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PC BIZ of the MONTH
Excerpts from the book, "101 Computer Related Businesses",
Copyright 1994 by Michael A. Tims.
Biz-15 BUSINESS CARD DESIGNER
It is no longer necessary for business persons to wait several days
in order to have a printer deliver a new batch of business cards to
them. With a computer, business card design software and a laser
printer, you can turn out professionally done samples or even short
runs of business cards in minutes. Add a digital scanner and by
scanning in a client's old business card into the computer, it can
be edited; rearranged; graphics added, moved or edited; and samples
printed in minutes.
A business that creates instant business cards can fill a niche by
advertising and producing business cards overnight. By offering
overnight service you are able to charge premium prices.
Your customers will include sales people, business owners,
suppliers, realtors and just about anyone else trying to earn a
living and needing business cards to establish and maintain
contacts with other people.
Commercial printers charge anywhere from $20 to $50 per thousand
business cards, one color - standard size. By teaming up with a
local printer, you could do the layout and design work for your
client's business cards and deliver camera ready copy to the
printer almost immediately. The camera ready copy is used by the
printer to create printing plates from which he can print the
business cards. This process is much faster than the usual process
of printing business cards and makes for overnight turn-arounds.
This, of course, allows you to tack on an additional fee for the
speedy service which the client is usually happy to pay.
You can usually tell when an idea is a money-maker. The franchise
and business package sellers come out, big-time. Some of their offers
are legitimate and some you must look over carefully. As with any
company or service mentioned in this book, you must do your own
investigation. The businesses and services mentioned in this book
are neither endorsed nor recommended by the author. They are
mentioned to aid the reader in obtaining further information.
Following, is a list of companies not only offering business card
supplies, but franchises, software, and more:`
Color-Fast Marketing Systems, 9522 Topanga Canyon Blvd.,
Cabworth, CA., 91311.
Kustom Cards International, @19 Walnut Ave., Vinton,
A., 24179.
Express Business Cards Plus, 652 Bair Island Rd., Suite 306,
Redwood City, CA., 94063.
Cards NOW, 6401 Odana Rd., Madison, WI., 53719-1158.
Jet Paper Co., POB 860, #205, Everett, MA., 02149.
Kustom Cards Int'l., Inc., 219 Walnut Ave., Vinton,
VT., 24179.
Tomarrow Advertising Products, 4060 Peachtree Rd., Ste.
D-328, Atlanta, GA., 30319.
In addition to the many commercial programs designed to help create
business cards, there are special software programs called SHAREWARE
programs which also aid in the design and creation of business cards.
One such program is a shareware program called, "Business Cards".
Other SHAREWARE software programs which could be used to aid in
designing business cards are, "City Desk", Envision Publisher", and
"Picture This". See Appendix A for disk numbers, etc.
When thinking about a computer for such a business, you will find
that because of the heavy reliance on graphics programs as well as
design progrrams, spreadsheets and accounting practices, a 386 based
CPU with an added math co-processor (or a 486 with a built-in math
co-processor) would be recommended. Prices for the 486 CPU and even
the faster "Pentium" (aka 586) have been falling rapidly. At the time
of this writing, a fully outfitted 486 multimedia-ready computer
hovered around the $2000 mark, with the Pentium in the $2500 to $3000
range.
When running Windows programs, or in this case graphics intensive
applications, a lot of dynamic memory (usually called RAM-Random
Access Memory) is used. If you were just using the computer for
wordprocessing or other light duty tasks, 2 MB (Megabytes) of 70-ns
(nanosecond) or faster RAM would be minimal. Most PC's, nowadays,
come equipped with motherboards capable of holding 32 MB or even 128
MB of RAM. Start out with at least 8 MB of RAM and expand your system
as the need arises.
Graphics programs produce large files and most require a hard
disk with a lot of storage capacity. Whatever amount of hard disk
storage you were thinking of, double it. Think of 200 MB of hard
disk storage as a starting point, with larger drives of over 1
Gigabyte not being out of the question.
Besides the computer itself, additional office equipment might
consist of a dot matrix printer which will probably suffice for most
printed output you would have for in house use, memos, etc., although
for more professional looking letters or if you will be doing your
own advertising circulars, that you may be sending to prospective
clients, a laser printer would be preferable. The newest models for
personal use have up to 600 dpi (Dot Per Inch) resolution and carry
street prices less than $1000.
Other office equipment you may want to consider might include a
FAX machine to be able to send and receive your business card designs
etc., directly to and from your clients without having to wait for
the regular postal service or even for over-night priority mail.
One of the new FAX/modems might be an even better addition to your
computer set-up than a stand-alone FAX machine. A FAX/modem is an
electronic device that connects a computer to the phone line (much
like a plain modem) and enables the computer to act as a FAX machine.
