Local Online Classifieds Ads  and Print Ads

Classified advertising has always been, and will continue to be the favorite method for  New Businesses, Crafts, Home Businesses, Real Estate, Automotive, Employment, Personals, MLM  and Mail Order “Pros” to advertise. Almost all Mail Order Pros started with these tiny inexpensive ads since they represent the best cost effective way to reach millions of people.

TWO BASIC METHODS

Two basic methods are used with classified advertising. (1) Place an add offering FREE literature, and then send your literature to all inquiries. A Free offer will always out pull an ad that requests money, but your overall profits may be larger since you will generate more inquiries. This method is excellent when you are also collecting “Opportunity Seeker” names that you can rent. You should be able to generate fresh National leads for $.20 to $1 using this method. (2) Offer a report for $2 or $3 and then send out other offers with your orders. This eliminates the “Opportunity Seeker” who never buy anything, and your operation is much cleaner and void of “busy” work.

OVER 200 LISTED PUBLICATIONS

The following is a listing of over 200 magazines that offer classified advertising. The first group of magazines represent the mailorder “Pros” favorites, and they will always out pull other magazines for opportunity offers. The second group has been selected from thousands of other magazines (1) they offer classified advertising, and (2) they are the least expensive (Word Cost/Circulation ratio). Notice that the last column provides the Word Cost/Circulation ratio. That is, this ratio shows you how much it will cost you for each word for every 1,000 people who get the magazine. The lower this ratio is, the more cost effective it is. For example, if you were to advertise in the National Enquirer, it would cost $8.95 for each word, and it will cost you $.0023 for each 1,000 persons that get the national Enquirer. In this example, if you placed a 10 word ad, it will cost you $89.50, and it will be sent out to 3,500,000 people.

COST/CIRCULATION RATIOS

This may seem like an expensive ad, but the cost to get your 10 word ad to 1,000 people is only ($.0023 x 10) = $.023! That’s right – two cents!! For every 1,000 people! Therefore, learn to evaluate the circulation/cost ratio since this will tell you the relative cost that is important. As a further example, consider advertising in the “Hounds And Hunting” (#238). Here the cost for a word is only $.22. Good Deal? NO! In this case your Word Cost per 1,000 is $.0227. Therefore, your cost to place a 10 word ad per 1,000 people is ($.0227 x 10) = $.227! That’s over 10 times more expensive than the National Enquirer! However, if you were selling something for hunting, it might actually pull better than National Enquirer.

ASK FOR RATE CARD

Before you place an ad, write to the magazine and ask for their “Rate Card” for both classified ads and space advertising. You will normally receive a large package containing a sample publication, advertising rates, schedules and discounts offered for multiple insertions placed for sequential publication dates.

This Group of Publications Have Always Proven To Produce Excellent Results For Opportunity Offers:

# MAGAZINE NAME CIRCULATION

1. Globe Group 3,000,000 Weekly

P.O. Box 21

Rouses Point, NY 12979-0021

2. The Star 2,900,000 Weekly

P.O. Box 1510

Clearwater, FL 34617

3. National Enquirer 3,500,000 Weekly

P.O. Box 10178

Clearwater, FL 34617

4. Grier’s Almanac 3,011,680 Annually

P.O. Box 888281

Atlanta, GA 30356

5. Field & Stream 2,000,000 Monthly

Two Park Ave

New York, NY 10016-5695

6. Classified, Inc. 25,000,000+ Monthly

100 E. Ohio Street, Suite 632

Chicago, IL 60611

7. Grit 330,496 10 times/yr

Stauffer’s Magazine Group

1503 S.W. 42nd St.

Topeka, KS 66609-1265

8. Capper’s 353,422 26 times/yr

Stauffer’s Magazine Group

1503 S.W. 42nd St.

Topeka, KS 66609-1265

9. Popular Science 1,861,155 Monthly

2 Park Ave.

New York, NY 10016

10. Popular Mechanics 1,633,210 Monthly

224 West 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

11. The Workbasket 2,726,000 6 times/yr

700 West 47th St., Suite 310

Kansas City, MO 64112

12. Home Mechanix 1,003,244 Monthly

2 Park Ave.

New York, Ny 10016

13. Crafts ‘N Things 287,828 8 times/yr

701 Lee St. #1000

Des Plaines, IL 60016

14. The Family Handyman 1,000,000 10 times/yr

28 W. 23rd Street

New York, NY 10010

15. Workbench 1,025,000 6 times/yr

700 West 47th St., Suite 310

Kansas City, MO 64112

16. Crafts Magazine 1,000,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 1790

Peoria, IL 61656

17. Money Making Opportunities 222,000 8 times/yr

11071 Ventura Blvd.

Studio City, CA 91604

18. Spare Time Magazine 301,000 9 times/yr

5810 W. Oklahoma Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53219

19. INC. Magazine 647,211 Monthly

38 Commercial Wharf

Boston, MA 02110-3883

20 Fate 200,000 Monthly

Llewellyn Publications

Box 64383

St. Paul, MN 55164

21. Income Opportunities 400,000 Monthly

1500 Broadway, Suite 600

New York, NY 10019

22. Success 1,200,000 10 times/yr

PO Box 570

Clearwater, FL 34617-0570

23. Book Business Mart 50,000 3 times/yr

Premier Publishers

P.O. Box 330309

Fort Worth, TX 76163-0309

24. Opportunity & Income Plus 250,000 Monthly

73 Spring Street #303

New York, NY 10012

25. Entrepreneur 1,700,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 570

Clearwater, FL 34617-0570

26. Black Enterprise 240,000 Monthly

130 Fifth Ave.

New York, NY 10011

27. Mail Profits 15,000 6 times/yr

P.O. Box 4785

Lincoln, NE 68504

This Group Represents More Good Magazines With Low Cost/Circulation Ratios

28. Hemmings Motor News 261,551 Monthly

P.O. Box 256 Rt 9 West Blvd

Bennington, VT 05201

29. The Old Farmers Almanac 4,400,000 Annually

PO Box 520/Main Street

Dublin, NH 03444

30. The Ladies Birthday Alman. 3,803,450 Annually

1715 W. 38th St.

Chattanooga, TN 37409

31. Cat Fancy 237,528 Monthly

2401 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90057

32. The Antique Trader Weekly 190,000 Weekly

P.O. Box 1050

Dubuque, IA 52001

33. Cars and Parts 106,111 Monthly

PO Box 482

911 Vandermark Rd.

Sidney, OH 45365

34. The American Rifleman 1,372,371 Monthly

470 Spring Park Place

Herndon, VA 22070

35. The American Hunter 1,359,643 Monthly

470 Spring Park Place

Herndon, VA 22070

36. Railfan and Railroad 144,216 Monthly

Carsten’s Publications, Inc.

P.O. Box 700

Newton, NJ 07860

37. Bird Talk 123,134 Monthly

PO Box 57900

2401 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90057-0900

38. Model Railroader 181,683 Monthly

1027 N. 7th St.

Milwaukee, WI 53233

39. Sports Collectors Digest 43,361 Weekly

700 East State St.

Iola, WI 54990

40. Muscle Car Review 71,235 10 times/yr

Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc.

3816 Industry Boulevard

Lakeland, FL 33811

41. The American Legion Magazine 3,004,913 Monthly

PO Box 1055

Indianapolis, IN 46206

42. Crochet World 72,300 6 times/yr

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Rd

Berne, IN 46711

43. Gun Week 20,000+ Weekly

Box 488 Station C

Buffalo, NY 14209

44. Quiltworld 71,000 6 times/yr

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Rd.

