The Business Clowns' Blog

#1 Thing you struggle with...

2007-11-25T19:29:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since we've made a post to the blog...lots of derailments in the last year but alas, those days are past and it is time to get back to the business of growing YOur clown business.

I want to know what is the #1 thing you struggle with in growing your clown business. Chances are what you are struggling with by yourself has already been conquored by another business clown and you can learn from each other.

Post it here..what is the #1 thing you struggle with to grow your clown business...Inquiring minds want to know!

Esther

The Business Clowns' Blog

2006-06-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Business Clowns' Blog

5 Tips for your Business Tookkit

A Clown Business owner IS going to make mistakes...
For the most part, this is OK, but it doesn'tmean you shouldn't learn from others who have made the same mistakes before you.

Marketing is more than buying ad space or designing your business card. Marketing is arguably the most important thing a business owner can do to ensure success, but it requires a few basic tools.

To improve your path to successful marketing I want to share 5 common mistakes other business owners make. Let's learn about these together:

Number 1) 'I can do it all by myself'
As a business owner, we pride ourselves in having business sense and savvy to be able to entertain for a living. Then why do so many clown business owners fail to educate themselves on contemporary marketing?

Just because you have a great show and awonderful bag full of skits, this doesn't mean you are great at marketing. Do yourself a favor...recognize what you are good at and find professional help to get your business marketing on track.

This newsletter focuses on the kind of marketing you need for your business growth, so make it a priority to read the information and participate in the telephone seminars. We stay on top of the latest and greatest marketing information so you don't have to sort it all out.

Number 2) 'Everyone wants my services'
For every market there is a 'sweet spot' that has the customers and profits you are looking for. And it is not by spreading your marketing dollars in every restaurant placemat campaign or local newspaper.
So where is the low hanging fruit in the market you want to serve? Start thinking specifically about who your customers are and where they are located, what do they listen to, where do they hang out, etc.

Get specific and direct with your marketing.

Number 3) 'Buy this...you'll like it!'
I've said this before...people really do not care about your business. They have problems of their own.

What problem or pain is your service going to solve for a prospect? Communicate how you solve their problem and in terms they can relate to and they will come looking for YOU.

Number 4) 'You want me to spend how much?'
Clown business owners often find it painful to part with money and they don't see the value of marketing. They view marketing as an expense rather than an investment.
In reality, even a great service is doomed to fail without good marketing. It's all about getting the right message to the right people atthe right time.

Marketing manifests itself in every part of your business, from the way you answer your phone & the answering machine message to the way you make your presentation, to the way you say 'Thank You'to your clients.

Number 5) 'Plan? What plan?'
A marketing plan can be a two-page hand written memo that basically defines what it is you sell,who you sell to and what are the benefits.
But by merely taking the time, energy and focus to sit down for an afternoon and put together a laser-focused marketing plan, and renew it regularly, you have taken a major step to business growth.

As a matter of fact, those businesses who do take the time to make up a marketing plan will see at least a 30% increase in their business, accordingto the Direct Marketing Association.

The Business Clowns' Blog

2006-03-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

10Tips for Starting a Clown Business

10 Tips for Starting A Clowning Business
Having a home-based business is never easy. From
advertising to zoning, there is always something
that will require your attention.

I get asked a lot of questions from people who
are just starting up so I thought I'd put
together a quick 10 point list of tips.

These are ten tips to help keep you focused on
your quest to make your home-based entertainment
business a success.

1. Set a schedule and keep it. The allure of
working from home is powerful -- but so is the
appeal of spending more time with your family or taking a
nap in the middle of the day.

Set a schedule for your workday and sticking to
it is critical.

--Does your schedule have equal portions of
"working IN your business" and "working ON your
business"?

2. Set up a dedicated office area. You can't
effectively run a business from your kitchen
table.

A successful business requires a fully equipped
home office. If you have an extra bedroom,
consider converting it into office space. If you
do not have an extra room in your home,
try setting up a partition to create an office
area.

--Is your work space creating a relaxed,
energetic area from you to work from,
or is it Clutter-city USA?

3. Be professional. One of the perks of running a
business from home is having the
option of working in your pajamas, but your
customers should not be able to tell
that you just rolled out of bed.

Maintain normal office hours and a professional
demeanor when answering your phone or dealing
with customers.

--Are you answering your phone with a well
scripted greeting for your business?

4. Advertise. Just because "if you build it"
doesn't necessarily mean they will come.

To succeed, you will need to advertise your new business.
Advertising and marketing don't have to be
expensive, but they have to be done.

(Check out www.ClownMarketingTips.com for
great marketing resources)

Best places to advertise are highly targeted
media, like Kid Directories or Family magazines.

--Does your advertising focus on YOU or on the
solution your prospective customers are looking
for?

5. Familiarize yourself with tax laws. You are
about to enter a whole new world of taxation.

To avoid ending up frazzled on April 15th, take
the time now to discuss your options with your
accountant or another qualified professional who
can advise you about your tax situation.

Check out www.TheTaxMagician.com for some great
tax advise for entertainers.

--Do you have an effective process for keeping up
with your tax obligations on a monthly basis?

6. Check with your zoning commission. Make sure
there are no zoning laws that will prevent
you from running your business from your home.

7. Formulate a business plan.

Where do you want
your business to be in six months?

How about in five years?

Many small business owners mistakenly think that
a business plan is only necessary if they are
going to have to get a loan. But businesses of all sizes can
use a business/marketing plan as a roadmap to
success.

