easy it happened and was glad to be the talk of the town in business!
So did I have any special secrets doing it? 
No, none since I didn’t even know it was happening until it did.
I did compile a list of some ways to achieve it.

Have your business cards and mouth with you always!
Business cards in your purse you need to search for can loose you a chance to hand one or more out! If possible try to keep them in your pockets in a business card holder or in a front pocket of your purse if you have no pockets.

And your mouth and words you use. Just know nothing is private outside your house in public. And if you have kids sometimes at home nothing is private either. But in public like stores we have all heard people complain loud and clear. If you ever need to complain try to do it softly as your next potential customer could be within ear shot! So giving up bad language is good for your business and yourself and kids too!

I once sat in the dentist office waiting room and listened to a mom with her kids seeing the dentist tell the receptionist her daughters were in local little and jr. miss contests and she needed to get donations for the events.
Oh yes, I waited till she was done talking and sat down and handed her my card and offered a donation. She called me the next day and I drove cross town to drop off 2 items for the raffle with business cards attached of course. The mom then tells me her son is in this sport and her sisters kids do this other sport and the neighbor’s children are in this and that clubs and I left her with enough business cards with short notes on the back for all of them!

The result of me opening my mouth in the dentists waiting room gained me 8 new people having my card and knowing who I was! Plus the pageants did a list of contributors on the event flyer. If you have ever needed to find donations then you already know the donation list at events is a great resource to get donations from down the road when needed. As a PTA Board member I can tell you we kept a folder with businesses names and people who were willing to donate things. So being on this list is a good thing.

Speaking of PTA’s most school have them. Make a list of schools starting with ones near you and expand the list out if you need to.
Do a letter to them and send them out or drop them off addressed to the PTA’s but also mention that if they have teachers who do fundraisers would the PTA be so kind to pass on the information to them also. Here where I live the 5^th graders go to out door science camp and they do fundraisers to earn money to help offset the costs to the parents. Plus schools especially high schools have booster clubs for their band, different teams like football, cheerleading, baseball and even some have booster clubs for chess clubs as they have traveling costs too. The booster list goes on and usually the High Schools Secretary will have a list of them all.
Then if you still need more grab the phone book! Look up non- profits org.s, churches and children’s organizations like local tee-ball and soccer clubs. Allot of parks and rec. will have the children’s sports lists.

And let’s not forget women and moms clubs and church organizations such as the women and men’s church groups and places like the American Legion and DAV as they hold fundraisers too.

Start checking the paper, usually on Fridays for upcoming local events. If it’s to late this year then file their info and next year send them a letter.

Did you know the average hair dresser, grocery clerk and so on all either have kids or nieces and nephews who are in sports.

Once you sit down to make your own talk of the town list you may find as I did I know more people in clubs and org.’s then not.
When I get calls from people asking for donations I will ask how they heard about me and my business. I soon found out the local chamber of commerce had me on their list of people/businesses who donate and I never even joined them! So when you have gotten to the point that people are calling you and you don’t need to reach out for places and people you are now
“ The Talk Of The Town!”

But I do want to mention the pit falls of this as there are just a few!
I started receiving so many calls that I ordered 10 things to hand out and found they no longer lasted a few months but only 2-3 weeks. So if your not getting customers in return for all the donations it can become expensive!

You may need to set a limit and have to say “sorry but no” your months limit has been met. Business set limits on donations since they usually get more requests then they can handle. While some smaller ones do monthly budgets for donations most large businesses set their budget in June for their fiscal year.

Another tip, if your donation is for an event, ask for a ticket or if they cannot give one away free offer to buy one and go to the event. If they know that 1 or usually more then 1 of their donators is there they will acknowledge you!
Just be ready if they ask you to stand to be acknowledged.
Be sure to have your business cards and mouth ( when appropriate ) with you when you go!

Wear a pant suit with pockets, what I found is this works well and looks good and professional both!

Check and see if it is tax deductible . * Most donations to non-profits are tax deductible so be sure to get a receipt!