Berne, IN 46711

45. Woodman of the World Mag. 466,625 Monthly

1700 Farnam St.

Omaha, NE 68102

46. California Senior Citizens 69,000 Monthly

4805 Alta Canyada Road

La Canada, CA 91011

47. Sew News 235,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 1790 – News Plaza

Peoria, IL 61656

48. American Motorcyclist 176,169 Monthly

33 Collegeview Road

Westerville, OH 43081

49. American Collector’s Journal 50,926 Bi-Monthly

P.O. Box 407

Kewanee, Il 61443

50. Shooting Times 196,441 Monthly

News Plaza

PO Box 1790

Peoria, IL 61656

51. 58 Dog Fancy 135,320 Monthly

2401q Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90057

52. Guns Magazine 205,619 Monthly

Publisher’s Development

591 Camino de la Reina, Ste. 200

San Diego, CA 92108

53. National History 511,463 Monthly

488 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10022

54. Baseball Digest 297,490 Monthly

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

55. Farm Journal 730,145 13 times/yr

230 W. Washington Sq.

Philadelphia, PA 19106-3599

56. The Farmer 118,459 21 times/yr

1999 Shepard Rd.

St. Paul, MN 55116

57. Finescale Modelier 77,748 Bimonthly

1027 N. 7th St.

Milwaukee, WI 53233

58. Trains 91,749 Monthly

1027 N. 7th St.

Milwaukee, WI 53233

59. Good Old Days 72,500 Monthly

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Rd.

Berne, IN 46711

60. Dune Buggies & Hot VW’s 107,302 Monthly

2950-A7 Airway Ave.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

61. American Handgunner Magazine 179,751 6 times/yr

Publishers Development

591 Camino de la Reina, Ste. 200

San Diego, CA 92108

62. Fur-Fish-Fame 172,847 Monthly

2878 E. Main Street

Columbus, OH 43209

63. Changing Times 1,372,867 Monthly

1729 H St., N.W.

Washington, DC 20006

64. B’NAI B’RITH JEWISH MONTHLY 171,457 Monthly

823 United Nations Plaza

New York, NY 10017

65. QST 161,442 Monthly

225 Main Street

Newington, CT 06111

66. Railroad Model Craftsman 72,315 Monthly

Carsten’s Publications, Inc.

P.O. Box 700

Newton, NJ 07860

67. Power Boat 83,224 11 times/yr

15917 Strathern St.

Van Nuys, CA 91406

68. Saturday Evening Post 500,000 6 times/yr

1100 Waterway Blvd.

Indianapolis, IN 46202

69. Successful Farming 575,686 14 times/yr

Locust at 17th

Des Moines, IA 50336

70. Hunting 311,715 Monthly

8490 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90069

71. Michigan-Out-Of-Doors 101,066 Monthly

2101 Wood St.

Lansing, MI 48912

72. The Rotarian 510,000 Monthly

1560 Sherman Ave.

Evanston, IL 60201

73. Car and Driver 900,691 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

74. Organic Gardening 1,188,335 Monthly

33 E. Minor St.

Emmanus, PA 18098

75. Country Music City News 500,000 Monthly

50 Music Square West, 6th Floor

Nashville, TN 37203-3246

76. Bowling 131,351 6 times/yr

5301 South 76th Street

Greendale, WI 53129-0500

77. Motor Trend 738,964 Monthly

8490 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90069

78. Soldiers of Fortune 105,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 693

Boulder, CO 80306

79. W.C. – Cross Stitch 72,851 Bimonthly

306 East Parr Rd

Berne, IN 46711

80. Equus 138,011 Monthly

656 Quince Orchard Rd.

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

81. Our Sunday Visitor 115,000 Weekly

200 Noll Plaza

Huntington, IN 46750

82. W.C.- Home Cooking 68,265 Monthly

306 East Parr Road

Berne, IN 46711

83. Flower and Garden 4,171,000 6 times/yr

700 West 47th. St., Suite 310

Kansas City, MO 64112

84. Full Cry 33,955 Monthly

Gault Publications

P.O. Box 10

Boody, IL 62514

85. American Cage-Bird Mag. 40,000 Monthly

One Glamore Court

Smithtown, NY 11787

86. Prorodeo 26,567 Bi-weekly

101 Prorodeo Dr.

Colorado Springs, CO 80919

87. Football Digest 203,182 10 times/yr

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

88. Guns & Amo 521,638 Monthly

8490 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90063

89. Modern Photography 650,386 Monthly

825 Seventh Ave.

New York, NY 10019

90. Family Motor Coach Association 98,000 Monthly

8291 Clough Pike

Cincinnati, OH 45244

91. The Highlander 38,000 7 times /yr

P.O. Box 397

Barrington, IL 60011

92. Craft Art Needlework Digest 101,189 Bimonthly

P.O. Box 584

Lake Forest, IL 60045

93. Yankee 2,900,000 Monthly

Yankee Publishing, Inc.

4850 Gaidrew Road

Alpharetta, GA 30201

94. National Speed Sport News 75,000 Weekly

P.O. Box 608

79 Chestnut Street

Ridgewood, NJ 07451-0608

95. National Review 240,000 25 times/yr

150 E. 35 Street

New York, NY 10016

96. Collectors Mart 86,623 6 times/yr

P.O. Box 12830

Wichita, KS 67277

97. Lapidary Journal 35,982 Monthly

P.O. Box 80937

San Diego, CA 92138

98. Easyriders 356,590 Monthly

28210 Dorothy Dr.

Agoura Hills, CA 91301

99. Video Review 450,001 Monthly

902 Broadway

New York, NY 10010

100. Basketball Digest 104,238 8 times/yr

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

101. Winning! Newsletter 100,000 Monthly

5300 City Plex Tower

Jenks, OK 74037-5300

102. Teddy Bear and Friends 60,743 6 times/yr

900 Fredrick Street

Cumberland, MD 21502

103. Women’s Circle 49,100 6 times/yr

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Road

Berne, IN 46711

104. Shutterbug 90,000 Monthly

PO Box F

Titusville, FL 32781

105. High Fidelity 300,172 Monthly

825 7th Ave.

New York, NY 10019

106. Skiing 440,370 7 times/yr

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

107. Soundings 105,606 Monthly

33 Pratt St.

Essex, CT 06426

108. Motorcyclist 209,757 Monthly

8490 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90069

109. Horoscope 104,200 Monthly

245 Park Ave.

New York, NY 10167

110. Practical Homeowner 708,504 9 times/yr

33 E. Minor St.

Emmaus, PA 18048

111. Bassmaster 530,757 Monthly

One Bell Rd.

Montgomery, AL 36117

112. Antique Monthly 66,243 Monthly

P.O. Drw. 2

Tuscaloosa, AL 35402

113. Pipe Smoker 25,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 22085

Chattanooga, TN 37422

114. Banana Republic Trips Mag. 300,000 Monthly

One Harrison St.

San Francisco, CA 94105

115. Camping & RV Magazine 20,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 337

Iola, WI 54945

116. Women’s Household 39,200 Quarterly

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Road

Berne, IN 46711

117. Body, Mind & Spirit 152,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 701

Providence, RI 02401

118. Cycle 373,398 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

119. Today’s Chicago Woman 125,000 Monthly

200-West Superior, #400

Chicago, IL 60610

120. Lottery Player’s Magazine 180,127 Monthly

321 New Albany Rd.

Moorestown, NJ 08057

121. Video 407,050 Monthly

460 W. 34th St

New York, NY 10001

122. Archery 113,023 Monthly

319 Barry Ave. Suite 101

Wayzata, MN 55391

123. The Quarter Horse Journal 67,664 Monthly

2701 I-40 East P.O. Box 200

Amarillo, TX 79168

124. W.C. – Country Needlecraft 44,508 Monthly

306 East Parr Rd.

Berne, IN 46711

125. Modern Drummer 78,400 Monthly

870 Pomton Ave.

Cedar Grove, NJ 07009

126. International Travel News 26,109 Monthly

2120 28th St.

