Don’t Pay That Bill – Yet

One of the most enduring kinds of free information available on the internet are e-books. A virtual global library of books awaits you. Visit these sites to get started.

Gutenberg.org: Probably the first creator and distributor of free e-books.  It is run by volunteers and accepts transcripts from volunteer sources. This is arguably the largest resource for downloading public domain literature.  The website states is has “33,000 free e-books to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android or other portable device.”

Manybooks.net: The site’s main source is the Gutenberg Project and contains 28,000 free Ebooks. The site admin helps with formats and downloading books for different reading devices. Manybooks lists The Art of War written in 610 BC, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, as some of the most popular downloads for the year.

Coca Cola founder Asa Candler is often credited with the idea of the coupon. Asa gave out hand written slips of paper for a free glass of Coca Cola in the 1890’s. Around the same time, C.E. Post also distributed coupons for 1 cent off his new breakfast cereal. By 1965, nearly half of all American households were clipping coupons.   (source -www.ticketprinting.com/Article-2006-01-10.aspx)

Coupons are still a great way to market your product. They are simple, direct and everybody understands them. They reward your customers and give them a reason to act, by giving them immediate savings. The basic coupon is printed on paper and meant to be brought to the purchase place and redeemed. You can use them as simple advertisement pieces in any print media.

• Spread your advertising out by printing a regular ad and a coupon in two different areas of the local newspaper.
• Make a larger version on medium weight paper to hand out at tradeshows and special events.
• Print them out on light business card stock and hand them out anywhere you would give out your business card.
• Use them on mailers, thank you cards, and brochures.
• Local phone books often have a cut-out coupon section.
• Your local chamber of commerce may have recurring print publications which contain coupon sections.
• Use a modified coupon which tracks number of purchases resulting in a discount.

Be sure to include basic contact information on the coupon, including your web address. Think about the amount of time you’d like the coupon to be valid, and make sure the expiration date is clearly printed on the coupon. Consider having no expiration date for goods and services you always provide and which routinely function to get customers in the door.