Seeking idea for $50-$100 small business services or products to offer.

Here's 3 I've used successfully in the past and have recently been helping some UN-employed people with;

1) PIZZA-KARDS - A business card sized card. Local Pizzeria agrees to accept a "Kard" that allows Kard-Holders to purchase 20 - 2 for 1 Pizzas. Kard is sold to business owners for $10ea to give to their employees as a "Goodwill Gift". These can also be sold door-to-door however, biz owners usually purchase more than 1 at a time. (Milk Co bought 230, Furniture Mfg bought 160 etc) 1,000 Kards cost $50. Sell all 1,000 = $10,000

2) FREE OIL CHANGE CARDS - Double-Size business cards. 2 Auto Repair Shops (on either side of a small town) provide "4 Free Oil Changes". 8 FREE Oil Changes to consumers. Card sells for $20. 1,000 "Double Cards" cost $80 Sell all 1,000 = $20,000

3) TV CHANNEL GUIDES - 8h x 5w cards printed both sides & laminated. Local Hotels agree to place "Guides" in all their rooms. "Guides" show the local TV Channels (which are different than those at their homes) "Pizza Ad" usually on front. 6 ads on back (Restaurants, Gift Shops, Realtors) A 26 week program. Pizza Ad on front sells for $520 ($20/wk for 26 wks) Ads on back sell for $260ea ($10/wk for 26 wks) 10% discount for taking 2nd Hotel

MidasMan

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by midasman

Here's 3 I've used successfully in the past and have recently been helping some UN-employed people with;

Thanks Midasman,

What I like about these is that these are all "Win/Win/Win" deals... The business wins, the customer wins, and the guy or gal who puts it all together (i.e. the entrepreneur) wins too!

Sometimes the whole is more than the sum of its parts...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by midasman

Here's 3 I've used successfully in the past and have recently been helping some UN-employed people with;

1) PIZZA-KARDS - A business card sized card. Local Pizzeria agrees to accept a "Kard" that allows Kard-Holders to purchase 20 - 2 for 1 Pizzas. Kard is sold to business owners for $10ea to give to their employees as a "Goodwill Gift". These can also be sold door-to-door however, biz owners usually purchase more than 1 at a time. (Milk Co bought 230, Furniture Mfg bought 160 etc) 1,000 Kards cost $50. Sell all 1,000 = $10,000

2) FREE OIL CHANGE CARDS - Double-Size business cards. 2 Auto Repair Shops (on either side of a small town) provide "4 Free Oil Changes". 8 FREE Oil Changes to consumers. Card sells for $20. 1,000 "Double Cards" cost $80 Sell all 1,000 = $20,000

3) TV CHANNEL GUIDES - 8h x 5w cards printed both sides & laminated. Local Hotels agree to place "Guides" in all their rooms. "Guides" show the local TV Channels (which are different than those at their homes) "Pizza Ad" usually on front. 6 ads on back (Restaurants, Gift Shops, Realtors) A 26 week program. Pizza Ad on front sells for $520 ($20/wk for 26 wks) Ads on back sell for $260ea ($10/wk for 26 wks) 10% discount for taking 2nd Hotel

MidasMan

Where would be the best/most affordable place/way to have the lamination done? Figuring a hotel/motel has on an average 100 rooms, having it done for you is better or?

What about instead of laminated flyers, have them printed 16pt with UV coating?

Thanks Don, Eva

Great ideas-thank you! Here is one of my ideas that "paid" off. Don Alm actually inspired me several years ago to sell ads on a magnet. I designed a 6" X 4" maget and sold 1/2" spots to local businesses. I touted it as a "business directory" and sold about 28 spots at $150 each. I also told business that I would print up 5000 magnets and deliver them to every door in town. I neted several thousand dollars on this project. I was somewhat known in town, but not as a marketer. It was hard work, but if you can walk in and ask for the owner and show them an example(mock-up) you can do this. Another way to do this would be to sell less ads and charge more. Don's ideas do work if you work. I hope this inspires someone to go for it. Also, I am a middle school PE teacher in Iowa. Thanks again to those who have taken their time to share ideas.

