Yet another idea-need feedback

FranchisePro

Not only is that a great idea, but it can be done with several "twists" - if you are marketing to , let`s say, "hairdressers" - you might be able to get one per 50 mile radius - you then obtain an a national advertiser and increase your revenues.  After a while, you then can even offer it to hairdressers at an even reduced rate, increase the number of clients and increase the revenue that you get from your national accounts.

jwatkins

Franchisepro you`re a nut! Next thing you`ll tell me is that I could franchise this idea and sell the article to others to go out and sell. You`ll probably say that I could write a newsletter, leave room for advertisements and sell it to entrepreneurs who want to start a small business selling ads to local roofers and plumbers and then give away the newletter to local homeowners. 
Ludicrious!  SuN has said that this is a crazy idea! (Just poking fun SuN).
 
Just so I understand your plan. I would create a newsletter with beauty and health tips for women. I would get Covergirl to purchase an ad. I could then give (or reduce the price) the newsletter to beauty salons who would in turn handout, mail out, or email the newletter to their customers. By doing this, they get an inexpensive, nonintrusive, trying to help way to keep their name in front of their customer, Covergirl gets advertising and a circulation to people who just might use their product, and I get paid...
 
That`s insane! What are you an entrepreneur or something! Do you actually think people would pay to have a way to increase their business or retain current customers? Do you think any sane business would pay to advertise on a newsletter that targets their core demographic?
 
Ridiculous! Thanks for the reply FranchisePro. When i`m ready to go worldwide you`ll be the first one I call...
 
 
 
 

jwatkins

Mwhite 1249, Welcome to the nut squad! So let me see if i understand. Joe businessowner has a website and on his site is a link for a newsletter. When a customer clicks to subscribe, they are magically subscribed to a newsletter that I produce. However, when they recieve it, it is branded with Joe businessowner`s brand. Joe businessowner is giving his customers something of value, he is also getting precious brand time every month, all without him having to write a single article, send a single email, or keep up with bounces, subscribers, and people that want to stop subscribing? And for only X amount per month and X amount per subscriber? Ridiculous!
 
Why would any business owner want those benefits? Its sad to think that there are people like you with brilliant ideas running around. You should be locked up!
 
Thanks for the reply.

patch

J,
 
The first line of your initial message has me worried. You have ideas and cannot see them through.
 
In view of that, you have to justify to yourself that you will see this through before you go any further. There will be discouragements before you ever get the first newsletter out to the public. (Yes, I`m one of them!)
 
Have you decided what industry you are going to target? Have you prepared at least a dozen sample newsletters to show to prospective clients? Do you have a program for sustainability and originality?
 
From an ethical viewpoint, you need to have a product that stands up to the revelation that it is marketed through different outlets, i.e. it must clearly be a syndicated newsletter, not purporting to be the original work of any of your clients.
 
One thing you will need, though you probably think you don`t: a good editor. There is an old saying in the business: "Every writer, no matter how talented, needs an editor." There are too many writers who believed they could go it on their own ending up failing in business.
 
If you can`t find one, let me know.
 
Patch
Phil Thatcher
winniephil@sympatico.ca
 
 

jwatkins

Patch, thanks for the advice. you`re dead on. I have ideas and then the excitement just seems to fade. I know deep down that I could be successful but I have a tendency to self-defeat and to procrastinate. Anyone else have those problems? I believe those two things divide the successful from the rest of us more than anything else.
As for the writing. In the beginning I would write the articles myself and yes, I would have to use an editor...or two. Once money starts flowing I would hire writers to write short articles on topics that I choose. They too would use an editor.
 
I could use a disclaimer or just the byline for the author.
 
Thanks for the comments and the great advice.

TapeSeal

I think it is a good idea, especially if the business buying the service can upload email addresses into a private/secure location and have the service turnkey.  I`ve been selling real estate for 7 years now and know how important it is to `touch` past, current, and prospective clients very frequently.  There are companies out there providing contact databases with similar capabilities...the problem is finding the time to put it all together and making it streamline.  I can see the need with other service businesses as well. 
 
In your pitch, include some stats (and create a newsletter on the subject) for customer retention based on frequency of communication.  Also, encourage your businesses to offer a small discount/coupon to be printed from the newsletter.  This would appeal to a consumer for an impulse service or purchase and could help your customers track the benefit of using your service.  For real estate it could be something like $100.00 towards closing costs, home warranty, gift card, etc. as long as the realtor is staying within RESPA guidelines.  For a salon it could be $5.00 off manicure & pedicure. 
 
I think if you take into consideration all of the great advice on this thread you will do well! 
 
Tammy
Tape-Seal

jwatkins

Tapeseal, Absolutely great advice! I didn`t think about the coupon/special offer. Thanks.
Also, it is really gratifying to see people actually "see" my vision for this. I`m excited! Thanks again.

Socialbutterfly

Why couldn`t your business be a filler newsletter? You would print information that was important to any business owner. Some of the information could be seasonal or personal. The information could be about purchasing a new or used car, packing and moving, winterizing your home  with the latest products, the latest summer must have products, electronic do`s and don`ts, finding mr. or mr.s right, how to spot a cheater, it could be filled with a couple of topics. They would delete what they didnt need nor want and print their information giving them more of a full page. You would have different layouts allowing them to choose from your design based on their business. They would be able to add their business name or logo. This way your personalizing your business to fit their business. With many companies downsizing in certain departments, you never know who may call you. Go for the gusto!!!!

hrojim

I would suggest picking one or two industries at most, as you will need to do research and come up with interesting articles monthly.  If you are write for many industries you might not be able to come up with quality content each month.  That would put your customer`s newsletter at the bottom of the pile. 
Since many articles could be timeless you can offer them as a portfolio so the customers can customize their newsletter from the list of articles.. Maybe even have a few templates for the newsletter layout to choose from.  For those customers on the net, a website where they can go online and check off the items they want.
Good luck.

jwatkins

Socialbutterfly, that`s sort of the idea. however, the articles would be industry specific and each ezine would be customizable to some extent. each subscriber could add their logo, contact info, and add their own article if they want to. They would also be able to add coupons, photos of homes for sale, cars for sale, the last bathroom they remodeled. So yes, my content would sort of be filler.
 
hrojim, the idea is to start with one industry, build it up, and then move to another. As far as articles are concerned, I will need to research trends in each industry to come up with ideas for articles. Once I start getting into more industries I will hire writers to write the content and i will just give them the subject.
 
I have been researching icontact.com. I think they can offer me just what I need to get this going fairly easily. I have Dreamweaver and photoshop so I can build some good templates and then all I have to do is change the logos and other information for each customer. I can also add a subscribe button to their websites, I can upload their lists, and handle all the subscribe/unsubscribes for them. It should be fairly simple for each client to do.
 
Thanks for the feedback.