Saving Money for Yourself and Others

Small businesses thrive on word of mouth advertising. It's a fact. You can spend all the time and money in the world advertising your company through newspaper, radio, television and direct mail, and that'll do you some good for sure ... but if just one person out there feels the desire to tell their friends and colleagues about a great experience they had with your company ... you're golden. Word-of-mouth advertising is the basis of The Buyer's Market. By buying into the program you are making an agreement with The Buyer's Market that they will tell people about your business in exchange for you telling people about theirs. There's more ... in an effort to reward small business owners for their efforts, The Buyer's Market is offering a profit-sharing plan that you simply CAN NOT PASS UP.

"People love to tell others when they find a great deal and save money. We also can't wait to tell everyone we know about a business that treated us well, honestly, and priced their service fairly.

At The Buyers Market, we not only rely on "word of mouth" advertising, but we reward you for it! If a successful business spends upwards of 20% on advertising then why not us!

Difference is, we spend it on the best advertising we could get, YOU!

So here is how it works...

if you know someone who has a service or product that you think would benefit by joining us in The Buyers Market, let them know and let us know! We will contact them to see if they can benefit from us advertising for them. All we need from you is their company name and a way to contact them (either a phone number or address). We will take it from there! Or perhaps you know a few individuals who need to stretch their money a little farther each month. We can most likely save them many times more then the $10 they'll spend on the membership -- usually within one use of service! Again, let them know and let us know!

When they sign up and pay their membership, you will get $1 for each and everyone that signs up as a result of your introduction. And, not just once! You will continue to get $1 for each month that they remain a member. All you need to do to keep those checks coming in, is to continue your membership. You do the 'work' once, but continue to benefit and build a residual monthly income. It doesn't stop there! Because you got the ball rolling, you will also be paid on all of the referrals that they make. That's right - those that sign up under that those that signed up because of you, you will get .50 cents per person, per month! And, you didn't even do the 'work'! ...

Now think about this - If you like the membership and use the services, you are saving money. If you have a business, you also get to advertise and bring many more customers to you. Now you're making money! Then, if you know just 2 people that you think could benefit from The Buyers Market membership and refer them to us, you put in motion a pay back plan that will eventually cover the cost of your own membership. All of this is being accomplished with just $10/month!"

For more information on The Buyer's Market Profit-Sharing Plan call Larry Brothers at 802-291-4783 or visit www.thebuyersmarketvt.com

Helping Build Up Our Local Community

The Buyer's Market is about so much more than just business advertising. TBM is about building community, helping others and making Vermont a better place. One dollar out of every membership paid each month is pooled and used to help fund community projects throughout this state.

"Although The Buyers Market will remain politically and religiously neutral, we do have a great respect for the community and all the wonderful people in it. So if you know of a project that will benefit your town or our state, please send an email and let us know. We're looking for interesting projects that may need either some of our services at a reduced rate, or some seed money to get something built or started. It could be something small like stocking the shelves at the local food shelf, or paying one of our handymen or women to deliver or pick up something needed at a non profit. Maybe your school or daycare needs some playground equipment fixed up. And we hope it grows to be able to look at some lofty goals too. I would like to see some space acquired that could be used by The Buyers Market members as a kind of
swap meet space for your yard sale items, and a tool refurbishing shop that could buy your old unwanted tools and equipment, fix them up, and then rent them back to the members at the prices we used to pay when it made more sense to rent than to buy. Remember when you could rent a cement mixer or wood splitter for $10 a day? I've been working on a plan to recycle old worn out tires. If we could take them from TBM members for free and recycle them, what a bonus to the membership that would be. Could we save a family farm and turn it into an organic supplier of vegetables and meat for the members? At greatly reduced prices for the members. With some money and good ideas, think about what we could accomplish!"

www.thebuyersmarketvt.com

Back To Basics

Remember the days when a gentleman's handshake was as good as gold? We didn't need contracts, up-front deposits paid in full, OR small claims court. Once upon a time there was a time when people and small businesses worked together to help each other out. When good for me and good for you meant good for everyone involved. One man with a vision is working hard to recreate these circumstances. His name is Larry Brothers. Larry, with help from several small business owners who share his vision, has brought to life The Buyer's Market. In his words, The Buyer's Market is "a conscientious approach to an opportunity born out of necessity. A grassroots approach to back to basics marketing. Marketing based on the fundamental ideal of 'providing value to the community, while making a living for yourself and family.'"

Here's how it works: Small businesses through-out Vermont subscribe to a Buyer's Market membership. This membership only costs them $10 per month. Here's what it gets them:

-Seamless and constant advertising via the Buyer's Market website (www.thebuyersmarketvt.com).

-Inclusion in regularly updated fliers and emails offering members and potential members information on products and services that YOU and other members are offering.

-Not only will you be advertising your own business to a growing number of fellow members, but you will have access to other member's products and services, often at incredible discounts. The Buyer's Market will periodically update you with information on new members and fantastic deals.

Think of The Buyer's Market as a growing network of small businesses and people throughout Vermont, who want to work together on saving each other money, time, and headache.

There's more ...

* Tomorrow we will discuss The Buyer's Market Community Project Fund, and

* Thursday you will learn how YOU can take advantage of The Buyer's Market Profit Sharing plan, or even become a member of The Buyer's Market Advisory Board yourself.

