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Archive for November 6th, 2009

Who Uses Internet Advertising?

November 6, 2009 at 7:00 pm

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Who Uses Internet Advertising?

For any company looking to make money these days, the most cost effective means of doing it by far is through internet advertising. On a cost per acquisition comparison, only word of mouth is cheaper, so effectively any company looking to make a profit in any way these days will in some form or other advertise on the internet. While it may seem obvious to us now that this is how it is, 15 years ago it wasn?t quite as obvious.

Internet advertising has indeed come a long way since 1995, but the principles and methods of gaining clients through this medium haven?t changed in their fundamentals, only in the refinement of the ways these practices are put forward to Joe Public. Today almost any advert online can be linked into something else; advertisers can find out anything from best times to have their adverts up to the areas they?re getting most sales from simply by analyzing the information that can be gathered through the advertising medium, which then can be applied to refinement of the advertising campaigns that they run for profit.

While it may have been true a year ago that only those with websites could indulge in internet advertising, this no longer applies as more and more we see companies without sites advertising in directories and indexes that allow them to be found online without the added expense of a website ? indeed, some services allow this for call back only services, that is that the client only pays if and when the prospective customer calls them directly.

With spiraling costs and the ever hungry demand for ?new? and ?better? products, the methods been used today are still only refinements of what was used 10 years ago. Indeed, Google?s whole business model is structured in such a way that without tens of thousands of little clients paying for their text ad?s on the site, the company would be out of business. That is an over-simplification of what internet advertising effects, but it is still true that if you want to have a business that grows, then you will indeed need to have some form web presence simply to compete with those that are competing against you.

While not a bad thing, internet advertising has become a certain mainstay in our world, and it is here to stay, no matter what we may want or prefer, so why not jump on board the adwords and adsense train and get a part of what everyone else is making money from.

Selecting an Affiliate Tracking Software

November 6, 2009 at 6:46 pm

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Selecting an Affiliate Tracking Software

If you operate an affiliate program, then you have likely seen the need to employ an effective affiliate tracking software. Here I will review tips that you can use to ensure that you affiliate software is doing what it is supposed to do and you are getting the real value from your investment. With so many affiliate tracking software, the whole business of getting the right one is a little like tumbling down the rabbit whole, you are not sure what you are going to find at the bottom.

Many affiliate tracking software packages offer a range of services and features. Some of these may include customer service, progress reports income and other affiliate information. As mentioned, these features are common to most affiliate software packages. A good affiliate tracking software will have limited system requirements. A good affiliate program will not demand additional software purchases or excessive monthly charges to remain subscribed. However a modest fee is required every month for hosting and support services. A good affiliate tracking software will also provide an interface to properly compensate website owners or affiliates. This means that it will provide a way to determine if and when visitors purchased something on the website and if so, how much compensation is to be paid out.

It is also important to ensure that an affiliate tracking software that you purchase has a way of recording and monitoring customer internet activity. This includes keeping track of such things as how they arrived to the website, how long they were logged to the site and their general movements on the site. Depending on your needs and services, affiliate software can allow you to keep detailed financial reports, provide support for links and banners and also customer support. All these services can be used to maximize the effectiveness of your affiliate program. Making good and ingenious use of these features will go a long way in making your campaigns a success.

In most cases, you are required to have a .NET framework on your system already installed beforehand. This framework makes it easy to undertake operations with the affiliate tracking software. Other additional features that you can consider are automatic replication of websites for affiliates, simple MySQL database set up, graphical statistics of the referrals, easily integrates with a number of billing systems, can pay affiliates at set time intervals and easy search, edit and deletion of affiliates from the browser. The more features the software has, the more flexibility it will offer you.

Trick-or-treating

November 6, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Trick-or-treating

One of the most fun things you can do at Halloween is to go trick or treating. Whether you?re a youngster or parent of a youngster there are some safety tips you should keep in mind to make your Halloween trick or treating experience a happy and memorable one.

If your children from the younger set then you will probably be chaperoning them as they make the rounds of the neighborhood in search of Halloween candy. Consider that most folks who will be handing out the trick or treating goodies likely work at a 9-5 gig and therefore might not be home until a bit later in the evening. That doesn?t mean you should wait until well after sundown before taking your young ones on their Halloween excursion but know who?s who in your neighborhood.

