Why I stopped writing a rental business newsletter

Hi Everyone,

Greg and I just returned home from the IAAPA show. The show was basically the end of a year long plan to make some big changes in our lives.

About this time last year we took a long hard look at where things were going and neither of us was real happy with what we were doing. I'm not going to get into all the details yet but to make a long story short, we had 3 divisions of PartyZone Entertainment and we expanded all of them too fast. WAY too fast! Actually, any one expansion might have put some extra stress on us....but all three was just way too much to manage. Unfortuately rapid growth doesn't always make you money...if you do it wrong, the bigger you get....the more money you can lose.

So, last November, we re-evaluated the business and our priorities. Then we put a plan in place to get the things back in our lives that we looked forward to when we got married.

The margins are so low on sales that I put new sales completely on the back burner. And we stopped game manufacturing completely. Then we spent the year cutting expenses and making changes to turn things around for the rental company. It took us about 10 months to get things back on track which really is amazing but we had a lot of guidance from other friends who had gone though the same thing. Are we out of debt yet? Nope! But we're on our way and our primary goal is to get completely out of debt this next year.

The final part of our life priorities was to spend more time traveling together. Once we got the rental company turned around we started putting it into a package to offer for sale. We actually closed on a partnership right before the show. Our new partners have already taken over the running of the company. We'll still be involved for a couple of years but eventually they'll be buying us out completely. The last few days in Florida have been a blast. We spent a lot of time introducing one of our partners to our friends and seeing IAAPA through his eyes was a blast!

Remember your first time at IAAPA? Everyone does...and if you haven't visited a show yet, I highly recommend it. I don't believe there is any other industry where business owners share the good and the bad as much as they do in this type of business. Chris probably learned more about the event business in 4 days than he could have on his own in months.

This was only the 3rd time in 16 years that we haven't had a booth....the show is SO much more fun when you're not really working :).

One of the things that was so flattering to me was all the people who asked why they haven't gotten a newsletter. WOW! I didn't realize anyone would really notice. You know, it's hard to write an upbeat newsletter when you're stressed about money. It's also hard to admit that you make mistakes. But, if you're ever in the position of wondering "where the money went this year" please know you're not alone. When I started opening up and telling people what we were going through I was swamped with people telling me they've experienced the same thing at one point or other in the growth of their business.

Watch for my next newsletter. I'm in the process of putting together a package that tells a lot more of what we did to turn things around...AND the things I should have done to avoid getting in the spot in the first place. Hopefully it can help others avoid the same pitfalls.

In the meantime....about the show! Thankfully it's finally back in Orlando again! The weather was wonderful, the hotels were great and it's SO much easier to get around in Orlando. It was a decent sized show although I didn't see a lot of new and unique items. Inflatables keep getting cheaper and cheaper each year though. In fact, we bought an obstacle course with a rockclimb slide for less than we were selling the obstacle course two years ago. There were a lot of stock sales with some great prices. I truly believe that if you're going to buy at the show, stock is the way to go. The plan to buy and get your stuff shipped in March hasn't worked well for a lot of us. It just never shows up on time. The majority of companies showing this year had stock available to ship.

Here are some items left over from the show that still have fantastic pricing. There are still a couple of each left but once they're gone, pricing goes right back up to the regular price.

Save an EXTRA $50.00 on this unit if you purchase today!

Save an EXTRA $50.00 on this unit if you purchase today!

Save an EXTRA $100.00 on this unit if you purchase today!

The above unit prices are based on cash discount pricing and do not include blowers or freight. If you'd like to purchase using credit card via paypal , just let me know what you want via email and I'll send you over an invoice. I'll need your shipping address with a phone number.

All three of the above items are great rental pieces. I really don't think you can have enough water slides...even in a shorter season like we have in the midwest. Some insurance companies don't allow pools so make that call before you make your purchase. I talked to a friend that has over 30 slides at the show and he still needs more. That ought to tell you how popular they are.

OK....That's it for now! I have 10 days of work to catch up. Have a great day...and don't forget to watch for Part 2 of this newsletter.