Sacramento, CA 95818

127. Worldradio 25,833 Monthly

2120 28th St.

Sacramento, CA 95818

128. Kiwanis 279,249 Monthly

3636 Woodview Trace

Indianapolis, IN 46268

129. Power and Motoryacht 135,319 Monthly

1234 Summer St.

Stamford, CT 06905

130. Modern Electronics 75,241 Monthly

76 N. Broadway

Hicksville, NY 11801

131. Sail 175,212 Monthly

100 First Ave

Charlestown, MA 02129

132. The Lutheran 1,083,181 Monthly

426 S. Fifth Ave.

Minneapolis, MN 55448

133. Americana 325,186 Monthly

29 W. 38th St.

New York, NY 10018

134. The Horse Trader 28,370 Monthly

P.O. Box 728

Middlefield, OH 44062

135. Passenger Train Journal 16,151 Monthly

P.O. Box 6128

Glendale, CA 91205

136. Runner’s World 451,512 Monthly

33 E. Minor St.

Emmaus, PA 18049

137. The Log 46,960 Monthly

P.O. Box 89309

San Diego, CA 92318

138. Harvard Magazine 186,677 Monthly

7 Ware St.

Cambridge, MA 02138

139. Horse Illustrated 135,609 Monthly

25025 I-45 North, Suite 390

Spring, TX 77380

140. Trailer Boats 72,501 Monthly

20700 Belshaw Ave.

Carson, CA 90746

141. Skip 35,400 Monthly

P.O. Box 404

Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

142. Trailblazer 94,572 Monthly

15375 S.E. 30th Place

Bellevue, WA 98007

143. Saltwater Sportsman 128,521 Monthly

186 Lincoln St.

Boston, MA 02111

144. Midwest Outdoors 37,773 Monthly

111 Shore Dr.

Burr Ridge, IL 60521

145. Golf 912,157 Monthly

380 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10017

146. Southern Outdoors 288,963 Monthly

P.O. Box 17915

Montgomery, AL 36141

147. Cats Magazine 129,332 Monthly

445 Merrimac Dr.

Port Orange, FL 32019

148. The Western Horseman 162.369 Monthly

3850 N. Nevada Ave.

Colorado Springs, CO 80933

149. Guitar World 128,823 Monthly

1115 Broadway

New York, NY 10010

150. Mother Jones 183,864 Monthly

1633 Misson St.

San Francisco, CA 94103

151. Flying Models 27,073 Monthly

Box 700

Newtown, NJ 07860

152. Golf Digest 1,239,100 Monthly

5520 Park Ave.

Trumbull, CT 06611

153. Fishing World 341,215 6 times/yr

700 West 47th St., Suite 310

Kansas City, MO 64112

154. The Christian Herald 142,376 Monthly

40 Overlook Dr.

Chappaqua, NY 10514

155. UCLA Monthly 186,000 Monthly

1633 Westwood Blvd., Ste 110

Los Angeles, CA 90024

156. Video Marketplace 140,000 Monthly

990 Grove St.

Evanston, IL 60201

157. The Owner Builder 66,150 Monthly

1516 Fifth St.

Berkeley, CA 94710

158. Pennsylvania Sportsman 65,490 Monthly

P.O. Box 5196

Harrisburg, PA 17110

159. Woodenboat 103,180 Monthly

P.O. Box 78

Brooklyn, ME 04616

160. The Ensign 54,534 Monthly

P.O. Box 31664

Raleigh, NC 27622

161. Small Boat Journal 57,103 Monthly

Box 400

Bennington, VT 05201

162. Women’s Sports and Fitness 300,708 Monthly

809 S. Orlando Ave., Ste H

Winter Park, FL 32789

163. Dirt Bike 131,930 Monthly

10600 Sepulveda Blvd.

Mission Hills, CA 91345

164. True West 32,939 Monthly

P.O. Box 2107

Stillwater, OK 74076

165. Jazz Times 49,237 Monthly

8055 13th St., Suite 301

Silver Springs, MD 20910

166. Tours & Resorts 194,716 Monthly

990 Grove St.

Evanston, IL 60201

167. Hockey Digest 103,506 Monthly

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

168. Canoe 64,060 Monthly

P.O. Box 3146

Kirkland, WA 98083

169. The Nation 79,978 Monthly

72 5th Ave

New York, NY 10011

170. World Tennis 383,059 Monthly

3 Park Ave.

New York, NY 10016

171. The BackStretch 25,380 Monthly

19363 James Couzens Hwy.

Detroit, MI 48235

172. Motor Boating and Sailing 141,463 Monthly

224 W. 57th St.

New York, NY 10019

173. Car Collector/Car Classics 31,318 Monthly

P.O. Box 28571

Atlants, GA 30328

174. Circus 281,842 Monthly

3 West 18th St.

New York, NY 10011

175. National Lampoon 250,002 Monthly

155 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10013

176. Total Health 71,010 Monthly

6001 Topanga Canyon Rd.

Woodland Hills, CA 91367

177. Bestways 161,815 Monthly

P.O. Box 2028

Carson City, NV 89702

178. Writer’s Digest 220,196 Monthly

1507 Dana Ave.

Cincinnati,OH 45207

179. Boating 188,057 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

180. Horticulture 178,508 Monthly

20 Park Plaza, Suite 1220

Boston, MA 02116

181. New Age 151,730 Monthly

342 Western Ave.

Brighton, MA 02135

182. N.J. Hunting and Fishing 15,000 Monthly

P.O. Box 100

Somerdale, NJ 08083

183. Dog World 64,732 Monthly

29 North Wacker Dr.

Chicago, IL 60606

184. Outdoor America 43,422 Monthly

1701 N. Ft. Meyer Dr.

Arlington, VA 22209

185. Sport Fishing 109,384 Monthly

809 South Orlando Ave.

Winter Park, FL 32789

186. Old West 28,385 Monthly

P.O. Box 2107

Stillwater, OK 74076

187. Treasure 22,679 Monthly

6745 Adobe Rd.

29 Palms, CA 92277

188. Petersen’s Photo Magazine 283,010 Monthly

8490 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90069

189. Fine Woodworking 296,773 Monthly

P.O. Box 355

Newtown, CT 06470

190. Old House Journal 97,948 6 times/yr

69th & Seventh Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

191. Snowmobile 419,478 Monthly

319 Barry Ave.S., Suite 101

Wayzata, MN 55391

192. Lost Treasure 41,423 Monthly

P.O. Box 937

Bixby, OK 74008

193. Cycle News 60,700 Monthly

2201 Cherry Ave.

Long Beach, CA 90806

194. Yachting 136,028 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

195. The N.Y. Review of Books 114,234 Monthly

250 E. 57th St.

New York, NY 10107

196. American Film 133,232 Monthly

3. E. 54th St.

New York, NY 10022

197. Pure-Bred Dogs Amer. Kennel 53,950 Monthly

51 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10010

198. Knitting Digest 25,600 6 times/yr

House of White Birches

306 East Parr Rd.

Berne, IN 46711

199. American Photographer 254,107 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

200. Saturday Review 200,000 Monthly

214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.

Washington, DC 20002

201. Human Events 36,695 Monthly

422 1st St. S.E.

