This is the kind of business that might grow out of a
conversation over a couple of beers at your favorite tavern.
Imagine for a moment this scenario: Someone suggests that the
owner should sponsor a summer picnic or softball game. The
question then comes up as how to advertise it, and someone
suggests bumper stickers. And the basics of a very lucrative
business are set in motion.
As you consider this idea for a source of income, your first
decision will be whether to first line up the people willing to
“wear” the bumper stickers on their cars, or the business owners
who will want to advertise in this manner.
A good friend of ours started such a business several years ago,
and he found it easier to sell the business owner by telling him
that 100 to 200 people were all set and willing to wear his
bumper sticker advertisement, because such people were known to
be in the area.
All this boils down to a recommendation that you talk to your
friends, neighbors and co-workers first. Get as many of them as
you can to agree to “wear” a bumper sticker. You might offer to
pay $10 for three months, or $5 for six weeks. With inducement of
money just to put a bumper sticker on their cars or trucks, you
won't have too many turndowns. One person we know runs an ad in
his weekly shopper newspaper, advertising the fact that he pays
money just for “wearing” a bumper sticker. And of course, don't
overlook the pulling power of all the bulletin boards in your
area.
This is an ideal business for constant free publicity writeups in
your local newspapers, plus interviews on radio and TV talk
shows. At first, you'll want as many people as possible to “wear”
bumper sticker ads. What you'll want to stress in any publicity
write-ups or media interviews is the fact that you've got the
“vehicles for exposure” lined up and organized so that any
potential advertiser needs only to give you a call, and you can
launch his advertising program immediately.
