What's being sold at these garage sales? The accumulated "junk"
people no longer use or want taking up space in or around their
homes. Are they making any money with these garage sales? You'd
better believe they're making money! It's not at all uncommon to
make $600 with a weekend garage sale. It is hard to put on a
profitable garage sale? Well, yes and no. It really does take
some of your time, and also requires an awareness of a few
merchandising tactics. But the problem in running a successful
garage sale are small in comparison to the profits.

Who are the buyers, and how do you get them to come to your
garage sale? Your customers are going to be "everybody," and you
get them over to your garage with a little bit of advertising and
promotion.

Let's look at the background: Everybody accumulates the kind of
garage sale items that other people are searching for, and are
willing to buy. These items range from no longer wanted or
outgrown items of clothing, to furniture, tools, knick-knacks,
books, pictures and toys. Many garage sale items are objects of
merchandise purchased on impulse, and later found to be not what
the buyer wanted. He discovered too late that he really didn't
have a use for it, or he no longer has a need for it. Many items
found at garage sales are gifts that have been given to the
seller, but are the wrong size or incorrect choice for the
recipient.

The problem wit most people is that they haven't the time to
gather up all the items "just taking up space" in and around
their homes and staging a garage sale to get rid of them. Many
people don't know how to stage a garage sale, and many other
people feel that putting on a garage sale is just too much bother
and work.

This is where you enter the picture. Your enterprise will be an
ongoing garage sale of items donated and collected from these
people who lack the inclination to put on a garage sales of their
own.

Step one is education: Spend a few weeks visiting all the garage
sales, swap meets and flea markets in your area. Find out what's
being offered for sale, what people are buying, and how the
merchandise is being sold. generally an item is tagged with a
price, but the seller is open to almost any reasonable offer from
the customer. Another thing you want to make a mental not of is
the way the merchandise is displayed and how the customers are
allowed to browse.

You start your own garage sale by cleaning out your basement,
attic, closets and garage. Talk to your relatives and friends;
tell them what you're going to do and ask them for donations of
no longer used or unwanted items. It's here that you'll get your
first experience in negotiating, and finally, an agreement for
you to display and sell other people's merchandise for a
percentage of the sale price. You'll find people explaining that
they really don't have a use for a specific item or thy really
don't want to keep storing it, but because of sentimental
reasons, "just hate to give it away."

Once you've had a little experience with this type of seller, you
will be able to advertise in the newspaper that you buy garage
sale items, or take them on consignment for a percentage of the
final sales price.

It's best that your wife handle the garage sale itself—greets
potential customers, "shows them around,"and generally engages
them in conversation. If it's a woman staging the garage sale,
then arrangements should be made to have another woman "mind the
store" while she's out digging up more items for sale.

The advertising angle is really quite simple, and shouldn't cost
very much either. You should run an ad in your area shopper's
newspaper for about three days in advance of, and up through the
day of your sale. Once you're operating on a full-time , every
day of the week schedule, you'll want to change your ad schedule
and the style of your advertising. But in getting started, go
with small classified ads simply announcing your garage sale,
emphasizing that you've got something of interest to
everyone–everything form A to Z. To get ideas on how to write
your ad, check your newspaper for a week or so; cut out all the
garage sale ads you can find; paste them up on a piece of paper.
Then, with a bit of critical analysis, you'll be able to
determine how to write a good ad of your own by determining the
good and bad in the ads you've collected. Something to remember:
The bigger and better you sale, the bigger and better your
"getting started" ads should be. And the secret to outstanding
garage sale profits is in having the widest or largest selection
of merchandise.

You should have made an old-fashioned "sandwich board" sign to
display in front of your house when your garage sale is open for
business. This will pull in your neighbors, if you haven't
already informed them, and attract the people driving by.
Sandwich boards are sometimes set out at key traffic
intersections nor far from the site of the garage sale, to
attract attention and point the way. (Check local ordinances to
see if this is permitted in your area.)

Another "sign idea" practiced by a few sharp operators is the old
"Burma Shave" roadside pointers. Here, you simply take a few
pieces of cardboard and tack onto the power poles a about 200
yards intervals on a thoroughfare leading to your garage sale.
You'll create a lot of traffic for yourself! Simply visit the
public library and check out a book on limericks, adapt the ones
you find humorous, and start making signs. Once word here Though:
Be sure to check your local ordinances before you start nailing
signs to power poles.

By all means, search out and use all the free bulletin boards in
your area. It's better, and usually much more profitable, to take
the time to make up and attention grabbing circular you can post
on these bulletin boards than just using a written 3 by 5 card
announcement.

To do this, pick up some "transfer lettering," go thru your
newspapers and old magazines for interesting illustrations,
graphics and pictures, then with a little bit of imagination,
makeup an 81/2 by 11 poster type announcement of your sale. When
you've got it pasted up, take it to any quick print shop ad have
them print up 50 to 100 copies for you. The cost should not come
to more than six or seven dollars.