Waashington, DC 20037

202. American Business 104,772 Monthly

1775 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

203. Classic Toy Trains 10,000 Monthly

11027 North Seventh St.

Milwaukee, WI 53233

204. Auto Racing Digest 44,124 Monthly

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

205. Soccer Digest 27,929 Monthly

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

206. High Technology Business 203,678 Monthly

214 Lewis Wharf

Boston, MA 02110

207. The Western Boatman 23,961 Monthly

20700 Belshaw Ave.

Carson, CA 90746

208. Archaeology 105,146 Monthly

15 Park Row

New York, NY 10038

209. Motorcross Action 92,257 Monthly

10600 Sepulveda Blvd.

Mission Hills, CA 91345

210. Threads 125,913 Monthly

P.O. Box 355/63 S. Main St.

Newtown, CT 06470

211. UTNE Reader 67,449 Monthly

2732 West 43rd St.

Minneapolis, MN 55410

212. Yoga Journal 44,819 Monthly

2054 University Ave.

Berkley, CA 94704

213. Practical Horseman 55,752 Monthly

Gum Tree Corner

Unionville, PA 19375

214. Dirt Wheels 88,632 Monthly

10600 Sepulveda Blvd.

Mission Hills, CA 91345

215. Hounds and Hunting 9,697 Monthly

Box 372

Bradford, PA 16701

216. Backpacker 172,111 Monthly

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

217. Bowling Digest 104,159 Monthly

Trump Card Marketing

222 Cedar Lane

Teaneck, NJ 07666

218. Darkroom Photography 70,508 8 times/yr

9021 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90069

219. Miniature Collector 23,602 Quarterly

170 5th Ave.

New York, NY 10010

220. Gun Dog 62,973 Bimonthly

1901 Bell Ave., Suite 4

Des Moines, IA 50315

221. BLUMS FARMERS ALMANAC 100,000 Annually

3301 Healy Dr. S.W.

Winston-Salem, NC 27103

222 The Magazine Antiques 60,578 Monthly

980 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10021

223. Hispanic Business 107,875 Monthly

360 S. Hope Ave., Suite C.

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

224. Linn’s Stamp News 74,082 Weekly

P.O. Box 29

Sidney, OH 45365

225. Sel!ing 100,000 Quarterly

PO Box 570

Clearwater, FL 34617-9862

226. Mustang Monthly Monthly

Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc.

3816 Industry Boulevard

Lakeland, FL 33811

227. Super Ford Monthly

Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc.

3816 Industry Boulevard

Lakeland, FL 33811

228. Corvette Fever Monthly

Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc.

3816 Industry Boulevard

Lakeland, FL 33811

229. Mopar Muscle 6 times/yr

Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc.

3816 Industry Boulevard

Lakeland, FL 33811ne Woodworking 296,773 Monthly

P.O. Box 355

Newtown, CT 06470

NationWide  Print Classifieds  A great place to advertise to the USA also and has good pricing.

Garner NC City Guide Has Free and very low cost Business Directory Listings and Classifieds Ads.

City5nc.com add your links

The way to accumulate this kind of wealth is with your own business of selling merchandise via The Party Plan. Few other businesses can so easily give you this kind of wealth as quickly, and keep your income growing.

A recent questionnaire, circulated among hundreds of successful direct sales merchandisers across the country asked this questions: “If you were to start over today, knowing what you know now and could choose the one method of merchandising that would make you really rich in the shortest period of time, which would you select?” Of these questionnaires returned, 94% stated they would go The Party Plan Method.

The sharp party plan operators (and the richest) simply hold motivational sales meetings for their sub-distributors about once a month. During these meetings, they are teaching their sub-distributors how to recruit new hosts and hostesses, or husband and wife host and hostess teams.

A host or hostess can be any person who is agreeable to holding a sales party at his or her house. Almost always, this person is rewarded for having the party with a percentage of the total business or an agreed upon special merchandise gift.

These people invite friends, neighbors and relatives to the party. Your sub-distributor doesn’t have to do much more than make contact with people willing to hold parties, supply the merchandise, and sometimes offer to help or be there to make sure every thing goes smoothly.

Here’s the kind of money you can realize with this business: Say you have ten sub-distributors, and each one arranges only five parties a month, and each party does $2OO in gross business. That’s a total of $10,000 per month in total volume. And from that total volume, you make only 30%. Figure it out for yourself. This would give you a personal income of $3,000 for thirty days in which you did no more than hold one or two motivational sales meetings!

Besides, each party is almost guaranteed to give your sub-distributor at least two more hostesses for future parties, and those future parties will provide still more hostesses. This chain is endless, and will build as fast as you can keep up with it.

To get your start in this fabulous method of merchandising, become a host or hostess yourself. Give a few parties yourself, and learn the ropes.

Choose an evening for your party – any evening excepting Friday through the weekend. Generally 7:30 is the most convenient time for the greatest number of people. If it’s inconvenient for whatever reason to hold a party in your home, arrange with a friend to hold the first couple of parties.

Make up a list of 30 to 60 people you can invite to the party. They can be friends, neighbors, relatives or people you know from work, even acquaintances with whom you do business such as the check-out clerk where you buy your groceries or people you meet at the bus stop on your way to work.

After formally inviting these people, you then call to remind them of the party at least a couple of days before the date of the party. This is important, because of the original 40 people you invite, at least 15 will not show because it slipped their minds, last minute circumstances that force a change in plans, and those that really weren’t interested in the first place.

On the day of the party, get your merchandise display set up early. The party should be held in the largest room in the home – usually the living room – with the merchandise display the center of attraction.

The merchandise should be set out on a sturdy table covered with a good white or light colored cloth, and the merchandise should be arranged by group or type – the jewelry items together; perfumes, bath oils and colognes together; crystal together, home decor, Ketch en tools, food products, soaps, cleaners, under-wear,  and so on.

Try to put a bit of imagination and showmanship into your merchandise display. This will have the effect of making your merchandise look much more valuable than it actually is. Those that do put a flair into their merchandise displays find that it in creases their sales by as much as 25 percent over an ordinary showing.

For instance, a high intensity light focused on the display will cause the jewelry to sparkle, the stainless steel to gleam, and the brass-ware to glimmer like valuable heirlooms.

Another idea would be to tack a piece of velvet onto a 4 by 6 foot piece of ply wood and use it to display rings, earrings, necklaces and watches.

In jewelry sales, another idea is to hang a mirror on a wall near the merchandise display. If you or your hostess has room, you might want to set up a card table, covered with an expensive looking piece of material, place a dressing table type mirror on this table, with a chair available for your guests to sit at the table while they try on the various items. The guests then make their selections after determining how each item looks on them.

Regardless of what you do to make it easier for your guests to select and buy, a hand mirror is an absolute must whenever you’re showing jewelry. It would be wise to have several hand mirrors available – two for your merchandise display table, and an extra

one on the “admiration” table.

Besides your merchandise display, be sure also you’re organized with your refreshments. These usually consist of coffee, tea, soft drinks, cookies or other “nibble” items. The host or hostess usually makes arrangements in advance for one of the guests to assist with the serving of refreshments.

Be sure you have nametags for your guests, and a couple of felt tip marking pens. And don’t forget the order forms. These should be standard two-piece self-carbon order forms – one copy for your customer and the other for your files. The best idea is to buy the order forms. All these items are commonly available in stationery stores. Rubber stamp your name and address on each copy of each order form, at least a couple of days in advance of the party.

Still another item to remember is your merchandise catalogs. Be sure you have a good supply on hand, rubber stamped with your name and address. Later on, when you’re established and the money is rolling in, you can have your name and address imprinted on the catalogs.

If you don’t have a merchandise catalog, consider making one of your own. A valuable and easy-to-follow manual on “How To Prepare Your Own Catalog” (book #1203) is currently available. Another manual that will be of special interest to you is the

“Close out Merchandise Money Making Manual” (book #1668). Both these manuals are avail able from the dealer who supplied this report.

