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  • Casual Articles - 14 Unique and Inexpensive Ways to Market and Advertise Your Business

    Applicant Tracking Systems - Time in a Bottle
    Applicant tracking systems are either an human resource manager best friend or worst enemy. Either a company's applicant tracking systems identify the best prospects BEFORE they join another company or not. Effective applicant tracking systems like time in a bottle enable HR managers to interview the best candidates. Ineffective applicant tracking systems cause a "bottleneck" that lets excellent job candidates slip through the system.Hosted Solution - Applicant Tracking SystemsApplicant tracking systems and hosted solutions are a logical combination. While a company may install, debug, upgrade and program its own applicant tracking systems, the question is why? For companies in a niche employment market, it may make sense because the cost per employee of their applicant tracking systems is low. For example, a company reviewing say twenty resumes
    keting your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business c

    Tips for Law Graduates – Getting a Legal Job
    More and more people are graduating from university with a degree in law & looking for legal jobs. As a consequence it’s worth thinking about what legal job you would like after you graduate and how well prepared you are. We’ve put together 10 top tips to get a graduate legal job.1. Gain some work experience – it can be really hard to get legal work experience, sometime legal firms have more applicants for work experience than they do for trainee positions. Don’t let the high level of competition put you off. Either apply to more law firms or broaden your search to other similar businesses. Your local council, an entertainment company or estate agents are other business which would welcome high quality work experience candidates which will help you later on in your law career.2. Think about what area you would like to specialise in – as you prog
    Local Church Festivals - Every spring or fall, churches in your area typically host a variety of events, festivities, and church yard sales. Contact these churches and rent a table for the event. Rental fees are usually less than $20 dollars and can be a great source of leads.

    Make sure to bring products with you and make sure to have some type of contest registration/drawing so you're able to collect names, emails and mailing addresses. This will allow you to continue up-selling to these potential prospects.

    Balloon Advertising - Get your company name, phone # and website address printed onto balloons. These are fairly cheap, usually around .03-.07 cents each (1,000 balloons for about $70 dollars). Make sure to put the services/products you offer with a special call-to-action.

    You can then distribute the balloons at local events, charities, birthday parties, etc…thus giving your business lots of exposure.

    Customized T-shirts - Everybody wears t-shirts and would gladly accept a FREE one. But don't do the usual thing here; make your message stand out! I like the controversial angle…make your message 'unforgettable'.

    For example…I have t-shirts that say:

    WORKING FOR "THE MAN" SUCKS! Make Money, Get Rich & Enjoy Life! Go to: www.HippoMarketing.com

    Welcome Wagon - Most neighborhoods have the Welcome Wagon, which is a service that welcomes new people into the neighborhood. They generally deliver the new homeowner a bag of goodies from local businesses. This is a great opportunity to get your name in front of new residents. It's fairly inexpensive and you should try this.

    Library Bookmarks - Contact local libraries in your area about leaving behind 'FREE' bookmarkers. Put your information on it (Not the boring typical messages of course). You can typically leave a couple of hundred of these behind and check back every 3 months to replenish (you may have to check back more often depending on how busy the library is). Offer some type of contest on the bookmarker (maybe a $10 gift certificate to Barnes & Nobles, Amazon.com, or wherever…your goal is to get their names and addresses - direct them to your web site to register).

    Teach & Hold Classes - If you have a specialized skill, then teach others in a classroom setting. If you're into scrap booking, why not teach new moms how to do this with their new baby pictures? It doesn't matter what you know, teach a class. Contact local community centers, churches, community colleges and libraries. This is a great way to generate sales and leads. Once you teach a series of classes, then you can contact the people you've taught and up-sell them "advanced training". Give it a try!

    Children's Coloring Books - Make your own 10 page coloring book and put some advertising on the pages. Distribute to local restaurants, doctor offices, banks and daycare centers (trust me… they'll be glad to see you). You can generally find a 4-piece box of crayons for about .10 cents a box.

    Go a step further and have the parents send in their child's coloring to win a free happy meal or ice-cream from Dairy Queen…This ensures the parents see your advertisements and you now have their name and mailing address which will allow you to continue marketing to them.

    College Campuses - Most of your college campuses generally have days where they'll allow vendors to come out and setup tables. We did this at Spelman College here in Atlanta when we were in the cell-phone & pager business. We made a killing. These kids have access to money and credit cards and are willing to spend money. Booths typically cost $50 and you'll see many other vendors there too.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    5K Runs & Marathons - Become a sponsor at one of these events. These events are usually a sponsor themselves (Breast Cancer, Leukemia, AIDS, etc.) Sponsor one of these events, they'll usually allow you to get a table and will put your information in the "Sponsors" bag that they hand out to the runners in the event. These events can be very costly to sponsor, but if you look, you'll be able to find some cheap ones.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    Sponsor a Doctor's Office - I'm sure you've seen those magazine racks in the doctors' office and it said "Magazines Are Provided Courtesy of Cartess Pharmacy".