If you make this "circular/poster" up with versatility and
long-time usage in mid, you can use it over and over again,
simply by pasting a new date. In case you were puzzled when we
talk about "pasting" this is simply pasting another piece of
paper on to the overall page. Say you have a circular with a date
of Wednesday March 1st, and you want it to read Thursday, July
16th. Rather than do the whole thing over, simply write out the
new date with your transfer letters on a separate sheet of paper,
cut it out to fit in the space occupied by the old date, and
paste the new date over the old date. A good paste to use for
this purpose is rubber cement. That's all there is to it; the
printer does the rest.

Now let's talk about the 'insider secrets" of drawing people into
your sale, and merchandising "gimmicks' that will result in the
maximum sales and profit for you. First,
call attention to your sale. Don't be shy, bashful, or
self-conscious about letting everybody for miles about know that
you're having a garage sale. Some sharp operators do the next
best thing to having the Goodyear blimp overhead: They rent
miniature blimps, send them up above the housetops, and tether
them there on their sale days. Of course this giant balloon or
miniature blimp has some sort of sign on the side of it, inviting
people to the garage sale! this is one of the strongest available
advertising ideas for pulling "traffic' to a sale of any kind.
For more details, write to Pie-In-The-Sky Company, PO Box 5267,
San Mateo, CA 94402.

You have to give your sale some flair. Put some posts up across
the front of the property and run some twisted cree paper between
them. Even better than crepe paper, run some brightly colored
ribbons. Invest in some colorful pennants and fly them from
temporary flag poles. And don't forget the balloons!

Make your garage sale a fun kind of event with clusters of
balloons anchored to your display tables and racks. Be sure to
"float" them well above the heads of your customers as they are
browsing through your merchandise displays.

Cover your display tables with colorful cloths. Don't hesitate to
use bright colors with busy patterns. Regardless of what you
sell, effective display is still predominately essential!

You cannot "dump" items haphazardly on a table, sit down and
expect to realize great profits. The people doing the most
business—making the most sales–are the ones with interesting
displays, action and color.

Try to have as wide a selection of colors as possible in your
clothing racks, and mix them for a rainbow effect. Make sure that
your jewelry items shine and sparkle. Arrange them in and with
jewelry boxes, jewelry ladders and other items sold for the
purpose of showing off jewelry while keeping it neatly organized.
We know of one lady who regularly arranges jewelry items in a
battery operated lazy susan. Seeing this jewelry slowly turning
on the lazy susan never fails to draw attention.

Think about it, and then study the methods of display used by
"rack jobbers" in the stores in your area. These are the wire
racks that usually hold card packaged items. This kind of display
rack would lend itself beautifully for anchoring a cluster of
balloons. Keep these things in mind, and build your individual
displays as part of the whole; make it pleasing to the eye as
well as convenient for your customers to browse through and
select the items that appeal to them.

Look for some kind of interesting and unusual item to call
attention to your sale–something you can set up or park in front
of your house during your sale. Some of the displays we've seen
along these lines include a horse-drawn surrey, a restored Model
T, and old farm plow. But anything of an unusual and interesting
nature will do the trick for you. One couple we know put up a
display using a manikin dressed in an old time farm bonnet, long
dress and apron. The display depicted a farm woman of old,
washing clothes with a scrub board and two steel wash tubs. You
have to believe this drew crowds and made people talk!

Wherever your imagination takes you, you have to be different and
distinctive, or you'll get lost in the hundreds of garage sales
going on all around you. If you'll take the time to employ a bit
of imagination and set your sales up with the kind of flair we've
been talking about, you'll not just draw the crowds, you'll end
up being the one holding the most profits.

It's almost a compulsion of many women to go shopping, to search
for the interesting and sometimes rare and valuable items. This
fact will keep you as busy as you'll ever want to be–staging and
holding garage sales. The market is so vast, and the appetite so
varied, that anything from a brass bedstead to a used dairy of
somebody's long-forgotten grandmother will sell, and sell fast at
garage sales. Put it all together, use a little imagination, and
you'll easily make all the money you want!

You will need access to many newspapers, local and perhaps
national as your business grows. Go through each paper and clip
out articles, photos, etc., which mention some person or
business of local or national prominence. Keep an alphabetical
file and accumulate clippings on the various individuals and
enterprises.

When you have accumulated sufficient clippings, photos and other
information, write to the individuals and firms advising them
you have a collection of articles about them which you will send
upon receipt of so much money per article, etc. Many of those
you contact should order.

Also clip out research reports on various subjects which may be
of interest to professional people.

Retail merchants are often interested in advertisements that are
being used by their competitors, hoping to be able to dream up
better or competing ads. They may also be interested in
advertisements featuring different product lines to give them
promotional and advertising ideas for their own products.

