How to Create a Direct Mail Postcard

By Lanee’ Blunt

Direct mail postcards canbe an effective way to market your business. They are small and require nofolding or opening and can obtain any advertising message you wish to include. Sincethey don’t have to be opened you can expect that your advertising message willat least be glanced at. Postcard marketing is a powerful lead-generation toolbecause it enables you to be creative and enticing in one advertisingpiece. 

Before creating your postcard make sure that you have a good mailing list. It is the most important partof a direct mail campaign. The best mailing list puts your advertising messagein front of the people that are looking for exactly what you are selling.  Identify your target market by income,gender, age, profession, and geographic location.

Keep it simple on theaddress side because there are several requirements that dictate how you layout your postcard for example, the address information, postage and the mailbarcode.

The other side can be a usedfor your advertising message, or you can use the whole area for a coupon, or asale. Write an attention-getting headline, a few features and a few benefits,an offer and a call to action. Be brief and use bulleted points for yourfeatures and benefits. Proofread your postcards before they’re printed. Includeall of your contact information, phone, website or email address so that theprospect can get more information.

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Start a Small Business Newsletter

By Lanee’ Blunt

Newsletters are publicrelations material. Newsletters help to remind customers about your companywithout being too pushy. They are a great way to follow up on a direct mailpackage and when the customer is ready to buy they will think of your productor service. Newsletters are a great way to remind customers to buy from you. 

Start building a list foryour newsletter by putting your current customer’s names in a special file, andall of your prospects that showed interest in your product or service. Yourhouse list consists of people that have bought from you in the past and is thebest list to work from.

Give the prospect a lot ofuseful information in the newsletter.  Itis not the place to be boring.  Writehelpful articles and interview some of your employees. You can get a lot ofinformation into your newsletter, far more than you can a brochure.

Use a newsletter as an offerin a direct mail piece.  Capture thesubscribers email address on a reply card and send your informativenewsletter.  Make the content fresh andenjoyable.  “Newsletters are one of themost popular uses for permission marketing. You can ask visitors if they would like to receive notification of newproducts, updates to your site, relevant tips, advice, industry news, and soon-whatever might be of interest to your target market,” according to SusanSweeny book, 101 Ways to Promote your WebSite.

Reference:

Susan Sweeny; 101 Ways to Promote your Web Site; 2001

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How to Start a Catering Business

By Lanee’ Blunt

Starting a catering businessmay be your life long dream, or maybe your friends’ and coworkers are alwayssuggesting that you should start your own catering business.  An advantage of opening a catering businessis that the start-up cost is low.  Presentation skills and the ability to makefood look fancy go a long way, and keeping up with the latest trends in foodand party ideas will help make your catering business a success.

Apply for Licenses

Register your business withyour state and county government.  Obtaina food service permit and a business permit. Register with the IRS.  Check with your county Public HealthDepartment if you are going to operate your catering business from home.

Equipment

Many caterers look for acommercial kitchen where they can rent space by hour or by shift. Arestaurant’s facility may be used in its off-hours or you can share the rentalcost of a commercial kitchen with other caterers.  You will need a delivery vehicle and a phone.

Advertise

Start a website and takepictures of the food you make and some of the parties that you havecatered.  Talk to wedding planners andintroduce yourself to bridal boutiques, bakers, party suppliers and florist.  Create and handout your brochure and businesscards. Send direct mail to corporations and small businesses. Follow up with aphone call and ask fo an appointment to discuss your services.

Reference:

SBA; Starting a Home-BasedFood Production Business; Caron Beesley; 2011

Inc; How to Start a CateringBusiness; Gina Pace; 2011

Entrepreneur: Business Idea Center:Catering

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