17 Ways To Market Your Home Daycare With Business Cards

Did you know that business cards are the most popular marketing tool of choice among home daycare providers, yet the average provider has more than half of her business cards still sitting in the box?

So what's a girl to do with all those extra business cards just sitting around gathering dust?
Get them into circulation!

1.) Baby Changing Stations - You know the kind in public restrooms. I know, I know... it's not that glamorous, but a lead is a lead, right? Lol


2.) Book Donations - Affix to the inside of any books that you plan to donate to doctor's office's, pediatricians, libraries, etc.

3.) Bookmarks - Before returning library books, be sure to place a business card inside. Two hot spots are the table of contents or index section.

4.) Bulletin Boards - These are great places to put your business cards to work for you. Check out your local community centers, grocery stores, libraries, places of worship, schools, etc.

5.) Classified Ads - Did you know that your business card can double as an ad? Many publications both on-line and off-line offer "business card size" classified ads. Submission requirements vary, so do your homework.

6.) Diaper Bags - On your next trip to Target or Wal-Mart, drop a card into a few of the diaper bags on display. It's likely the new mommy may be in need of your services and give you a call.

7.) Goldfish Bowls - You know the bowls at sandwich type shops offering a free lunch if your card is chosen? Never pass one without dropping your card in. Who knows, you may just get a free lunch and a new client.

8.) Greeting Cards - Has a new family moved into your neighborhood? Why not drop a "Welcome to the neighborhood" greeting card in the mail to let them know about your services.

9.) Halloween Packets - Get yourself a box of snack size Ziploc baggies (the perfect size for this project) and create little goodie packets by adding one of your business cards and a few sweet treats. Voila! You're in business.

10.) Local Businesses - Ask local business owners if you can leave a small stack near the register. You never know who's in the market for child care services or may know someone else who is.

11.) Quick Notes - If you're ever in a pinch, you can always use the back of your business card to jot down your cell phone number, email address, a quick note, or any other info someone request of you. Sure beats a napkin, eh?

12.) Realtors - Ask your local realtors if they would be willing to place your business cards inside the packets that they pass out to new families moving into the community.

13.) Referrals - Your business card becomes a valuable referral tool when in the hands of family, friends, and clients... (Your own little mini sales army).

14.) School Office - Take some time to drop off a couple of your business cards at the front office of your local elementary schools. You can also inquire about running a "biz card size" ad in the school newsletter.

15.) Tipping - Whenever you dine out, be sure to leave your business card behind along with your tip.

16.) Trade - Exchange a few cards with someone who also targets parents of young children. We all have a friend or a friend of a friend that's a direct seller of child friendly products or services.

17.) Welcome Wagon - Ask your local Welcome Wagon to include your business cards in the welcome packets that they provide to new families moving into your community.

So there you have it, 17 simple uses for your business cards.

Remember, there's no point in having business cards without some sort of plan to put them into action.

Visit http://www.FamilyDaycareMarketing.com for more articles, tips, and marketing resources for your Home Daycare Business.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Allison_T

Marketing Your Childcare Business

Every business knows the value of advertising their business. Only through advertising, can one ensure that your presence is known by those who are interested in your goods or services. For the Child Care business, advertising is no different either. When you start your childcare services, not many people know about you or your services. It is therefore very important to have a marketing plan to advertise your services. A marketing plan does not come as an afterthought, it begins right at the time that you are planning to start a location. You have to ensure that your clients, i.e. parents are willing to come to your location.

Marketing Plan
When you develop a marketing plan, you are essentially putting down ideas on how you will make your services be known in the community. The development of the plan is facilitated by focusing on the 4 P's essential to a Marketing Plan. Start off with a problem description. Indicate with the help of 4 P's your marketing strategy. The 4 P's are Product, Placement, Price and Promotion.

Product
Describe what your product / service is all about. Put down key words and phrases that will best describe your product. "I provide childcare services during the week", "I cater to children from 2 - 5 years", "I am able to offer hot nutritious meals", etc. Order the phrases in order of importance. Once you have sorted them, pick the top 3-4 phrases and key words, and this will be the best decription of your business or product. Use this as the basis of all your marketing efforts. Make sure that you go through another round of analysis by crystallizing all your top 3 ideas into even simpler "catch phrases". Phrases that succinctly describe your business.

