Iggy's New Business

[Iguanadon]

Hey Gang,

I teased many of you with a comment a few days ago that I was in the process of starting up a side business.  It has nothing to do with scrolling, so I felt it appropriate to discuss it in this forum space.

So... as many of you know I live in a beach community (Carolina Beach, North Carolina) and in the 3 years we've lived here I've kept my eyes open for various business opportunities.  Well, 33 days ago on Oct 10 I came up with the idea that sounded perfect and I ran it past several friends and handful of local businesses asking them to poke holes in the idea and they weren't able to.

If you've ever traveled and visited tourist based cities across the country you've likely seen a "fun" or "cartoon" map of the city/town with advertising by local merchants. (see attached examples)  Whenever Mrs. Iggy and I go on vacation to a new city, the first thing we grab is one of these maps in order to navigate around and see what the town has to offer.  There isn't one currently available for our town and island and I saw a huge need because the primary destination point for tourists is the boardwalk area and we have dozens of other businesses beyond that area that are "hidden gems" or simply not known to exist.

So... I came up with Coastal BizMaps and my tag line is "Let us put your business on the map... Literally." (see business card attached)

It's been a whirlwind month as once I come up with an idea, I run with it... at full speed.  LOL  So, from Oct 10th, I tracked down the artist that does the majority of these types of maps, got him working on a mock-up of our island.  I met with a local accountant and small business mentor and filed for my LLC company and got it set up last Monday.  I joined the local Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday and today I finally had a chance to get out and start selling ad space and I was able to sign 7 of the 80 available spaces, almost 10% in 1 day.  I'm beyond excited that it's being so well received.

The maps are 11"x17" and will be in pads of 50.  I've arranged with local hotels and real estate agencies that handle weekly rentals to include a map in their Welcome Package when tourists check in for their visit.  They'll also be at all local merchant locations, the town hall, welcome center, etc, etc.  My initial printing will consist of 50,000 maps and will print more as needed.

I truly want our local businesses and our town to thrive and I see this as a very positive step towards helping to achieve that.

The great thing is that the overhead and startup costs are minimal and after this first year of establishing a map in a town which requires a lot of legwork, future years will be much simpler.  Now I just need to get about 8 or 10 other beach towns started up next year.  :-)

Anyway, this has been my excitement the past month in addition to my puzzles.  Oh, and my full time job.  Which I'd love to be able to ditch if I get about 6 of these maps going in various beach towns along the NC and SC coasts.

Wish me luck,

Iggy

[Rockytime]

WOW! You are off to a great start. I owned and operated my own business for 30 years. There is some satisfaction in being your own boss.

[Scrappile]

Iggy, I wish you all the success.  I know you will succeed, you have the drive, ambition and brains to do it..... When do you start selling these maps as scroll saw, puzzle patterns!?   Seriously, I think it is a great idea.  Go get them!

[Lucky2]

Iggy, my dad and my mom's uncle used to sell these type of items, they sold them right across Canada. They would go out on sales trips for two weeks to cover an area, then they would return and get the products made. Dad didn't make a lot doing it, but my mom's uncle is a millionaire. This is the only thing that I've ever known him to do, that could be considered a job. Good luck with this venture, I hope it's a very successful one. But now that you've let the cat out of the bag, I hope that no one steals your idea and signs up other areas you were interested in. Do you only intend to sell to coastal areas, or are you interested in selling to all types of towns? When dad and Vaughn used to go out on a sales trip, they never spent any money on meals or lodgings. They always bartered with businesses for whatever they needed, and they didn't believe in staying or eating in dives. Oh no, they always stayed and ate at the top ranked places, and sometimes, they even took their wives with them. When they did that, they had to barter for two rooms and four meals three times a day. This can be a very profitable business for you, but you do have to be willing to work at it. There was another line of items they sold also, they were more for hotels and motels. They sold the telephone type of indexes, that you used to see attached to the bottom of the rooms phone. That line has died off because of cell phones, but they got into something else to replace those items, I just don't recall what they were.

Len

[wombatie]

I would hate to be in your head it must go full speed 24 hours a day.   Congratulations on the new business and I wish you full steam ahead. 

Marg

[Iguanadon]

5 hours ago, wombatie said:

I would hate to be in your head it must go full speed 24 hours a day.   Congratulations on the new business and I wish you full steam ahead. 