Information on marriages, divorces, births, deaths, new
businesses, etc., are also of interest to many different kinds
of organizations.

You can use the "Directory of Periodicals" at the library to get
names of magazines and publishing companies when you have
expanded to the point you can use clippings form national media.

Don't clip or send copyrighted materials. Clips from magazines
are most always copyrighted. Newspaper articles are not usually
copyrighted unless it has UP/AP or other codes (United Press…
Associated Press, etc.). Syndicated features and cartoons are
all copyrighted.

2. Do word processing

3. Do medical billing for doctors

4. Do automated telemarketing

5. Manage a church

6. Start a computer user's group

7. Learn to win at blackjack

8. Bet on horse races

9. Bet on pro football

10. Sell computers from your home

11. Provide medical information management

12. Broker information

13. Trade stock by computer

14. Provide astrological services

15. Offer an interactive electronic newsletter

16. Produce book indexes

17. Provide a computer-assisted booking service

18. Make stock market investment decisions

19. Do genealogical research

20. Manage a band

21. Manage a house or pet sitting service

22. Track precious gems

23. Sell information to collectors

24. Analyze real estate investments

25. Support a small law practice

26. Write a book

27. Market collectables

28. Do psychological counseling

29. Prepare income tax returns

30. Provide economic consulting

31. Solve real estate financing problems

32. Do data base research

33. Publish your own book

34. Design your own small business system

35. Crop management

36. Analyze farm expenses

37. Provide weekly printout of bowling league statistics

38. Make computer-generated portraits

39. Manage investment shelters

40. Manage construction costs

41. Produce computer utility products

42. Provide computer-aided financial planning

43. Sell life insurance

44. Support a small publishing business

45. Provide weekly printout of little league Baseball statistics

46. Run a small pharmacy

47. Become a computer dealer

48. Interpret physical therapy test results

49. Manage a restaurant

50. Start your own yellow pages

51. Conduct computer-assisted telephone interviewing

52. Stream-line executive search activities

53. Provide agricultural commodities planning

54. Turn financial statements into financial pictures

55. Manage a museum collection

56. Support consumer education programs

57. Do freelance technical writing

58. Do multi-level direct mail marketing

59. Review specialty software

60. Be an engineering consultant

61. Provide sports information services

62. Produce products for hobbyists

63. Provide specialty-focused software services

64. Run a multi-level, direct sales operation

65. Do litigation management

66. Manage a dairy farm

67. Provided automated debt collection

68. Provide date-base installation and instruction

69. Run a beauty school/beauty salon

70. Improve small business services

71. Broker used computers!

72. Telecommute

73. Enhance medical diagnosis and treatments

74. Create electronic marketing tools

75. Do independent software documentation

76. Teach people how to use microcomputers

77. Become your own computer book publisher

78. Create computer-generated puzzles and word games

79. Become a software consultant

80. Produce low-cost computer graphics products

81. Develop software for children

82. Perform real estate inspections

83. Do software translations

84. Produced a computer-controlled home security system

85. Automate conference registration

86. Create computer gifts

87. Enhance scientific products

88. Write software for use in the home

89. Manage a winery

90. Design and produce personal computer hardware or peripherals

91. Design, publish and distribute software

92. Provide information vending machines

93. Start a software writing cooperative

94. Develop small scale real estate partnerships

95. Do property management

96. Do mortgage loan brokerage

97. Perform non-judicial foreclosures

98. Develop mini-warehouse storage facilities

99. Sell instant signs

100. Start an advertising agency

101. Start a resume service.

102. Manage a talent agency

103. Operate a referral service

104. Operating a mailing list service

105. Operate a typesetting service

106. Offer a legal forms service for the general public

107. Publish your own newsletter or help others for a fee

108. Operate a voice mail service

109. Start your own local classified newspaper

110. Provide a collection letter service

111. Offer a custom diet plan service

112. Start your own local real estate newspaper

113. Start an apartment rental newspaper

114. Provide a payroll service

115. Start a singles dating service

There's always money to be made from one's crafts and hobbies,
and even if it doesn't seem so at first glance. There are
small-scale manufacturing opportunities available to even
unskilled workers that can be expanded over time. If you're
willing to learn some basic crafts, you can turn those skills
into a home-based business.

First, consider your hobbies, or the crafts in which you're
involved. Perhaps you enjoy making stuffed animals that children
love. Or you enjoy throwing pottery or firing ceramics.
Needlework, sewing, embroidery, knitting, jewelry making and
tailoring may be among your talents that you can turn into extra
income.

Perhaps you're a good carpenter, and you can turn to high-quality
cabinet making or furniture making. Maybe you can see a need for
furniture repair in your area. Or perhaps you're excellent at
crafting doll houses and miniature figures for which you can
charge premium prices.

