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-   -   Money-Making IDEAS are all around (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3568)

Don Alm January 2, 2007 08:55 PM

Money-Making IDEAS are all around
 
This one is TOO GOOD! I just had to give it a try. Here's what I'm talking about;

Over this long weekend I had to replenish my paper stock for the "TV Channel Guides" I have to print my participating hotels. I went to Staples and lo and behold...right next to the paper stock I needed was a folder holding some "MAGNET SHEETS".

These are Magnetic Sheets with a white paper coating so they can be printed on. I've done some "Frig Magnet" programs so I was thinking about trying to tie these sheets in with my "Welcome" program when "IT" hit me like a ton o bricks.

One of my many projects was making "Photo Calendars" for Car Dealers. Someone at the dealership would take the photos of their buyers standing next to their purchase....just before handing them the keys.

They would mail me the 35mm film...I'd get it developed....blow up the photos...place them onto a sheet of colorful card stock....laminate it and attach a Calendar Pad....and send them back to the car dealer who would have salespeople give them as "Gifts" to their customers.

The car dealers were willing to pay for these because;
1) they made a nice Gift and built Goodwill with their customers
and
2) because they were WALL Calendars AND...because of "EGOS" of people, these would be HUNG ON THE WALLS of their customers for ALL TO SEE whoever entered the home. And...because the Car Dealers Logo, Name & Address was at the top...these became "REFERRAL TOOLS" for the Dealership.

Well....those were the "old" days....when film had to be developed and enlarged...glued down to index stock...laminated...pad attached. VERY "Labor Intensive" (for me) So....after "bothering" with "part-time LABOR" I got tired of dealing with these and sold it off to a guy who proceeded to run it into the ground with shoddy products.

Well....knowing how IMPRESSED both the Car Dealers and their customers were with PHOTOS (of the car buyers standing by their new vehicle)...and knowing how Car Buyers were anxious to "SHOW OFF" their new purchase...when I saw these "Magnet Sheets" I thought;

"Why not print a FULL COLOR PHOTO of Car Buyers on these sheets...along with a Calendar and LOGO and Name of the Car Dealer where they bought their vehicle....and give THESE to the Car Buyers as a GIFT from the dealership. With the "modern-age DIGITAL" cameras....photos could be taken at each dealership and (here's the NEAT PART)...the photos could be EMAILED to me....where I would place them onto my graphics page and hit "Print" and out would come a BEAUTIFUL...FULL COLOR MAGNET SHEET that would be perfect to place on the Car Buyer's REFRIGERATOR....which would BE IN FULL VIEW OF EVERYONE entering the home...bringing VALUE to them for the Car Dealers because of their "REFERRAL VALUE".

So...I made up some samples....along with something else I decided to include to "Build the Value MORE"....and trucked on down to one of the car dealers who used to handle my Photo-Calendars.

I showed him my samples...quoted a price and WHALA...he said, "Let's Give 'er a GO!"

This is a dealership that averages 20 cars a week...over 80 a month. So, I'm gonna "give 'er a go" and see what happens.

My thought is..."What If just 20 Car Dealers decide to have me make "Photo Frig Magnets" for them....and they all order 80 a month? Could I make 400 of these a week?"

Heck....I could make 100 a day MYSELF...if need be. The digital camera, computer and printer do all the work for me. No need to rely on any "outside labor" to do these unless I want to.

Now...what if I could make $20 on each of these "packages"? Would THAT "tickle my ivories"? You betcha Red Ryder!"

So...in between "other projects" I'm gonna see if I can "ride this one" and see where it leads.

Again....GOOD "Money-Making" ideas are ALL AROUND.

If anyone would like to be kept abreast of my progress...send me an email and I'll keep you updated.

Don Alm....starting the New Year off RIGHT!

Pete Egeler January 2, 2007 09:10 PM

Re: Money-Making IDEAS are all around
 
One word of caution, Don..

I've used these sheets. Go to a photo shop (If they still have 'em to be found!) and get something to spray & seal your magnetic sheets with.

The color fades VERY quickly.

Pete

mtran2000 January 2, 2007 10:41 PM

Re: Money-Making IDEAS are all around
 
Someone posted on here a while back that tried the car calendar photo thing and said all they could land was the small mom and pop car dealers.

Big dealers where the money could be made said no thanks to idea.

Jason January 2, 2007 10:58 PM

Re: Money-Making IDEAS are all around
 
Good ol' opportunity cost in action.
Same thing as you talked about with your remodel job in your condo

Even if you are a doctor and bill at $100/hr, you cna only make $2,400 in a day. (assuming they work 24 hours per day)
Why take time out to do less profitable things.
You need to think of your time or other asset and determine its most profitable use.

Jason

Steve26 September 12, 2007 03:08 AM

a question about market research companies
 
I wonder if anybody could tell me how I can find online paid survey sites info. are www.paidsurveydb.com lists fresh enough or not?
I appreciate your help

Pete Egeler September 12, 2007 04:35 AM

No such thing, Steve
 
Steve,

Know this right up front.. 99.999% of the survey companies online give you a "CHANCE" to WIN money. They don't pay you squat.

Your name goes into a hat with a few thousand others, then you cross your fingers and hope you've gained enough "points" to get something when they start selecting their "winners".

In 4 months of doing "online surveys" I made a Grand Total of $5.
Go figure.

Pete

Todd September 12, 2007 04:57 PM

Re: No such thing, Steve
 
I've found a couple: surveyspot.com and my2cents.com.
If you're OK with making $1 - $2 for 20 minutes of your time you can make a few bucks with them. Occassionally you might get a $5 one.

My experience is much like Pete, did it every now and then for several months, finally requested my payments of $30 and $9 respectively. Hardly worth my time unless I'm really bored.

Phil September 12, 2007 08:25 PM

Re: a question about market research companies
 
Apply Caution on purchasing Survey info memberships etc...

As Paid for Survey info products Keep on Selling big time....

Internet marketers are Seriously looking to Help relieve you of your Hard Earned Cash... :)

Careful on What & Who you buy from...

Here's one of the better Survey Portals and a Good business Example of improving on a saturated Niche...

Veronica Dubak's...
http://www.surveybounty.com/free_surveys/verified.html
http://www.surveybounty.com/

Bet there's Much more Money in Creating Surveys for businesses...
http://www.survsoft.com/authors/42/www.surveybounty.com

Package it into your YouTube Video Services for businesses... ;)
New things are exciting...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=16922

Phil


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