Here is another project that I completed (inspired by Don Alm) that "paid" off. I found a graphic designer on Craigslist that could design my ads. I decided to create a pizza box top flyer with business card-sized ads on the front and back. I created a mock-up and started walking in businesses and asking for the owner. I sold them for $195 each, and there were 10 ads per side, with the pizza place's ad in the middle(a coupon). It was a full-color flyer with a glossy finish. I simply sketched out the ad design and sent it to my graphics guy, Tim. Sometimes the business had a camera ready design of their business card and it was easy to have Tim just pop that into the flyer. This was a little easier project due to only having to sell and design 22 ads. The pizza place agreed to tape a flyer on each box that was sold as a take-out order. His ad was free on both sides of the flyer. I also paid for the scotch tape to attach the flyer. I did this twice and the pizza owner was happy each time. I will probably do this again in the summer so I have time during the day to sell. If I can do this anyone can. It is scarry until you sell the first ad, then you get a huge confidence boost and away you go. You can do this!

According to Martin B, he had a butcher friend who had a shop. He designed one page for the butcher and sold 10 biz card ads on the back to other local biz, printed up 1,000 black and white flyers locally ($100) and charged each advertiser $50. Did it in a day, had $400 left over.

The butcher signed an agreement to let Martin do this for a year.

My thinking is you can skip the butcher and sell 8-10 ads on each side, Gotprint charges $215, shipping included, for 2,500 full color flyers. Sell the ads for $100 each = $2,000 minus costs = approx. $1,800. Divvy up the flyers between those who bought an ad, for each of them to stick in the bag when someone buys something. You now have 20 biz promoting each other.

Maybe you could even sell the ads for more.... Rinse and repeat,

Eva

P.s. If you sell a lot of ads, instead of a flyer, make a "directory style" newspaper. Start out with a 4 page paper, build out from there.

http://www.makemynewspaper.com/Getti...ed/Prices.aspx

This company makes printing a paper very affordable.

Hi Eva,

Nice searching and Finding...

Always feel free to Expose those Never-ending {Specialized} niche URL's and Ideas! ...

Some excellent examples and {Twistable} concepts, business models in Digging through their own Web directory of Creativity and Options & Much, much more...
http://www.makemynewspaper.com/samples/default.aspx
http://www.makemynewspaper.com/getti...templates.aspx
http://www.makemynewspaper.com/profi...nny-pages.aspx
http://www.makemynewspaper.com/newspaper-designs.aspx
http://www.makemynewspaper.com/Industry/Default.aspx
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9250433.htm
https://www.google.com/search?q=http...ient=firefox-a

All the best,
Phil

Also, check out http://www.churchnewspapers.com/ It is the same company, explaining how you can make a paper for your church,

Eva

P.s. If you do not have Indesign, you can actually make the paper in Microsoft Publisher, no problem.

P.p.s. If you prefer a "whiter" paper than newsprint, they do have it for an additional 15%.

Hey Bret....here's one for ya since you've had experience with "Magnets"

I call it "Magnetic Menus To Go". 10 Ads with a To Go Menu printed on a Magnetic Sheet.

I get $360 per Ad for 500 Menus....$3,600 per restaurant (about 72cents each) "72cents to be on a local consumer's fridge...for a YEAR? You kiddin' me, Mr Biz Owner?

MidasMan

Originally Posted by BizmanBret

I am a teacher, coach and a passionate entrepreneur who is looking to find a single service or product I can offer local small businesses in my area. Like most folks I have a limited amount of time to devote to supplementing my income. I have been following this forum for 5+ years and am calling on fellow Sowpubers to help me and anyone interested to creat a list of specific, simple, yet valuable services to offer small businesses in order to earn extra money. I am hoping this list can help many in the forum to create a nice side income if they are willing to take action. Thank you.

I assume you are a sports coach? I may have a really good recommendation for you but it is dependent on the population of the area you live in... It is similar to something I did back in the 90's to make an extra $500 - $1000 on weekends but it can be far more profitable today.... Read my review on the Warrior Forum post # 24 at: http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...uaranteed.html

Cheers,
Steve