"Diamonds in your back yard!"

Here's what I did to discover a couple recent "money-making" GEMS;

Last summer (2002)I decided to see what ideas I could come up with for the "Tourist" market so I went over to the lobby of our 100 room Holiday Inn Express and SAT....FOR 3 HOURS!....drinking coffee...reading newspapers AND...observing....seeing and listening to what was going on.

I saw tourists come in...walk to the front desk to check in. When they were finished and were handed their keys some of them asked if there was a MAP of the area....others asked where the GIFT SHOPS were and real estate guides and attractions and the most common question was, "Are there any RESTAURANT GUIDES or DIRECTORIES?"

So...as I was sitting there I started writing on my yellow pad, "MAP!....GIFT SHOPS... REALTORS...ATTRACTIONS....RESTAURANTS!"

Each tourist entered thru the front lobby doorway and passed a BLANK WALL to enter the main door. I thought, "Great place for a BOARD...with a MAP on it and some Ads around the sides!"

So...I went home and did some measuring and designing and came up with a BOARD where I could fit a MAP and 18 ads around the edges.
Here's what it looks like; http://www.pjbux.com/lobbyboards

I made up a sample Board and showed it to the Holiday Inn Manager and he gave me the OK to install it.

I then went to 9 other motels and got the manager's OK and proceeded to sell 18 businesses on having a full color ad on my "Lobby Boards" for $800 a year.

One of the other "promotion ideas" I got that day I sat in the lobby was...what about making up a Book of MENUS and having this Book available for tourists to get a PREVIEW of what kind of food is served and the prices. I also thought it would be a GREAT IDEA to include PHOTOS of the INTERIORS of restaurants to help tourists SEE what the INSIDE of restaurants look like.

Thus....my "RESTAURANT GUIDE" was created!
Here's what it looks like;

http://www.pjbux.com/menuguides

I made up a Sample Menu book and proceeded to get 18 restaurants in my little town of 20,000 to pay $800 to be included.

The Motels LOVED IT...the Restaurants LOVED IT...and I LOVED IT!

Just yesterday I finished my 2nd town (Eugene, Oregon)with 32 Restaurants paying $800 ea for a year exposure in 10 Hotels.

I'm now planning to go South to Medford and Ashland next.

And....BOTH of these programs came from me sitting around a hotel lobby and IMAGINING what IF!

So...KEEP AN EVER WATCHFUL EYE...you never know WHEN you will find a "money-making" idea.

Don Alm
Some of my Home-Based businesses
http://www.pjbux.com

P.S. I just had breakfast with a group of business people, including 3 realtors who gave me another "Diamond" of a money-making Idea.
One realtor started talking about"GIFTS" for his home-buying clients.

He was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for GIFTS other than the "standard" gifts being a bottle of wine or house plant. He was wondering if anyone had a Gift Idea which could help him get REFERRALS.

I perused my "promtion-minded" brain archives and IT HIT!.....

What about a WALL CLOCK....not just any "Wall Clock"... a "Wall Clock" with a PHOTO OF THE HOUSE on the face...and...to help the realtor get REFERRALS...his NAME on the face also?

WOW! When he heard this he practically "went ape". He thought it was a GREAT IDEA!....Give them something with a REASON for placing it on their kitchen wall;
A "PHOTO Wall Clock" has TWO REASONS for placing it on the Kitchen wall of the new home;
1) It's a WALL clock designed to be hung on a wall
and
2) The PHOTO of the house

Now...when friends, relatives and neighbors come into the kitchen....they will NOTICE THE WALL CLOCK...and, they will also see the realtor's NAME....for a possible REFERRAL!

So....his reaction caused me to do a Google Search and WHALA...I found exactly what I was looking for...a "nice-looking" wall clock with a place for a PHOTO and NAME...in fact the company will put these on for me for $15 per clock. I think I can sell them to realtors for $75 per clock so...another "back yard" money-maker is born.

Yup! "Diamonds" are all around.




Some of my work from home programs.