You may also consider turning your kid?s trick or treating night into a play date. Perhaps you can organize a small gather of friends to use your house as ?home base.? Going as a group will add to the fun of trick or treating.

A week or so before Halloween you should be able to tell which houses are going to be in the trick or treating business. Usually the folks who have taken the time to put up Halloween decorations will be the same ones who are handing out candy. Even a simple carved Jack-o-lantern placed on the porch could designate that trick or treaters are welcome.

If you start out when there is still daylight, chances are you may end up trick or treating in the dark. This means you should carry along a working flashlight to help guide the way. If you have the chance, consider adding reflective strips to trick or treat bags or plastic pumpkins. Some candy bags and costumes have reflective strips already built in.

You should also set some ?candy boundaries? for the kids. It would be a good idea for them not to dip into their trick or treating bag until after they get home and you have a chance to inspect all the candy. This will be a tough sale. Perhaps a compromise would be to let them have a little treat from a house that you know and deem safe. Of course one of the biggest benefits with being a trick or treating candy inspector is you get first pick with the good stuff!

Finding the best laptop computer for you

November 6, 2009 at 10:00 am

Finding the best laptop computer for you

The world of technology moves pretty quickly, especially when it comes to computers. I remember a few years ago when I was looking for the best laptop computer money could buy, and ended up with an Acer that had a 1.6 gig processor, 512 ram and a 40 gig hard-drive. These days, just several years later, you can pretty much get that and more on your cellphone.

So to find the best laptop computer, you first have to resign yourself to the notion that it won’t be the best for long. Technology always gets smaller, better and faster because there’s money to be made by making it smaller, better and faster. If you fork out thousands of dollars for a computer in 2009, by 2011 chances are you’ll be able to get the same computer off the scrap heap for hundreds of dollars. That’s just the nature of the business.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that a computer isn’t worth the investment. Far from it, having the best laptop computer means portability, flexibility and sustainability. See, the best laptop computer will be customizable and flexible, aiming to fit your needs as well as presuppose your future needs, as well as future technologies. Multiple ports that go unused now will house new drivers or video cards several years from now. The people who design these top-of-the-line machines know that their customer base doesn’t want to have to buy a whole new box every year, so they build that into the design.

Once you’ve checked out the specs and decided what particular computer fits your needs, it’s time to do some shopping. Make sure you check out ConsumerReports first, as they’ll have a run-down of just about everything on the market as well as some useful tips and price guides. It’s doesn’t do you much good to go all-in without doing the requisite research to make sure you’re not getting ripped off.

It’s also important to not just try to buy the best laptop computer, but to buy the best laptop computer for you. Someone who needs raw power but has no interest in graphic design (or doesn’t like being pandered to by annoying ad campaigns) should avoid the Apple MacBook line. However, if you’re into graphics, Apple is probably the way to go as it’s the industry standard and the one area in which it clearly outstrips PCs. Even if you hate the ad campaigns, it’ll be worht it to you.

So do your shopping, and just as important, make sure you identify yourself what your computer needs are. Don’t let someone sell something you don’t actually need or want to you – make the decision for yourself!

A n O v e r v i e w o f t h e I v y L e a g u e C o l l e g e s

November 6, 2009 at 9:00 am

??A n O v e r v i e w o f t h e I v y L e a g u e C o l l e g e s

T h e r e a r e s o m e a c a d e m i c i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d u n i v e r s i t i e s t h a t a r e h i g h l y r e g a r d e d a n d l a u d e d , a n d n o n e o f t h e m m o r e s o t h a n t h e I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s . I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s a r e a m o n g t h e o l d e s t a n d m o s t p r e s t i g i o u s u n i v e r s i t i e s i n b o t h t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d a r o u n d t h e g l o b e , a n d t h e y a r e c e r t a i n l y t h e w e a l t h i e s t , w i t h e n d o w m e n t s i n t h e b i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s . H e r e i s a s h o r t o v e r v i e w o f t h e I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s .

