Producing "How-To"
CD's & Newsletters In CD ROM Format
Minimum Start-Up: $2,500
Average Start-Up: $5,000
Revenue: $20,000
Profits: $12,000
One Person Business: YES
The CD is entitled: "This CD Can Make You Filthy Rich",
and it's
about producing how-to CDs - a concept whose time has come. At
$15 each, plus $3 shipping & handling, the producer of this
CD
will gross $18,000 selling 1,000 CDs.
The production cost is quite small. The
audio program was
written by the producer who brought the script to a "Narration
House" where a professional announcer does the voice recording
using a professional studio.
NARRATION HOUSES
You can order radio commercials as well as other "voice"
recorded
programs to be produced by so-called "narration houses".
This business is usually run by a professional
announcer who owns
or has access to a professional recording studio.
Just send your script to a narration house
and have them record
it for you. The amount you are charged depends on the length of
your material and the type of tape on which you want your "master
copy" recorded. A 30-minute material may cost you $450.
THE INTERVIEW FORMAT
Another popular format for a How-To CD is what we call the
"Interview" format.
This is where the author or producer of
the CD is interviewed on
a subject in which he or she is an expert.
Since this format is prepared on a "question
and answer" basis,
it is relatively easy to structure, allowing for a more logical
presentation of the ideas the author wants to cover.
With this format, the author can prepare
30 to 50 questions
which, together with the answers, can be edited down to a 30 to
40 minute program.
depending on where the interview is produced,
this format may
cost less than a straight presentation where the bulk of the work
uses the voice of a professional narrator.
YOUR MARKET
In a "How-To" project, it is always recommended that you
select
your topics based on your expertise or access to information.
From a marketing standpoint, it is equally
beneficial for you to
be familiar with the market to whom you expect to market your
How-To CD.
If your topic is very selective, use direct
mail to market your
CDs. If it is an extremely popular topic that can be promoted on
TV, use 60-second TV spots or print ads.
PRODUCING NEWSLETTERS ON CD
Minimum Start-Up: $2,500
Average Start-Up: $10,000
Profit Margins: 50% - 75%
One Person Business: YES
Brandell Communications is currently developing a newsletter that
will be released on Compact Discs, mailed to you once every two
months.
The subscription rate is $195 a year. (Our
production cost:
around $3 per CD. With 6 CDs a year, our total cost is $18 per
subscriber.)
Instead of print or video, we have decided
to tap the CD market,
the fastest growing communications media.
OPPORTUNITY SEEKERS
To offer a subscription to this (still unnamed) newsletter, we
are running full page ads in opportunities magazines, as well as
implementing a direct mail campaign.
Our initial marketing thrust will be directed
at individuals
seeking to start their own business, or a second source of
revenue.
The BizOpp market is at a strategic crossroads
where new economic
opportunities intersect with our growing disenchantment with
conventional employment.
This market thinks! And it is quick at
recognizing new
opportunities. This is why we decided that the growth of How-To
CDs depend on the variety of titles available.
WE CAN REPRESENT & SELL YOUR CD TITLES
While we are selling subscription to our newsletter, we offer
customers the opportunity to purchase other CD titles.
We also have a regular New Titles ad which
lists new PowerGuides
and How-To CDs available.
Every time we send out a newsletter and
a catalog, we include
your CD on our title list and orders are sent directly to you.
We do not take a commission or a percentage of your sales.
Your customer's orders and payments come
directly to you. You
fulfill the orders and keep the money. We will design and print
your ad for you.
CREATE YOUR OWN NEWSLETTER
We will accept advertising from those of you who plan to produce
your own CD newsletter.
Producing a newsletter on CD allows you
to collect subscriptions
in advance, which is extremely helpful in generating cash flow
during your start-up stages.
Producing a newsletter give you a continuing
link with a market
that shares your common interests. Consider also that the
interest factor for a newsletter in CD form is quite high.