How to Choose Good Car Insurance

Author: DeAnna Spencer
Source: articleage.com

Welcome to the World of Mail Order!

Hundreds, even thousands, of dollars can come to you through the mail, every day, when you build up a successful mail-order business, and we’re going to show you how to do it! You don’t need complicated equipment, a lot of capital, or an expensive office to start with. But you do need determination, a place to work (your home will do fine for a beginning), and a good product.

Before you begin to sell anything, take a moment to think about the possibilities of mail order. In order to hit the real jackpot in terms of money, your mail order business, whatever it is that you will eventually sell, must be well planned, timely, and draw lots of repeat business. You are going to have to look at what other mail order operators are selling, to see what kinds of products sell well, week after week, in the kinds of publications that you too are thinking of running ads in. And don’t forget to check back issue of these same publications check out which ads stopped running, which products flopped!

Remember that the better prepared you are before you actually place your first ad, the better able you will be to cope with buying, selling, shipping and all the other new responsibilities you will have. But don’t let all this talk of responsibility scare you away – mail order is still one of the least complicated ways to get set on the road to financial independence, and possibly great wealth!

Let’s Tackle First Things First!

If you’re contemplating starting a mail-order business, the first thing you have to decide is what you’re going to sell. both as to general category, and then specifically. Your wife’s home-made candy; your own greenhouse-raised plants; a small useful “novelty” item; racing tips; or what? Try and ask yourself a few questions about what you intend to sell. Is it exclusive? Or can your prospective customers get the same thing more easily right at their neighborhood store? Is it really appealing, can you point out something (or many things) about it that make it something the customer’s just gotta have? And does it have a really sufficient mark-up (of which more hereafter).

More mail-order failures can be traced to the lack of the right product than any other source. Sure it’s important to promote it right, write appealing copy, be efficient in shipping, follow up the sale, etc, etc., but if you haven’t got what the people want, nothing else will help.

So don’t blunder into the business, plan it out. Think about whether you have some special expertise which you can bring to bear in the selection of what you’re going to sell. Always try to fill a need. Try to appeal to basic human instincts, acquisitiveness, curiosity, avarice, sexuality, greed, and so on. But appeal subtly, on the subconscious level, don’t let’em know you know what makes’em tick. You’ve got to be a sort of amateur psychologist, to have a high percentage of successful items, or else you must just somehow sense what will sell.

Two Great Ideas You Can Use!

If you haven’t a specific field in mind, here are two suggestions for you. The first is to sell information, or to put it another way, “sell paper”. Think up some information you think many people would like to know, and try and assemble it for them in a handy form, using your own knowledge, or research you can do in books at your public library. For instance, a list of hotels, by city and state, which agree to accept guests with pets – something very useful to animal-livers traveling with their dogs and getting turned away by the majority of motels they try to stop at.

The second is how you can find the one really special, really “cute” and exciting item that you can promote the hell out of and (we hope) sell tens of thousands of. In this area of mail-order, fortunes can be made overnight, if you “know how to pick ‘em”. It’s a knack, a “feel”, and it’s usually inborn, and not a product of training. You may have it, and not know it! If you are one of those people who can sense the needs or desires of a large group, then before long you may locate an item that can bring you real money!

How you can find your own special “hot item” before the public has even seen it anywhere is by attending trade shows, given every year, and sometimes twice a year, in major cities. New York, Chicago and San Francisco are the biggest centers, but local ones appear also in Miami, Houston, New Orleans, and many other cities.

You can find out about these shows by calling your local convention bureau or exhibition hall, and enquiring about their schedule for the year. Very big hotels with exhibition facilities sometimes host them too. Or you can write to major exhibition managers and get their schedule for the next twelve months or more.

Ad or Brochure – Which Way for You?

To start a mail-order business, we would suggest placing small display ads at first, rather than creating expensive mailing pieces and sending them out to a rented list. To create, print, insert and mail brochures is a costly and very skilled affair, and is not usually undertaken by beginners. Also it is generally necessary that the item(s) offered be relatively high-priced to assure a profitable rate of return – what with today’s high cost of postage, not to mention paper and printing. A single $1.95 item, no matter how saleable, could never be profitable in a mailing – by the time you add up the cost of printing and postage you find there is nothing left for you! But if it is well-chosen, it could be a smash hit in a small ad, and make a lot of money for you, because, of course, if it works for you in one magazine very well, the chances are very good (though not certain) that it will be at least profitable, even if not as profitable, in other media.

Markup, Markup, You Gotta Have the Markup!

Other than an unsuitable product, or one that people just don’t want, the biggest other mistake you must avoid is having insufficient markup. You cannot afford to buy the same product that a retailer does, and expect to survive. Many retailers can do perfectly well with an average markup of 100% over cost, that is they buy the merchandise at 50% of its retail price, or, to look at it another way, they sell at twice the net cost to them (this is a very rough approximation, retailers’ margins vary all over the lot depending on the line of business they’re in; for instance, grocery supermarkets operate on far less gross markup than that).