T h e r e a r e o f f i c i a l l y e i g h t I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s , a n d t h e n a m e l i t e r a l l y c o m e s f r o m a c o n f e r e n c e o r ” l e a g u e ” t h a t t h e u n i v e r s i t i e s a r e i n f o r a t h l e t i c c o m p e t i t i o n . T h e s e e i g h t I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s a r e H a r v a r d , w h i c h i s l o c a t e d i n C a m b r i d g e , M a s s a c h u s e t t s ( w h i c h i s n e a r B o s t o n ) , Y a l e , i n N e w H a v e n , C o n n e c t i c u t , B r o w n , i n P r o v i d e n c e , R h o d e I s l a n d , C o l u m b i a , i n N e w Y o r k C i t y , P r i n c e t o n , i n P r i n c e t o n , N e w J e r s e y ( w h i c h i s c e n t r a l l y l o c a t e d i n N e w J e r s e y ) U n i v e r s i t y o f P e n n s y l v a n i a i n P h i l d e l p h i a , C o r n e l l , i n u p s t a t e N e w Y o r k , i n t h e c i t y o f U t i c a , a n d D a r t m o u t h , w h i c h i s i n N e w H a m p s h i r e . T h e s e c o l l e g e s a l l d a t e b a c k t o b e f o r e 1 8 6 5 , a n d s o m e o f t h e m a c t u a l l y w e r e f o u n d e d b e f o r e t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a w a s e v e n a c o u n t r y . H a r v a r d i s i n f a c t t h e o l d e s t u n i v e r s i t y i n t h e c o u n t r y , d a t i n g b a c k t o 1 6 3 6 .

I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s , t h o u g h t h e y a r e c o n s i s t e n t l y r a n k e d a s t h e t o p e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s i n t h e w o r l d , a l s o c a r r y w i t h t h e m a c e r t a i n s o c i a l e l i t i s m . I v y L e a g u e h a s b e c o m e s y n o n y m o u s w i t h r i c h , s n o b b i s h , p r i v i l e g e d , e x c l u s i v e , a n d i n s o m e c a s e s , c r o n y i s m . I t h a r k e n s a s e n s e o f t h e ” o l d b o y s c l u b ” , a W A S P – y c o l l e c t i o n o f e l i t e s . T h i s s t e r e o t y p e s t i l l p e r m e a t e s t o d a y , t h o u g h m o r e a n d m o r e d i v e r s i t y a p p e a r s i n t h e s t u d e n t b o d y .

I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s a l s o o w n e n o r m o u s s u m s o f m o n e y i n e n d o w m e n t f u n d s . A s o n e m i g h t e x p e c t , t h e s e i n s t i t u t i o n s , w h i c h h a v e a f e r v e n t a n d l o y a l a l u m n i b a s e t h a t h a v e o f t e n g o n e o n , t h r o u g h e i t h e r a b i l i t y a n d t a l e n t , o r c o n n e c t i o n s a n d ” w h o y o u k n o w ” f a v o r i t i s m , t o m a k e m a n y f o r t u n e s . T h e y o f t e n d o n a t e i t b a c k t o t h e s c h o o l w h e r e i t s t a r t e d f o r m a n y , a n d i n t h a t c a s e , b i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s a r e n o w i n t h e s e s c h o o l s ‘ e n d o w m e n t f u n d s . H a r v a r d i n p a r t i c u l a r h a s a w h o p p i n g s u m o f t w e n t y – e i g h t b i l l i o n d o l l a r s , c e r t a i n l y e n o u g h t o c o v e r t u i t i o n c o s t s f o r t h e i r s t u d e n t s f o r d e c a d e s .

I v y L e a g u e s c h o o l s s t i l l p r o v i d e e l i t e e d u c a t i o n s b u t t h e r e a l v a l u e i s i n t h e w o r t h a n d p r e s t i g e o f t h e d e g r e e . I v y L e a g u e c o l l e g e s s t i l l c a n c o n n e c t y o u t o t h e f i n a n c i a l , c u l t u r a l a n d b u s i n e s s e l i t e i n t h e c o u n t r y , b u t t h e v a l u e o f t h e e d u c a t i o n c a n a c t u a l l y b e f o u n d i n n u m e r o u s o t h e r p r i v a t e s c h o o l s , a n d e v e n s o m e p u b l i c a n d s t a t e u n i v e r s i t i e s .

How to Go about Retirement Investment Lessons from the American Rich

November 6, 2009 at 7:00 am

How to Go about Retirement Investment ? Lessons from the American Rich

One of the best ways to be financially stable is look at the growing affluent folk in the United States who earn over $1 million and see how they manage their money and investments. Studying the habits of this group will teach us vital lessons that can offer insights into retirement investing as well. As you may well be aware, this group of people doesn?t just have money but they also treat it differently than the people down the ladder. One of the ways to increase your net worth is to own a part of a business. A privately held business increases your net worth dramatically and can be a great of retirement investing. However, despite the boost in worth, it also comes with major challenges. Having a lot of worth tied up in one investment can be a tough sale. So do you handle this roadblock? Diversify your investments. Most business-owning clients have learnt this and are doing this.

