The Perfect Small Business Opportunity
Turn your lazy Sundays into a fun, money making business.
Maybe you are unemployed, maybe you are studying, maybe you are a stay-at-home Mom, maybe you have a job already but need more money, maybe you are retired but miss the interaction with people, maybe you are planning to retire but need a little more income, maybe you are looking for an opportunity to work from home, maybe you just like meeting people….it doesn’t matter what your reason is…the bottom line is - you want to make money, right?
Most employers do not offer part time, temp jobs and if they do, it is usually during the normal weekday business hours, so it conflicts with what you are already doing. This opportunity works best on weekends, especially Sundays!
Ideally, we'd all like a lazy day off on a Sunday. But right now, if you need some extra cash, this is a way you could turn your spare time on a Sunday into a few hundred .... or even a few thousand Rand .... by selling at week-end, or more particularly, at Sunday flea markets.
There are a few good reasons why flea markets are worth considering
First, it's an ideal part time, side-line opportunity and it won't interfere with your weekday income. It's really great for the current economic climate too. Because there are no overheads, such as rent and utilities, this means you have large amounts of walk past traffic for negligible outlay and you can sell your goods at realistic prices and still make a good profit margin. Customers are looking for value for money right now and these markets deliver that, by the bucket load.
The ideal, sunny weather in South Africa makes flea markets a pleasure and tourists flock to these gatherings. With the 2010 Soccer World Cup just a few weeks away, hordes of tourists will be trying to grab all the local treats and where better to find these, than at South Africa’s thousands of flea markets?
Sunday markets are a great way to spend time together, as a family. Take the kids along with you!
Advantages
The timing is perfect! The time is now! Many people earn a full time income just from selling on flea markets. During the weekdays they make, or source new products, ready for the next weekend’s markets. Some enthusiastic stall-holders move from one site to another and cover several flea markets each weekend. Others have employees, or family members doing other markets and this allows them to spread their wings further afield.
A flea market is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to start your own business. All you need is - Sundays free, a car to get there, a table, a product, a desire to get known and make money and a little bit of capital for stocks.
Well, why not get going now? Do it! You can be up and running and making money from Sunday markets in a couple of days. Then you can add Saturday markets, evening markets, home parties like Tupperware does, large offices, factories, expos, trade fairs….the list of possibilities goes on and on.
You will have no overheads, like rent, phone, staff, etc. With this business, all you have to outlay, is for a bit of stock.
Here's what you need to know about Sunday markets:
People buy different things on a Sunday. They tend to buy more luxuries and impulse buys, than daily necessities found in ordinary shops.
People indulge themselves at these markets. They even buy things they know they don’t really need. Typically, people are forced into a routine during the week and this routine usually includes being frugal and saving money.
Weekends and particularly Sundays are different. People try to get out with the family and have fun. This costs money. Just take a look at a few flea markets, this next weekend, to see how popular they are. People spend money there! They have time to waste. They are relaxed. They indulge the kids and they indulge themselves!
This is an excellent place to sell things! Selling things makes money!
What sort of thing should you sell?
You need a gimmick, a gadget, a gizmo, something that appeals to people, something that they feel they need, something that makes a statement, something that adds value to their lives, something that they can boast about, something that can help them, something that the soccer tourists will want.
Now, you can sell thousands of some small and cheap items and make a Rand or two profit, or you can sell something with a higher value and pocket a hundred Rand or so on each sale. You are not going to want to sell big, expensive items, like furniture and appliances and you don’t want to sell something that others are all selling. Perishables are also dicey.
You don’t want to load and offload heavy things and you don’t want to have to use a truck or a trailer. You need something that will fit into a couple of boxes, bags, or a suitcase. Something you can unpack onto a table.
Ideally, it would be nice to be seen as somewhat of an expert, to become a talking point and to answer customer’s questions. Even better, it would be great to be sought out by customers!
Well, the product I’m about to suggest to you, allows for all of the above and more! You can place ads, hand out flyers and business cards and draw customers to you at the flea market. They, in turn, will send their friends. This is business growth! You can expand and employ students or pensioners to represent your products on markets in other towns.
So, what is this?
The perfect product
The electronic cigarette is the perfect product! Assuming it has a good name and is backed up by a reputable supplier (ours is), it is exactly what you are looking for. It is small and compact, perceived to be of high value, is a gimmick, promises to better one’s life, is something tourists will need and allows for a good profit margin.
It is easier to sell something that you use yourself and know about, so if you are a non-smoker, it will be a bit more difficult.
How to get stock for your stall
Electronic Cigarette Suppliers are South African distributors of the world’s very popular and well established ECS range of products. There is hardly any competition with other ECS vendors, in South Africa, as ECS adopts a policy of personal sales, instead of mass marketing through chain stores. Electronic Cigarette Suppliers has a different approach and this is what makes it perfect for you, as one of a few hand picked agents.
This handy device is taking the world by storm. It has been suggested that electronic cigarettes will become as popular as cellphones. They are perfectly legal. ECS have the 2 best models available, the older ECS 4081 and the new 2010. They carry a full range of spares, consumables and accessories, for all models.
Electronic Cigarette Suppliers have a slightly different policy, in that they prefer person to person sales.
Why should the big retailers make all the money? Why should they be able to bully their way into discounts, rebates and lengthy account terms, when everyone else has to pay cash or C.O.D? Why should the end user, have to pay inflated prices, to keep in line with their profit margins? Why should the supplier be solely responsible for damaged stock on their shelves? Why should the shop staff be excluded from any form of product knowledge and training? Why can't they help customers with their problems?
