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Retail and rental sales

Advertising was a major part of my business.
How To Tell People?

I wanted to let people know about Ryan’s Sno-Kones. I used:

Fliers. I created lots of different sizes and types of fliers depending on how they would be used. I still use fliers and think they help my business a lot.

Business cards. I use business cards because people don’t want to carry a big piece of paper in their pocket, especially if they have to run some errands. People can slip business cards in their wallet and not have to worry about them.

TV. I thought my business would be a good story, and my dad knew a TV news reporter. When I called him, I told him my idea for the story. He and his crew came out and filmed for two hours. I was extremely excited when the story made the 6:00 p.m. news.

Later in the year my teacher used the videotape from the news to help teach our economics class. After viewing the video, a bunch of kids from class wanted me to employ them!

 

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You guessed it; I separated my business into retail and rental sales. I still keep that separation.

Retail sales. When I do retail sales, I travel in our neighborhood with snow-ice I've made with my machine earlier in the day. I pack it in a cooler, and put the cooler in a trailer hooked to my bike.

I bring along the flavors, and about 50 packages of cotton candyI Added Cotton Candy to My Business

The cotton candy machine cost about $900, and I needed to borrow more money. So I created more corporate bonds!

Lending me money was no longer a risk. My business was doing well and my friends and family knew I’d be able to pay them back. So when I sold corporate bonds this time around, I lowered the interest rate that I paid them.

They were willing to accept a lower interest rate because they were my friends and family! I sold 32 bonds.

Close that I've made up in advance.

At first I tried ringing a bell to announce my arrival in the neighborhood, but I didn't like it. It sounded dorky.

Now I just call out, "Snow cones!" and people come!

I don't go to school playgrounds because there are too many busy streets to cross to get to them. But it doesn't matter—I go where the people are in my neighborhood, and have more potential customers with money that way.

I have two sales people that I call "sales consultants." They are kids who read about my success in the papers or heard it on the news, and asked if they could do it too.
I love fruit-flavored shaved ice on a hot day.

Rentals. I rent my machines to people for any occasion. I like to rent out my machines much more than  I like doing retail sales.

How I Added Sales Staff

When sales consultants bring in rentals, such as end-of-the year school parties, I pay them 15% of what they bring into my account. I pay commission instead of salaries so that I’m only paying sales consultants for the work they actually do and complete.

I give my sales staff 10 free business cards to leave with potential customers. The cards help get their customers’ attention.

After they have used up the 10 free cards, they can purchase additional cards for 10 cents each. If they bring in rentals, I give them ten more business cards for free.

For rentals, all I have to do is give the people instructions and their supplies. I rent my machines for:

 

• Birthday parties
• Family reunions
• Graduation parties

...and just about anything a person can imagine!

Living my dream

Today, whenever I come across a business that I think would be interested in renting my machines or selling my products I call or visit them. I really like that.

Sometimes my dad goes with me. Making the trips and phone calls boosts my business.

Ryan's Sno-Kones is a success. This business is exactly what I wanted!