Placement
How does your product / service reach the end-client. In this case you describe which neighbourhoods you are serving. Neighbourhoods served by daycare depend on several factors. Some services are offered to parents who are working in the area (office/commercial areas). Other services are offered close to where parents live (communities). The choice of the location plays a major role in marketing your childcare service. Other factors are how does the potential client place you among their available choices. Are you quality focused, does your daycare have a particular philosophy about your services, etc.

Price
What is the price of your service? Did you ensure that your pricing i.e. fees are reasonable? Are your fees similar to the fees charged by your immediate competition, or are they completely off the mark. If you are starting off as a new business you want to make sure to keep the prices reasonable and attract parents to register with an additional rebate. How will you ensure that you will keep you prices reasonable and that the prices cover all your costs.

Promotion
Refers to how you will promote your business, where you will advertise, how you will find your targets (potential parents) to advertise to, how will you communicate with your potential clients, what sales promotions you will offer etc.

Armed with information on the Four P's of marketing, you can start developing the actual advertising campaigns to reach out to your potential clients.

Advertising Campaigns
At the stage of the advertising campaigns you will also determine the budget. Coupled with your available budget, you will develop campaign executions to succeed in the market place. The subject of campaigns and executions is a separate topic that will be discussed in a different post.

For more daycare management tips and strategies, you can visit Parent Relief's How to Start and Manage a Daycare online tutorial.

Free resources at Parent Relief
Free Advertising to Parents - Parent Relief Online Directory
Free Daycare Software - Parent Relief bizAdvantage
Free Tutorial - How to Start and Manage a Daycare online tutorial

To learn more, please visit http://www.parentrelief.com/providers

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Daniel_G.

Number One Mistake of Startups - Failure to Market

As the statistics show, the majority of startup ideas never get off the ground. The experts offer a variety of reasons for this, from lack of planning to not enough capital, but in most cases the reason comes down to one problem -- a failure to market the business.


The bottom line in business is to make money. That money comes from sales, which in turn come from two sources -- new customers or repeat customers. For a startup, it's all about securing the new customer. The only way to get those new customers coming to you is marketing, and marketing the right way.

Here are the first five things you need to do to market your new business:

Know Your Product
If you have invented your own, brand new product, you probably know everything there is to know about it...or at least you think you do. Often, new products have uses and benefits beyond their intended use. For example,

Know Your Market
Narrow down the exact type of people you expect to benefit from your product. Then, figure out what else they have in common. Do they read the same periodicals? Do they shop in the same types of stores? Do they live in comparable neighborhoods? Same level of education? Same types of jobs? The more you know about the potential customers you are trying to reach, the easier it is to reach them.

Know Your Competition
Learn everything you can about the other businesses that are currently filling your customers' needs. If you think you don't have any competitors, think again! Even if you open the only restaurant in town, your competition is eating at home. Even if your product is a brand new invention, it solves a problem for your customers that they are solving some other way now. Find the competition and study them -- how do they market their product? Who are they trying to reach? How do they set prices, get the product to the customer, etc. Then, look for innovative ways to make YOUR product a better choice.

Develop a Marketing Plan
Your startup marketing plan doesn't have to be particularly formal (unless you are looking for loans or investment), but it does need to be complete. Simply launching a ready-made website is not enough. In fact, just uploading a new website is not likely to attract any business at all -- it's like leaving your business card on the moon, if nobody knows it's there, it won't do you any good. Include multiple marketing routes (ways to reach your potential customers) and be sure to include a) an online presence, b) networking (online and off), and c) advertising (print, online ads, whatever your market will see).

Get Started
There is no need to wait until every detail is done before you start marketing your business idea. At a minimum, set up a quality website right away so that it begins drawing traffic and moving up the search engines as soon as possible. Get the word out -- talk to everyone you know and meet about what you are doing. Get your potential customers excited about what you are doing. Not only will this get your business off to an excellent start, it will also motivate you to get the less exciting details of your business completed!

