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A Home-Based Business Online
Practical home business ideas, strategies
and resources for the work-from-home
entrepreneur
Issue 102 : October 1, 2001
Sent to 10,370 Opt-In Subscribers
Editor: Elena Fawkner
Publisher: Fawkner Publishing
http://www.ahbbo.com
Contact By Email
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome and Update from Elena
2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Cooking School
3. Feature Article - How Using Coupons, Discounts and Sales
Could Alter Customer Perceptions In Ways You Don’t Want!
4. Computing Tips from The Newbie Club
5. Motivational Tip for the Day by Jan Tincher
6. Subscription Management
7. Caveat Emptor
8. Contact Information
1. Welcome and Update from Elena
Hello again and a warm welcome to all the new subscribers who
have joined us since the last issue.
Many online (and offline) businesses are finding things tough going
in the wake of the attacks of September 11. There is a very real
temptation to do almost anything to generate sales. But the reality
is that sales will increase in line with consumer confidence. Although
offering temporary discounts MAY help to kick start demand again,
you must make it clear that they are temporary in nature or else you
risk creating the mindset in your customers that they don't have to pay
full price when dealing with you.
This is the theme of this week's feature article. Although it is my
usual editorial policy not to run guest articles, I came across an
article during the week that merited an exception. Written by Larry
Wack of Ryanna's Printing/Publishing (who also publishes the
excellent ezine, "Surveys and Trends"), “How Using Coupons,
Discounts and Sales Could Alter Customer Perceptions In Ways
You Don’t Want!” is an excellent discussion of why you should be
cautious in low-balling your pricing and offering coupons and other
sorts of discounts to generate sales. The temptation during slow
times is to deep discount in the hope that the increase in sales will
offset the temporary decline in demand but, as this article
demonstrates, such a strategy can be disastrous to the longer-term
viability of your business.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this week's
issue.
Remember, this ezine is for YOU! If you have comments or
suggestions for topics you would like to see addressed, or would
just like to share your experiences with other subscribers, I want
to hear from you. Please send comments, questions and stories
to Contact By Email .
Become An Online Marketing Pro In Just 15 Minutes! FREE
Online System Makes It Happen. This Really Works!! Go to: http://www.referralware.com/home.jsp/42084857
2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Cooking School
Do you love to cook? Are you good at it? If so, have you considered
passing on your knowledge and skills to others? If so, a cooking
school may be just the home business idea you've been looking for.
To start with, keep things small and simple by holding classes in
your own home (check with your local regulatory authorities to make
sure you comply with any necessary regulations such as zoning,
licensing and public health). As your business grows, you can expand
into conducting classes at outside facilities such as your local
homewares store or community college.
Begin by planning a course curriculum for three courses. You might run,
for example, a beginner's or introductory course teaching the basics
over, say, 6 weeks or so. Follow this with an intermediate course (most
of the "beginners" from your first course will, more likely than not, enroll
in this one too) and then an advanced, or "gourmet" course (which your
intermediate students will hopefully enroll in).
You would start out, naturally enough, with your beginner's course one
day or evening per week. Then, once your beginner's course is over,
start running your intermediate course and your next beginner's course
at the same time, on different days. Then, once your first intermediate
course is finished, start running your advanced course alongside your
third beginner's course and second intermediate course. Eventually,
you'll be running three courses each week. Your beginner's class on
Tuesdays, your intermediate class on Thursdays and your advanced
class on Saturday mornings, or whatever schedule suits you.
Once you have your basic three-course syllabus running smoothly, you
can expand even further by introducing specialty classes in particular
cuisines ... French, Thai, Japanese, Chinese ... the sky's the limit.
Recruit your first batch of beginners from local mother's groups by
posting advertisements at your local kindergarten, school, pediatrician's
office etc.. Scheduling some of your cooking classes around school
classtimes will ensure you can target the SAHM market and make it
possible for you to run your business while your own kids are in
school!
By scheduling other classes such as specialty cuisines on weekends
and/or evenings, you will also tap into the career worker market. After
all, many full-time workers outside the home are looking for ways to
relax in their off-time. You may find that a good proportion of enrollees
for your specialty cuisine classes come from this target market. And
don't forget to target classes to the budget-conscious market as well.
there are plenty of people out there on a budget who would jump at the
chance to learn how to cook good, nutritious food on a shoestring.
Of course, as your business grows, you can recruit others to conduct
classes as well. Former students would be a good talent pool to draw
from.
When you set your course fees, make sure your fees cover your
materials (ingredients and utensils), your time, plus a profit
component. Require payment for the full course in advance if you will
be relying on fee income to pay for your initial investment in utensils
and ingredients. Otherwise, you may consider allowing students to
pay on a "per week" basis. This will make it possible for the lower-
income end of the market to participate in your classes.
-----
There are many more ideas like this at the AHBBO Home Business
Ideas page at http://www.ahbbo.com/ideas.html with more being
added all the time.
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3. Feature Article: How Using Coupons, Discounts and Sales Could
Alter Customer Perceptions In Ways You Don’t Want!