    Now you can sponsor those magazine racks yourself and put your company name there and since you own and control what goes on the rack, put a few phamplets, booklets or fliers marketing your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business c

    Seven Ways to Make Your Customers Feel Important
    Two important pre-reading notes: Before you chose to read or not read this article, let make two things clear. Everyone has Customers. Even if you work in an internal staff department in a large firm, you have Customers. They are the people you provide work to. And second, don’t be put off by the term Customer. Maybe you call them Clients, Students, Patients, or (heaven forbid!) Users. If one of those words works better for you, read that word every time you read Customer. Now that I have eliminated your reasons for not reading, please continue . . .We can read lots of books and articles about Customer Service strategies and how to build processes that will serve Customers more successfully. All of these things are valuable, but if we put all of our focus on processes, systems, strategies and procedures we may lose track of something very impo
    om

    Welcome Wagon - Most neighborhoods have the Welcome Wagon, which is a service that welcomes new people into the neighborhood. They generally deliver the new homeowner a bag of goodies from local businesses. This is a great opportunity to get your name in front of new residents. It's fairly inexpensive and you should try this.

    Library Bookmarks - Contact local libraries in your area about leaving behind 'FREE' bookmarkers. Put your information on it (Not the boring typical messages of course). You can typically leave a couple of hundred of these behind and check back every 3 months to replenish (you may have to check back more often depending on how busy the library is). Offer some type of contest on the bookmarker (maybe a $10 gift certificate to Barnes & Nobles, Amazon.com, or wherever…your goal is to get their names and addresses - direct them to your web site to register).

    Teach & Hold Classes - If you have a specialized skill, then teach others in a classroom setting. If you're into scrap booking, why not teach new moms how to do this with their new baby pictures? It doesn't matter what you know, teach a class. Contact local community centers, churches, community colleges and libraries. This is a great way to generate sales and leads. Once you teach a series of classes, then you can contact the people you've taught and up-sell them "advanced training". Give it a try!

    Children's Coloring Books - Make your own 10 page coloring book and put some advertising on the pages. Distribute to local restaurants, doctor offices, banks and daycare centers (trust me… they'll be glad to see you). You can generally find a 4-piece box of crayons for about .10 cents a box.

    Go a step further and have the parents send in their child's coloring to win a free happy meal or ice-cream from Dairy Queen…This ensures the parents see your advertisements and you now have their name and mailing address which will allow you to continue marketing to them.

    College Campuses - Most of your college campuses generally have days where they'll allow vendors to come out and setup tables. We did this at Spelman College here in Atlanta when we were in the cell-phone & pager business. We made a killing. These kids have access to money and credit cards and are willing to spend money. Booths typically cost $50 and you'll see many other vendors there too.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    5K Runs & Marathons - Become a sponsor at one of these events. These events are usually a sponsor themselves (Breast Cancer, Leukemia, AIDS, etc.) Sponsor one of these events, they'll usually allow you to get a table and will put your information in the "Sponsors" bag that they hand out to the runners in the event. These events can be very costly to sponsor, but if you look, you'll be able to find some cheap ones.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    Sponsor a Doctor's Office - I'm sure you've seen those magazine racks in the doctors' office and it said "Magazines Are Provided Courtesy of Cartess Pharmacy".

    Now you can sponsor those magazine racks yourself and put your company name there and since you own and control what goes on the rack, put a few phamplets, booklets or fliers marketing your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business c

    Ten Tips for Your New Year's Job Search
    It's a new year - and lots of people are thinking that maybe 2006 will be The Year of the New Job. If that describes you, then you'll want to start planning for your big exodus. But don't start strewing resumes across the landscape before taking care of a few getting-going items, described below. If you're thinking about buying some spiffy new interviewing duds, get out to the stores now before the January sales are over! Good luck, and happy job-hunting...Starting a New-Year Job Search1) GET YOUR RESUME READYThat means on paper, on-line, and plain text (for inclusion in attachments). It means one-page and concise, spell-checked, and reviewed by someone who can give you great feedback on the content and the layout. These days, cool colors, marbled textures and funky typefaces are out. Clean, crisp and confident is the watchword.2)
    , then you can contact the people you've taught and up-sell them "advanced training". Give it a try!

    Children's Coloring Books - Make your own 10 page coloring book and put some advertising on the pages. Distribute to local restaurants, doctor offices, banks and daycare centers (trust me… they'll be glad to see you). You can generally find a 4-piece box of crayons for about .10 cents a box.

    Go a step further and have the parents send in their child's coloring to win a free happy meal or ice-cream from Dairy Queen…This ensures the parents see your advertisements and you now have their name and mailing address which will allow you to continue marketing to them.

