A common mistake among mail order entrepreneurs is to pin their hopes on their first ad. The sad truth is, first ads rarely cover their cost. When placing an ad in a magazine, expect to get only 20 to 40 percent of replies during the first month. The rest of the replies will stretch over several more months, and you should not be surprised to receive replies as late as one year after publication. An ad is considered a good ad when it brings in 2½ times its cost. This means that even a good ad cannot be expected to bring in more than its cost during its first month. First ads usually do poorly, but once you find the best publications for them, you should persevere and continue to run them. The same ad will pull better after several months, and may not reach its full potential for up to a year. Once you have found your niche, the right product/service, and the best periodicals to advertise in, persistence is central to success.

2 Ways to use your Business Cards Successfully
by Ron E. Gielgun

1. Make your business card unique and graphically appealing

Once in a while, even the most untidy of business people will sort through their various business cards accumulated and throw away the least important ones. However, interesting or unusual business cards may be allowed to remain regardless of their immediate importance. To make sure your cards survive this selection process, make them unique and graphically appealing.

-> Choose an intriguing color scheme
-> Have important or useful data printed on the back
-> Use holograms and optical illusions
-> Use translucent plastic instead of paper

If your card looks expensive, it will be harder for your prospects to dispose of it.

2. Your business card must be worth money to prospects

Prospects will not throw away your business cards if they are worth something to them. Useful information printed on the back of the business card might help. However, for prospects to think of your card as a real windfall, which should never be thrown away, its value must translate into dollars and cents. To do this, contact

-> Local restaurants
-> Barber shops
-> Pizza parlors
-> Photos
-> Fast food chains

Get them to give anyone presenting your business card a discount on their products or services.

They will not be doing you any favors by agreeing - it is you who will be giving them free publicity and who will be referring new customers to them. In return, your card will become a discount card that is not only worth saving, but that your prospects will want to carry with them at all times. Have the business card made with durable material (e.g. plastic)

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