Businesses Wanted
What kind of businesses can one start with just $1,500?
I have thought about a soap, bath and body, and candle making business. I have a great new idea for candle making that could easily become extremely popular. I just wanted some input from some "independant minds" Thanks in advance!
Make more and start it all fo less!
YES!!! They are "The Hottest New Thing in Candles" and they beat ANY other candle concept out there. These amazingly strong scents are changing the candle industry. They solve all of the problems and dangers of traditional candles with none of the risk or drawbacks. There is no smoke, no soot, no flame, no lead, no wicks, no wax in the air to breathe and no expensive glass jars to throw out. They offer around 45 gorgeous warmers to match any home's decor. The warmers ($25) are electric and heated by a 25 watt light bulb which is mounted in the base. An inline on/off switch on the cord allows trouble free scent control. Highly scented wax is placed into a matching cup which sits on top of the base and allows the gentle heat of the bulb to melt the wax into a fragrant pool. This quickly creates incredible "scent throw" which fills the room. These are extremely child/pet friendly as the wax when melted only gets slightly hotter than body temperature. Each "Authentic Scentsy Bar" (available in over 80 scents) is created from a refined - food grade wax and is loaded with luscious oils. Each of these bars last from 50 to 80 hours (most of them much longer) which at under $5 each make this system very economical compared to other dangerous and less desirable methods of scenting your space. After the scent is gone or a different one is desired, the warmer is turned on until the wax melts and can be poured out. The company offers "car candles" and "room sprays" as well in many fragrances. Their items are nicely packaged in stylish gift-ready packaging. These products are sold by "independent consultants" in a variety of parties, shows and boutiques. It is a young company yet has had a huge growth explosion. Scentsy has changed the lives of many who have discovered the ease and success of selling their products. With a simple concept and really addicting products it is an easy choice for any candle lover. They offer an outstanding compensation plan with very low startup costs ($99) and really fun people to work with. I use and sell this product and would recommend it to all. Why keep doing things the old way? Let me know if you would like to try these out or possibly sign up to sell! Email me for my current specials. I hope this helps you and please email if you have any other questions! - Thanks
Why Local Service Businesses Want Internet Marketing
A 2006 study found that 55% of online consumers were using the internet to search for local business information and today that number is closer to 75%. The problem for most businesses in my area - Lakeland, FL - is that they still see internet advertising as a marketing tool for people trying to sell products online to a national audience (like on eBay or Amazon). They do not realize that their potential customers are looking for Lakeland service businesses on the web, and that they can reach these vital prospects through marketing online.
Internet Marketing – Getting Your Needle Found in a Haystack
As you know, the world wide web contains billions of sites. Search engines and directories were created to help users navigate to find specific information. Internet marketing is a form of direct marketing that cost-effectively targets customers who are actively searching for a specific product or service. Like conventional marketing, it can be divided into paid and unpaid placement of a marketing message. Companies choose specific search terms relevant to their business, and whenever anyone types in those terms, their company appears in search results or advertisements.
Local Internet Searches
A majority of internet marketers in the past were businesses selling products online. As we have moved from desktop to notebook to mobile phones, we have also narrowed our search to finding services that we want close by. Research shows that most internet searches in 2009 are local in nature. This means that people are using the internet to search for businesses in their own cities and states. Today, leading service businesses realize that their market uses the internet to search for a plumber, air conditioning repair company, roofing contractor, dentist, doctor or attorney. And, their results can be quicker and more powerful than conventional marketing methods.
Internet Replacing Newspapers and Phone Books
As people have increasingly turned to the internet for their needs, conventional newspapers and phone directories have spiraled downward in effectiveness. Internet advertising allows business to efficiently target customers who need them right away, and those who will need them in the future. In pay-per-click ads, it doesn't matter how many times the ad appears; the advertiser only pays for the ad when someone clicks on it to visit their website. The ads can even be set up to only appear in certain cities, metropolitan areas, or countries.
More than three years ago, businesses in other parts of the country involved in a pilot program of local search ads reported increasingly successful results. A printing company in Salt Lake City, Utah generated $30,000 in new business from their local search ads, a carpet cleaner in Atlanta, Georgia reported a 35% increase in calls to his business, and a national hotel chain reported over $80,000 in room reservation revenues as a result of their initial efforts, convincing them to invest further in the phenomenon.
Many companies also use an internet advertising campaign to build their email marketing efforts by offering visitors to their website the opportunity to join their opt-in email marketing list - allowing them to target potential customers who are interested, but not quite ready to purchase. By developing ongoing relationships with prospects, leading firms are cultivating future and continual sources of income.
What does this mean for your local service businesses?
The current search numbers are impressive. During July 2009 alone, more than a million people in the US searched Google for a plumber in their neighborhood. In Lakeland that month, 730 googled “Lakeland plumbing” and 720 googled “air conditioning Lakeland.” Other prospects for your business used Microsoft’s Bing! Or Yahoo. Those people wanted service right away. There were about 620,000 results returned from the Google search “Lakeland plumbing.” Was your company’s website listed at the top of your prospects’ search? Could you have profited from those customers? How much business did you get from the internet in July?
Local searching in the Lakeland area continues to grow and produce serious revenue for the businesses involved with marketing online. Customers are not just looking for businesses while sitting at home or at their desk at work, they search from their laptop at the coffee shop, their PDA in their car, or their phone while waiting in line at the grocery store. As Lakeland residents adopt new technology over the next year, the number of internet searches will grow exponentially. Believe it or not, the fastest growing segment of today’s internet consumer is women 60-65.The question for Lakeland businesses is: Are your customers going to find you, or your competition, when they are searching?
Find YOUR Solution
Many Lakeland businesses are seeing shrinking revenues and are afraid to invest their dwindling resources in anything other than the conventional methods that are continually producing diminishing returns. Recent national surveys of local-based business owners suggest that they are aware of, and interested in, marketing online, but see ‘internet unfamiliarity, time commitment, and the inability to track results’ as the biggest barriers to developing internet marketing campaigns. Lakeland businesses know from experience that just putting up a website doesn’t get the results they want.
Search for an internet marketing agency in your area committed to providing a few, select local business owners the opportunity to capture their share of profits from internet marketing. You can leverage the knowledge, experience and ability of a professional internet marketing services company. Ask if they will start your online campaign through a 90-day trial partnership that limits your risk, rather than a log-term commitment. You should begin to see tangible results within the three month period and be able to evaluate the benefits to your bottom line.
Unfortunately, not all businesses will profit from a professional internet marketing campaign. A good marketing services company will analyze your potential for success using a very specific set of established criteria. Make sure that they are someone you will enjoy working with, will give you personal attention, provide a customized plan and that they have the proper education, skills and abilities to grow your business.
About the Author
Jack Duncan has more than 25 years marketing, advertising and public relations experience consulting for small businesses. He started Radiance Road Marketing to help Lakeland, FL business owners profit from internet marketing opportunities. Visit his website http://www.radianceroadmarketing.com to discover more tips and strategies to grow your business by marketing online or call him at (863) 668-1086 to ask questions
