The New Years holiday presents an opportunity for a business owner to make a connection with his or her customers. Unlike at Christmas, when the usual commercial holiday greeting cards all arrive together, almost no one sends or receives New Year's Day cards. You can find sources of N.Y. cards online, at a cost of about $1.25 each in volumes of ten or more. Or, you can do what I do, and make them inexpensively yourself. I had 1000 printed up on lightweight card stock at my local Staples for a total of right around $200. That's about .20 each. Just look through newspapers, magazines, etc, until you find a good New Year's motif. Make up the card, 2 per 8.5 x 11 sheet using double-sided scotch tape, and go get it printed. You still have to pay the regular postage, but you've saved a pile of money by being creative on the production end. Send a similar card for July 4, and between tne 2 holidays, you will be effectively impressing your business name into your customers' minds.

Follow-up to my above post: my total cost for materials, services, and stamps and envelopes was in the vicinity of $800, or a little under $1.00 for each piece mailed. So far into the new year, based upon contacts from customers responding to the mailing, I have already completed over $2000 in jobs. Most were from customers I had kind of lost track of, and some who hadn't called me in as long as ten years. I've also received about 150 pieces back from the post office, identified as Undeliverable (moved). This information helps me to keep track of how many past customers have moved elsewhere.

Mark,
Tony here from Eco-Friendly Residential Cleaners Assoc. I know it has been a while since we've talked but I'd like the opportunity to talk with you again about our association. Please give me a call at 319.471.7803 at your convenience.

Thank you,
Tony