    College Campuses - Most of your college campuses generally have days where they'll allow vendors to come out and setup tables. We did this at Spelman College here in Atlanta when we were in the cell-phone & pager business. We made a killing. These kids have access to money and credit cards and are willing to spend money. Booths typically cost $50 and you'll see many other vendors there too.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    5K Runs & Marathons - Become a sponsor at one of these events. These events are usually a sponsor themselves (Breast Cancer, Leukemia, AIDS, etc.) Sponsor one of these events, they'll usually allow you to get a table and will put your information in the "Sponsors" bag that they hand out to the runners in the event. These events can be very costly to sponsor, but if you look, you'll be able to find some cheap ones.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    Sponsor a Doctor's Office - I'm sure you've seen those magazine racks in the doctors' office and it said "Magazines Are Provided Courtesy of Cartess Pharmacy".

    Now you can sponsor those magazine racks yourself and put your company name there and since you own and control what goes on the rack, put a few phamplets, booklets or fliers marketing your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business c

    PR That Entrepreneurs Often Overlook
    If that sounds like you, here’s what you may be missing once the new enterprise is launchedPublic relations that really does something about the behaviors of those key outside audiences that most affect your new enterprise.PR that uses a fundamental blueprint to deliver external stakeholder behavior change – the kind that leads directly to achieving your venture’s objectives.And PR that persuades many of those important outside folks to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that help your new enterprise succeed.That’s why you as a small business owner must gear up to deal with the unattended perceptions out there that could nudge your fledgling venture closer to bankruptcy than success. Perceptions that, if left unattended, may well result in actions that run counter to those you and your banker had in mind
    usiness for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    5K Runs & Marathons - Become a sponsor at one of these events. These events are usually a sponsor themselves (Breast Cancer, Leukemia, AIDS, etc.) Sponsor one of these events, they'll usually allow you to get a table and will put your information in the "Sponsors" bag that they hand out to the runners in the event. These events can be very costly to sponsor, but if you look, you'll be able to find some cheap ones.

    Local Gyms & Fitness Centers - Depending on how you position your product, a lot of the local fitness centers will allow you to rent a table where you can display your products/information. Gold's Gym has been a huge source of business for us and they'll typically allow you to put a table out front (on the inside of course --- it's to hot during the summer months to be outside)

    Sponsor a Doctor's Office - I'm sure you've seen those magazine racks in the doctors' office and it said "Magazines Are Provided Courtesy of Cartess Pharmacy".

    Now you can sponsor those magazine racks yourself and put your company name there and since you own and control what goes on the rack, put a few phamplets, booklets or fliers marketing your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business c

    Benefits Of Vinyl Truck Graphics - Message On A Truck
    The growing interest in vehicle wrap advertising and the positive mass response to car graphics has allowed the vehicle wrap industry to mature. What started with decals and stickers on cars and motorcycles has evolved to larger mobile media, like trucks and buses. Thus, if a business owner feels that simply wrapping a car with vinyl graphics is not blatant enough, he or she can bring his or her ads to the next level by getting into truck wrapping.Reaching A Bigger Audience With A Bigger AdBecause everyone always seems to be rushing off to somewhere, simply going along with the host of car wrap advertisers will not make you stand out. How do you get your message out loud and clear then? You literally rise above the rest. That is, by placing your vinyl ad graphics on trucks, which are larger and higher media.Imagine being stuck in traffic.
    keting your own services…surely, they wouldn't mind you using 2 slots? Each month, just make sure to update the rack with the current months issue. This works extremely well. You can get these racks anywhere from $25-$45 each. Here's a link to get you started on your search (and you may find some on ebay): www.specialtystoreservices.com

    Yearbook Advertising - Run ads in the back of high school yearbooks. These advertisements are fairly inexpensive and are a great way to get your message out!

    Mom & Pop Businesses - At some restaurant chains you'll find advertisements posted above urinals in the men's restrooms (I don't know what they have going on in the female restrooms…I guess I'll have to sneak in to find out). Anyhow, talk to the storeowner and find out if you could post your advertisements in the bathroom…Offer them a nominal monthly fee and they just might do it.

    Go to other small mom and pop stores such as pharmacies, Laundromats, tanning salons, spas, etc., and ask them if you could sponsor 'real estate' in their store, such as their glass doors, bathroom doors and above urinals, countertop displays, desktops, etc…Get really creative here!

    Library Bulletin Boards - Every single library I've been too usually have a bulletin board where you can post your business card, postcard or flyer. Check back often, this is an inexpensive way to get your services seen.

    That's it for now. If you have tested and tried some unique and inexpensive ways to make consumers aware of your business, please email us and we'll include your ideas in our next updated version.

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