Remember, one critical key to startup success is marketing. No matter how great your idea, it will not sell itself. That's a huge part of YOUR job as an entrepreneur!

-K. MacKillop, a serial entrepreneur, is founder of LaunchX and authors a small business startup blog. The LaunchX System is designed to help entrepreneurs start a business based on their own idea. It includes step-by-step business startup instructions, key software, business tools, and more -- a complete business kit. Visit LaunchX.com to learn more about this revolutionary way to become an entrepreneur.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=K._MacKillop

5 Worst Courier Service Problems and the Solutions

Like any business, a courier service encounters problems from time to time. Just relax and try to make a smart decision. Don't get too stressed out. You can fix any problem that comes your way. Here are five of the worst courier problems and the solutions that'll keep your business on track.

1. "My vehicle keeps breaking down."
The solution to this one is pretty easy-you need a reliable vehicle. It doesn't have to be a large van or a semi-truck. It just needs to be a vehicle that can be depended on to carry packages around town and get you there on time. You simply must have a reliable vehicle. Plus, don't forget that the IRS is currently allowing a deduction of 55 cents a mile for any driving done related to your business, which could help pay for a new, dependable vehicle.

2. "A customer asked me to transport fragile items."
You need to be ready to transport fragile items. Don't plan on putting the item in your lap or holding onto it with one hand while driving. You need to keep the item protected, but still be able to drive well with both hands and your attention on the road. Carry some moving blankets with you in the event you're asked to transport a fragile item.

3. "I don't have a lot of money to spend on advertising."
You don't have to spend a lot of money, or any money, on advertising if you don't want to. There are many free ways you can advertise. Try out Craigslist or Backpage.com. It's an easy and quick way to post an ad. And don't forget about networking, simply getting out there and talking up your business to prospective customers. Try making a web site or blog. There are many free and easy ways to do it. On your web site or blog, talk about your business, your prices and what you have to offer.

4. "I can't keep track of my schedule."
You need to be organized. An organized courier is a successful courier. As you start getting more and more jobs, you need to be sure to have your day planner or other scheduling method nearby at all times. Keep track of your jobs, and keep track of your customers. You never want to get a call wondering why you aren't where you need to be. You don't ever want to say, "Oops." Keep a detailed schedule, and this shouldn't be a problem.

5. "I'm lost!"
As a courier, you're going to be asked to pick up and drop off items at a variety of locations around town, many of which you've probably never been to. Maps can help, but are generally difficult and unsafe to use in traffic. You don't want to be sitting in your car, trying to figure out how to get to where you need to be. There's a product that can do that for you, a GPS unit. GPS units are becoming more and more affordable. They're simply a great and easy way to make sure you never get lost again.

Problems are bound to happen every now and then, but just stay calm and you can find a solution that works. These five are some of the worst courier problems you might encounter, but just follow the solutions, and you'll be fine.

To learn more, read How to Start a Courier Business, available at: http://profitsonwheels.com

Craig Wallin is the author of twelve books about home-based businesses, including How to Start a Courier Business,To learn more about starting a courier business, visit: http://profitsonwheels.com

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Craig_Wallin

7 Great Advertising Ideas for Small Businesses

Do you own a small business and want some good advertising ideas to attract more business? As you know, there are many different strategies you can go with. You also have the choice of going with many different advertising avenues. The only problem is which ones you should focus on.

Here are some solid ideas that are cost effective and work.

The first of these advertising ideas are postcards. Postcards are very affordable and it is a great way to have people visit your website or call your business. You can use an existing customer list or buy a direct mail list when you use postcards. The benefit of using them is that your message is out in the open and recipients do not have to open the mail.

The second idea is doing a joint venture with another small business. Find a business that's related to yours and figure out how you can work with them to benefit each other. For example, if you are selling medical supplies for pets, you may want to partner with a vet and cross promote to each other's customer list for an effective and targeted marketing promotion.

The third idea is to use the Internet. There are many ways to get your business found on the Internet. There are business review sites like Yelp, business directory lists, and local listings. If done correctly, you can get more people finding your business online.

