5. Another avenue, is to consider doing a local or regional mail-out campaign. You could simply contact prospects via telephone and attempt to qualify them by simply asking if they own a computer and, if so, that you would like to send them a CD of info regarding your hair salon and its services.

6. If your budget allows, yet, another method is to contact an area print publication that specifically targets women and request if you can pay to have your CD attached to one of their issues, or included as an insert.

7. To backtrack for a moment, be sure that your web site contains a form readily viewable on it so that when prospects with online service access your site, your form can readily capture their email address, as well as their mailing address.

This is vital information that you need in order to provide your customers with any updates to your products, services, prices or any other changes that might occur. And, speaking of provision of updates, you should also consider starting a newsletter for this purpose as well if you have not yet done so.

Again, you also want to be sure your CD contains as much vital information for people who don't have online access although, practically anyone with a computer these days, also has access.

This aspect of promotion could serve to either offset and eliminate any print, radio or television advertisement costs you currently have, or serve to complement them. Your overall production costs (bulk rate price and time spent copying files) on compact disc will probably be between $.30 and $.40 per unit.

If you distribute, say, 1000 info CDs at a cost of $400, and gain merely 10% (100) new customers, I believe you will find that $400 will be a very wise and worthwhile investment, not to mention that you can continue and/or repeat process as often as you wished.

And, if you happen to reside in a small rural area, you could also experience great results by simply distributing your CD information county-wide, or regionally.

Again, this promotional analogy is applicable to, virtually, any business. Further examples include:

1. Auto dealerships working with car parts suppliers, or vice versa.

2. Lawn services working with lawn mower repair shops, or vice versa.

3. How about photography services including their CD of info in their yearly school/student packages?

4. Even in an agricultural community, feed stores could include a CD of their info in farmers' purchases.

5. Why not even go a couple of steps farther by placing audio files or, perhaps, even video files on CD as well?

Your audio could include your voiceover giving a welcome to prospect at beginning, and also serve as a direction to various business elements on your disc. Likewise, your video could integrate animated video for an even more pleasing experience for your prospective client.

As I stated previously, virtually, everyone, in all areas of your community has a computer and/or availability of online access through friends, relatives, area schools, libraries, etc. And, creativity of any part of promotional CD is only limited by your imagination.

So, why not truly give some serious thought to bringing marketing and promotion of your business into 21st Century? At very least, your promotion via CD should certainly get you noticed far above your area competition.

Here is what you do:

1. Take a screen capture of your Web site. PC users, press Print Screen button on your keyboard. Mac users, your instruction manual will tell you a keyboard command to use. A screen capture will save an image of your screen on clipboard if you are using Windows, and on desktop if you are using Mac. 2. Open your graphics software application. Mac users, open image that appeared on your desktop when you did screen capture. PC users, open a new file then paste your clipboard contents onto new file. (To paste, PC users use keyboard command of Control V). Voila! You now have a graphic image of your home page. Edit and resize as desired.

3. Using a sheet of Avery postcards as your guide, lay out a postcard page in your desktop publishing program. Use your creativity to add text or other images if wanted.

4. Design a back page for your postcards, including your return address and any other message you require. You can also add recipients' addresses.

5. Print your front page onto your Avery postcards, using any good quality printer. Then, turn postcards over, being careful to match upsides; and print back page

There you have it. Your own do-it-yourself netposts!