WAHM Forums

Has anyone ever done this locally, and charged like $5 per x amount to assemble and distribute them?


For example, I dothe packs and they can include anything they want. But I still have to assemble them, pay for the bags that include them, maybe make a cute phone directory, and then place them in stores around the city. It's going to take me time to call and get permission.


Thoughts? smileys/smiley36.gif


Debbie

Debbie,

I don't have a clear understanding of just what these are. What are they
used for? For mom's only? What's in them...?

Thanks,

Nondy

I think, it's like a coupon envelope you get in the mail, but with samples.


So like you'd have a lotion pack from Mary Kay with her biz card and a flyer. And a Boomering Link from Discovery Toys with biz card, flyer, and a small sample from a food company, etc. They are all in a bag that you give out.


Have you ever gotten one of those envelopes in the mail with the cool coupons? Some people toss them, but I always rip it open and make 2 piles. keep and discard. Same idea, with samples and distributed a little differently.


Debbie

I know what you are talking about. I think that its a great idea, but it will like you said take a lot of work.Are you going to be doing from wahm? or just in general?

I haven't given it all that much thought, to tell you the truth!


Some things to think about.


Thoughts?

Well if you are going to do from wahms, then I would suggest only1 rep from each company represented. You could do this several times a year, that way you could alternate people out.


You would basically be creating sample/advertising packets. Each rep would send you a brochure/catalogs/biz card and sample of a product, now keep in mind you will need ALOT of these per company. Say you are going to do 30 packs, you would need 30 of each thing from each person. Have a deadline set for getting items to you, so that you can seperate them and get them into envelopes etc, and get them labeled and shipped out.


Thats just some things off the top of my head.

Well, Im not sure why anyone who pay for this when you can do it through the mompack for free.


Plus, you won't be able to call them mompacks. The MomPack offers a completely free service for its members and if they find out you are charging people and using the mompack name they wil not be happy.

Hey Debbie, I think it's a good idea. Especially if done locally. I would love to be able to just run a box of stuff over to the person doing it, in order to save shipping charges. Plus, for me, the MomPack is a little overwhelming. I would love to have a person just say, "Yes, I'm open to your company, please bring over XX amount of items you want to put in the packs. I also like that it is local. I'm a lot more interested in purchasing from someone local and I think others would be too. Also, you would be the one distributing, right? Uh..yeah! Sounds good to me!


You've got my gears turning myself now Debbie! smileys/smiley2.gif

I was thinking more local too, originally. The fee would cover labor, packaginh and marketing, and I wouldn't call it mompack.


If i come up with a format, I'll share!


Debbie

I love this idea!! Yes, please share if you come up with a format!





Carrie

I have never heard of MomPacks and I didn't know anyone was doing this already, but from reading this post, here is what I've come up with:


Call up other reps in your area and see if they'll do this with you, but with each other's current customer list....


Like say Judy is with Tupperware and she teams up with Sara from Mary Kay and Sally with a candle company. They tell each other the number of 'kits' they need for their customers.


Let's say Judy has 30 customers, well Sara and Sally will give her 30 samples and Judy can make up an envelope with some info on Tupperware's current special with a letter that says "Since you are such a valued customer, I wanted to let you know the specials that Tupperware is running. As you know, I am a work at home mom and I appreciate your business. I also wanted to throw some support to some other work at home moms I know, and I thought I would include some samples they agreed to so graciously donate to my best customers" or something like that.


Then Judy will give Sara and Sally 30 samples each and they can send 'kits' to their customers as well.... Make sense? Everyone gets some free advertising and your customers will feel pampered and special!!

Wow Snowbug. I really like that idea. It's wahms networking together. I am going to have to really think about this one. LOVE IT!

I know that many of the reps from my company make up treat bags to leave around town with their business info in it and to give to waitresses that type of thing.

I don't really have any input on this but I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. I would pay to put my info in packs that someone I trusted was going to distribute, most definitely.