Well, ECS thought it would be better to offer a personal, one on one service. The customer comes first! ECS think its better to set up a network of small, personal, marketing agents, throughout the country. These should be helpful, pleasant people, who want to succeed, who know the product and who see the value of customer satisfaction. This should be you!
Of course, if you are able to sell to shops, or if you have a shop yourself, nothing is stopping you from selling to them. It just means you have one more link in the chain and will earn a bit less.
How much money you can make
It is a well known fact, that “it is the middle man who always makes the most money”. Now you can be that middle man!
There are very high profits to be made. You can easily make between R150 and R250 on each pack you sell. This will depend on the type of pack, the price you sell for and your cost price. ECS have a sliding scale and the more you order, the less you pay.
Let’s assume you sell 10 packs on each flea market. Let’s assume you buy 10 @ R460 and sell these ten on your stall @ R700. That is R2400.00 profit in one day!
That’s not difficult! There are some agents selling about 40 packs a week!
All the information, tips, prices etc will be given to you by ECS, once you become an authorised agent, so don’t worry about that.
Imagine what is possible, if you built up a network of friends and exhibit on several markets?
How to choose the best flea markets
Ask relatives, friends, neighbours and work colleagues, if they can recommend any good markets to you. Next, scour the classified ads in the local papers and do an Internet search, to see what's available in your town. Draw up a shortlist. You can do the same flea market every week, or mix and match, with different ones.
Tip: Do not take a stall at a flea market without checking it out first, in person. Make sure it is well attended and that the stallholders are doing good business.
The secret to getting the best spot
The place where you set up your table, or stall, is also known as a “pitch”. A bit of horse-trading might be needed to make sure you get the best pitch. Some flea markets restrict stalls so that there will never be more than one or two stallholders selling the same thing. Generally, it's great to be the second stallholder - because there will already be an established need, for whatever product it is.
Be ready to negotiate on the position of your stall. Positions near the entrance are always best. That way, you get first dibs at a buyers' cash, before they spend it elsewhere. Then, you still get a second chance of catching them before they leave! At the best and busiest Sunday markets, you might have to go along as a casual trader first and queue up for stalls on a “first come, first served” basis. Once you've got your stall established, you will be in a better position to get the best sites or pitches.
Flea market trading tips
If it looks good, it will sell well. Display is everything. Just look at the beautiful displays of fruit and vegetable in traditional markets. The same applies to the product you're selling. If it looks, smells and even just feels good, people are more likely to buy.
Encourage people to touch and try it out. Don't display your prices too obviously. Put them on the back of goods, or have a list. If people have to pick things up to see the prices they are more likely to buy them. Sneaky but true.
Talk to your customers! Remember Sunday shopping is very much a leisure activity. If you engage with people, they are more likely to come back and buy from you again.
Getting started
Good! So now you are ready to take the plunge. The first thing to do, is to apply to become an ECS agent and get yourself an ECS starter pack and start using it. As you learn how it works and pick up tips on how best to use your electronic cigarette, you can start preparing your business.
You will be amazed at how many people will see you using your e-cig and come over to ask about it. Start making a list of prospective customers. Add the names of all friends and relatives who are smokers and start converting them.
You can choose a name for your business and have business cards and flyers printed. You can go to some of these local flea markets and ask questions. Choose the best market to start with. Find out what the site fees are. Permanent exhibitors pay far less than occasional exhibitors do, so remember to ask about that.
When you have an idea of how many people are interested and you are able to judge how well you will do on a flea market, take the plunge and order stocks from ECS.
A clever tactic is to demonstrate the product and talk to people. When they are ready to make the purchase, tell them business has been brisk and you have completely sold out. Tell them you are waiting for new stocks to arrive. Take down their contact details and promise to call them as soon as the stocks arrive. Once you have a few names on your list and you are virtually assured of the sales, order your stocks from ECS.
Sometimes it is necessary to tell a little "white lie". Tell the people that these packs are selling like hot cakes and you need a deposit to secure the order. This way ensures they are committed and you will not lose the sale.
Ideally you should want to quit smoking yourself. If you can afford to invest a bit of money in your new business, buy stocks. If you can't afford to do so, get yourself a starter pack and maybe another, to show your prospects what a pack looks like and what is included in the pack. Maybe you could invest in a few inexpensive consumables, such as cartomisers and liquid. There are always existing users looking for replacements.
The best part….
Now for the best part! As if this opportunity isn’t already great enough! What is the best possible income source? Regular, repeat business! Passive, recurring income, without having to sell anything!
You see, every sale of a Starter Pack to a user, means that every week, or at least every month, they will need to replace or refill the cartridges. They will call you and order their consumables and you will benefit, for as long as they keep using the e-cig.
Imagine earning an extra R100 or R200 or so, from each customer, every month, without doing any work! It soon snowballs into a huge monthly income and of course, you are still selling more packs at the same time. Then, these people will send you referrals…well, you work it out!
Remember, the more stock you order, the bigger the discount, the less you will pay and therefore, the more profit you will make!
If you don’t act, your dreams will simply remain dreams! Become an ECS agent and start your new business today.
Contact ECS
Contact ECS today!
Register as a customer on our Home Page and buy an ECS 2010 Starter Pack. We will then change your status from public to agent. All future orders will show your discounted prices. We have had to do this, as there are many tricksters out there who sign up to get a free pack, or at least a couple of discounted packs for their friends and we never hear from them again. If you are still an active agent and bringing in sales of at least 10 packs a month, 3 months after your sign up date, we will refund the cost of your first pack purchased from us. Now, that's fair!
So, what are you waiting for?
See our website.
