Ive been trying to think of ways to sell advertising to local businesses in my area. A suburban area. Seasonal tourism. I thought of buying motorized bicycles (not motorcycles) and attaching 8'or 11' flag banners to the back of them. Hire college kids at minimum wage to ride them around on the weekends. Charge companies $20/hr. More during tourist season. These bikers will also carry any brochures or flyers that the company wants them to hand out if the riders get stopped.

Does this sound like a marketing service that businesses would pay for? I feel like this would be really effective advertising

How might i go about selling the idea to local businesses

Hey there!

One thing you want to think about is this - "would my idea be a no brainer for businesses that take advertising seriously?"

If a company could pass on your advertising options, then refine it. There are tons of local advertising options out there, but there is only one or two that have the market share. These ideas are normally low cost, high impact, and low maintenance for the advertising company (like yours).

My honest assessment - you have too many moving parts.

Think about this - If I had an advertising company that printed ads on cardboard coasters and then built relationships with local bars to give coasters for free, I can get a business in front of more people in a shorter amount of time, at a lower cost than your bike flag combination could ever achieve. The greatest thing, I can run it passively. Find a low cost trade printer that will print on coasters, give the business the option of how many coasters they want to print, and add 100% to the cost as a markup.

The bars would love it because they don't have to pay for coasters anymore, the companies do.

Each coaster probably costs less than 15 cents and if they get a single sale from 10 coasters, they have more than likely paid for a third of the coast advertising cost anyways.

Hope this helps you think about things in a new light.

David Bentley
Founder @ http://zerozendesign.com
Founder @ BYOB
Entrepreneur & Growth Hacker

Thank you so much for the response. And what a brilliant idea with the coasters! I would've never thought of that I'm actually considering trying it because there is no shortage of bars where I live. Have you done this before?

I have not done this particular idea before. It is something I've thought about as I'm constantly coming up with different ideas. I probably only go after 10% of the ideas I come up with and a few fail while a few do really well. I automate those and implement a new one in its place.

Should be really easy to get going though. First step...

Order some sample coasters.

Second...

Go to the bars and say hello and let them know you want to give them something for free. Shouldn't be hard to sell that. Ask the bars some questions like - how many people do you think you serve on the weekends? Weekdays? This will get you some stats to present to potential clients. Same as newspapers tell clients that they have a readership of 50,000 people.

third...

Create a simple site that covers exactly what you do. Of course I will pitch my company here - zerozen, but you can find anyone who can do a good job and knows how to create a site that CONVERTS. Please...do not try to do it on your own. It won't work out like you want.

The reason you want a site... You are going to add the link on all coasters. Who knows what business owners are having a drink.

Next - start going to businesses and letting them know what you are doing. You really want to sell the value. Compare your reach to that of other advertising methods they might be using.

Hope all this helps!

David Bentley
Founder @ http://zerozendesign.com
Founder @ BYOB
Entrepreneur & Growth Hacker

Yes definitely helps thanks! I do see beer companies on coasters at bars. Do you think that bars get free coasters already from the beer companies they buy from? It seems like it would be a no brainer for those companies to give their bar owner clients free coasters with their brand on them. Also, what stops the bar owner from just doing the ads himself and making all the profits. If I was a bar owner and someome came to me with this, I would think wow what a great idea, and put an ad on craigslist offering ad space on my coasters

Yep this is exactly what beer companies do. So you might be drinking a Stella, but it sits on a well designed coaster from Sam Adams. Your next beer is a Sam Adams, just to give it a shot. If you enjoy it, they have a new customer... hopefully for life.

David Bentley
Founder @ http://zerozendesign.com
Founder @ BYOB
Entrepreneur & Growth Hacker

Right, so, if they already get free coasters from beer companies, why would they need me and my ad coasters?

Right, so, if they already get free coasters from beer companies, why would they need me and my ad coasters?

They are getting coasters either way BUT - you can always press on the local aspect. They are helping to support local businesses. The only reason they opt for the beer coasters is - you are not in business. Give them an option and a reason.

David Bentley
Founder @ http://zerozendesign.com
Founder @ BYOB
Entrepreneur & Growth Hacker

Joester,

No need to re-invent the wheel.

Promotional advertising sales is a $20 Billion market in the U.S.

Whether a business or organization needs t-shirts, ink pens, coffee mugs, coasters, calendars, can insulators (coolies/koozies), cap, embroidered shirts & jackets, golf balls, USB flash drives, or other giveaways with the name & logo on them, I can provide it. I have access to over 900,000 different products - and so can you.

So, if a business wants to order coasters or coffee sleeves to give to locals restaurants or coffee bars, you can provide them.

No inventory to buy, store, sell, & deliver.

No need for a show room or employees.

Just write the order, submit it for processing, and collect your commission. I've been doing it for 30 years - Full time for the past 28.

Dennis

Dennis Bevers
BASSCO, Inc.
Full-time, home-based, self-empolyed since 1987.
Dealers needed-US residents only!

Well said Dennis!

David Bentley
Founder @ http://zerozendesign.com
Founder @ BYOB
Entrepreneur & Growth Hacker

http://www.only-golf.co.uk/Ping-G25-3-Wood-62.html The Alabama graduate is not a fantasy golf favorite, but after a tie for second last week in Mississippi, his prospects are looking very bright this week to take his third career PGA Tour title. Last year in Mexico, he finished in a tie for third.


http://www.only-golf.co.uk/Ping-G25-Steel-Irons-56.html The owners of EastWood Golf Course have submitted an application to the county to rezone the course. They propose to build 300 homes, 70,000 square feet of commercial space and a middle school or a park in its place.

http://www.only-golf.co.uk/Ping-G25-5-Wood-66.html This teamwork was especially helpful early on. The club's early period "reminded me of the old days," said the upstate New York native. "Sometimes, we were taking tee times on our cell phones while we were out learning the course or setting up merchandise in the pro shop!"

http://www.only-golf.co.uk/Ping-G25-Driver-95-Regular-44.html Richard Beck, the attorney for the developers, said the lower court erred in forcing his client to keep 130 acres as a "phantom golf course," calling the ruling "nonsensical."

http://www.only-golf.co.uk/

How to start work from here. I have seen all of your link here is some online product... Please give me correct solution.