© 2001 Ryanna's Hope
"Perceptions" in the mind of the customer are very powerful. Powerful
insight that will cause them to buy from you - or ignore you. Your
customer's perception probably is not yours. That's why in your
marketing campaign you MUST write from the perspective of the
customer, not from your own logical way of thinking. You may believe
you have a great product or service. Your staff may believe that offering
a coupon may be the way to sell it. Your customers, however, are
guaranteed to be thinking differently.
Marketing is warfare involving "perceptions," not "products." Those
who think the "product" is Number One and the customer is Number
Two are making suicidal assumptions. Whether you like it or not,
marketing is made up of many "illusions" for the customer. These
illusions assume the roles of sales, discounts and more. But the
consumer forms perceptions from these methods of selling.
Advertising is a tool of marketing and coupons and promotions are
tools of advertising. What “perceptions” that customers get from
coupon and promotion sales could actually affect you in a way you
really didn’t want.
As an example, when sales are slow, owners may come to the
logical conclusion that by promoting a coupon plan or some other
type of “gimmick,” sales will increase significantly. This thought process
is a logical one, but marketing many times does not follow any logical
path.
If your business is not really known as a business that constantly
offers "low prices," you might be looking for some trouble with what
appears to be a logical thought process. You see, some marketing
techniques will create "short term gains" and "long term losses." That
is, over an extended period of time, there is an "opposite reaction" to
something that happens in the "positive" sense. In marketing, it's
commonly referred to as the "law of perspective."
In advertising history, you can find many of these “sale disasters,” as
I call them, in the campaigns of the large corporations such as Coke,
McDonalds and others. You can find them with smaller companies
too but they have a more devastating effect.
With coupons, sales or discounts, think of them like alcohol to the
body. Is it a stimulant or depressant? Will it have a short time
spurt, and then turn against you a week later? Kind of like a night out
on the town. Drinks, laughter, and fun. Short term great effect for
the night, but your continued activity of this nature will bring long
term disaster to your health and more. And depending on how long
you stay out, severe pain as soon as the next day!
When coupons, discounts, and promotions stop, in most cases sales
will decrease also. There is no evidence that the long term use of
sales, coupons and discounts increase sales in the long run. Can you
use them as “loss leaders” to get the customer into your store? Sure
you can, but you better have something more to sell to make up for
the lost money or breaking even. And this will take some planning.
What you are likely to end up doing is convincing the customer to
ONLY buy when the discount is offered. Why should they buy at
regular prices? These techniques are in reality like using a drug for
many companies. Once you begin using them, it's very difficult to
stop because the "withdrawal symptoms" are too much to handle. If
you have not established yourself as an existing “discount type
business” with continuous savings every day of the year, then you
may be in for a rude awakening by employing the “quickies” we
mention above on a sporadic basis.
Some marketing techniques will give a short term "jolt" to sales. If
you're "consistently" selling by coupons etc., watch the effects of
what happens when you stop. Most customers will avoid any
business dealings with you after the "sale" is over. If you think you
can turn around after a long term offering of various styles of
discounts, and sell your wares at regular prices, don’t be surprised
if “no one comes to your store.” Would you?
------
WANT MORE?
Ryanna’s has published over 45 business articles nationwide for the
home entrepreneur. You can obtain free info on our offer of “Cash
Making You’ve Never Seen...” and you can obtain free ebooks and
other articles at their site. Subscribe to their free ezine “Surveys and
Trends For Entrepreneurs” too! Go to:
http://home.sprintmail.com/~rypublish/
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4. Computing Tips From The Newbie Club
TIP #1:
Put frequently used programs on your Start Menu by dragging
them there. If you drag an icon and hold it over the Start
button, the Start Menu will appear. Once it's open, just
slide the icon into position where you want it to be located
on the list. Release the mouse, and the icon is planted.
Just like a tree... except easier!
TIP #2:
Use your RIGHT mouse button when dragging and dropping icons
anywhere on your computer. When you release the button, a
context menu appears... just choose the option you want your
system to perform. Move, Copy, make a Shortcut, or just
cancel the operation altogether. If only surgery were that
easy!
-----
Tips brought to you by Tom Glander and Joe Reinbold of
the Newbie Club. Get to know your computer without all
the techie geek-speak ... http://newbieclub.com/?start_here
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5. Motivational Tip For The Day by Jan Tincher
Are you a conscious choice-maker?
By making choices you generate actions that affect you and those
around you.
You can change your life by making the right choices. If you
have made wrong choices all your life, it's not too late to change.
You can do that by being conscious of the choices you habitually
make that aren't working out for you, and deciding, right now, to
stop making the wrong choices and make the right choices.
------
Learn unique strategies and techniques for personal success
from Jan Tincher online at http://www.TameYourBrain.com
While you're there, sign up for her free e-zine *Tame Your Brain!*
6. Subscription Management
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7. Caveat Emptor
Although all of the information presented in AHBBO is
published in good faith, neither the publisher nor the
editor accept any responsibility as to the accuracy or
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8. Contact Information
Elena Fawkner, Editor
A Home-Based Business Online
Contact By Email
http://www.ahbbo.com
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