You've seen all the good ideas that can be turned to your
advantage with a bit of effort. You can make reindeers from
firewood and tree branches, and sell at swap meets before the
holiday season. Perhaps you're a computer programmer with some
good ideas that will sell as shareware.

All the good ideas in the world won't do a bit of good unless you
find customers for them. If you don't think of yourself as a
natural in sales, rest assured that you can learn effective
selling skills. You may decide to sell in one or several
different ways. Perhaps you want to start your own shop. Maybe
your products are well suited to swap meet sales. You can sell
the items to stores at a wholesale price. You can retail them
yourself by advertising them locally or nationally.

If it's a small item, easy to produce, you may want to take the
approach of giving it away and charge only for shipping and
handling. Advertise the giveaway in such national publications as
The National Enquirer, which can generate thousands of sales. Or
you can put your goods in stores on consignment, meaning that
when they sell the items, you collect your money.

Gaining the self-confidence that your craftwork is unique an high
quality will help you to pursue more opportunities. You'll find
that virtually by accident you've learned the skills end of the
craftwork. Now all you have to do is to hone your business
skills, and you're on your way.

Here's the business in a nutshell: You videotape household and
business inventory and valuables for insurance purposes. Then,
if a robbery occurs, the owner has a video documentation of the
missing valuables for law enforcement and insurance agents.
Your primary prospects for this service will be upper-income
families and businesses that specialize in high-ticket items or
have a high investment in equipment.

The first step you should take to run a property inventory
taping service is to meet with your area law enforcement
agencies to find out what regulations, if any, they have.
Remember, you will be going into other people's houses and will
have full knowledge of their valuables. If you have endorsement
from the law, your customers can feel comfortable that you won't
use this knowledge for the wrong purposes. The person you want
to meet with would be the one in charge of neighborhood watches
or community services. Normally, police agencies are
enthusiastic supporters of services like this, as it makes their
job easier. Others to meet with include insurance agents,
private detectives, fire officials and attorneys. Not only will
you gain valuable information from them, you will be building up
a network for referrals. Be sure to keep a good record of who
you meet with so you can send them business cards, brochures and
periodic reminders of your services.

While meeting with insurance agents, take care of your insurance
requirements. You should carry liability insurance, and you
should also get bonded. The extra expense is worth it, as it
will both help to get business and will protect you and your
customer.

Your service will be ripe for publicity, so prepare a good press
release. You should be able to find a good book or two on
publicity releases at your library. Get these releases to every
daily and weekly newspaper in your area, as well as local
business magazines and television stations. When your service
gets written up in the papers, keep a clipping of each article
to use in your marketing materials. Send a copy to all the
insurance agents, attorneys, private detectives and law
enforcement agencies in your area. You WILL get referrals from
this!

Another idea for publicity is to set up a booth at local home
and garden shows, preferably in the home protection areas
(alarms, etc.). This will establish your name in the minds of
consumers. If you don't mind public speaking, offer to give a
short seminar on home inventory protection and how your service
can help prevent theft. You can prepare one presentation that
can be given numerous times at different community-related
functions and locations, such as country clubs.

Now for the meat of the service. When you set up an appointment
with a customer, make sure they know you will be charging by the
hour, so it will be to their advantage to have things such as
jewelry, china or antiques laid out and ready to be taped. Take
your videocamera with extra tape and batteries, an instant
camera with plenty of film, your engraver, forms for listing
valuables, and a three-ring binder for the forms.

When taping valuables, be sure to get a clear picture of them,
including any distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to fill
out your forms completely, listing special features or
characteristics, such as type and weight of gems, etc. Jewelry
is probably best photographed with your instant camera, as is
any small valuables. Large antiques and other primary household
items are easily videoed. Be sure to get any brand names and
model numbers clearly taped.

After taping the individual items, walk through the house. Be
sure to get any computer and video equipment, phones, TVs, art
and other items that would be tempting to thieves. Engrave the
client's social security or driver's license number on the back
or bottom of items that won't be damaged by doing so. Record all
this on the forms, including the location of the engraving and
all serial numbers. If the home is burglarized and police
recover the stolen goods, this will help the client get his or
her valuables back quickly and easily.

Don't forget to tape the outside of the house, including patios,
walkways and landscaping. This can help the client establish
value in case of vandalism.

In businesses, videotape the office equipment, as well as the
offices themselves, inside and out. In specialized businesses,
be sure to tape any special equipment.

A good idea is to provide window stickers for your clients that
tell potential thieves that items in the house have been marked
and recorded. These stickers can be purchased or printed. Your
local law enforcement agencies may even be able to provide these
to you at a low cost.

When through taping, give the tape a quick run-through to be
sure everything's ok, then give it to your client, along with
the binder. Encourage them to store these in a safe deposit
box, in case of fire.

