Start Your Own YARD CARD BUSINESS

Summer time is a great time to Start your Yard Card Business as the weather in most places is suitable for constructing and/or Painting signs.  If your summer is filled with activities, start working on a Business plan and wait until early Fall to actually Start your business.

The Yard Card Business is a great venue. Questions you should think about before starting a this type of business:
* Have I researched the Lawn disaply business?
* Do I have a large enough vehicle to carry signs or yard display items?
* Am I willing to deliver the signs/displays after dark or early morning?
* Do I want to make signs from a Start-up Kit or do I want to use the pre-made or plastic props?
* Do I have artistic ability and would I like to paint signs?
* Do I have a plan to market, network or advertise my business?
* Do I enjoy spoeaking with people on the phone?
*Do I have a computer? Email?
* Can I keep good business records?
If you can answer “Yes” to these questions than this may be the business for you.
If you enjoy celebrations this is a great “social expressions” business. If you have a young family, having a business like this helps teach children about responsiblity and advantages of being your own boss. Having a business is a great teacher and motivator for children; they usually love to help. (Depending on your children’s ages you might not want younger ones actually doing the sign painting—you might end of with something you don’t want. (smile).

It is a fun business and a way to make a little extra money and to make others happy.  Recipients usually enjoy the "special" attention and are enjoy seeing a surprise in their yard in the morning.

Do some research on the business and find what type of product you want to represent--there are many choices of Yard Sign businesses. When I started this type of business in 1990--having my roll out date as Valentine's Day 1991, there was very little internet usage and people had to really work to find information.  It is much easier now to research and find what you need.

Marty Miller: Former 21 year owner of Lawn Expressions Yard Cards, Business Advisor, writer, artist and blogger
www.yardcarddirectory.com     www.homeandhealthtips.com   

COLLABORATION in the Yard Display Industry

COLLABORATION : (To work jointly with others) In most businesses, collaborating is very good. You can share ideas, benefit from each other's knowledge, increase the market knowledge of your product and gain more visibility. Many companies worry too much about having other companies in their area. I always liken it to the city corners that have 3-4 gas stations. Who in town has the most business? The businesses close together, so people have options.

In our particular business of Lawn Greetings; if consumers see a lot of signs or yard displays out there--it starts to imprint the idea in their minds for future celebrations. If people rarely see signs or displays then the concept does not become popular. With several companies in your area that makes each company "work smarter, not harder". We are each advertising for each other with consumer product knowledge just by having people see the idea in a yard. Also our ultimate goal is to service customers wanting this type of celebration recognition in their yard and if we cannot help them out, we can refer them to another company. I would welcome several more companies in my area so that I didn't have to work so hard to get the Yard Card idea known. There is plenty of business for everyone, especially when we all work together to help each other. (I don't mean giving away trade secrets or copyrighted materials--just visibility of the social expressions of signs and displays).
     "Life is hard by the yard, but inch by inch, life's a cinch"

NEXT BLOG: COMPETITION   Marty Miller http://www.lawnexpressions.com/
http://www.yardcardirectory.com/