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path2prosperity
05-13-2012, 05:18 PM
I was awarded a £1000 “Government Enterprise Grant” in the mid 1980s.

I had run my own business since 1970 so it was not hard to show the interviewer that I had some entrepreneurial ability and get on the short list. I had some skills as I had spent the last of my capital on training courses in industrial psychometric profiling.


Did I have a market for my skills in psychometric profiling?.

The test was very elementary. The government gave us enough to send out 1000 leaflets offering our product or service. If ten percent of those leafleted responded, we were on the way. If 1% of those who showed interest bought your product or service, you were deemed as having a market and got your £1K enterprise grant. I was lucky as I was offered a job as an industrial psychometric profiler in an employment agency as a result of the money which the government gave me to advertise my services. I got my £1k grant and a job with a starting salary of £20K pa. which was not bad twenty years ago.

If I had to start a new career at my age, I would consult a RS mate “scratchy” as we have mused about a product line which we would like to get off the ground and market on the Internet. We may be too long in the tooth to launch a "Millionaire's Club" but we can give you younsters some good advice.


Muse on This.

You can buy natural perfumes as essential oils and you can buy turned wood ornaments and widgets. Is there a market for scented wood ornaments?

We know that there is a market for those who like the smell of womens dirty knickers, as they sell on Scamlandpro. I like the smell of horses and waste products from horses stables rather than the smell of human excrement. I smoke but I dislike the smell of nicotine plants. Plenty love the smell (http://www.gardenersworld.com/blogs/plants/plants-for-perfume/3057.html).

Marketing is 1) Identifying a new product line or new service. 2) Finding out to what people would be prepared to pay for it and 3) Resourcinng products to supply to the constantly changing market.

How did flogging crap products and non existant services become known as Internet marketing? The Pied Piper of Hamlyn I assume.

path2prosperity
05-13-2012, 06:05 PM
Hi Scratchy

I met Sam Cook at Barns Craft Fair last year. I loved his range of products and I was the tempted to spend on something which I did not need.

What do you think of the Sam Cook range (http://www.samcookwoodturner.co.uk/)?

If the products had smelled of something enticing, it would have been hard to resist. Any bright ideas. I love the smell of horse but I don't think I would buy dinner plates that smelled of horse. How about coffee or oil of bergamont?

scratchycat
05-14-2012, 03:36 PM
Sorry I missed this yesterday. There should be a market for scented wood ornaments, after all we have wax scented with oils either to burn as candle or just use as a room deodorizer. Don't think I want scented bowls and plates though. :RpS_smile:

I love the smell of some scented natural oils, I use peppermint for several different purposes. I try to keep rose oil around and spray it on my silk roses to scent the room. I love lilac and most floral scents. I am not sure I remember what oil of bergamont smells like. I am not one for those scented candles that smell of baked cookies and peace pie, make me hungry!! Also I used to like lavender but now that they mix it with vanilla it about causes a tummy upset.

The smell of Sandalwood is good also and several of the woodsy scents.

What are we going to sell? I used to put a dab of rose oil on my cards I sent out.

path2prosperity
05-15-2012, 04:05 AM
I realised that I could have given people the wrong impression with my first post about the British Government Enterprise Grants offered in the 1980s with my first post. I did not take a paid job immediately that I received the grant.That would have been illegal and if I had done that, I would have lost the grant.

I became a free lance industrial psychometric profiler when I had established the fact that there was a market for me and my service. I did short tern contracts for local businesses and employment agencial.

However one of the first indudries to suffer when recession bites is recruitment and when the recession really started I felt safer accepting an offer of regulat employment. I loved the job but when one of the directors died of a heart attack I decided to leave. Her widower and co director specialised in the recruitment of British nationals with very specific skills into the UK and to fill key positions and I had no experience with all the legal and administrative work to adjust to that line of work. I decided to go back to work as a free lancer and find more markets for my services.

path2prosperity
05-15-2012, 04:19 AM
We would know if there was a market if we sent out 1000 leaflets and had enquiries from 10% and got a sale from one. This was the rule of thumb test for a Government Grant. If there was a market we would have to start on even more market research to find out what people would pay for the products and then start on the final leg of rescourcing the products to fill the gap in the new market which we had discovered.

You have helped to make it very clear that marketing is not selling. Marketing is knowing what sells in your line of business and knowing what your established customers people would pay for a new line. Well Done You "scratchy"

Marketing is nothing to do with the reproduction of mass produced sales spiel as advocated bby most Internet Marketers.

path2prosperity
05-15-2012, 04:31 AM
Sorry I missed this yesterday. There should be a market for scented wood ornaments, after all we have wax scented with oils either to burn as candle or just use as a room deodorizer. Don't think I want scented bowls and plates though. :RpS_smile:

I love the smell of some scented natural oils, I use peppermint for several different purposes. I try to keep rose oil around and spray it on my silk roses to scent the room. I love lilac and most floral scents. I am not sure I remember what oil of bergamont smells like. I am not one for those scented candles that smell of baked cookies and peace pie, make me hungry!! Also I used to like lavender but now that they mix it with vanilla it about causes a tummy upset.

The smell of Sandalwood is good also and several of the woodsy scents.

What are we going to sell? I used to put a dab of rose oil on my cards I sent out.

The only thing that we could possibly sell sell "Scratchy" are regular newsletters to local householders and businesses about what is not Internet marketing and direct them to places like RS, Eagle and the PPblog.

scratchycat
05-15-2012, 10:52 AM
smell of baked cookies and peace pie, make me hungry!!

Make that PEACH pie!! I remember using one of those candles that smell like cinnamon rolls and everyone that came in wanted to know where those rolls were and I sent around with my mouth watering!!

You have lead an interesting life P2P and I like to hear your stories.

Wait a minute, I sold 2 golf shirts last week with my Carolina Wren on them!! I should spend more time promoting my products than I do but there are other things in life I like better than being a pushy salesperson.