A lot of people who are wealthy own property. In fact, about 40% of the highest net earners own some kind of a real estate that is either a second home or a rental property. While this can be a good retirement investing idea, their real source of wealth is however not real estate. It only accounts for 10 percent of their net worth. Their real worth is in investments. In fact, about 46 percent of all their wealth is in stocks and bonds and this is where a lot of your retirement investing should go. Apart from stocks, it also includes, IRAs, mutual funds and deposits. Other avenues of investment include pensions and 401(k) s and other defined-contribution plans. About 6 percent have invested in insurance.

The real estate market was once a great retirement investing field. However, you would be making a retirement blunder if you tried it now. Another move you are wise to avoid in retirement investing is to have any credit card debts. You need to learn how to borrow money strategically in order to stay out of debt. The goal of any investment is to bring money not to take money, therefore any move that will require long periods of paying out will only lead you on the wrong side on the investment map. The wealthy Americans have learnt this and only about 25 percent have installment debt. Wise retirement investing will ensure that you enjoying your senior years to the full.

The Evolution of the IM Mode of Communication

November 6, 2009 at 4:00 am

The Evolution of the IM Mode of Communication

Instant messaging is described as real-time communication between two people through the internet by means of text. The perceived synchronicity of real time chatting separates chats from other messaging technologies such as email. This means that there is immediate receipt of acknowledgement or reply in instant messaging even when a user is currently logged off. Most instant messaging programs will alert you if the other party is offline and will let you know that he or she will receive your message at logon. Instant messaging also comes with other additional features such as web-cams or audio chatting for free over the internet. With instant messaging programs, one is also able to save the conversation for later reference and this feature facilitates for a quick exchange of information like document snippets and URL addresses.

Today?s instant messaging programs have functions like file transfer and ability to hold multiple conversations simultaneously. In fact, most of these programs incorporate all the functions that a small business would need to work together. Enterprise versions of these programs are used in corporate organizations and improve work efficiency and coordination of tasks, even with remote work groups. Some of the more advanced instant messaging programs have however remained closed networks to one another and they try to avoid the topic of interoperability. However, shareware instant messaging programs that allow for multiple IM networks to connect and share files are getting a lot of mainstream exposure and unless the top players like Yahoo!, MSN and AOL review their products to allow support for other networks, they may well be on their way out.

Looking at the evolution of instant messaging programs over the years, one of the biggest innovations in this field is the integration of text and voice in what is called VOIP. Voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) combines text and audio communication allowing users to receive phone calls from a computer and still chat. It is no wonder that these programs have seen their usage in audio and video conferencing where bandwidths allow for this to take place. Some services allow users to call both the other user?s cell phone and his or her computer simultaneously and the receiver can decide which to pick. Many websites today combine instant messaging with other services they offer allowing them to offer their clients better services such as customer services via chat. In the future, interoperability issues will be replaced with instant messaging programs that offer convenience, speed and simplicity for its users.

1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e

November 6, 2009 at 2:00 am

??1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e

1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e w a s v e r y d i v e r s e . T h e r e w e r e c o n s e r v a t i v e v a l u e s s p r e a d a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y b u t m a n y y o u n g p e o p l e c h o s e t o r e b e l a n d e x p r e s s t h e m s e l v e s b y d r e s s i n g a s  g r e a s e r s  o r p i n – u p g i r l s . T h i s d e c a d e w a s p o p u l a r f o r e x a g g e r a t i n g f e m a l e a n d m a l e a t t r i b u t e s .

1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e i s c a p t u r e d i n a f e w p i e c e s , s o m e o f t h e m s t i l l w i d e l y u s e d t o d a y i n c l u d i n g : t h e c a s h m e r e s w e a t e r , n e c k s c a r f , p o o d l e s k i r t , l e a t h e r j a c k e t , c a t e y e g l a s s e s a n d p e d a l p u s h e r s . T h e s e c l o t h e s w e r e f u n t o w e a r a n d k i d s t o o k a d v a n t a g e o f t h e e a s y a c c e s s t h e y h a d t o t h e m .