But, to 2gr8kids I have to ask......Do you watch Dragon Tales??? I've seen you post a couple times and have "LOVE IT!" at the end and every time I read it I can hear the girl dragon (the girl side of the 2 headed dragon on the Dragon Tales cartoon) saying LOOOOOVE IT!!! I'm just wondering if I'm watching so much children's tv that I'm reading in cartoon voices,lol. Or if your children watch Dragon Tales too and when you type that you are saying it to yourself the same way I am??? Ok, forgive me if that sounds totally stupid but I couldn't help but find out,lol.


Debbie, let us know what you decide to do with the sample packs or whatever you are gonna call them, since Lord forbid, you can't call them Mom Packs, lol.

I love this idea, Deb- let's come up with a cool name for them! I'm thinking........

hmmm heres a name...The Mom Pack!


This is not a new idea. Join ther mompack fillers group. Hundreds of members that will distribute these for free. Plus you can request fillers from other WAHM's and distubute them locally yourself.

I don't think shes trying to take any biz away from the mom pack, simply trying to do something in her area.

don't think she is trying to take biz away from the mompack either, Iguess I just don't like the idea of someone taking the idea and charging for it when the whole point of the mompack is to offer FREE support to moms. And everyone keeps saying "oh great idea debbie!" Well this isn't her idea ;)

Ok, well obviously we aren't all going to agree on this, and I don't want to lock the thread, so lets keep it nice.

Deb was tossing idea out there to do locally and she already stated she hadn't heard of mompacks.. there are a lot of people who do not do work on the internet, and do this sort of thing without knowing about the online group. Good luck with what you do Deb. My experience with fillers is nothing.. Nothing usually comes form them.





deb

hmmm heres a name...The Mom Pack!


This is not a new idea. Join ther mompack fillers group. Hundreds of members that will distribute these for free. Plus you can request fillers from other WAHM's and distubute them locally yourself.





smileys/smiley36.gif


nope, she's right!


The best ideas in life are not original. smileys/smiley36.gif


My non-original idea was to do this locally, but then I love to support my online friends, so I was trying to see how I could help everyone.But in all honesty, unless I have a relationship with someone, then I would buy locally myself, so it may not do much good for anyone.


Do you know how much a business pays to go in a coupon pack?


Anyway, it's to take a combination of the "Mom-pack" and the "coupon Packs" I get in the mail. But instead of giving them at parties (in all honesty, I wonder how many people will actually give them out or if they get stuck in the back of the car and forgotten about), I would go around to businesses and they could offer them to their customers.


Yes, free is sooooooo nice!


But, I need to pay for my resources: Packaging, it's gonna cost me something to make these presentable, time, gas money, selling the idea of them to the businesses--"look, here is something you can give your customers as a service". Not all of them will jump on board.


The goal is to reach out and beyond. It would most likely be all local vendors, I do have a network group.


The $5 fee would cover my costs and possibly a little of my time.


So they would be on a basis of the Mom Pack, but kind of like how Burger King "copied" McDonald's. smileys/smiley36.gif


So I really wonder how the Mom Pack does it. haven't done much research, but I doubt that they are loosing money doing it as well. Their time is worth something.


I'm not looking to get rich, but if I'm doing the work, I need to get paid, even if it is minimal, which it would be.


Just my thoughts.


Maybe I'd call it NWP, NetWork Packs or LAHM--local at home mom, or LAHB, local at home biz packs.


Hope that helps. smileys/smiley36.gif


Debbie

Aahhh, I see how they make money. They set themselves up as a non-profit and hired themselves as staff. Though their rates are very reasonable and I recommend advertising with them! They sell advertising and hosting.They also are not putting together the mom packs, they are just a resource to get you in touch with others.


Pretty cool service they are doing. It's great to see them helping others. I need to spend some more time on the site. I'd heard of them, but never looked into it.


Basically, this is how it works. I'd say, I'm going to do a mom pack! Who wants to be involved? And you'd mail me your stuff, probably cost you $4 - $10 depending on what you wanted to include to mail it. And then I put it together and distribute them. It's very nice of me. smileys/smiley36.gif


Doing it locally, you wouldn't have to mail stuff. And I was also thinking about including a magnetic directory in the front of the pack. So everyone inside would be on a convenient magnet. I'd probably do a few other things to make it stand out too.


