Also....
 

While I'm remembering past projects.

I noticed something in my area. "House Sales" are starting to go back up. There were 322 Houses sold in my area since last Nov...so....this gave me TWO of my "HOT Flashes";

1) Make a Coffee Mug for Realtors that they can GIVE to their house buyers. The Mug is FREE to the realtors (Has their Logo and contact info on it)...and....it also has PHOTO Ads of local businesses that would like to reach NEW Home Buyers.

I sell the ads just as I do for the Restaurant Mugs. (I already have 2 major realtors who've agreed to hand out MY "Welcome-Mugs"...and....they've given me a List of the businesses they'd like to have on the Mugs)

2) I'm also re-igniting my "Fridge Magnets for Home Buyers". Realtors PAY ME for each Magnet. They send me a Photo of the house (Realtors take Photos of Every house that goes on the market)....along with their payment. I make up the Magnets and send them out.

Magnet has Realtor name & contact info at top....photo of house....Important Numbers and Year-at-a-glance Calendar. Guaranteed to go ON the Fridge of EVERY Home Sold.

Keeps my Graphics Gal VERY Busy.

Don Alm

Re: Also....
 

Now this is the Don I always think of when I think of Don.

Don ... over the years of knowing you one thing is for certain ... you have always brought a lot of value to those who just took the time to wrap their head around the ideas you share ... and there have been many that you generously shared on forums as well as by emails etc.

I've purchased some of your products, read and implemented some of the ideas you shared as they were on some occaisions and adding a twist on other occaisions.

I appreciate your creative thinking and ideas and there are many who think and feel the same way.

For whatever reason there will be a people who likes discord and chooses to focus on the real or imagined small things in life. I always figured that dirt can be dug up on anybody including the people digging up the dirt ... the really facinating and valuable thing is looking for the good in people.

You have certainly had your share of those taking jabs at you. I am reminded that barking dogs don't chase parked cars. While I am not calling anyone a dog ... one thing we can all agree on is that you are never parked (or sitting still). You always have something happening and bringing value to local businesses and individuals on many different levels ... and you earn a well deserved profit along the way for you and your family.

Thanks for all the creative, inspiring and profitable ideas that you have shared over the years and continue to share including the excellent ones here today!

Randy

Re: $4,000 A WEEK!
 

Amen, I think Don brings a great deal of value to these forums. All the haters should just keep their mouth shut. Everyone on earth exaggerates sometimes to some degree weather it’s about a business idea or penis length.

I have learned so much from Don & because of his ideas, I’ve taken some of them and made them my own and have made money with them. The idea I’m doing right now and making money with is The FREE Pizza Card. It’s a beauty & businesses love them. I had to play with the price for a while but it’s now selling and I have a few local people selling them for me for 40% commission. Check it out at The http://TheFREEPizzaCard.com
AND PLEASE, give me your feedback or ideas to make it better, I love them.

Thank You,
Jason Hatchett
The FREE Pizza Card Guy
http://TheFREEPizzaCard.com

Re: Hey Steve....Here's one for YOU
 

Hi Don, Yes the Fridge Mag would make a nice ad on sale. I'm not photographing as much as I use to because I've hired and trained 3 other photographers last year to shoot the portraits for me and plan on hiring 6 or 7 more this year.

My marketing system is humming along and I'm getting ready to launch a new site that people will be able to view, select and order packages from without the need for a Salesperson being present.

In the past putting prices on a website or letting people order prints from a site was counter productive. Now they still don't see any prices on my home page... instead I tell them to leave their wallet, cash and credit cards at home. My new automated sales system has built in psychological triggers that work like a charm! They don't see any prices until they see their images.

Before building this new site I would have to return with the images and show and sell each customer. I allowed one hour per customer. If they did not buy right then and there I would tell them that the portraits would be deleted as soon as they left the room. Customers would consider that to be high pressure sales. With my new site they get 24 to 36 hours to decide. When they login to view their portraits they see a big countdown timer counting off the seconds. When the clock strikes Zero their portraits are gone forever. Just 3 simple prices to choose from. I expect my profits to go up and expenses will go down thanks to doing it this way. Because now instead of only them being able to see the images they will have a chance to phone the grandparents and other relatives and send them to the web page and so far on my test runs this is resulting in much bigger orders without me having to spend a few days in a hotel room to show and sell.

Now I can focus on what I do best... getting new customers in the door while my people and systems leverage my efforts with me working just a few hours a week!

Cheers,
Steve
www.DigitalFantasyBackgrounds.com www.MomsWithCamera.com

Right On Stevo....
 

"Automation" is what the internet was made for.

I don't know if there are Pet Groomers "Down-Under" where you are, but the ones "Up Here"....love these Fridge Magnets...with THEIR Pets Photos on them.

Gets them LOTS of Referrals.....and....because the Year-At-A-Glance Calendar is only for one year....when the end of the year comes....the pet owners phone their Groomer for UpDates.

A nice little extra-income-stream....just from an idea.

Good to here from you...it's been a while. Take care.

Don Alm....."State-Side"

Also....
 

I forgot to include one of the best Fridge Magnet Calendars I've seen.

