Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I `d like to tell you about my business I just formed and how it works and please let  me know what you think. Any comments, ideas, suggestions, critiques, etc are encouraged.

 

The business name is DoorMat Media, LLC. We offer an advertising vehicle that I feel is very unique, DoorMat bags. You provide us with your marketing material (pen, magnet, cd rom, casino chip, etc) or we can design & print a 5.5x8.5 full color glossy, double sided advertisement for you. Whichever way you choose, we will package your item along wth other local and national companies into our DoorMat bags (a thick plastic bag with DoorMat Media info printed on it) to consumers homes in Connecticut. Great alternative to direct mail as we charge a fraction of the cost of direct mail. Also provides a way to deliver promotional items that cannot be delivered cost effectively elsewhere. To begin, we will reach approx. 196,000 homes in Connecticut in 57 towns. Minimum run with you providing item will be just 500! For 5.5x8.5 piece, minimum run is 5000. To begin, I do not have it set up to offer promo items mysef, but am searching for a company to join as a reseller. Thoughts, questions? Thank you for reading....

Hi - Just as an observation - huge numbers of not for profits hold single or multiple events every year and probably about 75% of those attending are repeats.  Being in the golf industry, I`ve seen them primarily at golf outings. Their budgets aern`t small but the creativity and lack of effort to shop causes them to have "give aways" that most already have or will end up re-gifted or whatever. Only on ocassion have I seen a group go the extra mile.  If you could come up with something golf related or casino night related, you have thousands of organizatins to target.  I have some thoughts, but nothing concrete - yet.  Let`s talk if this makes sense.  Rick    

 

I guess I`m missing your goal. That`s OK.  I`ll read it closer and if it make sense I recontact!

 

OK - here are my initial thoughts-

 

1. Your concept is a variation on  "valu pak" (which is delivered by the post office)  and a couple of others, so you need to be clear on the "differentiators".  If "price" is the primary one - then you need to be sure that you can deliver for less than the competition.

 

2. Your business model may need some further development, to the point where you have a complete set of basic financial documents.

 

3. If you plan to hand deliver these (as I infer from your post) then manpower will be a significant consideration.

 

I`m not saying this is a good or bad idea - I don`t have enough information. On the surface is is intriguing.

Yes it is similiar to ValPak, the difference being you can have us distribute things that cannot be sent in the mail, promo items for your company etc. Also, ValPak is pretty stale after all these years so it give advertisers another option and a better chance of being read. Direct mail pieces can be delivered in the bags for much less than mailinging them. Price is .10-.12 per

 

Regarding distribution: I have already contracted with a local newspaper with a circulation of approx. 196,000 to do the deliveries for me (distribution is obviously the hardest part of doing this) So eventually I will need to put my own circulation department together but to begin I can use them.