Lots of thoughts. smileys/smiley2.gifBut really, I'm just brainstorming.


DebbieEdited by: littledb

Debbie, all I have to say is can I be involved???? I think it is a wonderful idea, and yes, I think it's your idea because it's different than "mom packs". Of course, I'm kinda prejudiced toward you anyway smileys/smiley2.gif


Here are my thoughts on the mom packs. That site is overwhelming. I looked at it when this all came up and there is so much going on there that I don't even want to ATTEMPT to try anything with them. I'm not sure how well it's working for anyone doing it. I like the thought of having my samples or coupons in a bag that is given out at a store or other organization. I think it would reach more people that way than giving them out at parties. I think that it would be great for you and build even stronger relationships with businesses in your area for you to work with them when things came up. I don't know if I'm making any sense but I do know that if you decide to get this ball rolling that I would gladly pay to have some of my info in their and coupons and such. And would rather do something like that with you than spend hours on that mom pack site trying to figure out what in the world I was doing.


Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Krystal.smileys/smiley36.gif


I'll help you get one started in your area too once I get it going.


Debbie

Deb,





Let me know too please!! I always enjoy your posts cause your family is so precious!! smileys/smiley17.gif


I love this - I have also thought about starting a coupon book that is pink just for WAHM mommy businesses.


check this out...http://www.ourtownamerica.com/sponsor/magnet.php

Hi Debbie,


I just wanted to let you know I think a local pack is a great idea. It's consistent and that is the key to getting results. Many people don't see results with the Mom Packs because it takes more than once to see a company name before you buy, right? And by the time they see that name several times, it's with another consultant.


I try my hardest to get their attention in the mom packs, I offer a great deal or something for free so they won't pass it up and I do get results.


I hope you don't mind me stealing your idea! smileys/smiley2.gifI'd like to organize something like this in my local area. I've been networking with other work from homebusinesses and I think this is a great way to get yourself out there without going the expensive route of a coupon pack. I think $5 would be a very nominal fee for having to organize everything and pay for packaging and time and gas to deliver to businesses.


Best of luck to you ~ I know it will work out great!

Im interested in this as well..smileys/smiley2.gif

First of all let me say, I love the Mom Pack group. I'm not that active
with them, but it is a HUGE group & great resource. Of course, any
time you have Moms supporting Moms it's awesome! I haven't participated
in the filler/mompack program. I've hesitated, because as has been
mentioned, it's overwhelming. I don't even know where to begin. I'm
sure someone would help me, but I haven't asked for it. Personally, I
would be very selective about who I send my fillers to. I would rather
develop a relationship with one person, or a small group who I trust to
get my fillers to where they say they are going. Also, some moms may
not be interested in reciprocating. They may be just starting out and
not have a large base to give packs to, or may be too busy (or lazy!
LOL) to put them together. They love the idea of getting their biz info
out there, but aren't into doing it for others. Nothing wrong with
that. They could just pay and be done with it! The idea behind the
mompack is to exchange fillers, and put out packs yourself, while others
are doing the same across the country. Like I said, that is WONDERFUL.
But, I don't think Debbie's idea of doing it locally, FOR others, for a
small fee is wrong. I would feel like I have more control over how my
fillers (which cost me $$) are being handled. Just watch what you call it,
like you said you will, and how you market it online, so you don't step
on their toes. Keep us posted! I would be interested if you decide to
accept them from other areas!



Jennifer


Edited by: happymommy

I meant to mention another reason to be selective of who you send
fillers (especially catalogs)...I remember years ago, there were a
couple warnings about a lady who was visiting forums asking for
multiple catalogs from reps. She said she was including them in packs,
or passing them out (I don't remember). Well, she posed as a rep,
collected "orders"

and payment, and kept the $$. I don't think this would happen in a
group setting, because membership is required. But as far as just
sending stuff out to random people online, I'm very careful. I'm sort
of getting OT, but just trying to say why it may be nice to have a
relationship w/ the person handling your fillers vs randomly sending to
those requesting them.