Cheryl

Partyzone Entertainment

www.partyzone-sales.com

How to Grow Your Party Rental Biz

Well...if you read my newsletters at all....you'll know how I feel about this. 90% of my sales marketing is done through a newsletter....and 75% of my rental marketing. I'm always amazed when people tell me they don't think a newsletter will work well for them. Why not? You're an expert on entertainment....don't you think people could use your help?

Setting up a newsletter is fairly easy. You'll need a newsletter service with an autoresponder. I use Intellicontact for mine. It's very easy to set up a form for sign ups on your website.. Sometimes it helps to offer an incentive. Maybe a chance for a free party or something. Just make sure that if you do this...follow through and actually give away a party. That's just one more story for your newsletter.

I actually do two different sets of writings. When people sign up for my pricelist they get a series of preplanned emails that tell all about our business. I write these one time....and you can write a year's worth of short letters if you want.....they go out at a preplanned time to the customer.

Then....you have your actual newsletter. I usually do my rental news about once a month although my goal this year is to be way more consistant with my newsletters. Decide what your goal is when a customer subscribes to your letter. Is it a quick sale? A possible customer who will tell others about you? A great rental? Probably your goal will be all of the above.

And you can achieve the goal easily if you do the right type of letter. Keep your letter informative. Offer information beneficial to the customer. You might offer theme party ideas, decorating ideas or tips on specialized parties. BUT...in addition to tips...you want to drive the customer to your website or get them thinking about doing business with you...AND you want some quick sales from your newsletter.

Here's a format that might work: Write a generic letter listing some entertainment ideas for different types of events. Change events for each newsletter so there's always something to look forward to. Include games, recipes or anything else your readers might enjoy. Include some links to affiliate products you sell...books on planning parties, decorating websites, kids games.

And finally....focus a couple of paragraphs on specific items that you offer that might be beneficial to your customers.

Everytime you talk to a prospective client, make sure you ask permission to add their email to your newsletter list. I add about 20 a week to mine...and you'd better believe it's a great way to promote your business!


Tips for increasing profits this week:

Set a monthly expense budget...not to be broken under any circumstance!
Do it right the first time! Don't cut costs if it's going to mean a project won't be done right. Look for quality in all that you do.
Save on Ink and Toner....have you realized how much we spend on ink each year? Go to one of the new Ink refill places that seem to be showing up everwhere...and save a fortune on your printing costs.

That's it for today! Watch out for our next newsletter for tips on Blogging for $$$$.

For more info on growing your business, visit Grow Your Party Rental Biz

Building a Youth Ministry the Fun Way

As youth group directors know, it can be a tough job to teach, inspire, guide, mentor and reward the good behavior in today's youth. Whether you're a youth pastor or a youth organization director, it can be challenging to successfully attract and keep the targeted youth in your area or even reward existing members. To get and to keep their attention, you'll need a high level of interest, interactive entertainment and the ability to associate something FUN with your church or organization. Whether it's a small youth event or a huge community festival-fundraiser, you want to offer fun activities that keep the youth wanting more!

Inflatable games and other interactive items offer that cutting edge interactive entertainment experience. Games like the Big Glove boxing, Sumo Wrestling suits, Gladiator Jousting, Bungee Runs, Giant Slides, Mechanical Rides are something that the average youth doesn’t have access to unless it’s at a fair or festival.

Using this type of safe yet challenging equipment is something that can attract youth from all around your area.

Are you planning a lock in? How about a Halloween Alternative Event? Or perhaps a New Year’s Eve Party? The object of all these type of events is not only to offer safe, Christian alternatives to outside events, but also to show that being part of a Christian Youth Group is anything but boring.

There are two ways to offer inflatables and interactives to your youth. Most organizations start out by renting their equipment.

As you’re looking for a company to help you with your youth ministry, you’ll want to ask some specific questions!

• Does the Company Specialize in these types of activities?
• Do they have clean cut representatives that will help at your event if necessary
• Can they be flexible to your needs? (Pick up and Delivery at your needed times)
• Do they offer a discount to Christian Youth organizations?
• Are they fully insured?
• Will they work with your budget?

These questions and others can help you find the right company for your organization. You’ll also want to find out what kind of equipment they have to offer. You’ll be looking for bright colorful equipment and a fairly large assortment of games. Since the average youth tends to want to try different things, it’s important to be able to offer different items for each event.