T h e p o o d l e s k i r t w a s p o p u l a r i n 1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e . T h e s k i r t g o t i t s n a m e n o t f r o m t h e s h a p e o r d e s i g n o f i t b u t f r o m t h e p o o d l e f e a t u r e d o n e a c h o n e . W h e t h e r e m b o d i e d o r p a t c h e d , t h e i c o n i c p o o d l e c o u l d b y s e e n t o w a r d t h e b o t t o m o f t h e h e m l i n e .

T h e c a s h m e r e s w e a t e r w a s a v e r y l u x u r i o u s i t e m b a c k i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s . C a s h m e r e , w o o l f r o m a g o a t , a n d w a s i m p o r t e d t o A m e r i c a . T h e y c o u l d o n l y b e f o u n d i n s p e c i a l b o u t i q u e s a n d g r e a t c a r e w a s t a k e n t o m a i n t a i n t h e m . N o w , c a s h m e r e s w e a t e r , s c a r v e s a n d d r e s s e s a r e f o u n d i n a v a r i e t y o f s p e c i a l t y a n d d e p a r t m e n t s t o r e s a n d c o m e i n m a n y c o l o r s a n d s t y l e s .

C a t e y e g l a s s e s w e r e a h u g e p a r t o f w o m e n  s 1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e . V e r y f a s h i o n f o r w a r d t h i n k i n g w o m e n a n d s o m e m e n w o r e t h e t h i c k – f r a m e d g l a s s e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e 1 9 5 0  s . E v e n c e l e b r i t i e s w o r e t h e s e g l a s s e s o n s t a g e a n d i n f i l m s . T h e y a r e s t i l l w o r n t o t a l l y b u t t h e f r a m e s a r e m o r e n e u t r a l , e i t h e r b l a c k o r t o r t o i s e , w i t h o u t t h e e m b e l l i s h m e n t s a n d b r i g h t c o l o r s .

L e a t h e r j a c k e t s w i l l n e v e r g o o u t o f s t y l e . I n 1 9 5 0 s c l o t h i n g s t y l e , t h e y w e r e b l a c k a n d s o m e t i m e s f i t t e d . M o s t y o u n g m e n w o r e t h e m w i t h t h e c o l l a r s t u r n e d u p . N o w l e a t h e r i s w o r n i s a v a r i e t y o f c o l o r s a n d f a u x l e a t h e r m a t e r i a l s a r e a v a i l a b l e t o c o s t t h e c o s t o f h i g h s t y l e .

P e d a l p u s h e r s a r e i c o n i c t h r o u g h o u t t h e 1 9 5 0 s b e c a u s e t h e s h o r t e r p a n t s o r i g i n a l l y u s e d f o r c y c l i n g b e c a m e a p o p u l a r a n d c o m f o r t a b l e f a s h i o n s t a p l e f o r m a n y y o u n g w o m e n . M a d e f r o m d e n i m o f c o t t o n a n d o f t e n p a i r e d w i t h f l a t s h o e s , t h e y h e l p e d t i e t o g e t h e r a l o o k t h a t w a s v e r y e a s y t o w e a r .

A m e r i c a e m b r a c e d m a t e r i a l i s m d u r i n g t h e 1 9 5 0  s a n d t h i s s h o n e t h r o u g h t h e c l o t h i n g p e o p l e c h o s e t o w e a r . I n t h e 1 9 4 0 s , c l o t h i n g h a d t o b e s i m p l e a n d u s e f u l b u t i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s , w i t h n e w h o m e s b e i n g b u i l t a n d b u s i n e s s e s e x p a n d i n g , i t w a s a c c e p t a b l e f o r p e o p l e t o s p e n d m o r e t i m e a n d m o n e y c l o t h i n g t h e m s e l v e s .

Getting An Office Building Lease

November 6, 2009 at 1:00 am

Getting An Office Building Lease

If you are starting a business, or you are trying to expand one that you already have, you may be looking for new places and an office building lease that will be what you need. In many cases, you have a choice, as you can usually find a few different locations with space available, but you do have to be choosy. There are quite a few things you should consider when choosing new office space, and also some things that you should ask for in a lease. You may be surprised to learn about what you can and can not get when signing up for your own spaces.

Think about location first when thinking about finding the prefect office space. You do not want to sign an office building lease if you are in a bad spot. You want something with good traffic, and also in an area where you are highly visible to those that are going to want to use your services. If you are already in business and are looking to expand, you are doing quite well already. You may want to look in the same general geographical area. If you are new, do some research and settle into an area with a good track record for businesses.

