Today I decided to send out mailers offering my Power Point services to law firms in the area. I've had a call this week from a realtor looking to use my services and in the past, I've helped my attorney husband set up presentations.
My method of choosing firms was rather random. I went on an online directory for law firms in the Princeton area. I looked for 1 to 2 name firms, assuming that the larger ones may already have someone they work with or not need assistance.
I printed out the envelopes, with a professional looking return address on it. The flyer (left) I made in Word and tried to model after similar ads I have seen online or in publications.
Who knows where this will lead, but you definitely don't get clients without trying. Who knows!
Another step in my marketing process
Stage 2 of my new career: Market Myself
If you read my "new career" post, you know that I am trying a new career but also working to build a new client base for tutoring in the Princeton area. I have my 2nd tutoring job tomorrow where the parent found my business card in town. So today I am venturing out in the Princeton area to post my business cards. I am marketing 2 types of services: Math Tutoring and Computer Tutoring.
My Math Tutoring will hopefully be my main source of income, but since I taught computers for a few years, I can offer that as well. I'm going to hit the most obvious places: food stores, libraries & post offices, but additionally, I will try out small businesses and cafes. I also found some interesting tips online: 1) Send your business cards with your bills and 2) Leave a business card with your tips at restaurants. I'll just have to do that!
If you're interested in designing high quality cards like mine, go to 123print.com and you can choose from hundreds of designs and fonts styles. A batch of 100 cards is about $4 (plus shipping and handling).
Wish me luck!
Stage 1 of my new career
I've never really talked at length about my personal endeavors. That was never really the purpose of my blog, but I wanted to share with my readers the new direction that I am taking so it could inspire some of you who are thinking about the same pursuits.
I am not going back to full-time teaching in the fall. Instead, I am continuing my Public Relations Certificate program at Rider University during the day while maintaining my math teaching through tutoring in the afternoons. Since I am not going to have a regular paycheck, I need to earn some income and that is why the tutoring is going to be a major necessity. Thankfully, when I do want to go back to teaching in a school, I can do either public or private school since I have my Teacher of Middle School Math certification. Back to the tutoring....
I have been passively marketing myself for tutoring by placing business cards in supermarkets and local shops. I also have my card featured in the County Woman publication that is available in various shops around Mercer County. But I knew that in order to develop a client base, I needed some more aggressive advertising. Something that was going to be seen by a few hundred people. And that is were J.S. Paluch and Co. came in!
When Rob and I came home from our cruise, we were checking our answering machine and there was a message on there from Lionel Simon, an ad consultant with J.S. Paluch(pronounced Polluck) who had seen my ad in Thomas Sweet Ice Cream shop and wanted to give me a larger marketing base to work with. J.S. Paluch is a company that publishes Catholic church bulletins. For anyone that is Catholic or have attended a Catholic mass, you know how the bulletins make use of 1-2 pages of ad space. It's a great market especially since church is full of families in the area. This was going to be the start I needed to get publicized in a reliable environment.
Tutoring is not my only desirable source of income, but this is what I know what to do: teach and help kids. I have so many other interests (hence the PR certificate, the Bucknell Club of Princeton, and Mrs. Mo's New Jersey), but I have to start with a sure thing. It's establishing the client base which is the hardest. But it's only June 29th. I have July and August until the MoBeard paycheck stops and my new life begins.
If any of you reading this are thinking "how am I going to get my business noticed" and you live in NJ or the PA area near Jersey, give J.S.Paluch a call. They will set you up.
J.S. Paluch and Co. 1-800-524-0263 www.jspaluch.com