How much should you charge? A typical mid-sized to large home
should take two hours, at most, to tape, if the owner has
prepared everything ahead of time. You can charge anywhere from
$50 to $150 per hour, depending upon what your local market will
bear, with $75 per hour a good figure to start with. You should
be able to see how this business can add up!

In your marketing materials, stress the fact that your charge is
a small price to pay, considering it is a crime deterrent and
will result in far less stress and time on the customer's part
if a mishap does occur. You can feel good that you are
providing a service which will help people in bad times.
Remember to be professional while in the client's home, don't
make any comments which could be construed in bad ways, and be
assuring about the safety and reliability of yourself and your
service. You can start this part-time and easily move it into
full-time, as referrals start rolling in.

This marketing approach is excellent because you can give the
product away, charging the recipients only a nominal fee for
postage and handling. If you price your shipping fees correctly,
you can make thousands of dollars a month.

So how do you let people know about the gifts you have waiting
for them? The best way is by placing classified ads in national
magazines, an enormously successful method. Small classified
advertisements in such national publications as Popular Mechanix,
and The National Enquirer produce excellent returns on such
items, National publications such as these sell millions of
copies each week or month. Even a tiny return from this kind of
large readership means thousands of dollars in your pocket. One
advertiser noted his ads have generated returns of seven times
the cost of the classified ad. Other advertisers have done even
better.

To put together your own ad, begin by studying the classified ads
in these national publications. Study every issue you can find..
Note the ads that show up issue after issue. These marketers have
created a money-generating format, and they're taking full
advantage of it.

Study the long-running ads. Note that they're short, but they
contain a nugget of appeal that makes you want to send your money
immediately.

Now try drafting your own ads. write several versions that you
can try in different national publications. The ad should be
simple but hard-hitting. You want the reader to respond
immediately. Use the words that create an attractive picture of
your product for the reader.

You don't have to charge much for your giveaway product. Aim for
high sales volumes at low prices, a proven technique in this
market. If you come up with an ad that grabs reader's interest,
the money will flow your way.

The technique of advertising giveaway products that people can
receive for the cost of postage and handling has proved so
successful that there's even a magazine devoted to showing off
the free items that are given away by companies throughout the
country. This 32-page bimonthly magazine is called Freebies. It
is chock full of these free-for-postage-and-handling items. For a
copy of the magazine, information about listing your product, and
a rate card, write to Freebies, 407 State St.,Santa Barbara, CA
93120. (805) 962-9135.

It's true that most people are busy, but extra time for some sort
of home-based extra income producing project can almost always be
found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite
pastimes–such as having a couple of beers with the guys or
watching TV–but if you score big with your extra income project,
you will have all the time you want for doing whatever you what
to do.

Efficient time management boils down to planning what you're
going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by
making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow, each evening
before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to the store or
wherever to coincide with the other things you have to do, and
with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care
of as many things as possible while you're out of the house.
take stock of the time you spend on the telephone—and eliminate
all that isn't necessary.

Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time
to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For
instances, just one hour a day devoted to yard work would
probably make your property the envy of all your neighbors. Don't
try to do a week's work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting
your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and
trimming your shrubs, do a part of it, or one particular job each
day, and you'll be amazed at your progress.

Take care of all your mail the day, you receive it. Don't let
those bills and letters pile up on you. If you're unable to pay a
bill immediately, file it in a special place that's visible, and
note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your
letters the same day you get them.

Once you start listing and planning what to do, and then carry
out your plans, you'll find plenty of "extra time" for handling
virtually any kind of home-based income producing project. People
in general may not like routines or schedules, but without some
sort of plan as to what is supposed to be done, the world would
be mired in mass confusion. Laws, ordinances and regulations are
for the purpose of guiding people. We live according to an
accepted plan or way of life, and the better we can organize
ourselves, the more productive and happy we become.

The secret of all financially successful people is simply that
they are organized and do not waste time. Think about it. Review
your own activities, and then see if you can't find a couple of
extra hours in each day for more constructive accomplishments.

When you begin planning, and then when you really become involved
in an extra income producing endeavor, you should work it exactly
as you have organized your regular day-to-day activities—on a
time basis. Do what has to be done immediately. Don't try to get
done in a hour something that's realistically going to take a
week. Plan out on paper what you have to do–what you want to
do–and when you are going to do it. Then get right on each
project without procrastination.

Finally, and above all else, when you're organizing your time and
your business, be sure to set aside some time for relaxation. Be
sure to schedule time when you and your spouse can be together.
You must not involve yourself to an extent that you exclude other
people–particularly your loved ones–from your life.

Taking stock of the time you waste each day, and from there,
reorganizing your activities is what it's all about. It's a
matter of becoming more efficient in the use of your time. It's
really easy to do, and you will not only accomplish a lot more,
you will also find greater fulfillment in your life.