While we’re on the idea of catalogs, we’d like to point out that a lot of Party Plan Merchandisers are also dealers for the extra-income book catalog, “Unique Books.” They feel that almost everyone is interested in extra income ideas, and the Unique Books catalog has a wide selection of reports and manuals describing supplemental income opportunities. Leaving one of the book catalogs with guests at the party results in an ongoing flow of book orders for months afterwards.

Back to the Party Plan. About a half hour before your guests are due to begin arriving, turn on all the lights in the room where the party is to be held. This will give the room a bright, warm feeling conducive to a party kind of atmosphere. And by all means, be sure to turn off all the radios, stereo and TV sets. Eliminate any and all noises from other rooms in your home that might distract the attention of your guests.

Every party should be planned, and follow a prescribed format or agenda. This is because without a plan, it will just be a gathering of people wasting time at your home instead of theirs. You must have a plan to know what to do next in order to achieve the desired results. Having a “pattern” is also the easiest way to teach others to duplicate your success, and the idea of following a successful formula is a proven method of making the most sales in the least time.

Phase one is the greeting and get-acquainted time slot – about thirty minutes. The hostess greets the guests as they arrive, prints a name tag for each, introduces them around, gives them a catalog, points out the refreshments, and leads them into conversation with the other guests.

The second phase is the “game-playing” portion of your part. This phase is used to relax everybody and get them involved in the party. It should last about 15 to 20 minutes.

Next comes the merchandise presentation by the hostess, who shows and describes each item on display. If you have jewelry available, ask different guests to try on particular items and show the others what these articles look like in use. The length of time spent on this phase of the party will depend in large part on how much merchandise you have on display, but generally, you shouldn’t spend more than about 20 minutes showing and describing your merchandise. Then give your guest s about 10 to 15 minutes to personally inspect and try on the items that have aroused their interest.

You should mingle and converse with the guests during this time period in order to answer specific questions or explain the possible uses of an item, where it might look good in the buyer’s home, and any interesting tidbits relating to where an item came from, how it was made, or the satisfaction of an earlier buyer.

When you seem to have answered all the questions, and everyone appears to have made their selections, start writing orders. Don’t hesitate to ask for orders. Writing orders should take about 15 minutes, and then you should let the party begin to winding down.

During this time, mingle with your guests and anyone showing a spark of interest should be approached with an offer to serve as a future host or hostess. As each guest starts to leave, thank them for coming and walk with them to the door.

The total length of your party shouldn’t be much more than two hours. Time and time again, it’s been proven that you can do everything necessary, and make the most sales in this period of time. You lose effectiveness and make fewer sales with appreciably more or less time.

There are a couple of proven ways to recruit new hosts or hostesses from the people attending your party. First of all, watch the guests as they look over the merchandise, examine, admire and wish for something they don’t quite have enough extra

money to buy. When you’ve determined that a particular guest wants a specific item but can’t quite fit it into the budget, simply take her aside to a secluded corner of the room, and explain privately that you’re willing to give her the item she has been looking at and wanting, if she will agree to invite her friends and relatives to a party in her home.

This approach works almost every time, and your only expense is the wholesale price of the item you give her as the free gift.

The second sure-fire approach is to offer a cash incentive. You do this by offering to allow 5% to 10% of the total sales volume resulting from the party staged for you by this type of new recruit. There’s a plus factor for you on this one, because you’ll be getting the enthusiastic participation of the host or hostess on the selling side. Once you’ve explained to them how your program works, they’ll generally do everything they can to make the party a huge success, and thereby increase their pay for the evening.

When you give a gift to the hostess for having the party, the presentation should be a special ceremony staged with all the “Show Biz” flair you can muster, at the end of your merchandise showing. However, when your gift is a cash award, carry your presentation over to the next party and make a big production of it as well. Don’t forget to invite the “guest of honor” to your next scheduled party for the big presentation.

During these presentations many of the other guests will be favorably impressed, and as a consequence will ask you for details.

Actually, your recruiting efforts should begin when you start taking orders. Every person you talk with should be offered the opportunity to hold a party of his or her own. Then just before the party begins breaking up, ask your guests as a group if any of them would be interested in holding a similar party in his or her home. You ask those who voice an interest to stay over for a few minutes in order to work out the details.

You should have an Appointment Book for this scheduling. Simply ask what date would be favorable for them, mark that date in the book, along with the name, address and telephone number. Then assure each that you’ll call in the next day or two to work out the details.

Many party plan merchandisers also use a letter. They write a letter extolling the fun and excitement of the parties, explaining briefly the opportunities to receive free gifts of their choice or big commission checks. Then they invite the letter recipients to call for complete details on how they can stage a party. These letters are usually printed in volume, and then slipped inside the covers of the catalog these merchandisers give to each person attending the parties. Sometimes these letters are handed to each guest as the party breaks up.

Some party plan merchandisers also run small classified ads in the area newspapers. Their advertising plays up the opportunities available to make regular commission checks (extra income) simply by holding parties in their homes. People interested are invited to phone for more details. Response to this kind of ad is generally very good, with the conversion rate better than sixty percent!

Most people tend to feel party plan merchandising is exclusive to women, but don’t you believe it! It’s true that women generally establish themselves more rapidly than men with this kind of sales operation, but over the long haul, there are just as many men operating successful party plan sales operations as there are women.

Men are usually not as adept in establishing social “chit-chat” relationships as women. Therefore, the man who wants in on the vast potential of party plan merchandising should consider working with a woman.

A husband and wife partnership is an ideal working arrangement. An acquaintance, girlfriend or relative will often work out just as successfully. The basic requirement is simply that the “couple” must function as a team, with the individual talents of one complementing those of the other.

Probably one of the greatest secrets of success with this kind of sales operation is that in order to make the sales, and talk about $400 parties, you must have the widest selection of merchandise possible.

Many beginners, not understanding that offering the potential buyers a wide and varied selection of items to choose from is what builds your profits in a hurry, base their entire merchandising plan around a selection that’s of special interest or particularly appealing to themselves. It’s all right to include the items that you especially like, but don’t base your entire merchandise line on the things you like; you’re selling to others, not yourself!

Most successful party plan merchandisers advise that you should display at least forty different items, and more if you have the supplier contacts or the buying expertise. The actual decisions on which products to carry and display at your parties should be based upon these four factors: 1) The kinds of gift items, personal decor articles, and general merchandise the people in your area are buying; 2) The styles or fads currently in vogue in your area; 3) Contacts with enough sup pliers who can furnish you with the kind of merchandise your potential buyers want; 4) Your ability to shop among the various suppliers, and verify that you are getting the very best merchandise value obtainable.

Still another important point to consider before buying merchandise to display and sell: Do the prices you’re having to pay for your products wholesale allow you enough room for a reasonable profit when compared to your time and expense?

Do some market research relative to your ambitions; get answers to the questions we’ve set forth for you, and when you’re satisfied that you understand the workings of Party Plan Merchandising, grab the opportunity and run with it!

Garner NC City Guide And Free Business Directory

Add your link: CITY5NC.COM

Read More Articles:City5nc Blog

“We’ve had our share of growing pains yet managed to gross over $22,000 last month with mostly service. Folks that know us well may know we hit the wall a few years ago by having one main customer that was bought out and went in house with their information technology services. Experiencing our tenfold growth since that time is a record for which I am proud. We’ve got a great team and a lot of friends that have helped us along the way.”

To excel in any selling situation, you must have confidence, and confidence comes, first and foremost, from knowledge. You have to know and understand yourself and your goals. You have to recognize and accept your weaknesses as well as your special talents. This requires a kind of personal honesty that not everyone is capable of exercising.