But you cannot exist in mail-order with a two-times-cost mark-up (potentially you might be be able to with a very high-ticket item sellingfor $500, but we’re not concerned with that here). You need at least a three-times cost multiple, and, if you can get it, four-, five-, six- or even ten-times is far far better. The higher your markup – the greater your chance of success. Your costs are far higher than a retailer’s. Advertising space cost is your biggest expense, and then you have to handle each order individually, pack it for shipping, provide a carton, take it to the post office, etc., as well as pay your general overhead expenses. Always remember that the higher the multiple, the smaller the number of items you have to sell to make an ad profitable.

Now to Prepare Your First Ad

You’ve chosen your “perfect product” for your first mail-order offering, and decided on the price you’re asking, and now you are faced with making an ad! Unless you are a writer/artist, this is a formidable obstacle. But it can be surmounted. We don’t suggest you call a big advertising agency. In short, they don’t want you (you won’t be spending enough), and you don’t want them (you wouldn’t be able to afford their production charges!). If you’re handy with words, try writing the ad after all the usual 1″, 2″ or 3″ mailorder ad only contains 50 or 100 words of copy (look at what others are doing in your favorite magazine) – and show it to some friends to get some criticism and ideas. If you get a thumbs-down reaction from your test audience, (or if you don’t really feel that you want to tackle the writing in the first place), locate a copywriter to help you through the classified columns of your local newspaper. Place a very short minimum-space ad, something like this:

COPYWRITER. Small mail-order co. needs occasional ads written, freelance basis. Call 123-4567.

in the “Help Wanted” section. You’ll get plenty of calls, and this will enable you to select someone with whom you’re compatible, and who won’t charge you an arm and a leg!

Appearance and Presentation Are All-Important!

The “look” of your ad is very important. Don’t neglect it. Not only the picture of the product, whether that be a photograph or a drawing, but also the layout, choice and weight of typefaces used, and so on. Unless you are an expert, don’t try doing it yourself . . you need a professional. It is simple to find one. Just proceed as above for the copywriter, but place an ad for an art director. He will take your basic thoughts, and transform them almost magically, into a really “pro”-looking ad. He’ll be able to “spec” the type for you, and recommend a typesetter who can set it for you (or he may quote you a flat price for preparing the ad which includes the type).

I hope there’s enough here to have whetted your appetite for a go at the fascinating world of mail-order. If you want additional information, consult a full-length book on the subject.

Good luck!

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
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Author: Cheryl Wright
Source: articleage.com