Basically, this is a transplant of European Hospitality, adapted
and refined to the American way of doing things. To foreign
visitors, it's the comfort and hospitality of home—staying
overnight "with people of the land" and enjoying a hearty
breakfast—without the traditional gaudiness and plastic
feelings visitors get from most big cities in the United States.
To U.S. citizens, it is a welcome alternative to the same old
hotel/motel circuit.

Now, all it takes is a spare bedroom, a good cook ad an outgoing
personality. Prices per night range from a low $25 to $100 or
more.

If you have an extra bedroom, a large home, or extra space in
your farm house, you have the necessary beginnings to start
making extra income as a Bed and Breakfast Inn. One of the
beautiful aspects of this idea is that so long as you're hosting
"overnight visitors" on a small scale no licenses will be
required. It's always best, however to check with your local
authorities just to be sure.

Naturally, your "visitors" will expect a clean, neat and
comfortable home. So assuming that your home meets these
prerequisites, and you have a spare bedroom, simply 'doll it up"
a bit. Make sure it's painted brightly, there's an outside
window, lots of room, closet space and bureau, and perhaps a
small writing desk, and a large comfortable bed, or twin beds.

Most foreign visitors will expect and appreciate a "quick tour"
of the interesting sights in your area. However, as your
particular popularity as a B&B Host grows, you'll find that a
lot of American tourists and business people on the road will
begin availing themselves of your hospitality. Certainly with
these people, it won't always be necessary to give the "Red
Carpet" visitors treatment.

Which brings us to the basic appeal of a Bed and Breakfast Inn.
Travelers seem to be looking for, and appreciate a quiet
"home-style" place to stay. Generally, they enjoy visiting with
the people off the superhighway and want to get away from the
sterilized atmosphere and sameness of hotels and motels.

Most people will either write to you ahead of time, inquiring
about the possibilities of staying at your home while in your
town or city. This means a bit of advertising on your part, or
listing your availability with a B&B broker. Some people will
check the local telephone listings, and the newspaper
advertisements when they arrive in a strange town. And some
people will just be driving across the country, come to a town or
city they think is interesting, and start driving through the
residential areas looking for Bed and Breakfast Inns.

Thus, you should have a small sign posed either in your front
yard or on the front of your house. This sign needn't be much
more than about two feet wide and about ten inches deep. It need
only state: BED AND BREAKFAST–Inquire Within or Call 123-4567.

For newspaper advertising, a similar listing in the personal
column of your local paper, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays, will be all you'll need. But when it comes to the
yellow pages of your telephone and business directories, go with
a small display ad that describes in greater detail the comforts
and pleasures of your service.

Be sure to list your services with all the travel agencies in
your area. A brochure or a short synopsis of what you offer will
most assuredly give the travel agents an idea for steering
visitors your way. At the same time, listing your services in a
number of national travel magazines –particularly those that
cater to women— will bring customers in for you.

Listing your services with a broker usually won't cost you
anything up front, but they will expect a certain
percentage–usually about 25% of the total bill. This same
arrangement applies with travel agents.

Now, suppose you're organized and ready to receive your first
customers. You greet them as host or hostess and offer to assist
them in getting situated in the room or rooms you have for them.
If they'd like to take a drive around your area and see the
points of interest, you do that. And then in the morning, serve
them a big, delicious breakfast.

You'll probably find that foreign visitors will want to stay
several days. With most people of this country who are just
travelling through your area, it'll be a one-night stopover.
Whatever, if they want to sleep comfortably through the night,
eat breakfast and be on their way, so be it. If they want to stay
around after breakfast and plan an itinerary for a compete visit
in your area, your assistance and help will be greatly
appreciated. (Remember those recommendations)!

That's it! The complete how and why of this tremendously
profitable business that's becoming more and more popular. It's
called Bed & Breakfast, and it's very definitely a low investment
idea. And you can parlay it into a very interesting and
comfortable income producing business–all from the comfort of
your own home!

If your video skills are top-notch, you can produce excellent
commercials for local businesses at agreeable prices. If you
have marketing skills, so much the better, but it's not an
absolute requirement. As long as you can clearly answer the "4
W" questions (who, what, where and why), your commercial will be
good.

The only drawback to this business is that you should use 3/4
inch broadcast format video, which is incompatible with a home
video camera. A camera for this type of videotape usually costs
around $3000, less if it's used. There is a way around this
expense, though.

Most cable stations have what is called a "public access"
channel. This channel is designed so that individuals and
groups from the community can produce their own shows, to be
aired on the channel. Contact your local cable company and find
out if they have such a channel. You should be able to rent
time on their equipment. This is a real boon when it comes to
editing a tape, as they will have the equipment necessary to
make your tape look professional. They usually offer short
courses on using the equipment, too.

Market your services directly to the small businesses in your
area. Good prospects are auto dealerships, restaurants,
retailers such as video, book, and computer dealers, and, in
election years, local political candidates (hope they get
elected – you can expect a return customer!). Your quality
production, coupled with a reasonable price, should entice
prospects to become customers.