In addition to knowing yourself, you must continue learning about people. Just as with yourself, you must be caring, forgiving and laudatory with others. In any sales effort, you must accept other people as they are, not as you would like for them to be. One of the most common faults of sales people is impatience when the prospective cus tom§er is slow to understand or make a decision. The successful salesperson handles these situations the same as he would if he were asking a girl for a date, or even applying for a new job.

Learning your product, making a clear presentation to qualified prospects, and closing more sales will take a lot less time once you know your own capabilities and failings, and understand and care about the prospects you are calling upon.

Our society is predicated upon selling, and all of us are selling something all the time. We move up or stand still in direct relation to our sales efforts. Everyone is included, whether we’re attempting to be a friend to a co-worker, a neighbor, or selling multi-million dollar real estate projects. Accepting these facts will enable you to understand that there is no such thing as a born salesman. Indeed, in selling, we all begin

at the same starting line, and we all have the same finish line as the goal – a successful sale.

Most assuredly, anyone can sell anything to anybody. As a qualification to this statement, let us say that some things are easier to sell than others, and some people work harder at selling than others. But regardless of what you’re selling, or even how you’re attempting to sell it, the odds are in your favor. If you make your presentation to enough people, you’ll find a buyer. The problem with most people seems to be in making contact – getting their sales pre sentation seen by, read by, or heard by enough people. But this really shouldn’t be a problem, as we’ll explain later. There is a problem of impatience, but this too can be harnessed to work in the salesperson’s favor.

We have established that we’re all salespeople in one way or another. So whether we’re attempting to move up from forklift driver to warehouse manager, wait ress to hostess, salesman to sales manager or from mail order dealer to president of the largest sales organization in the world, it’s vitally important that we continue learning.

Getting up out of bed in the morning; doing what has to be done in order to sell more units of your product; keeping records, updating your materials; planning the direction of further sales efforts; and all the while increasing your own knowledge – all

this very definitely requires a great deal of personal motivation, discipline, and energy. But then the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams, for make no mistake about it, the selling profession is the highest paid occupation in the world!

Selling is challenging. It demands the utmost of your creativity and innovative thinking. The more success you want, and the more dedicated you are to achieving your goals, the more you’ll sell. Hundreds of people the world over become millionaires each month through selling. Many of them were flat broke and unable to find a “regular” job when they began their selling careers. Yet they’ve done it, and you can do it too!

Remember, it’s the surest way to all the wealth you could ever want. You get paid according to your own efforts, skill, and knowledge of people. If you’re ready to become rich, then think seriously about selling a product or service (prefer ably something exclusively yours) – something that you “pull out of your brain;” something that you write, manufacture or produce for the benefit of other people. But failing this, the want ads are full of opportunities for ambitious sales people. You can start there, study, learn from experience, and watch for the chance that will allow you to move ahead by leaps and bounds.

Here are some guidelines that will definitely improve your gross sales, and quite naturally, your gross income. I like to call them the Strategic Salesmanship Commandments. Look them over; give some thought to each of them; and adapt hose that you can to your own selling efforts.

1. If the product you’re selling is something your prospect can hold in his hands,

get it into his hands as quickly as possible. In other words, get the prospect

“into the act.” Let him feel it, weigh it, admire it.

2. Don’t stand or sit alongside your prospect. Instead, face him while you’re

pointing out the important advantages of your product. This will enable you to

watch his facial expressions and determine whether and when you should go

for the close. In handling sales literature, hold it by the top of the page, at the

proper angle, so that your prospect can read it as you’re highlighting the

important points.

Regarding your sales literature, don’t release your hold on it, because you want

to control the specific parts you want the prospect to read. In other words, you

want the prospect to read or see only the parts of the sales material you’re

telling him about at a given time.

3. With prospects who won’t talk with you: When you can get no feedback to

your sales presentation, you must dramatize your presentation to get him

involved. Stop and ask questions such as, “Now, don’t you agree that this

product can help you or would be of benefit to you?” After you’ve asked a

question such as this, stop talking and wait for the prospect to answer. It’s a

proven fact that following such a question, the one who talks first will lose, so

don’t say anything until after the prospect has given you some kind of answer.

Wait him out!

4. Prospects who are themselves sales people, and prospects who imagine they

know a lot about selling sometimes present difficult selling obstacles, especially

for the novice. But believe me, these prospects can be the easiest of all to sell.

Simply give your sales presentation, and instead of trying for a close, toss out a

challenge such as, “I don’t know, Mr. Prospect – after watching your reactions

to what I’ve been showing and telling you about my product, I’m very doubtful

as to how this product can truthfully be of benefit to you.”

Then wait a few seconds, just looking at him and waiting for him to say

something. Then, start packing up your sales materials as if you are about to

leave. In almost every instance, your “tough nut” will quickly ask you, Why?

These people are generally so filled with their own importance, that they just

have to prove you wrong. When they start on this tangent, they will sell

themselves. The more skeptical you are relative to their ability to make your

product work to their benefit, the more they’ll de mand that you sell it to them.

If you find that this prospect will not rise to your challenge, then go ahead with

the packing of your sales materials and leave quickly. Some people are so

convinced of their own importance that it is a poor use of your valuable time to

attempt to con vince them.

5. Remember that in selling, time is money! Therefore, you must allocate only so

much time to each prospect. The prospect who asks you to call back next

week, or wants to ramble on about similar products, prices or previous

experiences, is costing you money. Learn to quickly get your prospect

interested in, and wanting your product, and then systematically present your

sales pitch through to the close, when he signs on the dotted line, and reaches

for his checkbook.

After the introductory call on your prospect, you should be selling products and

collecting money. Any call backs should be only for reorders, or to sell him

related products from your line. In other words, you can waste an introductory

call on a prospect to qualify him, but you’re going to be wasting money if you

continue calling on him to sell him the first unit of your product. When faced

with a reply such as, “Your product looks pretty good, but I’ll have to give it

some thought,” you should quickly jump in and ask him what it is that he

doesn’t understand, or what specifically about your product does he feel he

needs to give more thought. Let him explain, and that’s when you go back into

your sales presentation and make everything crystal clear for him. If he still

balks, then you can either tell him that you think he’s procrastinating, or that

overall, you don’t think the product will really benefit him, or it’s purchase be to

his advantage.

You must spend as much time as possible calling on new prospects. Therefore,

your first call should be a selling call with follow-up calls by mail or telephone

(once every month or so in person) to sign him for reorders and other items

from your product line.

6. Review your sales presentation, your sales materials, and your prospecting

efforts. Make sure you have a “door-opener” that arouses interest and “forces”

a purchase the first time around. This can be a $2 interest stimulator so that

you can show him your full line, or a special marked-down price on an item that

everybody wants; but the important thing is to get the prospect on your “buying

customer” list, and then follow up via mail or telephone with related, but more

profitable products you have to offer.

If you accept our statement that there are no born salesmen, you can readily absorb these “commandments.” Study them, as well as all the material in this report. When you realize your first successes, you will truly know that “salesman are made – not born.” know a lot about selling sometimes present difficult selling obstacles.

FOR MORE ARTICLES: CITY5NC.COM

ADD YOUR LINK:HERE!

Garner North Carolina City Guide:Garnernc-online.com

Not long ago DVD recorders (now widely referred to as DVD BURNERS) were being bought at a rate of one million units per year. Five years later, the sales rate had climbed to 12 million recorders per year, and sales are still increasing. Analysts say that within a few years there will be as many recorders in use as television sets. It follows that all these DVD recorders are in need of blanks and movies just as an automobile requires gasoline.