The fourth idea is to build an audience. You can do this by asking your customers for an email list and delivering a newsletter every week or two weeks. You can also get your prospects and customers to follow you on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and your own blog to keep up with them.

The fifth idea a small business can use is to offer free products or services. You can offer a valuable product or service in order to get a qualified lead. You can do this in the form of coupons distributed to your business partners, networking meetings, and more.

The sixth idea is to follow up with customers. Do you have a customer list on file that you haven't looked at for a long time? Then it's time you contact them. Start out with value to reestablish the connection and then offer promotional offers that are relevant. Research shows that it costs around 6-7 times more to get a new customers than sell to a new one.

The seventh idea is to brand yourself through expertise. Many people are branding themselves as the go to person for a specific topic. For example, if you are selling wine, you can really talk about the different types of wine and establish yourself as somebody that knows about the topic. You can channel your expertise online, through newsletters, and in networking meetings.
These advertising ideas are all great ways to help bring you more customers into your small business. You don't have to have a big budget to attract customers, you can just use the right advertising ideas correctly and bring in a steady stream of revenue. It's all about being open minded and educating yourself on how to successfully market your business.

Boost your Small Business with Online Advertising

Advertising Online is a form of promotion that uses the internet to deliver marketing messages to attract customers to a website,blog or affiliate link. It helps your business grow because it gives you so much exposure. While you may be excited about your new site or blog, you’re going to find out that if you don’t know how to market it, no one is going to find you. 

You could have the best site on the internet, and without the  proper advertising , your site is going to draw zero visitors. The problem is to get more traffic to your site you're going to have to advertise your online presence which will cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars without any guarantees of how effective that advertising is going to be.

Which is why I want to share with you some techniques that I have used and i still use them on my site.  These methods below should help you generate a  good amount  of traffic that is well targeted.

There are several advantages to doing it as compared to print advertising. Also, by doing this, you have the ability to enhance your business image: The options for it  are vast. These are some basic types:

Banner ads: These are the 'banners' that sit on thousands of web pages - some are animated and some are interactive. If you decide to take out a banner ad, make sure you give some thought to which types of website you place them on; just like any other ad strategy, you need to target your market by placing ads on site that will complement your site, a cleverly designed banner can be a real asset to any advertising online campaign. Also don't forget that you don't have to use one of those giant banners that fill up of the whole screen. You can use smaller simple ads that can fit easily into the sidebar or special box on a web site so they can suit the design and work more effectively.

Links: You could purchase AdWords ads, or you could contact the website owners directly and ask how much they charge for ads on their site.

Forums: This is one of the best ways of advertising online and its free but it is often overlooked by many people. Make sure the forums you join relates to your website topic. Visit regularly and post reminders and ads there that will catch people's attention.Get involved in some of the discussions and contribute what you know.  Though the success rate is not very high, there is no harm in trying this out.

No matter what niche you’re in, you’re going to find that there are many forums out there.  A great way to promote your website is simply by adding a small link in your signature.  Add great content, do not spam, and this can not only give you a reputation, it can help draw traffic!

Online classified advertisements: This is a great way to draw local traffic that is targeted to your needs.  Placing a classified on the internet is much the same as placing one in a newspaper, and these sorts of advertising online are suited for small companies or individuals with goods or services to sell; Craiglist is a very good place to post your ads. You will not make your fortune online using free classified ads. But you will gain visitors by using them.

Article Directories: This is a another good way of advertising online, You can use them to promote your online business.Submitting articles to top article directories is a proven way to get more quality backlinks. Sites such as EzineArticles, GoArticles and many more are a great source to use to not only boost your business, but again, help draw people to your site.

Groups: Groups are helpful because you can e-mail a message everyday. Try to change up your messages every couple of days so people don't just automatically delete your message before reading it. Also work on making your headline catchy so someone would want to click on it. Most groups also allow you to post your link on their link page. That is permanent free advertising. I use Yahoo groups regularly, click Yahoo Group and find groups related to your topic or niche before joining.