Starting Your Own College Coupon Book Business
Making some extra money in college is a hot topic. Sure, your school will put on the occasional career fair that where you can find your dream job stocking shelves or pouring coffee, or co-ops where you can gain work experience for virtually no money. While starting your own business is daunting at first, here are some simple steps to get you started:
Check with the IRS!
Unless you are an expert in tax law, you might want to check out the IRS website or give them a call. Get yourself a tax number so you they can keep a record on your activity. Plus, you will find the IRS people are really helpful and friendly, at least much friendlier than they will be if they have to investigate you next April. Look at piping rock coupon for more information about the best traditional supplements to exotic herbs, holistic oils coupon code by CouponoSCOPE.
Get all logistics on a row
Figure out how much it will cost you to get your books printed and distributed. Calculate how much you can then pay everyone who sells your ads (a percentage in commission is usually expected). Determine how many books you will want to print and how much to charge for each page in your book. Are you going to charge students to get the book? How and when will you distribute them?
Write down all The Features and Benefits
Now that you have run all your numbers, write them down and think of how (and who) these numbers benefit. What businesses close by will want in on your offer? Consider everything you buy and use throughout your college career.
Come up with a pitch
This is the most difficult to figure out! How are you going to avoid getting seen as some sleazy door-to-door salesperson and get kicked out of every shop? Come up with a script that you follow that says exactly what you are trying to do (how you can help them reach students) and how you are accomplishing this.
Hit the ground running
The scariest part comes into play now. Actually going to people and selling. All your planning and calculating is obviously worth nothing, if you can’t do this. Start off somewhere that is pretty much a sure sale to get the momentum started and your confidence up. The “not the University bookstore” is usually a good bet, since they are always trying to get in on the students, so try there.
Keep all your ducks in a row
Keep notes and paperwork on everything you are doing! Keep in close contact with the printers too. The deadline they need all materials by, making sure they are printing how you want them too (unless you’re an expert with the printers, you may want to let them do the designing for a fee. It will cut out a lot of the stress for you) and your current orders. The last thing you want is to lose someone’s order.
Hold up on your promises
When all is said and done: you got all your orders, the printers did an amazing job and everything was just perfect, your job isn’t done yet. You still need to distribute all your coupon books. Simply handing out doesn’t do it anymore, you can start with passing them to student organizations on a limited basis, give them to freshman classes, and distributing them in Housing. Now, your job is done and you can finally relax after long project that is more satisfying and pays more than bagging groceries (and looks better on a resume).