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Everyone loves free stuff!

Do you like free stuff? C'mon, don't lie, you know you do. Everyone does!

Businesses of all kinds use free offers to get your attention: buy one hamburger, get another one free; get a free video when you rent six others; fill your gas tank, get a free car wash. 

That lady in the grocery store with free pizza. The new $100 giveaway on your favorite radio station. All ways to make sure you remember their name, and all ways to make you a loyal customer. 

David decided to start a lawn care business a few summers ago, and realized that giving away free stuff was a technique he could use to his advantage.

He noticed that an older lady on his block lived alone and had no one to do her yard work. One afternoon, David went to her house with his lawnmower. Without telling her, he mowed her yard, trimmed the hedges, swept the sidewalks, and left a note on her front door that said, "I mowed your yard for free. If you like the job I did, please call me again. I charge $20 a week." 

Did he get the job? Duh! Of course he did.

For the next two years, she was one of his best customers. He mowed her yard an average of 20 times a year and got paid $20 every time. In the long run, he made $800 by giving something away for free. Was it worth it? Obviously, yes. 

The moral of this story? If you're not sure how to get your biz started, try giving something away for free! Give people a chance to sample whatever you're offering... some of them might become your most loyal customers.