© 2006 Dream Merchant

Dream Merchant • 2309 Torrance Blvd. #104, Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 328-1925 email: Jkm316@aol.com

 

Kids Kreative Korner

 

DO YOU NEED SALES LITERATURE?

Yes, You Do. And Most of This Literature Can be Made Inexpensively.

By Bonnie Drew

There are three basic tools of low-cost advertising that almost every young entrepreneur uses to get started.

1. Flyers--An artfully-designed flyer is the number-one best way of advertising. These one-sheet advertisements can be given to customers, left on front doors, and placed on bulletin boards all over your community. Flyers with coupon offers usually get the most results.

2. Business Cards--Cards are mini-advertisements you can take anywhere you go. You can make your own or spend about $20 to have 1,000 printed at a copy shop. Cards make you look and feel more professional. They can be tacked up almost anywhere or handed directly to business contacts.

3. Signs--Yard signs, banners, and posters are most effective where you have big spaces to advertise. They are excellent for big jobs like garage sales, yard work, washing cars, firewood for sales, and pool cleaning.

Before you spend money on supplies and make signs or flyers, look around your house. Use leftover school supplies, art supplies, poster paints, ink markers, colored paper, index cards, and anything else you find to make inexpensive advertising pieces. Customers will appreciate your creativity and imagination.

Here are some other tips for saving money on advertising materials:

* Use your computer to design and print flyers, banners, business cards, postcards, surveys, and letters.

* Compare prices on printing and photocopying. Cost per page can vary from three cents each to 15 cents each.

* Instead of ordering expensive letterheads and envelopes, use inexpensive return address labels to personalize your correspondence. You can usually order these from magazine or newspaper ads for about $4 per 500. 

Bonnie Drew is the author of FAST CASH FOR KIDS (2nd edition), published by Career Press (1-800-227-3371). She is also the creator of the KIDS BUSINESS software for young entrepreneurs, available from Homeland Publications (713-332-9764).

Drew is also Editor of YoungBiz online magazine, published by Kid's Way, Inc., a company that helps youth prepare for business and the workplace of the 21st century. For more information, write to Kid's Way at 5589 Peachtree Rd, Chamblee, GA 30341 or call toll free 1-888-KidsWay (1-888-543-7929). YoungBiz magazine can be found at http://www.youngbiz.com

      

         

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