Anyone who has dogs that look like this....and....are named "FiFi & FooFoo"... they MUST have THIS Calendar.....on their fridge.

This Fridge-Mag is GUARANTEED to be seen by everyone who enters that kitchen....and....if they have a dog....guess where they're taking their pet to be groomed?

GREAT "Referral-Tool" for Pet Groomers.

Don Alm

Re: $4,000 A WEEK!
 

Hey Don,

Great posts.

I always learn a lot from your different ideas.

Often times I'll use the old S.C.A.M.P.E.R technique to create even more ideas.

Just in case you don't know what scamper means it's simply.

S = Substitute
C = Combine
A = Adapt
M = Modify
P = Put to Other Uses
E = Eliminate (or Minify)
R = Rearrange (or Reverse)

I'll switch one type of business with another.

Or I'll adapt an idea that's working somewhere else and combine it with your idea.

The way you spot new money making ideas reminds me of when I first read Jay Abraham's getting everything you can out of all you've got. Or whatever the title of his first book was.

Anyhow....

He mentioned that you should adopt an "opportunity mindset"

And that opportunities are all around you if you'll simply reprogram your mind to be on the lookout for them.

Gotta read that book again by the way.

Re: $4,000 A WEEK!
 

I just received a call from a colleague telling me that a Mr. Don Alm was posting on this site about restaurant mug sales in Oregon. After reading these posts I found it very interesting that Mr. Alm "recreated the story of how he came up with the idea for advertising on restaurant coffee mugs"...when in fact we told him that exact story just a few weeks ago. In fact it was December 20th when we first spoke with Don. Kudos to Don for trying to get as much information out of us as possible but having been in this business for 26 years has made us wise to those who want to compete with us. In fact feel free to check us out (Mugs Across America) on the web

A couple of things those of you seriously considering this business should be aware of:
1.Mr. Alm is not using restaurant quality mugs. if he has produced any mugs yet at all. (Just selling the ads is the first part. He would also have had to have all the art work created, approved, mugs ordered and printed and delivered....all in the last couple of weeks?? (Highly doubtful)
The format that Mr. Alm has referred to (okjr) uses full color die sublimation printing on ceramic mugs....which are not restaurant quality and prone to serious breakage. All die sublimation processors use the type of mug you may find in a souvenir shop ...cheap ceramic ...but certainly not in a restaurant.
2. In the last several months we have been able to "steal" several of "OKJR's" restaurants for that very reason...restaurant owners are extremely upset about the high breakage rate and are extremely worried about such liability.
Over 23 years ago we realized that to be successful in this business you must use restaurant quality mugs or you won't be in business very long.
3. Mr. Alm may be thinking that he will have no problem selling ads for $495...just as Fitzi Cups claims you can get for an ad after you've shelled out $10,000 + for their "rights" to this idea. We love running into such competition as we keep our ad prices around the $200 price range for a years worth of advertising and we still pay our reps over 50% in commission! We continually run into restaurants where they claim that their salesman never returned after the first year.....most likely because they are no longer in the business. More often than not, they were selling the ads for $400 or more.... These are easy sales for Mugs Across America, Inc. to take over!
4. Mr. Alm claims that he gets 30+ cards in his boxes after a couple of weeks. Another round of applause. We have used this approach for years and while it certainly helps, you should assume that you will be lucky to get an average of 3 cards. The rest of the leads you get through other methods. If you are at all interested in getting into this business and learning these tried and true other methods, we would love to have you contact us at 1 800 949 cups. We will be happy to set you up with a protected territory and provide you with all the tools you need to succeed in this business.
5. If you are still interested in reading this, you should be aware of all that is involved. At Mugs Across America, we do it all for you...we provide restaurant quality vitrified mugs, we fire them at 1600 degrees so that the print will never come off (unlike the die sublimation mugs which fade very quickly with commercial dishwasher usage), we have a full graphics art department that creates the ads and send them out for approval...so that you are not spending time in the office.....you can focus on your sales and making the money. Our pricing even includes freight so that the mugs can be delivered right to your restaurants.
6. Again, check out our website to see all of our products. We not only provide a large selection of restaurant quality coffee mugs for restaurant owners to choose from, (another point that sets us apart from the competition) we also offer all American Made glassware (Beer Mugs, Pint glasses) and American Made polycarb tumblers that can also be utilized in restaurants...all with advertisements on them.
7. Though we are looking for reps throughout the country (call us!) we would love to compete head to head with Mr. Alm....so if you are in Oregon and interested, please give us a call or send us an email. (We'll even give you special pricing!)
8. Whether Mr. Alm is exaggerating or not is moot, but knowing this industry, a rep would have a very difficult time selling ads, especially in this economy at $495. (It's a whole lot easier to sell ads at our pricing ...around $198!)
Lots to consider here!
Don,We wish you luck in your endeavor ....of course we think it is a great concept, since we developed it,but please don't use our story of how we developed this business as your own.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Ragen
President
Mugs Across America
800 949-CUPS

Re: $4,000 A WEEK!
 

I agree with L.B. Jenkins.

Re: Here's the "Secret"...