Marg

LOL, you have no idea just what a jumbled mess it is in my head all the time.  But it keeps things interesting.  Next up is my french fry stand at the boardwalk.  ;-)

[Iguanadon]

6 hours ago, Lucky2 said:

Iggy, my dad and my mom's uncle used to sell these type of items, they sold them right across Canada. They would go out on sales trips for two weeks to cover an area, then they would return and get the products made. Dad didn't make a lot doing it, but my mom's uncle is a millionaire. This is the only thing that I've ever known him to do, that could be considered a job. Good luck with this venture, I hope it's a very successful one. But now that you've let the cat out of the bag, I hope that no one steals your idea and signs up other areas you were interested in. Do you only intend to sell to coastal areas, or are you interested in selling to all types of towns? When dad and Vaughn used to go out on a sales trip, they never spent any money on meals or lodgings. They always bartered with businesses for whatever they needed, and they didn't believe in staying or eating in dives. Oh no, they always stayed and ate at the top ranked places, and sometimes, they even took their wives with them. When they did that, they had to barter for two rooms and four meals three times a day. This can be a very profitable business for you, but you do have to be willing to work at it. There was another line of items they sold also, they were more for hotels and motels. They sold the telephone type of indexes, that you used to see attached to the bottom of the rooms phone. That line has died off because of cell phones, but they got into something else to replace those items, I just don't recall what they were.

Len

Very interesting Len, small world that your dad and uncle did a similar thing.  I'm having a fun time with it here in my home town.  With it being so new to me and still figuring out the sales pitch, etc I'm happy to be close to home, but I look forward to the road trips to other towns to kick future maps off.  I like the barter idea.  LOL  I was thinking of doing that with the local donut shop here... 2 apple fritters a week for a year, get a free ad.  ;-)

[ChelCass]

Spoiler

 

Smart idea.  I know those maps well having traveled all over the U.S. and Canada.  I love the maps, great color and detail.  I wish you all the luck in the world and please keep us posted on your progress.  You know in your spare time you could make up some attractive key changes and magnets with of the area and sell those.  Endless possibilities!! 

[Scrappile]

Actually, just looking at you pictures again I notice it is Whidbey Island.  Was my family's most favored vacation spot when I was growning up, and then my folks retired there.  I do not think there is a place on the that island that I haven't been.  And in my youth years the salmon fishing was terrific.  

Edited November 13, 2017 by Scrappile

[meflick]

Congratulations Iggy.  Hope it goes well for you.  

[orangeman]

PERFECT!!!!!

There is a demand for this all over the USA.

In one restaurant where I live I see the  business card thingys embedded in a table top via epoxy. But not the map!

Your concept would be perfect for restaurant place-mats.

Franchise it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of luck in your new venture and keep us posted.

bb

 

[Rob]

7 hours ago, Iguanadon said:

Very interesting Len, small world that your dad and uncle did a similar thing.  I'm having a fun time with it here in my home town.  With it being so new to me and still figuring out the sales pitch, etc I'm happy to be close to home, but I look forward to the road trips to other towns to kick future maps off.  I like the barter idea.  LOL  I was thinking of doing that with the local donut shop here... 2 apple fritters a week for a year, get a free ad.  ;-)

Whoah Iggy!  too many apple fritters and we'll be renaming you "P"iggy!

Rob

[Iguanadon]

7 hours ago, orangeman said:

PERFECT!!!!!

There is a demand for this all over the USA.

In one restaurant where I live I see the  business card thingys embedded in a table top via epoxy. But not the map!

Your concept would be perfect for restaurant place-mats.

Franchise it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of luck in your new venture and keep us posted.

bb

 

Hey Brian

I'm waiting for the owner of the local pancake house to come back from vacation to discuss with her using them as placemats.  I have mixed feelings about it though... that's a LOT of maps... I plan on printing 50,000 to start with, having no idea how many I'll actually need.  I don't think that's enough to use as placemats, so I'm going to ask her to simply have them right on top at the checkout counter so everyone can grab one as they pay and leave.

I'm very excited about this.  And I just received my first check for an ad!!!  I had a couple of businesses sign the contract yesterday that will pay me this Friday, but receiving my first payment was great.  1 down, 79 to go (80 advertising spaces total front and back).  I have verbal commitments for 7 spaces so far in just 2 days of "selling".

Oh, an no "P"iggy... the donut shop wasn't interested in placing an ad... darnit.  LOL  But I did buy a fritter while I was there.  :-D

 

[orangeman]

3 hours ago, Iguanadon said:

Hey Brian

I'm waiting for the owner of the local pancake house to come back from vacation to discuss with her using them as placemats.  I have mixed feelings about it though... that's a LOT of maps... I plan on printing 50,000 to start with, having no idea how many I'll actually need.  I don't think that's enough to use as placemats, so I'm going to ask her to simply have them right on top at the checkout counter so everyone can grab one as they pay and leave.

I'm very excited about this.  And I just received my first check for an ad!!!  I had a couple of businesses sign the contract yesterday that will pay me this Friday, but receiving my first payment was great.  1 down, 79 to go (80 advertising spaces total front and back).  I have verbal commitments for 7 spaces so far in just 2 days of "selling".

Oh, an no "P"iggy... the donut shop wasn't interested in placing an ad... darnit.  LOL  But I did buy a fritter while I was there.  :-D

 

Scott,

The donut shop..... , well I won't  go there.

maybe they would place an ad if you gave them a few place mats.

bb

[stevan]

Wow Iggy.  Exciting times for you.  Best of luck and keep us posted.  Someday we can all say "We knew him when.....".