Category Archives: Starting Out

How Can I Create A Brochure For an English Daycare School?

Services, Starting Out

My brother’s English language school in Greece has a pre-junior class for 6 year olds that learn the foreign language as they play. It is unique and innovative for Greece and it is going very well.

He needs to give leaflets to kids at school. It has to be impressive so as to keep it as well as and give it to their mothers.

I think he should create a separate logo with cartoon characters for starts, but another school has already done it (they copied the whole idea of a junior school in fact).

The leaflet could be a weekly schedule, but small kids do not need a weekly program really.

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Jay’s Answer: Don’t send the flyers home with the students. Mail them to the parents directly. Enclose them in an envelope with the return address of the school. That will further get the parents’ attention.

The logo isn’t the key – the content of the class is. Why would parents want to enroll in the English language school – what’s the benefit to the child? The parents? What is the competition like for other pre-junior classes (not just English pre-junior)?

Having testimonials from other students and parents ("We loved learning English", "Our Travel To England Was More Fun", "My Child Helped Us Get Directions!", etc.) in the leaflet is also key.

Don’t send the leaflet weekly. Send it out before the beginning of the next semester and mid-semester (or when you have something new to announce). You also want to have a "call to action" – something like "Enrollment Closing Soon!"

What Is A Good Name For A Childcare Party Company?

Services, Starting Out

I would like to come up with a CLASSY, professional, and warm (NOT cutesy) name for a company I am starting. We will provide programs and care (mini-parties) for children at weddings and other special events that are not child friendly so parents can enjoy themselves while still having their children with them on premises. I DO NOT want the term "kid, child, kiddie, wee, or any other "cutesy" term that many childcare companies use). I want to deal with high-end clients and want the approach and "vibe" to be that the childcare event will have the same "professionalism and class" as the adult event…just with a lot more fun for the children;) Think in terms of the great names the high-end Children’s boutiques use…

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Jay’s Answer:

  • Inner Child Parties
  • Champagne and Punch
  • The Inner Circle
  • The Boom Boom Room

How Can I Determine The Market Size For Laboratory?

Starting Out

I am currently putting together a marketing strategy for a laboratory that is considering offering food nutrition labeling testing that analyzes food or other substances to verify their nutritional content, usually in order to help clients comply with proposed legislation in HK/China. Where can I find the ‘potential’ market size without having to pay for market reports?

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Jay’s Answer: Start by asking your potential competition. Who are their clients? What is their company’s revenue, size, etc.?

Interview academic experts. They have access (and may have produced) the reports you’re interested in.

Your library systems – think public, legal, university, etc. libraries. Talk to the reference librarians.

Contact food associations. Investigate their libraries, memberships, and conferences.

Search online for articles. Contact the author of the articles to get in-depth follow-up.

How Can I Syndicate Automotive Articles?

Starting Out

I have a client who is a well-known writer in the automotive industry. He would like to syndicate his series of articles to a few specialty mags, local and community newspapers, etc., but this isn’t something I’ve done previously. Does anyone have experience helping a writer become syndicated? What would be my first step in helping this client to accomplish his goals?

We have considered a blog or web site, but his articles have previously been used without permission, so he is hesitant to do this.

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Jay’s Answer: He could go forward with his blog and if he generates enough traffic, he can approach media with his "built-in" audience numbers.

He could write a book of his articles and (self) publish them. A book conveys additional expert status.

He could approach the specialty magazine with samples of his work.

He could write for a manufacturer’s newsletter.

Writing can generate some income, but most writers make very little. Help him to figure out how to leverage additional visibility of his articles into other offerings – consultations, seminars, etc.

How Should I Organize A Regional Event?

Publicity, Services, Starting Out

I’m making a 10 minute presentation to answer the brief: “You have a £5,000 budget to activate your own regional event (Small Fire). What is your event concept, your implementation plan and how would you leverage it?” I’d like to know what points i should think about, what should the money be spent on, methods of promoting it, a good implementation plan and any other helpful points to make it an excellent presentation.

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Jay’s Answer: Once you have the product/service idea, focus on the marketing strategy. Who are you trying to sell it to? How does your product/service solve a problem of theirs? How much better is your product? Why should they trust you?

Once you have the strategy, figure out how to attract your target audience. It might be anything from a talk (10 ways to reduce your taxes), to a party (new moms night out), etc. The key is to match your activity with your target demographic & their needs.

Fundraising For Social Change

Book Reviews, Clubs + Associations, Publicity, Starting Out, ,

Buy This Book If you work for (or with) a non-profit, this book is a must-read. Kim Klein (the editor) focuses on key problem all non-profits face: acquiring, retaining, and upgrading donors.

Acquiring is the process of getting new people to donate to your organization. Typically this is done with direct mail, web site asks, and some special events. The goal is to create an impulse donation.

Retaining is the strategy of converting an impulse donation into a habit.

Upgrading converts the “regulars” to give more than they have before. Typically this is done via a personal call, letter, or special “insider” event.

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Finding Donors. Did you know that in 2004, 75.6% of contributions came from individuals (11.6% of foundations, 8% bequests, and 4.8% corporations)? Or, 7 out of 10 adults in the US and Canada give away money?