Most commercials will be either thirty-seconds or one minute,
and will be shot on location at the customer's facilities. If
they provide the copy for the commercial, you only have to
direct the commercial. Run through the script with whomever
will be reading it, to make sure that it will fit the time
without sounding rushed. You want to aim for a relaxed, natural
sound (unless, of course, you're working with your local crazy
car dealer, in which case they may want an auctioneer sound!).
Above all, make sure the script tells WHO the advertiser is,
WHAT they do, WHERE they are, and WHY people should give them
their business. This is what the customer needs to hear.

Also, make sure your customer is happy with the result. After
shooting the video, edit it (you should be able to ask someone
at the cable company to help you), then review it with your
customer. As long as you've presented the advertiser in a good
light, you'll be in good shape.

The first few times you produce a commercial, you may feel like
you're flying by the seat of your pants. Just relax, use good
common sense, and always remember that the job of the commercial
is to convince the skeptical customer to spend his or her hard
earned money with your client.

You should expect to spend a few hours during the shoot, to get
enough takes for editing. Get four or five good takes. That
way, any bad parts that you find when reviewing your taping can
be replaced with a good take.

A thirty- to sixty-second commercial should be able to be shot
and edited in one day. The first one or two may take a bit
longer, but that's okay. It's better to take your time when
learning the ropes, rather than rush through and end up with
substandard results. Because your overhead will be low (if
renting equipment, instead of purchasing), you should be able to
undercut your competition. In a decent size city, you can
expect to charge between $500 and $1,000. Longer commercials
are more negotiable, depending upon whether or not you will be
asked to write the script. The half-hour long "infomercials"
have become a bonanza for many advertisers, and they are a goal
you can work up to, as your skills grow.

Watch commercials and listen to them. Keep mental notes about
how the advertiser is presented, what message the commercial
gives, and if you feel the commercial is successful.
Incorporate the best elements of the commercials you see into
your own shoots!

Start-up Investment

Low – $700.00 (If computer and printer is financed). Home-based
operation.

High – $4,000 – $10,000 Buy equipment and set up office.
———————————————

Break – even time – 90 days to 6 months
———————————————

Estimate of Annual Revenue and Profit

Revenue $20,000 – $250,000
Profit (Pre-tax) $16,000 – $110,00
———————————————

An Exploding Market

According to recent estimates by business consulting firms this
market has grown from roughly 3 million in annual sales in 1985
to almost 3 billion in 1991, and there is no end in sight. One
of the real opportunities and challenges of this business is
the fact that there are still millions of clients out there that
as yet do not even know that they need the services of a dekstop
publishing service.

Desktop publishers use computers, laser printers and sophisticated
software program in the preparation of high quality graphic
material. The price of the equipment used is continuing to come
down dramatically, therefore the start-up estimates may be high.
The quality of graphic material which can be produced in this
manner is so high that only a professional can detect the
difference between material designed by desktop publishing and
material which has been typeset. The latter has a somewhat
higher resolution which is not noticeable to the naked eye. Much
of the material you see in newspapers such as USA Today and
magazines was prepared through desktop publishing.

Desktop publishers prepare graphic materials such as: brochures,
flyers, full page advertisements, newsletters, books, proposals,
forms and much more. Some desktop publishers will also perform
word processing services for their clients. While some desktop
publishers will prepare almost any kind of graphic material,
many will specialize in one or more, such as newsletters.

While prior computer knowledge is a plus anyone who has a desire
to learn the operation of a computer can acquire the ability to
become a desktop publisher.

Quality laser printers which a few years ago sold for $4,000 to
$7,000 can now be bought for under $1,000. The laser printer is
the key element in making desktop publishing possible. The laser
in the printer is activated to "paint" a picture of the computer
file which was created through desktop publishing software. As
such it acts as a photocopier, by scanning back and forth at high
speeds while the drum containing the toner rotates back and forth.
The toner is similar to that used in photocopiers. It is attracted
to, or repelled from the imaged or 'un-imaged' areas of the drum.
As it passes the rotating drum it is transferred onto a piece of
paper. This is called "camera-ready" material. It is taken to a
printer to be reproduced.

To truly understand the continuing magnitude of this field, it is
important to realize that until the invention of the laser printer,
graphic material was either produced by graphic designers or
typesetters in printing businesses. Since graphic designers were,
and still are quire expensive their services were generally only
available to the medium-sized and larger companies. The typesetter,
on the other hand, who rarely had artistic ability prepared art-
work for those who could afford the graphic designer. This
material generally looked second class. Desktop publishing for the
first time has made it possible for any size company to present
itself with graphic material which looks every bit as good as the
material that huge corporation use to sell their products and
services.