Generally speaking, the average Retail and Rental Store can be set up with an investment or line of credit in the neighborhood of $50,000. Utilizing good management techniques, and taking advantage of natural promotional opportunities, such a store will gross $250,000 per year. Some stores are realizing a net profit of 35 to 45 percent with these income figures.

The secret to achieving and maintaining these kinds of profits is in establishing and properly running a DVD club that offers really outstanding benefits to club members. These benefits should include special discounts on video tape and dvd rentals and purchases; a regular catalog or newsletter that tells your members about the new DVDs available; special workshops; get-togethers, and even outings.

Think about the potentials: DVD recorders are now within the price range of just about everyone in the country; new technology, better performance and greater development of the market will reduce the cost even further. (Don’t forget about the 29% or more that still use VHS videotapes in their VCRs) More and more people are switching from costly evenings out to the comforts of home and DVD, videotape entertainment; market surveys profile the typical VCR, dvd and computer owner as between 25 and 50 years of age with an income of $20,000 or more.

That typical customer will provide about 70% of your income, with the remaining 30% coming from blue-collar workers, college students, and singles of both sexes. It’s important that you be “in tune” with what the DVD, COMPUTER and VCR owners in your area want, and fulfill those wants.

In selecting a location, look for a storefront in an area surrounded by stores the typical DVD owner is likely to shop in. Six hundred to nine hundred square feet should meet your needs at first, but plan ahead for future expansion. The ideal location would be on a corner, affording visibility of your shop from several directions. The street fronting your store should ideally be four lanes with no median dividers, but with a posted speed limit of 35 M.P.H. or less. And by all means, make sure there’s plenty of parking space available.

The layout of your store should be planned with maximum efficiency in mind. Basically, a glass-topped sales and display counter across the front, separating the customers from the sales area, while at the same time conveying a feeling of openness, works best. Glass counters with shelves may be purchased at tremendous savings by contacting the rental fixture suppliers and used equipment dealers in your area. Check the yellow pages of your telephone and business directories for names and addresses of suppliers.

You should strive to make the customer space in front of the counter comfortable and relaxing. There should be an overall atmosphere of friendliness. Place a couple of chairs or stools in front of the counter so that your customers can sit and browse through your catalogs. You might want a coffee table, free coffee, and catalogs on everything from VCR’s, DVD BURNERS,COMPUTERS, to equipment accessories to special order movies.

One of the important secrets to success will be the way your store is perceived by the customers. You and your salespeople can dress casually and project an overall relaxed manner of doing business; taking care of each customer individually, using their first names (if appropriate), and relating to what’s happening in their lives. With this approach you will get to know them, and will establish long-term customer loyalty faster than by any drum-beating promotions.

The best idea for the display seems to be on wooden shelves lining the walls of the sales area behind the customer counter. These shelves can be built by a local handy man and either painted or stained. It’s important, however, that they be strong, be cause the weight of the videotapes, dvds, cd-roms and software can amount to 50 to 100 pounds per shelf, depending on the length of the shelf.

Arrange the dvds on the shelves, in book fashion. Stand them upright with the title art on the boxes clearly visible to the customers. It’s important that you not allow your customers to browse through your inventory, as they do with books on the shelves at the public library. In other words, your inventory of vcr tapes is money to you and should be seen, but not touched, by your customers until they either want to rent or buy.

An arrangement that works well with many stores is to remove the cd-rom from the jackets, and display the empty jackets in the viewing area for customers. Many of the jackets carry descriptive sales literature, which entices the prospect to either buy or rent. The movies themselves, which do not carry any out side printed message, should be kept behind your counters, in an area accessible only to your people.

You can locate your manager’s desk and files in front of the inventory shelves. Space partitioned off in the back of the store will be quite adequate for storage, packaging and/or whatever minor repairs might be necessary.

Our suggestion would be to allocate 60% of your store for the display-sales office area; 20% for the reception or customer area; and 20% for storage/work area. Check out a store. You should be able to assess the entire arrangement in a few visits, and pattern yours after it, or consider improvisations or changes you would make.

Use your imagination and utilize your in-store decorating as well as merchandising ideas to move your product. For help in decorating your store, talk to a few students in the art classes at your local college, or to the set designers for the local Little Theater group. Be sure to explain the mood you want to create. The customers will be coming into your store to rent or

buy movies and associated equipment. Keep this in mind, and decorate your store to make them feel as if they’re a part of the Hollywood scene. You can even be flamboyant with the use of poster-sheets relating to the movies you have available. These are actually called “one-sheets” and you can get them free or for a very small charge from your local theaters . If you run into any problems, simply write to the studios, get the names of the movies’ distributors, and ask for the ones you need. Colorful “billboard” posters, along with light colored walls, floor covering, and inventory storage shelves, will definitely help create a “Hollywood Mood,” and on the bottom line, sell more dvds for you. Remember, you’re wanting to create a mood conducive to persuading your customers to rent or buy your products.

Some of the imaginative tape rental store owners have even gone so far as put ting in a miniature movie marquee that lights up; spotlights and theater-style track lighting overhead. Another idea might be the use of old film reels, glossy pictures of movie stars and pictures, newspaper clippings or other memorabilia from original premiers.

Your display equipment should include one of the better brand name color TV sets and a video recorder. It’s generally best to go with a DVD system, because over the long haul, you’ll find most of your customers preferring this system because it has a longer playing time than the Beta, VHS, system equipment. You’ll need this minimum equipment in order to test your dvds and give your customers an instant preview of the movies they are interested in renting or buying. (If you can afford it have all avalible)

You should also plan to get a good typewriter that will accommodate several different styles and sizes of type, but a computer is the must have. This will be your key to the make-up of new pages for your catalogs and the preparation of your newsletter.

Be sure to organize yourself with a bank in order to handle at least the major charge cards. Simple advertising of the fact that you accept credit card purchases will almost double your volume. Since most of your sales transactions will be by charge card or check, you won’t need a fancy cash register. A simple metal cash box, available at most office supply outlets, will work very well for the first few months, and you can evaluate any needed change later.

You should either hire a person to be your store manager from the start, or else select a person you can train to take over your duties as store manager. The person you select needn’t be an electronics wizard, because there will really be no need to be an expert in the technical workings of the equipment. However, he should have a creative flair for retail management, sales promotions and selling.

In addition to yourself and a manager or manager trainee, you’ll need a part-time sales person to help out during your busy times. A manager trainee is paid about $14,000 per year, with commissions on gross sales once he becomes your manager in fact. You should expect to pay your sales people a bit above the prevailing minimum wage, with an opportunity for them to increase their earnings\via commissions on all sales over a certain dollar amount each month.

It will be to your benefit if you and your employees keep yourselves up to date on the industry by reading everything possible relating to videotapes, dvds, cd-rom, movies and the associated equipment. This means advertising; brochures, newsletters, trade papers, newspapers, online business directory and magazines from every available source. Armed with this wealth of information, you’ll be more knowledgeable than 99 percent of your customers, and be able to recommend movies according to preferences of the individual customer.

As dvd rental outlets increase in number, the industry as a whole will be come more competitive. To beat out the competition, the enterprising entrepreneur will develop a list of loyal customers, and pamper them with the benefits of an exclusive club membership. Word-of-mouth advertising from this select group will follow as a matter of course.

The basic benefits to the members will be first rights to rent or buy new cds, plus nice discounts on all rentals or purchases. Generally, club member discounts range from 30 to 50 percent compared to prices charged to non-members.

First-time membership fees range from $50 to $100 the first year, with renewal costs about half as much. Basically, club membership fees are predicated upon the benefits available to members, the need for cash within the business, and the pressure of the competition. You will also want to research the membership fee structure of other stores in your area, and be guided by current policies.

