National Clothesline

About a year ago, my wife bought herself a handy home toolkit for doing small jobs around the house. She handles dozens of tasks quickly on her own in a matter of minutes.

Other jobs, which require precision, power and technical skill, are passed on to me. I, of course, turn these jobs over to professionals who know what they ’re doing.

When it comes to promoting your business, there are some things you can and should do on your own. I say “can” because most people have the ability to accomplish certain tasks and I say “should” because doing certain tasks on your own often saves time and gives you more control.

Here are 10 tools to add to any do-it-yourself marketing toolbox.

1. Ideas. Start a Swipe File. It’s easy and it’s free. A swipe file begins as a small empty box… at least 12" x 12" x 3" deep. As you scan mail and read articles in magazines and newspapers, look for attractive ads and good copywriting.

If something really appeals to you, cut it out and keep it in your swipe file. There ’s a reason it caught your eye and that may be something you’d like to use in the future for your own marketing strategy.

2. Customer list. I’m amazed at the number of cleaners who don’t keep a customer list. An up-to-date customer record is by far the most important marketing tool you can have and for this reason, I recommend Address Object ( www.melissadata.com), for correcting list entries and keeping them current.

Not only will Address Object correct your name and address entries, it will also add key information such as postal carrier routes and latitude and longitude co-ordinates.

Address Object can be downloaded free on a trial basis. If you find it valuable, the price to purchase is flexible, based on the size and scope of your business.

3. Prospect list. Want to expand your business? There are many list companies and many more list brokers. If you don ’t know anything about lists then get to know your list company and always try to work with the same individual.

Ask a lot of questions… it’s the easiest way to learn.

The web sites www.melissadata.com and www.accudata.com offer a wide range of lists. Accudata provides live, online assistance.

Names may be ordered for one-time use or for multiple uses and are delivered via Internet, mailed to you on CD or printed on press-on labels and shipped to your door via FedEx. Choose the format that fits your particular application.

4. Demographics. Need information quickly? The web site www.demographicsguru.com offers a demographic snapshot with mapping of any target area in real time… for free.

Choose a zip code, a radius in miles or a metropolitan area and get a report on incomes, home values and total deliveries to homes, businesses and apartments.

If you’re interested in mailing to large numbers, this service offers very good rates on mailings to 5,000 homes or more.

5. Carrier routes. For greater accuracy and better results, divide your prospective target market into postal carrier routes.

Accurate maps will help qualify you for postal discounts and save you money by not mailing to the wrong areas. Contact www.maponics.com for the most current postal carrier route maps by radius or ZIP Code. Maponics works closely with the US Postal Service and updates all data monthly.

6. Photos and images. It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Colorful images can attract attention and help to sell your service.

Ten years ago, I subscribed to printed catalogs from photo service companies. Now, all these images plus more are available online for immediate download. If you want an image to add to your print correspondence or website and you don ’t want to spend a fortune, check out; (www.istockphoto.com), (www.bigstockphoto.com) or (www.shutterstock.com).

7. Printing. When it comes to printing, there are hundreds companies to choose from. In fact, many may be located right in your immediate area. Most printing services require files that end in .sit, .ai, .pdf, or .eps. If you work strictly in Microsoft Word or a similar application, you will need to have a service convert your files to an acceptable format.

After you have accurately analyzed and targeted your area, purchased a list, written and designed a mailing piece, you are now ready to roll out your project. I recommend visiting www.48hourprint.com. It is an easy site to navigate and understand. They offer excellent rates, a speedy turnaround and are eager to help if you hit a snag or need special assistance.

8. Addressing. From www.dymo.com, I recommend the LabelWriter 400 Turbo for quickly printing individual labels or for running hundreds of high-resolution labels at up to 55 labels per minute for envelopes or post cards. The LabelWriter never needs ink or toner, works directly from most popular software programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, QuickBooks and Act and is both PC and Mac compatible.

9. Analysis. If you’re about to embark on a direct-mail campaign, I have a simple tool to help determine the potential profitability. The same tool will also help analyze the returns. To obtain your Direct Mail Spreadsheet, please send an e-mail request to bish8@comcast.net

10. Bonus tool. If it’s necessary to work from home, I recommend buying a Laptop Laidback. This fantastic tool allows you to use your laptop computer while lying flat on your back. I purchased mine before spending 10 days in the hospital a year ago and was productive the entire time. Made of wood, the Laptop Laidback is easy to assemble, fully adjustable, eliminates overheating, is bed, sofa and recliner friendly and collapses to fit into most laptop carrying cases. Check it out at www.laptop-laidback.com.

That’s it. Whether you become a complete do-it-yourselfer and conduct your own marketing programs from start to finish or just select certain steps within the process (such as list management) and master that one area, these are just a few tools to help you get started. Good luck!