Who Are The Customers And How To Find Them

Almost any size company and organization is a potential customer.
Many of the large companies have down-sized their P.R. and
Advertising Departments during this recession. And medium-sized
and small companies rarely have the equipment or personnel to
perform this very specialized work in-house.

Potential customers are, for example: restaurants which require
menu design, a painter who needs flyer to pass out, a legal firm
which requires hundreds of different forms, a hotel which needs
brochures, a writer who needs a cover design for his book, and we
could add hundreds of other situations to this list.

You should join one or more Chambers of Commerce in your community
and surrounding communities and other organizations which allow you
to meet potential customers. Advertising is both daily newspapers -
business section, or in the classified section under "business
Services" will be very worthwhile. As soon as feasible an ad in the
Yellow Pages will give your business additional visibility.
Advertising in other business related publications in your
community will also be beneficial. Direct mail directed to
businesses and organizations will also be highly beneficial in most
businesses, once you have found your first few customers, especially
the "first big one" it will be easier to find other clients. Word
of mouth of a satisfied client will go a long way and it will be
your most effective advertising.

The quality and eye-appeal of your brochure and other sales material
will be of vital importance. After all you are a desktop publisher
and therefore your brochure should very professional looking.
Clients will also want to see some work ("your portfolio") which
you have prepared for clients.

One of the best leads for new business will be the never ending
flow of junk mail which you will receive from both local and out-of-
town companies. Much of this material will not be very professional
in appearance. You can gently and diplomatically suggest to a
potential client how much more effective their sales campaign will
be with professional looking material.. Since many potential graphic
material is too expensive for their budget they will be pleasantly
surprised when they learn from you that it can be prepared for $15
to $30 per page.

Operating Your Business

Most anyone without prior computer background, unless they are young
enough to have had computer instructions in high school, will be
initiated by computers. Yet slowly but surely computers are becoming
as much a part of our lives as automobiles. And if you consider how
little most people know about the operation of the automobile engine,
but how well they can drive you will realize how easy it is to learn
the operation of a computer. While books, operating manuals and even
classroom instructions will be most helpful, the most effective way
to learn is through practice. Basic knowledge of most software
programs, including desktop publishing software can be acquired in
about 20 hours. To become truly proficient will take about 2-3 months.

This business lends itself well to be operated from your home. Since
you will be receiving clients it is important that your home-office
be presentable and well kept. As you business grows you can move to
larger quarters in an office.

Your initial expenses in addition to the equipment itself will pertain
to basic office supplies, the preparation and reproduction of your
sales material, advertising, postage and miscellaneous expenses. If at
all possible get a second telephone line just for your office so you
can insure it will always be answered professionally. An answering
machine or telephone answering service will communicate with your
clients in your absence.

Owners of new businesses will spend the majority of their time, during
the start-up phase on finding new business. Your new clients will be
looking for quality graphic material which is prepared in a relatively
short time span (generally from 2 to several days depending on the
project – larger projects may take substantially more time), at a
reasonable price. The cost of your services are determined by what
your competition charges which is pretty well determined by general
cost of living expenses in your community.

It will be a good idea if you do some snooping around and visit some
of your competitors as a "potential client". You will find their
advertisements in local business publications and the Yellow Pages.

Since you are selling a service most of your revenue will go to the
bottom – line and will become profit to you. Operating expenses will
be relatively small for general office supplies, paper, laser printer
toner, etc. Of course, you may have to finance the purchase of your
equipment over a period of time. If your credit is good, financing
will be relatively easy to obtain through most computer stores. Since
new computer equipment is becoming outdated at an ever increasing
speed it is best to buy equipment on the lower end of the price range
even if your budget can stand the higher outlay of capital.

Small businesses and organizations will be requesting credit
extension. Your care in granting this privilege is important.
Nothing is more aggravating then selling a service "your time" and
not get paid. It is not at all unreasonable to request payment up
front with new and small business clients. Once you have granted
credit to a business or organizations set down strict rules and stick
to them. In general there rarely is justification to carry any client
beyond 60 days.

As you expand and require assistance to carry the work-load consider
hiring "outside contractors" instead of employees. There are many
individuals who have the knowledge and equipment to free-lance with
desktop publishing. You will be saving the various benefits which
are required to pay to employees and which average about 20 – 30% of
salary.

Resources

Publications: Publish, P.C. World, Mac World are the best known
publication. New ones are coming on the market on an on going basis.

Organizations:

Most of the major desktop publishing software programs sponsor user
clubs/organizations throughout the country, such as Ventura Publishing.

Education:

Almost all colleges and university have an extensive curriculm in
various computer instructions including desktop publishing. There are
also various private instructions available thorough seminars, etc.,
however, these tend to be quite expensive.

For additional information helpful in setting up your new business,
information about licenses, permits, the legal structure of your
business, taxes, insurance and much more refer to the Business
Start-Up Fact Finder Manual