A FAX/modem can be an internal type called a FAX board that plugs
into an expansion slot inside your computer. External FAX/modems are
more costly but are easier to connect to your PC. In either case,
the FAX/modem allows you to send a file as a FAX document to any
stand-alone FAX machine or to receive a FAX document which can be
viewed, stored as a file, or printed out on your printer.
A telephone answering machine which can sense the difference
between FAX transmissions and voice may also come in quite handy
in the home office, although you will probably want to have a
second phone line installed to promote a more professional image.
A second line would also cut down on personal call interruptions
during your "working" hours. If you have the phone company install a
second line under their "teenager line" program, you might not have
to pay extra for a commercial hook-up or service.
In addition to the special business card design software you will
need, the basic business software requirements for a business of this
type would consist of the usual word processing, database, accounting
and personal and business income tax preparation software.
As with most of the business ideas presented in this book, I feel that
properly selected SHAREWARE (try-before-you-buy type software) will
prove to be more than adequate for all your basic business software
needs. Using shareware when you are first starting a business can
save you hundreds of dollars in start up costs. I have found most
shareware to be as good, if not better, than high priced commercial
software packages.
For word processing software, I would recommend either of two fine
shareware programs. The first is "Super WP", an excellent WordPerfect
clone that has many features superior to the commercial program.
The second is "PC-Write", said to be one of the finest
wordprocessor programs available at any price.
A database program is usually needed to keep track of customers,
client data, mailing lists and many other forms of data, etc. The
shareware program, "PC-File", is an excellent shareware database
program that has features such as custom report writing, letter
writing with mail merge, data analysis, plus charts and graph
support. "PC-File" also features dBase III and Clipper
compatibility, should you ever wish to write a custom application
for your business.
Every small business needs bookkeeping software to keep track of
income and expenses. What they don't need is a full blown
accounting package that takes more time than the business itself.
The shareware program, "Medlin Accounting", is an easy to use,
time saving IRS approved single entry bookkeeping system which is
more than adequate for the small-to-medium sized business. It
features a general ledger module, an accounts receivable module,
an accounts payable module as well as an inventory module.
Another financial program I would recommend to any small
businessman, or individual for that matter, is the shareware
program, "Checkmate Plus". "Checkmate Plus" is an easy to use,
yet powerful, checkbook style, double entry accounting system
which will also print checks on either laser or dot matrix
printers.
Spreadsheet programs are sometimes required by the small business
and I would concede that the industry leader is the commercial
program, Lotus 1-2-3. However, an excellent clone to Lotus 1-2-3
is the shareware program, "As Easy As". Menu-driven for easy use
yet a very powerful spreadsheet program. Features 8192 rows by
256 columns, dBase III import/export, macro playback, dot matrix
and laser printer support, worksheet linking, charting and much,
much more.
Communications software for use with telephone line and computer
modem is often needed by the small business. By using
communications software, the home based entrepreneur is able to
access remote computers, informational databases, bulletin board
services (BBS's) client's computers, etc., right from his/her home
office over the phone lines. This makes many high tech businesses
able to be run successfully from any place a phone can be
accessed.
The full featured shareware communications program I would
recommend is "Procomm Plus Test Drive". This time-proven shareware
offering of a commercial program will prove perfect for most of your
communications needs, and has such features as a 100 number dialing
directory, script file capability and support for most major file
transfer protocols including XMODEM, TELINK, and COMPUSERVE B.
However, If you should purchase a fax/modem for your office, many of
them come already bundled with communications software.
For more information on these and other shareware, as well as commercial,
software programs mentioned in this book, see Appendix A.
***************************************************************************
Michael A. Tims is the author of "101 Computer Related Businesses" as well
as the syndicated column, "PC Biz of the Month". Mr Tims is a full time
high school mathematics teacher, but still makes time for several computer
related businesses of his own. Write him at Matco Electronic Publications,
POB 509, Suite 100A, Roseville, MI., 48066-0509 or Email him on American
Online - MTims48021@aol.com
"101 Computer Related Businesses" is available on floppy disk, as a
virtual book, (AVAILABLE NOW IN PAPERBACK) directly from the author for
only $29.95 + $3.00 s&h. State disk size preferred when ordering on floppy.
An abridged copy is available for free downloading from his own, MATCO BBS.
Have YOUR computer call HIS computer at 1-810-774-2315 (8-N-1).
Also, if you have access to the World Wide Web (or AOL), visit his Internet
page and download -- FREE catalogs -- FREE reports -- FREE software -- and
much more at: http://members.aol.com/mtims48021/matco.htm