This
is a very lucrative business, and it's growing in demand and
popularity.
There
are thousands of people in all parts of the world who are
making
hundreds of pounds each week, just reading and clipping
news
items in the privacy of their own homes!
The
press clipping business is very misunderstood by most people,
and
therefore there are a lot of people who are very sceptical
about
it as a way for ordinary people to make money at home.
If
you explain to friends or neighbours that you operate a press
clippings
business, most of them will think you pore through the
obituaries,
funeral notices, and wedding announcements, clipping
these
out and sending them to the people or relatives of the
people
being written about.
In
reality, this is but a very small part of the home based
newspaper
clipping service.
The
really successful press clipping services have contracts with
companies
and organisations that want to keep current on any
number
of matters reported in the papers.
Some
companies hire clipping services in order to keep track of
what
their competitors are doing.
Other
companies, including businesses of all kinds, use clipping
services
as a means of locating sales leads and new customers.
National
magazines and newspapers are always in need of different
or
interesting material, and frequently employ home based clipping
services.
To
set yourself up in this kind of business, you'll need only a
pair
of scissors and as many different newspapers and magazines as
you
can subscribe to.
A
visit to your local public library should be most informative
relative
to newspapers and magazines available to subscribers.
You
should also visit your local wholesale paper house, or make a
deal
with your local stationery store to buy labels at a discount
price.
You'll
want to attach these labels to the top of each clipping you
send
to your clients.
On
these labels, you'll want to print the name of the publication
the
clipping came from, and the date it appears, as well as your
own
name and address.
The
next step is simply to start clipping articles that mention or
talk
about specific companies or people.
File
your clippings in envelopes or boxes according to industries
or
types of businesses, by company name, and according to the
names
of the people mentioned.
Once
you have ten or more clippings that talk about a particular
company
or person, put them in an envelope and send them to that
company's
owner or public relations director.
You
should try to get your clients to agree to pay you a monthly
'reader's
fee', for which you agree to look for anything in the
newspaper
about him or his company or industry.
Every
time you spot such an article, you of course clip it, and
send
it to him.
A
minimum monthly 'reader's fee' is usually about œ20, but it can
vary
according to the number of publications you read, and the
number
of clippings found.
Generally,
a clipping service that scans countrywide publications
will
charge about œ50 per client, or œ100 per client for those
wanting
clippings from national publications.
These
fees, of course, are monthly fees, and you can easily see
how
you could make some very good money with just 20 to 25
clients.
To
promote and build your business, you can scan your local
business
services directory an send out a solicitation letter to
each
of those listed.
A
couple of days after you've posted your sales letter, you should
follow
up with a phone call.
A
short, to the point, ad under "Business Personals" in your daily
newspaper
will also bring in new clients for you.
And
as soon as you can afford it, go with at least a small display
ad
in the Yellow Pages.
You
should definitely contact the public relations firms,
advertising
agencies, and civic organisations in your area.
Explain
your services and ask them if they have any special
clients
or needs you can help them with.
You'll
find many of your local political and "cause" groups very
interested
in receiving clippings about their opponents.
Clipping
services in one form or another have been around since
the
advent of printing press, and as stated earlier, they're
becoming
more in demand.
It's
definitely the kind of business anyone who knows how to read
can
set up and operate with an absolute minimum investment.
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