Each member should get a current catalog of DVDs available, a numbered membership card, a listing of club benefits, and perhaps a special VCR accessory or free rental. You can expand your market to statewide, nationwide, or even worldwide proportions simply by placing display ads in publications serving the markets you want to reach. When operating by mail you’ll need a set of rules (you might call it a contract) setting forth your policies. You’ll also want to factor shipping costs and any insurance charges into your “by mail” rates.

By all means have a sign made up for your show window inviting people to join your club. Display a similar sign on the customer counter, just to remind them. Have some flyers or circulars made up reiterating the invitation to join your club . Keep a stack of these handy on the customer counter, and make sure everyone who comes into your store gets one, perhaps by putting it into each bag/package that leaves the store.

Regardless of the popularity of software, the local demand, and whatever competition you have, you’ll have to promote your store’s special features and advertise skillfully. Plan to spend at least two-thirds of your initial investment money on advertising during your first six months in business.

Your most effective advertising medium will be your local news papers and your online city guide and business directory Regular display ads on the entertainment pages on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays will go a long way toward making your store known, and creating the traffic into your store that you want and need. In these ads you should stress the money-saving features, special membership benefits, and advantages of belonging to your dvd club.

A relatively low cost idea for the on-going promotion of your club might be to have a free-lance designer develop a special logo for you. Make patches out of this logo and have one of the advertising cap makers supply you with sports caps personalized with your dvd club’s logo. Your club membership might then be called elite, be cause you club members will be the only ones able to get the caps. The people they associate with will ask about them and growth of your club will be assured. Another promotional idea is simply to place a TV in your show window, running continuous showings of the vcr movies most in demand in your area.

The general idea is to be as “traffic-stopping” and creative as your local zoning laws will allow you to be with your storefront and outside signs. Sandwich boards plastered with movie “billboard” poster signs; bikini-clad girls “picketing” in front of your store (you might want to check this out with local regulations); simulated movie production scenes, are all attention-grabbing ideas that will cause people to notice your store, stop, come inside, and find what”s going on – what you have available. Mission accomplished!

Think of your business as being part of the entertainment field, which it actually is, and gear your promotions accordingly. Be as creative and imaginative as you can. Take advantage of every promotional opportunity that comes along. Get news releases off to all facets of the media in your area. Keep sending them in, and keep dreaming up new angles for staging something the public will notice. Work with the TV and VCR equipment dealers if they will hand out advertising circulars to new cassette recorder owners to join your club, in exchange for which you will send new equipment customers to them.

Store hours for most video stores are 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. These hours will cover the demands of your customers, with your busiest days being Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These are usually the days when people are committing

themselves to entertainment plans for the weekend.

Daily operations usually entail signing up new members, taking care of those who want to rent vhs tapes, and selling vhs tapes to walk-in buyers. You may want to make “special order services” available, perhaps even a reservation list for especially popular films that may seem to customers to be always out on rental.

Determining how many copies of a film to stock will be a judgment decision based upon what you know about your customers. However, we feel it is better to have extra copies in stock than a waiting list more than three names deep. Whenever you have to put a customer’s name on a waiting list, you should always try to interest him in an other film. In other words, try never to let a customer leave your store without a cd-rom, vcr or dvd in hand – a good one, even if it’s not the one he originally sought.

Keeping track of your inventory on a daily basis will be necessary in order to know what the people are buying or renting, and which of your vcr tapes are not moving. Ideally, you would want to have 50 to 60 percent of your inventory rented out.

Each time a vhs tape is rented, a rental agreement should be filled out, and the rental fee collected in advance. You file the rental agreement in a “one-to-thirty-one” file under the date the tape is to be returned. Using this system, you look at the rental agreements filed under any given date, and know immediately which vhs tapes are due for re turn. This facilitates dealing fairly with your waiting list, by the way.

Usually, dvds are rented from 2:00 p.m. one day through 2:00 p.m. the next day. If a film is not returned by 2:30 on the date due, you should have one of your salespeople start calling on those customers who are overdue, theoretically to remind him that the dvd is due, but in such a manner that he can rent the dvd for another day if he wants (unless, with the most popular films, you put a limit on rental time).

Sometimes even the best customer will forget that a dvd is due. Probably the best way to handle this is not to make a big deal out of it, and if he gets it in promptly, don’t charge him an extra day’s rent (if he gets it in later in the afternoon). If this is a good customer, or a regular customer, you want to keep him.

Outright theft is very rare, but when a customer does lose or steal a dvd, bill his charge card number, and flag the rental agreement in his file. On all first-time renters, or people who aren’t members of your rental club, always collect a deposit on the rental, equal to the value of the dvd. Another thing: Don’ ‘t rent out more than one tape at a time until you get to know the

customer.

Your business income will be derived from several different sources. Stores operating rental clubs generally average about two new members per day. At $75 per member, this could amount to $3,000 per month. (Again, research the “going” membership fees in your area.)

By and large, revenue from dvd rental will be your biggest source of income. This money will be from club members and non-members, but your club members will be the biggest spenders by far. Rental revenues average anywhere from $3,000 to $ 15,000 per month.

You can probably count on another $1,000 per month in vhs, cd-rom sales to walk-in customers, as well as to your club members who want to buy vcr,vhs, dvd  of certain favorite movies. The sale of blank tapes, editing machines, enhancers, stabilizers, software, cd-roms and other accessories will pretty much depend on how much you promote them.

Success will come from offering a wide variety of movies for your customers. How heavy you stock up on movies in any one category will depend mostly on your customers’ preferences. In other words, if your store caters mostly to families with children, then you would stock up heavily on family-type films. Checking out several successful dvd stores and seeing their stock will give you an idea, and you will alter your own stock as requests dictate.

Most stores open with at least 300 titles in stock, with an average of seven copies of each title. How many copies of each title you stock should be determined by the demand in your area for each movie title.

Whenever you realize you’ve got a “loser” in stock, you can either mark the price down and offer it on sale, or treat it as a -freebie’ for joining the rental club. You’ll avoid getting stuck with real disasters by keeping yourself abreast of what’s happening else where via regular reading of all the trade publications.

Whether or not to sell VCR’s or DVD Players to your customers is a personal decision, but if you do so, it will add to your income. Work with the area distributors. The will supply you with literally tons of sales materials and a display model. Then when a customer wants to buy one through you, you simply “special order” it for him.

Keep your systems simple, and make it easy for your customers to shop in your store. Rent your dvds at say, $3 for one day, $5 for two days, or $10 for a full week. About the only licenses you’ll need will be a local business license plus whatever state or city sales tax permits are required in your area. Check with your city and county clerks for information in these areas.

You’ll need standard business insurance. And because dvds and vhs tapes are hot-selling items on the black market, you should back up your insurance with a good security protection system.

There are a number of companies selling franchised DVD Stores. It really isn’t necessary for you to spend the extra money for a franchised operation. The main value of a franchise program is in the assistance they provide in getting better prices on the dvd you want to inventory. However, you can contact the suppliers directly and negotiate your own deals if you want to take the time to do it.

An alternative to the franchise operation is the “affiliate” program offered by Video Station, Inc., 12021 Wilshire Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90025. Founded by industry pioneer George Atkinson, the vhs stores belonging to this group retain their independence and pay no royalties. Yet, because they are a large group affiliated with one buying association, they can procure inventory purchases at tremendous savings for members.

GARNER NC CITY GUIDE & BUSINESS DIRECTORY

The video market is beginning to really boom. If you’re imaginative, organized and enjoy individual selling, this could be the vehicle to make you rich. You’ve got the plan, and if you’ve got the ambition, all that’s missing is the action on our part. Get with it, and the best of luck to you!