0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

148 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business
Tips for Creating a Great
Message on Hold
• Your message should encourage your captive audience to do more
business with your company.
• Feature interesting topics including special offers or discounts,
industry news, employee awards, or even a trivia game.
• Change the message every few weeks to keep it fresh.
• If you work with a company to produce messages, check their
references and sign the shortest agreement possible.
GREAT
IDEA
Consider Multilevel Marketing:
Send Out Cards
Kent Shields is a serial entrepreneur. He’s owned a
construction business and now owns a computer
storage business.
He’s also a part-time distributor for Send Out Cards, a multilevel
marketing company based in Salt Lake City. (See page 149 for my exclusive
interview with founder Kody Bateman.)
“I found out about the company through a friend who was a distributor,”
said Shields. “I knew I needed (the cards) because I can’t remember
people’s birthdays or anniversaries.”
He earns about $3,000 a year as a rep and spends most of that sending
cards and gifts to clients. “Just the little bit I’ve done pays for the use of the
system,” he said. “You get a little percentage on what the people you sign
up sell, but to make a living, you need to build a team underneath you.”
It cost Shields about $400 to sign up as a rep. Best of all, he’s received
great feedback from the recipients of his cards and gifts.
“Sending cards is the biggest no-brainer for a small business person—
it’s a killer,” said Shields. “People remember you, and they’ll do business
with you forever.”
He said that once you enter your contacts into the database, it’s easy to
customize cards with company logos and images.