Lesson 5

USS Biz Trek

Lesson 5: Space Flyers

Briana: The space flyer has been engaged. By tomorrow, the Miranians should know who we are and what we’re trading.

Alicia: I love using those flyers. It’s just like saying hello from two light years away.

Wendy: Yeah, and it also gives us a chance to make a good impression — just in case the Gornya make it to Mirania before we do.

Briana: That’s…true. Hey! There’s something wrong with the controls. The ship isn’t responding.

Wendy: Alicia, did you tell Lalo to bring the bug zapper?

Alicia: Actually, Jeff told him. Why?

Wendy: Because we’re definitely going to need it!

Sending Out the Word

In the cartoon, our pioneers transmitted a space flyer to the Miranians. Their advertisement, a form of marketing, was sent to introduce the crew and let the people of Mirania know that there was someone else in the galaxy who wanted to trade with them.

Marketing simply means everything you do to tell customers about your product. It may include flyers, brochures, business cards, a Website, free demonstrations, and anything else you can think of to promote your business. Marketing is vital to the survival of your business. Some business experts say you should spend 75% of your time on marketing activities. That’s hard to do when you’re a crew of one — like most young entrepreneurs.

Top Advertising Tools

Before you go out to sell, you need to create attractive sales materials that clearly explain your product and get customers’ attention. The three most common sales tools used by young entrepreneurs are flyers, business cards, and signs. You can also use brochures and other product literature.

Flyers: A well-designed flyer is the number-one way small business owners advertise. These one-sheet marketing pieces are popular because they are quick and easy. They can be given to customers door-to-door, tacked on bulletin boards, or even mailed. Flyers with coupon offers usually get the most response. Most flyers can be designed on your computer and printed for about 5 cents each at a copy shop.

Business Cards: Business cards are useful because they are small and you can take them anywhere. You can go to a local printer and have 1,000 cards printed for under $20, or you can make them on your own printer. Cards show customers that you are professional. Every time you make business contacts, be sure you give them a business card.

Yard Signs: Big signs, banners, and posters are effective in large spaces. They are excellent for drawing attention to garage sales, advertising a car wash, or attracting people to a roadside stand.

Brochures: Brochures are usually one-sheet advertising pieces that are folded into thirds to look like a small booklet. They can hold quite a bit more information than a flyer. Many software programs have templates for creating very attractive brochures on your computer.

Price Lists: A price list makes it much easier to discuss money with customers. Some business owners also state their general terms for payment beneath the prices. Price lists are often printed on smaller sheets of paper so they can be inserted in brochures or stapled to flyers.

Product Literature: If you buy your product wholesale, the suppliers sometimes provide excellent sales materials and brochures. These pieces can add a professional look to your marketing campaigns.

Guidelines of the Game

Don't get discouraged and quit if you don't get a rush of customers as soon as your advertisement is put out. Research shows that customers have to see your advertising message 7-10 times before you make a sale. (Scary, huh?)
Don't rely on one method only. Use at least three methods in a campaign. Standard campaigns usually start with handing out flyers, then putting out signs, and finally doing phone work.
Use codes to track your advertising. For example, use yellow flyers for the PTA and green flyers at scout meeting. When customers call, ask what color their flyer was. Then you'll know if you get more customers from the PTA or scouts, and which place to spend your efforts.
Set expiration dates on coupons or special offers. Try to create a sense of urgency, so the buyer won't want to miss out on a good deal. The date can also be a code telling you when and where you put out the ads.
Take customer surveys. When a customer calls, always ask how they heard about you. Keep notes on what they say. You may discover, for example, that most of your business is coming from flyers, but not signs. In this case, take the money that you were using to produce signs and use it to do something different. (Like place an ad in the paper.)

More Creative Ways to Advertise

There are lots of other creative things you can do to call attention to your business. Here are some techniques other young entrepreneurs have found successful:

Wear your ad: Create a T-shirt or hat that advertises your business. Wear it everywhere you go. Some other things that you can put your business name on include jackets, sweat shirts, duffle bags, back-packs, or tote bags.

Use attention-getters: Put balloons and streamers on your signs. Wear a costume when you sell your product outside.

Give freebies: Put coupons on your neighbors’ front doors for a free hour of babysitting or a half-price car wash. Give free demonstrations of your service. (Baked goods and sweets are especially good in this category!)

Send postcards: Plan postcard mailings to remind your customers when it's time for a follow up job. You can also use postcards for thank you notes to new customers or to send birthday greetings to regular customers.

Find unlikely places: You might have to do things that are sometimes considered "unorthodox" to get noticed. For example, put a sign on your bike or in your car window. You can also ask a teacher to put your flyers in the teacher's lounge.

Tell the papers: Send a story about the opening of your business to the school paper or community papers. When you do something new or unusual, alert the press.

How to Get Free Advertising

Advertising your business doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, paid advertising is usually not even recommended for new ‘treps. The best advertising in the world is word-of-mouth, and it's free.

Word-of-mouth advertising is simply your happy customers telling others about your good service. Here’s how to generate the good word about your business:

1. First, earn a good reputation by doing a good job, providing dependable service, and selling quality products. When customers are treated well, they just naturally tell others what a pleasant experience they had.

2. When your customers make good comments about your service, ask if they have any friends who need your product. These referrals will open many doors!

3. Start a networking group. Get together with friends in business and agree to give each other referrals. For example, if you notice that the family you are babysitting for needs the yard mowed, the pool cleaned, and someone to do odd jobs for an elderly parent, give the customer the names of three friends that offer these services. Then the next time your friends see someone who needs a babysitter, they'll call you. By working together, you can all increase your businesses and your profits.