Asking For Money. What’s the #1 way to get donations? Ask for them! You need to identify people who: are able to make a gift, believe in your organization, and can be contacted. Formally, you ask for letter first with a letter detailing your organization and a request for monies for a specific need, following up with a phone call, and ending with a face-to-face meeting. Informally, a phone call followed by a letter would suffice.

Special Events. A special event is a two-fer: a fund-raising opportunity plus increased publicity. During the event, there must be a pitch to let people know now is the time to donate. Consider having some friends of your organization purposely start the donation process to break the ice.

Direct Mail. Use direct mail to: get someone to give for the first time, get donors to repeat their gift, and get donors to renew their gift. On a direct mail piece, expect less than 1% response (higher quality lists produce greater response) – so you’ll need to play the numbers game. Before starting a direct mail campaign, calculate the cost of the mailing vs. the likely result of the donation to arrive at a net income per donor. There a lot of information in the book about crafting the copy of the mail piece.

This book is a gold-mine of non-profit fundraising strategy. If you work with non-profits, read it often.

What Should Be In My Interview Presentation?

Starting Out

I was asked to give a 45 minute presentation to 5-10 members of our group about a project you completed in the past that you are particularly proud of.

It has been scheduled in the morning, before my meetings with other interviewers. What I should include in my slides? Self Intro, Project background, project team, project overview, process, accomplishments and Q&A, what else? I plan to do 30 minutes’ talking and 15 minutes Q&A. But still, it is not that easy to cover 30 minutes without getting into too much details.

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Jay’s Answer: Skip the slides (or keep them to just a few). You want people to be focused on you. I don’t know what position you’re interviewing for, but consider what key piece of information you want to impart in your presentation (other than “hire me”). Then, tell your story. Make the story personal. What enthusiasm can you muster? What pain could you share? Slides full of buzzwords, graphics, etc are a distraction – people remember a story. If you don’t have story, provide analogies. But describe the problem that existed, how it was uncovered, what your thought process was about it, how it was solved, the new problems that you found during that process, the solution, the short-term result, long-term result, and knowing what you know now, would you do the same project in the same way again.

Don’t wait until the last 15 minutes to let them talk. Let them ask questions to help focus your story. If you get your story down, they’ll be enthralled.

How Do I Market My New Wedding Planning Business?

Services, Starting Out

If there is anything that scares me, its the thought of starting my business and then having it totally fail! I am starting my own wedding planning business in the Toronto area. I’ll be a certified coordinator (some are not!) with no “experience.”

So my question is, how do I sell myself? I have done 3 weddings (all for free – friends and family), but they were all done before I even thought of becoming a WP, so I don’t have a portfolio. Who is going to want to hire someone without that PROOF of “experience”? If you look at the competition, they all say the same thing “…has done X amount of weddings” or “over 15 years experience…” – I don’t have that.

I was thinking of starting out with a cheaper price than the other companies (average 10-15% of total wedding budget), but then… how much cheaper? Then I was also wondering what kind of special offers I can give out for signing with me… maybe a day at the spa, a gift certificate for a vendor, etc. but would that work?

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Jay’s Answer: First, if your new business must succeed for financial reasons, then don’t start it in the first place. A new business is by definition, a risk.

Next, to increase your chance of success, start with a strategic plan. Who are you targeting (demographics, location, etc.)? What problem are you solving? Why should they trust you, etc.? Who are your competitors? Study them – know what they know.

Everyone once was a beginner. Hiring someone new is a tradeoff – they have less experience avoiding the inevitable bumps but more invested in the outcome (to build a portfolio).

Don’t start by advertising “I’m inexpensive”. That screams the wrong message.

Where Should I Advertise My Non-Fiction DVDs?

Products, Publicity, Starting Out

We are a small production studio that just released a series of non fiction DVDs. Our target audience is guys and girls ages 17 to 26. I am currently thinking of possible advertising avenues to place our product in front of our target audience — any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Our advertising budget is quite small at the moment, so the best strategy for us would be to start with inexpensive advertising and use the profits to move on to reach more people in more expensive mediums.

This is the current list I am considering:

  • Nightclub/Bar Bathroom Ads
  • Direct Response Infomercials, Radio Ads
  • Print Ads
  • Mall Kiosks
  • Banner ads on social networking sites

Are we on the right track here? Are there any other possible ways to advertise in malls or nightclubs? What other ways can we reach 17 to 26 year old guys and girls?

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Jay’s Answer: I’m assuming you’ll also have a website.

If your business is local/regional, the local nightclubs, malls, etc. make sense (don’t forget movie houses). But if you’re not limited, then the internet. Don’t forget free things like press releases (if you have something newsworthy/useful), sending press kits to key media influencers, and video teasers (on video sites – make sure your teasers have your website clearly listed).

How Can I Sell Advertising In Tourist-Visited Grocery Stores?

Publicity, Services, Starting Out

I sell advertising in a tourist destination area at grocery stores.Trying to get info or research to show locale business in this area it will benefit them to advertise locally and just not out of the area.

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Jay’s Answer: It sounds like the goal is to have a location in the grocery store to advertise local businesses for tourists.

First, what’s the competition for getting food & snacks in the area? You’re competing with grocery stores, vending machines, hotels, etc.

Second, the location in the store – will it be visible? How do you know?

Lastly, what other locations are advertising hubs for tourists. These are also your competition.

The best measure of effectiveness is actual testimonials. Are you existing advertisers getting business from the display? How much more business? That’s what prospective advertisers care about.