You want to think about simple things like parking, lighting, and the general state of the neighborhood in question when looking at spaces for your business. You do not want to sign and office building lease in an area with high crime at night, even when things are calm and safe during the day. Customers coming to a business want to have parking and they want that area to be lit at night if you are open during those hours. They are going to feel safer when they can see in the parking lot. Many people skip darkened lots and go somewhere else without thinking about it. It is a safety instinct that most people have.

Once you think you have found a good building, see what you are going to get with your office building lease. You may think these things are pretty standard, but you would be wrong. As with landlords that rent residential areas, each place that has office space is going to have something different to offer you and are going to have different rules about what you can and can not do. You want to find a company that is going to let you build to suit your needs, or even better, one that will do it for you before you move into the space. A company that will do some general maintenance is also a great one, as you do not have to worry when bigger problems occur.

You should also think about time and money when you sign a lease. Of course you want your business to thrive and grow, but can you be sure it will? Instead of signing a five year business office lease right away, think about six months or a year for a new business. You do not want to be locked into something for a long time after your business has failed. You should always think the best and know you are going to succeed, but even the best business ideas can fail for reasons that are out of your control. Once you are up and running and well established, and you are sure you like the area, you can then sign a longer office building lease if you wish.

Color flyer printing provides a cheap, eye-catching ad for your next garage sale or sales event!

November 6, 2009 at 12:00 am

Color flyer printing provides a cheap, eye-catching ad for your next garage sale or sales event!

When you’re planning a garage sale, or holding a sales event at your business, you might first think of advertising in the classifieds, believing that you’ll gain the widest exposure. However, the price of a line in the classifieds has risen recently, such that a single line in a small-town newspaper can easily run $6-7 per line for just 5 weekdays!

Granted, newspapers are having a tough time these days, but so are you! At a minimum of 3 lines, in which to include the goods you’re selling, date and time and your phone number, you’re eating up your profits with a $21 bill before you ever have the sale. Unless you’re willing to pay for another line, it’s hard to make your goods stand out and bring in a crowd. Ever try the color flyer printing method to advertise your event? This advertising technique is an ultra cheap way to reach a far more targeted group of people.

First, let’s look at how color flyer printing works. Color flyer printing is easy and you can create your flier on your computer in just a few minutes. Then we’ll look at some of the best ways to distribute your fliers in judicious locations that catch the eye of the most people who might be interested in what you’re selling.

The color and weight of paper you use for your color flyer printing is important. Which would catch your eye better? A plain white or electric blue or orange paper? Most office supplies carry single sheets of heavy stock paper in a variety of colors for about 5-10 cents a sheet. The heavier papers also don’t tend to get tattered or fly off in a stiff breeze, as do typing weight paper. You can use clip art to advertise a kid’s clothing and toy garage sale, or the church bake sale. Arrange the clip art in a fanciful circular design, or just scatter them over the page. Leave room to advertise the date, time and address, preferably in a bright, contrasting color. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to do color flier printing. All you need to remember is that your main objective is to catch the viewer’s eye. Most passersby will stop to read out of simple curiosity.

Another effective technique to use in color flyer printing is creating little tear-away tabs at the bottom of the page, with ‘Garage Sale’ and your number. This removes the need for a customer to search for a pen and paper. They just tear off the tab and stick it in their wallet or pocket.

What you’re selling and where you place your fliers makes all the difference. Let’s say you’re holding a garage sale at your home. It just makes sense to staple several fliers, at eye level, to telephone poles around your neighborhood. If you’ve got a grocery store in your neighborhood, tack it up on the bulletin board outside the store. Some small shops in your area may allow you to put your flyer in their window, particularly if you patronize their shop ? if you ask politely and promise to come back and remove it promptly when the sale is over. This rule goes for everywhere you place your flyers, so make a list of everywhere you’ve put them up and make the rounds to take them down when your sale ends.

If you own a small shop in a strip mall or in a block of shops, and are holding a sidewalk sale or weekend sales event, ask at neighboring, non-competitive shops to see if they’ll host your flier during the week preceding the sale. Most small shop owners understand the business value of building community spirit. Let them know you’ll return the favor.

Doing your own color flyer printing and custom distribution can be far more effective advertising than the classifieds, at a fraction of the price!