stories and new ideas for your products and services

Schmoozing.

And you may ask yourself,
well, how did I get here?
-David Byrne.

You've got a business, or a sideline, or a passion to decorate with Balloons. You're wondering how you can started and about making that first step and getting in on the game, or you've done pretty well although you'd like to do better. Or you've been tapping out the market and wonder if there are any opportunities that may have been overlooked.

Either way, you need to network, and fast.

Perhaps advertising is the way to go, or perhaps you just need to get your foot in the door........

Probably the most fun you can have in marketing is the first face to face. If you scope out your target, and take the time to learn about him, it's amazing what you can acomplish.

The first gig I decorated, was through knowing and connecting with the right person, rather than beating my head against the usual channels. In this case I was a friend of someone who worked within the bartending/nightclub circut.

Apart from having an instant line to get profiles of the various establishments, and access, I found one crucial piece of info. The owner's birthdays.

The end result was an instant "in" to one of the better clubs on the local circut as well as a great source for references from the owners of other clubs that would come by from time to time.

Much of this is probably no news to most already in the business, but is often times overlooked it seems in favor of ads, "network" affiliations, and other typical approaches-or so it seems-since none of my targets to date have ever been approached for any decorating work. If this sounds other- wise basic for you, you're right.

It is.

Send any of your decorating
stories/tragedies/exploits/sucesses/observations
for posting to Montgomery Gabrys/mgabrys@netherworld.com