Being the talk of the town can be a good thing!

Author: Peggy Ross
Copyright 2003

She is the owner of several websites promoting the work at home mom!.
www.NetworkOfConnections.com
www.ChristmasFromTheHeart.com
www.OurCircleOfFriends.com
www.FreeCandySticks.com

My Career As A Hermit
By David Leonhardt

"Work from home. Make big bucks in your pajamas." - typical
work-from-home ad.
Quick. What do writers, stay-at-home parents and online
marketing geeks have in common? I mean, besides insanity? They
are all hermits.
The typical writer locks himself up for years brooding in a dark
room, surfacing only long enough to find out who this year's
American Idol is. This solitary brooding is supposed to help him
develop a keen sense of the human condition.
Stay-at-home parents are prisoners in their own castles, as each
child has a different toilet schedule. And a different nap
schedule. And a different tantrum schedule. By the time they
are all buttoned up in their snowsuits and hopefully not needing
the bathroom in the next fifteen minutes, the stores are all
closed.
Online marketing geeks sit down to their computer screens in the
morning. When they look up, they wonder how it got so dark. The
next time they look up, they wonder how it got so light again.

What a sad bunch. What a sorry lot. Who would take on such
careers?
I would.

I'm a writer. I'm a Stay-at-home Dad. I'm an online marketing
geek. I'm ... Super Hermit!
"Get dressed."

"Why? Don't you like my pajamas anymore?"
"You have to go out."

"What?! Why would I do something so radical?"

"It's Tuesday. You have a big outing."

"Tuesday? Tuesday? What's Tuesday?"

"Garbage day."

In the country, three minutes to the road and back with the bags,
then again with the recycling, qualifies as a big outing for a
professional hermit. In fact, that's more time than most couples
spend each week being a couple.

If this sounds like just the kind of self-inflicted bliss you've
been itching for, there are a few things you should know before
making the big career switch.

A dedicated hermit often skips a shower. Sometimes, the hermit
gets away with it. To help the hermit remember when shower day
arrives, there is a simple four-part clinical procedure:

1. Lift arm.
2. Insert nose.
3. If you faint, it's time to shower (when you regain
consciousness).
4. If you don't faint, schedule a shower -- as early as next
week, if you have an opening.

Personally, I apply a simple rule of thumb. As long as I spend
more time showering each week than I spend taking out the
garbage, my wife probably won't divorce me. Unless I forget to
take out the garbage...again.

Here are a few more tips for shower-challenged hermits everywhere:

-- Wear cologne. Lots of it. Your partner will think you did it
just for her. Or him. Or it. If you wear enough, the kids
might even let you out.
-- Wear many layers of thick clothes. Warning, if you live in
Edmonton or Moscow this might force you to open all the windows
to keep from smelling even worse. If you live in Dallas or
Delhi, it might force you to close all your windows to keep from
smelling even worse.
-- Eat garlic for breakfast. If that doesn't work, eat garlic
for lunch, too. And for dinner. And for dessert. Nobody will
notice your shower schedule, and the kids will definitely let you out.

We professional hermits also lose touch with our friends.

"Hey David. How have you been? It's Al."
"Al? Al who?"
"It's Al. Your friend."
"I have a friend?"

If working in your pajamas appeals to you, perhaps to avoid being
the next victim of the "What Not to Wear at Work" TV crew, a
career as a professional hermit is your ideal gig. Pick up a pen
and paper, get yourself a second-hand computer, or borrow some kids.

If you barricade yourself in your house long enough, you can
enjoy your very own life of abnormal isolation and solitude. And
everyone will know just what to buy you for Christmas - pajamas.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Leonhardt if a freelance writer. 

This article is from his
http://www.thehappyguy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.
positive thinking humor column.
 He is also author of
 http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-self-help-book.

The Get Happy Workbook:
http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-workbook.

For Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness:

I saw an angel at work
http://www.thehappyguy.com/angel-gift.

Inspiration & Motivation To Go 
http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.

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