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Re: Go to your local SCORE offices and seek an interview. They will tell you
Benzinha and Azure, I shouold have known you two wold reply to me! Thanks!
GOMEDOME, calling GOMEDOME...email address won't work...calling GOMEDOME....
posted by
majroj
on October 28, 2009 at 4:37 PM
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Go to your local SCORE offices and seek an interview. They will tell you
that it is a bad idea, as you have no business experience, hehehehh. I was told not to be a chimney sweep by them. Take your outline or plan with you.
I became the best known and busiest and most honest sweep in the south of my state with five ladies working for me. Remember, they don't know YOU.
I spent all and I mean all of my time getting free publicity for my business as I had no ad budget. Guerrilla Marketing book helps here. Your library offers it for free, or you could buy it, but check it out before buying.
My small business teacher at the local community college told us to sell our text books and just jump in. So we spent that money on business cards, VISTAprinting online is the cheapest and good. (You could use me as a referral and they give me specials for that. But, I am poor, so you know that they are good.)
No special phone numbers and expensive things until you prove that you are viable. Only do the minimum required by law in the beginning and expand insurance coverage and licensing, etc. as you succeed.
KISS always. Start the first year, at the most with just a yellow pages listing in DEX. NO big one inch this and that. Name yourself something with muchos "A"s as people still call the first three numbers First. I was AAA Chim Chimney Sweep. Got most calls.
Your phone schpiel is what sells when they do call. You will learn what to say. Take out the how to win someone over or sell something, or whatever in 30 seconds or one minute from the library.
They say to have a 30 second, BIO, verbal ad, google moment for meeting people while shaking hands. Buy the book and do the worksheet for How to Book Yourself Solid, a Mr. Winter maybe?? Goggle it. He is specifically for people who offer services, but can be useful to people like me who offer goods.
Link Your Calendar, National Fire Prevention Day, National Be Kind to Accountants Day, etc. to your schpiel and get ahold of tv people who look for "experts " to do sound bytes on that particular subject.
When local news has a story that you can link your business to, call the news and newspapers and offer to add or explain or give advice for free, as per that news story.
I have to go fix Mom's heater again. It won't blow the hot air that I finally got it to produce. Her latest news for me.
Good luck. Spend NO money, my Jewish husband and small business teacher and successful entrepreneur taught me......find out how to do things for free, in collaboration, with grants, etc......you can do it as YOU ARE THE MAN.
Find out about your friend's financial standing, does he have great debt that you will take on and pay off? It happened to a friend and her husband with their partner ( who m they had known forever and adored) and they paid off his debt before being able to even build the business, with its first earnings.
Ummmmmmmmmmmm, bye.
posted by
benzinha
on October 27, 2009 at 12:09 PM
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Thanks Azure. What do I owe you?
Actually I have some advantages already. Just NO business experience.
1. I have a potential partner who qualifies as a disabled veteran (tax and loan advantages)and already has his own little business...very little business, but it is all his.
2. We are former coworkers with similar interests and outlooks.
3. We are each and both retired or retiring, so we have fallback revenue and can keep our personal pay fairly low (supplemental).
4. Military retirement will cover medical and dental (starting for me in 2013).
5. Our wives and families get along and are great people, even potential resources.
6. Since we have each had kids move out, we can convert rooms for home office space and get a deduction in tax since the rooms can be dedicated for business use, no contest.
7. We don't mind working, and we both appreciate and have rendered good customer service.
8. We have experience and training in the field, just not employment.
9. Using my old guy's Blogging Network/Blogit legacy benefit, I will post this into the BUSINESS section of Blogit and troll for help there as well.
STAY TUNED!:)
posted by
majroj
on October 25, 2009 at 10:12 PM
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Being the business success I am
i'd say, do a proper business plan, and test marketing. Seek out small business advice bureaus and publications. Always pay yourself something. Plan your days/time with profitable activities.
posted by
Azur
on October 25, 2009 at 7:22 PM
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