The Super Bowl had me thinking that it would be fun to do an event with a former NFL player … or other former professional athlete? How much would that cost?
Our small-business sources tell us you’re probably looking at a couple thousand dollars for an hour of their time. But it can be less, depending on the player’s popularity, availability, and event duration. Also, if the event is related to a cause that is close to the player’s heart — e.g., Von Miller with glaucoma, Emmitt Smith with youth sports — they might do it for less. If represented by an agency, they may have their own fee structure and requirements for booking. To get a more accurate estimate and if you have a player in mind, try contacting them directly via their social media channels to inquire about their availability and fees. Alternatively, you could contact a talent booking agency that specializes in managing former players for events. They can provide you with a range of options and pricing based on your specific needs and budget.
I have been getting many local high schools coming by for ads for yearbooks, band club books, etc. Is this a waste of my money?
Yes, it is … most of the time. Of course, there can be exceptions. According to Ellen Fruchtman of Fruchtman Marketing, “Local high school sports teams, band clubs, and yearbook ads can take a chunk out of what is normally a very tight advertising budget.” If you want to participate anyway, Fruchtman recommends setting up a budget for these types of “donations” at the beginning of the year. “These ads are primarily for goodwill rather than good marketing,” she says. Fruchtman adds that you should consider advertising only in those high school publications that cover the region where your primary customer base lives. Furthermore, she states that the price could be worth it if the solicitor is the child of a good customer. In that case, “the cost of the $50 ad is well worth the benefit of future business.” But don’t rush your decision. “Tell the solicitor that your marketing firm handles all of these decisions (even if you don’t have one!) so that you have time to review the proposal,” says Fruchtman. “We provide our clients a donation request form that all solicitors must fill out and submit before any decisions are made. This should include information about the organization; how it will be distributed; who attends the event; costs etc. It applies to many of these types of requests. By all means, if you do decide to run an ad in any of these publications, try and address the audience with something clever. It’s bad enough that it’s not money very well spent. You might as well attempt to get someone’s attention.”
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What can I do to prevent my marketing emails ending up in the dreaded “Promotions” folder?
Rule No. 1 Build a quality list of subscribers who have opted in to receive emails. Avoid buying email lists or using automated programs to harvest addresses. It’s costly and Google punishes you, so it gets more difficult to reach even your own organic list. Other tips:
- Use a reputable email service provider with a good track record for preventing spam.
- Avoid spammy words and phrases like “free,” and “limited time offer,” ALL CAPS, and dollar signs, that may trigger filters.
- Ensure that your email content is valuable, relevant, and engaging. Google is always tweaking its algorithms to reward useful information.
- Use a “reasonable” number of images and links. Too many sets off spam alarms.
- Authenticate your domain using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols, which increase email deliverability.
- Google is capricious. Monitor your strategy, keep testing and tweak to see if you can improve your delivery rate.
What sort of limits can I set on my employees’ side hustles? I want them focused on producing for me.
This is very much a state-by-state issue but in general the law looks dimly on efforts to restrict a person’s right to earn an income. Some states like California and New York are particularly protective of employee rights, including the right to “moonlight,” or work for other employers outside of regular work hours. At the same time, if you can show conflict of interest, for example a salesperson selling similar eyewear online, or an optician whose freelance efforts are exhausting them and impacting their salaried work for you, then you are on stronger ground. In such cases, talk to your lawyer about drafting an effective non-compete contract.
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