Home-Based Business - Classified Advertising Newspaper

Classified Advertising Newspaper

• Start-up cost: RM5,000-RM10,000
• Potential earnings: RM30,000-RM50,000
• Typical fees: Ad space generally sells for anywhere from RM4 -RM500
• Advertising: Cold calling, neighborhood bulletin boards, flyers
• Qualifications: Energy, selling skill, word processing capability
• Equipment needed: Computer, laser printer, copier, fax/modem, light table
• Staff required: No
• Handicapped opportunity: Yes
• Hidden costs: Printing can get costly if you don’t know what you’re doing. Be sure to ask your printer how you can keep production costs down
• Lowdown: Did you know that the classified ad section of the newspaper is the most carefully read section? Classified ads, taken together, are big business—and people do pick up and read publications that are classifieds-only when there is something they want to buy or sell. Persistence and a certain eye for detail are the main ingredients you will need to produce your own classified-only newspaper and circulate it. Selling the ads requires a love of that vital business activity. Putting the paper together will demand word processing skills, though not much in the way of design or layout. You will need to develop an effective method for circulating your newspaper; often such publications are distributed for free (although your existing competitor, Kuala Lumpur Classifieds is charging RM1 per copy) where there is high foot traffic.
• Start-Up: You’ll need a location where people can come to purchase ad space (rent can start at RM350 per month). If you would like this to be fully home based, you must have an excellent communications set up (telephone, fax, e-mail) .You’ll need adequate computer equipment for the production side of your enterprise (add another RM2,000) and will need to set aside cash for producing the first six months of issues (RM10,000). On the upside, if you promote your paper and make sure it gets distributed in the right places, you could make RM30,000 or more per year just printing classified ads.
• Bottom-Line Advice: You’re really building an enterprise out of your own energy and sense of business push. No one tells you when to go out selling, how to arrange your material, or where to distribute it. So you’ll have a real sense of ownership and pride, supported by happy customers who return to you because your newspaper has helped them complete the sale of what they’ve advertised. On the other hand, this is a lot of work for one person. Your commitment to complete each issue will be tested and tested again—and if you’re turning out a substandard product, your customers will notice.