We work hard so you don't have to.

I wish I could say I knew what I wanted to do from childhood on. I wish I could say I had an MBA in communications and marketing. I suppose I could say it ... but I'd be lying. Cambridge Event & Design wasn't born of any lifelong drive. It was born of timing, necessity, and convenient work-experience. I've been in business for myself for only a year now. I know ... never admit such things ... but it's the truth. That's not to say I've only been doing this work for a year. On the contrary, somehow, someway, regardless of where I've been employed in the past or what my job description was, I always ended up being the business's "marketing girl." I never received the official title (and monetary compensation) of course, but the responsibility has repeatedly fallen on my shoulders. I'd like to think it's because I'm good at it. Actually ... I will think that ... sound like a plan?

When I found myself abruptly unemployed last summer I was faced with three options.

1. Go on unemployment: not all that desirable, and considering I'm a single mother of three, not all that responsible either.
2. Jump back in and hit the streets applying for jobs. I started this, a little. I put my resume out and got in touch with some key people, but my heart wasn't in it.
3. Take a chance, jump in with both feet, and make a go at working for myself.

And here we are.

Cambridge Event & Design is an events and marketing company that I run out of my home in Jeffersonville, VT. My overhead is low, and so are my prices. I coordinate events ranging from weddings to parades to family festivals and fundraisers. Events are fun ... they're exciting and frankly there's nothing better than seeing smiles on children's faces, but they aren't the backbone of this business. Marketing is what gets me by and it's what keeps me going. I really enjoy the design aspect of putting together ads, packaging, signs and banners, logos ... you name it. I have a special kinship with my computer and my design software that most people don't have. It's silly, I know, but I honestly do LOVE what I do. Lucky me. Lucky you.

For samples of my work and more information please visit www.cambridgeeventanddesign.com.

Stop Horsing Around

You wouldn't trust just anyone to perform surgery on your foot ... so why would you trust just anyone to shoe your horse? The fact is that a proper fit is essential to your horse's health and performance. If you're looking for the best, you needn't look any further than Next Generation Hoofcare, based in Jeffersonville, VT. Next Generation Hoofcare is owned and operated by Chad Blasch. Chad studied at Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine, Farrier Science in New York, and studied under Michael Wildenstein, the most examined and accomplished master farrier living today. During his time there he was thoroughly trained in the latest techniques of thereputic and performance shoeing and trimming for all levels and disciplines of equine activities. He worked directly with the Large Animal Hospital, coordinating with Veterinarians and owners to provide the highest quality hoofcare available. Now Chad is back home in Vermont, and offering his extraordinary services here.

The services he offers include trimming, hot shoeing and glue on shoes. Also, Next Generation Hoofcare is one of the few farriers in this state that has a strong background in therapeutic applications.

For more information on Next Generation Hoofcare or to meet the man who should be shoeing your horse, visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Jeffersonville-VT/Next-Generation-Hoofcare/136296233059819?v=info&ref=ts&__a=17&ajaxpipe=1 or call Next Generation Hoofcare at 802-644-5303.

Lowest of Tides

There are so many struggling musicians in this world ... as a matter of fact, there are so many struggling musicians in VERMONT. Yet here I am promoting one such band over the others. Why, you ask? Well because I believe in this band. Lowest of Tides isn't exactly my kind of music but ... and I don't know that they fit into any specific genre but ... Wait ... what's my problem? How about I allow them to describe themselves?

"We are the unlikely combination of men from very different walks of life, testing and experimenting with the boundaries and limits of our own creative minds. Lacking any sort of marriage to one particular sound or genre, we met under very unlikely and ironic circumstances. We are an amalgam of youth and experience, a mix of beauty and ugliness, a representation of the duality of darkness and light. We are not the first or the last to use music as a conduit for the search of a higher truth, or a greater consciousness. We cannot claim precedent in our dual use of hypnotic ambient interludes and brutally heavy and dissonant tones. All we can do is create, for we are only governed by the restraints of our own knowledge and capacity, which through many mediums respective to each member grows everyday. It is in this fact that illustrates the difference between ‘them’ and us, for we will take you on a journey, our own journey of the internal and innate parts of the human psyche. We will carry you with us and shield you from the blinding light as we discover more about ourselves and the ever-changing environment we live in. We are completely and wholly open to you, if you will have us."

There you have it. Lowest of Tides performs their first ever album release show this Saturday night at Manhatten Pizza. First band goes on at 9 with LOT immediately following. If you're looking for a fun night out, well there it is. Visit www.lowestoftides.com for more info on the men who make me dizzy.

Making it Homemade, Cont'

It's amazing really when two people from varied upbringings find themselves together and passionate about the same thing: creating. The Mill and Anvil is one such partnership, between best friends and spouses Chad and Linda Blasch. Linda works hard at her sewing machine or in the kitchen. Mixing ingredients and pairing fabrics to build beautiful high-quality products. Meanwhile Chad is hard at work with fire and metal, forging both classic and abstract metalwork pieces for the home and garden.

Today we highlight Chad Blasch, one half of The Mill and Anvil, for his hard work and passion at molding beauty. See more on The Mill and Anvil's blog at http://millandanvil.wordpress.com/ or visit one of the Cambridge Area Farmer's Markets to see the people and the products in person.