Our friend, local community supporter and amazing healer and chiropractor has suffered an incredible loss... and we're asking for your help to support her business during this difficult time. Last week, in British Columbia, the earth shook, and created a landslide that wiped out Dr. Lynn Migdal's lakeside home, killing her two daughters and ex-husband, buried in the rubble. We can't imagine the overwhelming grief Lynn must be experiencing. Our intention is to allow her time to grieve the loss of her beautiful daughters and ex-husband in this unimaginable tragedy. Dr. Lynn, as she is known, is an entrepreneur. Without our support, she may lose her business as she struggles to make sense of this unbelievable turn of events. Please help as you can.

Short Story Ideas - How To Have Them

Hopefully, when you want short story ideas, you don't sit there waiting for Inspiration. It's better to write anything, and do it right now. English writer Graham Green attributes much of his success to a simple habit: He forced himself to write at least 500 words daily, whether he felt like it or not. Perhaps creative Inspiration can strike at any time, but it strikes more often when there is work instead of waiting.

What do you write though? Here are a couple new ideas for generating new short story ideas.

Explain This

I once created a car travel game called "Explain This. " Someone suggests an unusual scenario in a sentence or two, and then each player explains it in a plausible way. It's an entertaining way to pass the miles, but also a great way to come up with short story ideas.

Just start with an odd scene, anything that pops into your head. You might start, for example , with "Todd handed out the dollar bills to the people as they walked by, trying to distribute as many as he could quickly, before the police could stop him. " Now explain that. Our minds insist on explaining things, so you'll find an explanation if you try. If it's interesting enough, you have your next short story.

As I look at the scene in my mind, I imagine the dollar bills are signed or otherwise identifiable, and they can be traded at a big seminar for a gift worth even more. A person could spend it and get a soda - or get something truly valuable for it. Maybe this will go in the marketing ideas file instead of the short story ideas file.

Maybe Todd is handing out the last of his money as per the instructions of his spiritual leader. Could it be a "get rich quick" cult that requires all members to start from zero? A religious movement based on getting rich? Someone could make it into a plausible story.

Short Story Ideas From Combining Stories

Here's a fun technique that is hopefully useful, but is at least worth a few laughs. Just combine old stories into new ones. The less similar the stories you start with, the better. The story of Adam and Eve combined with "I Robot, " for example , could lead to an interesting new story. Maybe a pair of robots start a new world. "Original sin" might be the arising of their own consciousness, or their rejection of man as their master.

Hmm... "The Miracle Worker" and "Gorillas In The Mist? " Struggles of an ape that learns at last to speak and be independent? "Star Wars" and "Cool Hand Luke? " The story of a man who livens up the deathly atmosphere of a penal colony in space? "Frankenstein" and "Gone With The Wind? " The possibilities are endless. Start cranking out those new short story ideas.

Marketing Basics

Rifle Approach

The least expensive marketing approach is the rifle. Businesses that choose this approach are able to select their target market (niche group). Developing a compelling message to address the audience is the next step. In some circles, this is 'Direct Marketing'.

Identify the target market's lifestyle and demographic related markets for your business. The target market could consist of the following:

· Women
· Men
· Professionals
· Homemakers
· Middle-class
· Upper-class
· Age groups

You get the idea. Of course , not all niche groups fit every industry.

Addressing Your Market

To target your niche group, start with identifying resources that can supply the target pathway for your message.

· Print advertising
· Direct mail
· E-mail marketing
· TV or radio broadcast
· Web site

Take time to research magazines that specialize in your industry. Even the Internet provides a variety of resources to hunt down and analysis your target market. Resources like these can give you fresh ideas of effective direct marketing techniques.

Besides Direct Mail: What other vises are there?

There are other useful tools implemented to drum up business. Of course , what you use and how you use it relies highly on the industry your in. For instance, a professional wouldn't put a banner outside of his/her office to draw up business. But a fitness professional may find a banner outside of the club works wonderfully.

You have to find the commercial materials that work best for you. Here are a few suggestions:

· Banners promoting special events
· Product freebies like videos and CDs
· Accessories with your logo (coffee cup, note pad, pen, etc)

Marketing Tips

Be open to collaborating with other establishments that offer similar services or products, but not identical, is an excellent way to build business for both. Again, this depends on your industry. The best blend is in the example of the CPA and Bookkeeper. Although CPA's do handle business bookkeeping, a partnership would eliminate some of the workload on the CPA and allow for time to pursue other aspects of business.

It's like adding another benefit to using your services or products with an outside company. Apply these few marketing basics and you'll boost visibility, cuts down on marketing expense, and increases business.

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