--Have you updated your business plan with your
goals for the next 90 days?

8. Get on the Web. The Internet is the single
best way for your business to reach
out to prospective customers.

Even if your business isn't "e-" anything, you need to be on the
web with a website that can function as an online brochure or, even
easier, join the www.ClownsForHire.com website for great exposure.

--Have you purchased your business name as a dot
com domain?
--Have you joined ClownsForHire?

9. Do your research. You may think that your idea
for your entertainment business is unique.

But unless you do some market research, you won't
know whether or not your area is already
saturated.

Market research can help you find a special
angle for your service, giving you an edge over
your competitors.

--Have you developed a USP (unique selling
proposition)?

10. Don't get discouraged. Many businesses fail
simply because their owners got discouraged after
a disappointing trial period. You will have to
show grit and determination to make your business
succeed.

Hang in there and do all that you can to
make your business the success you know it can
be.

--Don't be a Lone Ranger...even the Lone Ranger
had Tonto! Do you have a business coach?
_________________________________________________
Business Coaching
(find out about our 90 Day Success Program
with one-on-one coaching!)
www.ClownMarketingTips.com/clowncoach

2005 Accomplishments and Celebrations!

2005-12-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on what you DID accomplish in 2005!

You know, we tend to get to the end of the year and look back at what we DIDn't get done...how about if we stop and take a look at what we DID get done! And then let's celebrate it!

Here's what I looked back at for 2005 in terms of accomplishments (they don't have to be all business related!):

Increased my business by over 38% with some creative ideas
Started to learn how to play Cajun accordion
Created a whole new show for a new target market
Played racquetball just about every Tuesday for physical fitness
Helped over 2000 other business owners with marketing tips and information products
Built a "clubhouse" for the kids that we have been dreaming about doing for over 5 years
Hired a wonderful bookeeper!

whew....that's got me ready to start celebrating and enjoy looking back at some of the successes for 2005, just to name a few!

So go ahead...add your list of 2005 accomplishments and tell us how you will celebrate!

I'm going to celebrate with a Hot Stones massage with my massage therapist and my favorite cup of Decaf Latte at the coffeeshop next door.

Oh yeah...we are really splurging here!

Here's to you Celebrated successes for 2005,

Esther

www.ClownMarketingTips.com

Have You Encountered the "Golden Handcuffs" yet?

2005-11-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

I was once speaking with a good friend of mine and fellow performer, Steve Hart, on the topic of changing markets within my business.

He warned me about the "Golden Handcuffs"...I didn't really understand then what he was talking about, but I sure do now.

See, as my entertainment business grew beyond the capacity of me being able to take all the bookings, I had to start booking other entertainers.

But I would ONLY book them if I could not take the booking myself.

Then one day I suddenly realized that the reason I left corporate America was because I was working way too many hours and not spending enough time with my family.

So now, as an entertainer, I was booking every gig I could possibly get. It meant I was working every weekend and most days of the week too.

So how was this different that working for corporate america?

Well, I did set my own schedule or at least I did agree to it when I took the booking. But how could I know 18 weeks in advance that I would miss my daughters Big Wheel race in order to do Johnny's 5th birthday party?

I had to do some soul searching and decide what was I going to do with this business growth...and that's when I understood what Steve meant when he talked about the Golden handcuffs.

I had created a "new job" for myself and could not say no to a gig!

Here's how I fixed it...

I put together a marketing plan that would get me more gigs during the weekdays and would set only certain weekends per year that I would do the birthday parties. I would book all other weekend events thru the other entertainers who really enjoyed having me act as a booking agent for them!

And so...I started turning down the weekend gigs for myself and starting booking others for the weekend work.

I remember my first weekend without "work" during the normally very active month of July...I felt like I was supposed to be somewhere and had missed a major appointment...and then, I started to relax, and enjoyed the fact that I was now making money while staying with my family! What a win-win situation!

So how about you? Have you exerperienced the Golden Handcuffs as an entertainer yet?

Esther

You CAN make a living doing the thing you LOVE!

2005-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I never would have dreamed it was possible...to actually be making money, real money, doing the thing that I love doing! Clowning is one of those "passion of the heart" things...few of us start out in our income-earning years by saying "I want to make a living as a professional clown".

Clowning is one of those things you discover about yourself! I don't know if it's that inner-child mumbo jumbo or whatever, it's just a discovery you make about yourself that you really enjoy this thing.

My first experience in clowning was on a short term missions trip to an orphanage outside of Mexico City. I absolutely loved it and felt a calling in my life to do more with clowning, like getting professional training!

Ugh...when I look back at my first costume and make-up job...it was really terrible! But those little orphans loved it and we had a great time. If I am going to do something, especially in a ministry role, I think God wants me to put my best foot forward. And so I set out to get the best training I could find locally.

That's when I found the Ohio Clown College in Hudson Ohio and a great mentor in Bob Kreidler, the headmaster. Bob taught clowning as a true art form and performance, teaching us to play big and not rely on props or technical skills like magic or ballooning to truly develop your character and "play" within your clown personna. Thanks Bob!

Anyhow, that's what started my clown business...so tell us...what is your "clown story"? How did you get started clowning and what have you learned along the way?

Bump your nose and blog your experiences here! Inquiring red noses what to know!

Esther

Clown Marketing Institute
www.ClownMarketingTips.com