Can you offer a “deal of month” package? Let’s say you own a restaurant on a beach and October through February are always very slow – and so is your cash flow! Due to construction delays you didn’t open until September which means you are going to be struggling this winter unless you get an influx of cash and FAST! How about selling a twelve month package of meals? Set a price for a 3 course dinner (starter, entrée and dessert), multiply by twelve and then take off a small percentage since customer pays all at once. Selling these packages allows you an instant influx of cash. You can encourage people to use them as gifts (one gift certificate at a time or whole book) or they can keep them for themselves to use when they’re low on cash. This idea can be used in many industries, not just food. How about for pet grooming, house cleaning, yard care, car detailing, hair cuts, manicures – any product or service that is bought more than once!

Is there a time of day, or day of week that is slowest for your business? That’s when you have a sale! In area I live Tuesdays are “cheap movie nights” and all tickets are half price – it’s because historically Tuesdays are slowest nights at theatre. Now most Tuesdays theatres are full! Think about ways you can make this work for your business. I’ve heard of tax accountants who offer a discount to people who bring their taxes in to be done before February 1. This gives accountant some much needed cash after slow season, and helps ease some of crazy rush around tax time.

Open up your mind – see what other industries are doing to generate quick cash – DON’T just look at what’s been done in your industry before – try something new – become an innovator in your industry. When you do something different you’ll stand out – by being unique your business can really grow!

Imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! Nearly impossible to pull off, right? Well, an e-zine achieves same goal -- keeping you on their "radar screens" ... in an unobtrusive way. This makes them more likely to think of YOU -- not your competition -- when they need to hire someone who offers your services or products.

4. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business.

If you write a good e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that '70s shampoo commercial that went, "And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on..."? That principle -- clients passing on word about your product or service -- is called "viral marketing" these days.

Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers (their clients and associates). But after several months they can end up with thousands of readers on their list - thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.

5. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish -- especially compared with a print newsletter.

If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking printed newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But with an e-zine, there's no design involved (unless you want there to be), no printing, and no postage costs. That means it's essentially FREE to put together and publish -- it just takes a bit of your time. And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue.)

READY TO GET STARTED?

Don't jump into publishing just yet! Take time to plan a *quality* publication from start, and you'll reap amazing results. There are dozens of Web sites that offer articles, reports, tutorials, and manuals on subject of e-zines. Here are a few to get you started:

http://www.e-zinez.com

http://www.ezine-queen.com

http://www.ezine-universe.com