Three years ago I was a total unknown; I wanted to change that completely, but didn’t know how.
‘Marketing’ my friends all said; I had no idea what they were talking about. Besides, I’m not the kind of person to get up in front of a crowd and start spouting my mouth off, nor do I enjoy ‘tooting my own horn’. And anyway, I didn’t have anything to sell; I didn’t have a book published. What was I going to promote?
So I procrastinated, did nothing, just waited for editors to come to me. Ha! As if that would ever happen.
But I wanted to write, I wanted to get published, and wanted editors to call me.
I joined a writers’ egroup and I lurked. I read what they had to say, melded into the background, and learned. I began to see the same names time after time. I started to trust the knowledge of those more active members, and I was learning a lot of new information about writing.
I joined more online groups, and was actively involved in a few forums for writers. Over time, writers began to ask me questions. I was getting private emails from writers on the forums; I was being seen as a mentor, someone to trust. But why?
I didn’t understand it at first, until I analysed what I’d been doing. What I discovered amazed me; just as I had come to trust those more experienced writers in the egroups I’d joined, other writers were connecting with me – because I was ‘visible’.
I was still rather shy about ‘coming out’ – I’d rather write than anything else, and I sure as heck didn’t want to market myself; going to the dentist was more fun.
A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself if I couldn’t get around? So, I spent many months learning as much as I possibly could about using the net.
And still, those same names I’d seen a year or so earlier were popping up all over the net.
I was told I needed a website. Boy, was that a challenge! Eventually, I built a website; it was small, very ordinary (extremely hard work!) but functional. Then I added a few freebies for writers to my website. I searched the internet for great links and helpful ebooks. I subscribed to some really good (and really bad) ezines for writers. I was still learning, and growing as a writer. But I still wasn’t happy.
Then, out of the blue, an opportunity arose to have my website reviewed by the editor of a large writer’s ezine. I did something I would never have done before; I grabbed it with both hands.
In less than a week, I had 350 hits on my site. Word got around – I had freebies! Within three months I’d had one thousand hits. I couldn’t believe it.
I was beginning to see the advantages of marketing myself.
One of my short stories was accepted for publication. A link back to my site lifted my profile again. I was beginning to get my work published – bit by bit – and very slowly.
I looked for marketing opportunities. What’s more, I took them! And they were working.
February 2003, I decided to write full-time; many people told me it was impossible – it would never happen. March 2003 I contacted the editor of a website for women; I secured a regular humour column. May 2003 I had secured another regular column, a monthly travel article for a print magazine. I was ecstatic. That same month, I was appointed editor for a local newsletter. I was selling more and more of my writing. Each month I sold at least one or two articles – a lot of those were to websites or ezines for writers.
Cynics said I’d never do it; making money from writing was impossible. But they didn’t have my tenacity, and they weren’t marketing themselves.
An English friend suggested I start an ezine. After all, I was already trying to help other writers with my freebies and links; why not take it one step further? So I did; May 20th 2003 my first issue went out. I started with ten subscribers – mostly people from the egroups I was on. When the next issue went out, there were thirty subscribers, and the number slowly grew with each issue.
I began to get requests for interviews. I was extremely nervous, even though it was all done by email.
My confidence grew, and I actively searched out marketing opportunities. Each day I spent an absolute minimum of one hour on marketing myself. I was writing articles, looking for markets to sell my work, and I was actively pursuing what ever avenues I could find to lift my profile.
August 2003 after constant suggestions from other writers, I decided to set up a website for writers. Not just a tiny little concern, but a large site with a ton of information and resources. Work was started on the site October 2003, after securing a trustworthy host. www.writer2writer.com is constantly under construction, and growing steadily.
November 2003 I had 180 subscribers. I did the occasional ad swap with other ezine owners, and then I decided to run a contest.
I advertised my no-fee contest for writers everywhere I thought writers might congregate; I flooded the Internet with my contest advertisements and ad swaps for my ezine. Almost twelve months after the inaugural issue of “Writer to Writer”, more than 650 writers were subscribed. This number continues to grow – December 2004, over 1000 writers were subscribed to the ezine.
If I see a new website for writers advertised, I write to the editor/owner. If I see an appropriate market for my ebook, I contact the owner. If I see a good home for my free articles, or anything else that will bring me recognition, I contact the editor or owner.
Marketing is an ongoing task, and after a while, it becomes second nature. You can’t afford to let your guard down for even a minute. Unless you have the money to secure a publicist, baby, you’re on your own. Over the last five months I have sold a short story to a major magazine in the US, released a non-fiction book, signed a contract for a novel, and have run a number of short story workshops (including one for a new writers’ website). I also have requests for four short stories from various magazines. A number of editors have contacted me for interviews, and in a two month period, I have been interviewed four times. I was even contacted by a Hollywood film company to submit a writing sample to possibly ghost-write a novel based on an upcoming movie. (That one still leaves me gasping.)
I also continue with my monthly travel column and regularly sell articles to websites and ezines for writers.
(I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out!)
I strongly acknowledge that if I hadn’t marketed myself, none of this would have happened. And what’s more, editors are now contacting me, seeking me out. (Not bad for someone who was a virtual unknown May 2003.)
What I’ve learned over time is that writers are a commodity, and like any other product or service, we have to sell ourselves. Marketing your book is fine, but the most important part of marketing is to sell yourself. Gain the trust of your readers, your followers, let them know you will deliver, and evoke name recognition.
If you can do that, you’re well on your way.?
Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she is the owner of the Writer2Writer.com website and the Writer to Writer monthly ezine for writers. (http://www.writer2writer.com) She is also the author of a series of ebooks for writers. Her romantic suspense novel “Saving Emma” was released January 2005 by Whiskey Creek Press. Visit Cheryl’s website: http://www.cheryl-wright.com

Author: Mark Murphy
Source: articledashboard.com

In the United Kingdom, rail has been king for so long that people often don’t see the forest for the trees. Taking the 2002-2003 business year as an example, we can see that passenger railways remain one of the best ways to get around in Great Britain. The 976 million trips performed by British railways show the need of consumers and business travelers for a reliable passenger railway in their everyday lives. British passengers traveled 39.7 billion passenger kilometers in 2002, which shows the great amount of ground covered by British travelers via railways.

The passenger rail industry has come down from a historic high of customer participation in the 1950s, due to postwar industrial development. There are plenty of licenses still doled out by the Department of Transport to transport operating companies, which can range from local transit systems to national passenger carriers trying to compete in a difficult marketplace. The fact that companies are still opening up and requesting licensing shows that passenger rail is still alive and well in Great Britain. The need for daily travel aboard British railways, coupled with the high standards imposed by the British government, means that engineering professionals should consider a career with passenger rail companies.

Operating passenger engines require the work of skilled drivers and guards. Drivers need to be highly skilled in their particular type of engine, whether it is a traditional combustion engine or modern electrified system. As well, drivers need to be good communicators in order to maintain a clear channel with guards, signal houses, and station personnel. Guards need to also be solid communicators, to ensure the comfort of passengers and the safety of train personnel. As well, guards need to be organized and be able to prioritize tasks aboard the train to avoid unwanted stops and delays.

The passenger railway in Great Britain thrives on a team atmosphere, which means that the ticket agent at a station in London is as important as a maintenance technician aboard a nationwide rail service. Engineers and mechanics need to be aware of a variety of rail technologies, as they often provide service to different types of engines throughout their career. Guards need to be able to speak with professionals of all levels, from customer service representatives to station managers. In all, the passenger rail industry in Great Britain is a good job market for rail professionals.