As your youth organization grows larger or if you have the opportunity to share equipment with other organizations, you might want to consider purchasing your own equipment. Many times this offers an opportunity to keep your costs down while actually helping other youth organizations with their ministry.

Many Youth Ministers have found that owning their own inflatables not only gave them a great tool to work with their youth ministry, but also a means of working with other groups in the area.

Researching interactives for your ministry can be a fun and educational experience. Along with company websites, you can also find Blogs and even Squidoo sites that will help you with your plans.

If you try inflatables and other interactive games to boost your youth ministry, you’ll be thrilled with your results, and so will your youth!


Cheryl Pierce, through her company PartyZone Entertainment has enjoyed working with youth ministries for over 15 years. For information on purchasing equipment, please visit her website: www.partyzone-sales.com. If you’re interested in renting equipment in Indiana, please visit the rentals site: www.partyzone-rentals.com. Or call 317-838-9406

Start a Bear Stuffing Business

You’ve seen them in the mall, the lines of kids and parents waiting to make their own bears or dogs or rabbits. Stuffing your own plush has become all the rage in the last few years.

But, have you every thought of starting your own stuffing business? One that you could take to fairs, festivals and even home parties?

The profit potential is enormous. Your complete cost for the stuffed skins is $2.50-$5.00 and most skins sell for $15.00-$20.00 each. And of course there’s all that profit you can make from the clothes and outfits that go with the skins.

You can get started for less than $5000.00. And this is for a portable machine and an assortment of skins and costumes. Insurance is inexpensive for this type of equipment…which is really nice when you consider how much insurance is for other party rental equipment.

So, where can you use your unit? The possibilities are tremendous…fairs & festivals, church events, schools, colleges, birthday parties, corporate picnics….the list goes on and on. And the nice thing is that the Bear Stuffing Process is so much fun that every time you set up your equipment you’re going to have people asking how they can get you to come to their event.

Every school and organization is looking for a good fundraising program. Offer to set up your stuffing machine for a huge school event or carnival. Donate a percentage of each sale back to the organization. You’ll be making money, advertising…and doing a good service for a local organization.

You basically get paid to advertise!

You can also contract with party rental companies in your area to subcontract your Stuffing Machine for their parties. Generally you’ll give them a 15% commission from the rental. A good Party Rental company might book your equipment once or twice a month.

The only additional equipment you’ll need is a vehicle that can hold the equipment. Since units range from small ones that will fit in the trunk of a car, to large ones that require a van for transportation, the vehicle should not be a problem.

Other than brochures and some basic display grids to showcase your skins and costumes, there are very little start up costs.

So…if you’re thinking party rentals but don’t want to go the route of purchasing all kinds of equipment…specialize! And start a Stuffing

Party Rental Marketing Tips

What do you do when you need to market in the winter...and you have NO extra money? Well, that seems to happen to many of us. Our answer is to use internet marketing.

I don't mean just Google and pay per click although these are great ways to market. But another really great marketing technique is called "article marketing".

Article marketing is a great way to get links to your website without having to pay for it. It's fairly simple. You write an article about party planning, parties, picnics etc. It doesn't have to be long, only around 500 words. At the bottom of the article you add your name and company info. Also a link back to your website.

And you start submitting your article to ezines. Probably one of the best is Ezine Articles. Another I use quite frequently is Go Articles. Now, keep in mind that anyone can use your article as long as they include your contact information.

Google pays alot of attention to Ezine Articles when it's ranking websites. And anytime someone else picks up your article it's just one more way to link back to your website.

Another great marketing tool that doesn't cost a dime is to write a press release. You can actually submit press releases online that can get picked up by different newsgroups...again, increasing links back to your site and therefore your page rank goes up.

Your press release can also get picked up by outside sources and end up in print magazines. So....start writing!

Wow...you learn something new every day!

I tried a blog for awhile...but to be honest, I kept forgetting to post on it. But tonight I learned about something really cool. So I'm going to try the blog thing again.

Hopefully most of us are using adsense to increase our website income...but did you know that you can make a lot more money if you use the right search words? For example....corporate team building pays about 5.00 a click...whereas moonbounce pays about 5 cents.

It kind of makes you stop and think, doesn't it?

I don't have time for anymore tonight, but I'd love to hear if anyone else is targeting specific high paying keywords.