Are there specific personality traits or skills that would help someone interested in becoming involved in a business like yours?
First and foremost, you have to like people and be interested in solving their problems or helping them to achieve their goals. It isn’t always about project cost with the majority of people, but the level of service and trust. Most of my contemporaries will not quote percentages when it comes to how many responses a direct mail campaign will get, and neither will I. There are too many variables: Is the piece attractive? Is the message compelling? Was the right target market selected? You have to be able to show a client why a crowded black and white postcard with a marginal offer will not yield a good return, no matter how many thousands are mailed, and do it in a way that you are working together for a common successful goal.
You also need to be extremely detail oriented. I know everyone says they are, but would you be able to page through 3,000 postcards to find the one that was skipped when the printer jammed and you weren’t looking?
Do you have any plans for growing your business? How so (if you can share that with us)?
I have lots of plans and a good idea of their implementation. I’m now capable of accepting Visa/Mastercard payments, which will help substantially as I market the mailing lists. I’m also adding some equipment which will eliminate some of the piece by piece hand work.
Most of my plans this year involve marketing and increasing the bottom line.
What do you like most about having your own home business? What would you say is your biggest challenge?
I enjoy the peace and quiet and being able to work so that everything I need to get done at home and with business gets done. I can layout an entire postcard and cook dinner at the same time. However, that is also the biggest challenge. It’s so tempting to just hop into my office to take care of something during family time. Often before I realize it, I’ve spent a half hour at the computer that should have been with my family.
How could those who already own and operate a home business benefit from your services?
I work with many home based and small business owners. It’s an exciting prospect for me because often people have the notion that marketing and direct mail is expensive and expendable, when it should be just the opposite. Sometimes bulk mail doesn’t work because of a fuzzy message or bad choice of list…then it is very expensive. However, with some direction and planning, direct mail marketing can be very rewarding.
If someone wanted to contact you for service, how would they go about doing it?
I can be reached via email at myohn@beyohndmail.com or phone 717.644.3812 or 717.838.3985. Check out my website at www.beyohndmail.com! If folks have questions, they can feel free to email me.
