You might see a hurdle to leap over. Or a hoop to jump through. Or a barrier to knock down. That is how many people think of resumes, application forms, cover letters, and interviews. But you do not have to think of them that way. They are not ways to keep you from a job; they are ways for you to show an employer what you know and what you can do. After all, you are going to get a job. It is just a question of which one.

Employers want to hire people who can do the job. To learn who these people are, they use resumes, application forms, written tests, performance tests, medical examinations, and interviews. You can use each of these different evaluation procedures to your advantage. You might not be able to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but at least you can show what a good ear you have.

Creating Effective Resumes and Application Forms
Resumes and application forms are two ways to achieve the same goal: To give the employer written evidence of your qualifications. When creating a resume or completing an application form, you need two different kinds of information:
Facts about yourself and facts about the job you want. With this information in hand, you can present the facts about yourself in terms of the job. You have more freedom with a resume–you can put your best points first and avoid blanks.
But, even on application forms, you can describe your qualifications in terms of the job’s duties.

Know thyself. Begin by assembling information about yourself. Some items appear on virtually every resume or application form, including the following:

* Current address and phone number–if you are rarely at home during business hours, try to give the phone number of a friend or relative who will take messages for you.

* Job sought or career goal.

* Experience (paid and volunteer)–date of employment,
name and full address of the employer, job title,
starting and finishing salary, and reason for leaving
(moving, returning to school, and seeking a better
position are among the readily accepted reasons).

* Education–the school’s name, the city in which it is
located, the years you attended it, the diploma or
certificate you earned, and the course of studies you
pursued.

* Other qualifications–hobbies, organizations you belong
to, honors you have received, and leadership positions
you have held.

* Office machines, tools, and equipment you have used and
skills that you possess.

Other information, such as your Social Security number, is often asked for on application forms but is rarely presented on resumes. Application forms might also ask for a record of past addresses and for information that you would rather not reveal, such as a record of convictions. If asked for such information, you must be honest. Honesty does not, however, require that you reveal disabilities that do not affect your overall qualifications for a job.

Know thy job. Next, gather specific information about the jobs you are applying for. You need to know the pay range (so you can make their top your bottom ), education and experience usually required, hours and shifts usually worked. Most importantly, you need to know the job duties (so that you can describe your experience in terms. of those duties). Study the job description. Some job announcements, especially those issued by a government, even have a checklist that assigns a numerical weight to different qualifications so that you can be certain as to which is the most important; looking at such announcements will give you an idea of what employers look for even if you do not wish to apply for a government job. If the announcement or ad is vague, call the employer to learn what is sought.

Once you have the information you need, you can prepare a resume. You may need to prepare more than one master resume if you are going to look for different kinds of jobs. Otherwise, your resume will not fit the job you seek.

Two kinds of resumes. The way you arrange your resume depends on how well your experience seems to prepare you for the position you want. Basically, you can either
describe your most recent job first and work backwards (reverse chronology) or group similar skills together. No matter which format you use, the following advice applies generally.

* Use specifics. A vague description of your duties will
make only a vague impression.

* Identify accomplishments. If you headed a project,
improved productivity, reduced costs, increased
membership, or achieved some other goal, say so.

* Type your resume, using a standard typeface. (Printed
resumes are becoming more common, but employers do not
indicate a preference for them.)

* Keep the length down to two pages at the most.

* Remember your mother’s advice not to say anything if you
cannot say something nice. Leave all embarrassing or
negative information off the resume–but be ready to deal
with it in a positive fashion at the interview.

* Proofread the master copy carefully.

* Have someone else proofread the master copy carefully.

* Have a third person proofread the master copy carefully.

* Use the best quality photocopying machine and good white
or off-white paper.

The following information appears on almost every resume.

* Name.

* Phone number at which you can be reached or receive
messages.

* Address.

* Job or career sought.

* References–often just a statement that references are
available suffices. If your references are likely to be
known by the person who reads the resume, however, their
names are worth listing.

* Experience.

* Education.

* Special talents.

* Personal information–height, weight, marital status,
physical condition. Although this information appears on
virtually every sample resume I have ever seen, it is not
important according to recruiters. In fact, employers are
prohibited by law from asking for some of it. If some of
this information is directly job related–the height and
weight of a bouncer is important to a disco owner, for
example–list it. Otherwise, save space and put in more
information about your skills.

Reverse chronology is the easiest method to use. It is also the least effective because it makes when you did something more important than what you can do. It is an especially poor format if you have gaps in your work history, if the job you seek is very different from the job you currently hold, or if you are just entering the job market.
About the only time you would want to use such a resume is when you have progressed up a clearly defined career ladder and want to move up a rung.

Resumes that are not chronological may be called functional, analytical, skill oriented, creative, or some other name. The differences are less important than the similarity, which is that all stress what you can do. The advantage to a potential employer–and, therefore, to your job campaign–should be obvious. The employer can see immediately how you will fit the job. This format also has advantages for many job hunters because it camouflages gaps in paid employment and avoids giving prominence to irrelevant jobs.

You begin writing a functional resume by determining the skills the employer is looking for. Again, study the job description for this information. Next, review your experience
and education to see when you demonstrated the ability sought.
Then prepare the resume itself, putting first the information that relates most obviously to the job. The result will be a resume with headings such as “Engineering,” “Computer Languages,” “Communications Skills,” or “Design Experience.”
These headings will have much more impact than the dates that you would use on a chronological resume.

Fit yourself to a form. Some large employers, such as fast food restaurants and government agencies, make more use of application forms than of resumes. The forms suit the style of large organizations because people find information more quickly if it always appears in the same place. However, creating a resume before filling out an application form will still benefit you. You can use the resume when you send a letter inquiring about a position. You can submit a resume even if an application is required; it will spotlight your qualifications. And the information on the resume will serve as a handy reference if you must fill out an application form quickly. Application forms are really just resumes in disguise anyway. No matter how rigid the form appears to be, you can still use it to show why you are the person for the job being filled.

At first glance, application forms seem to give a job hunter no leeway. The forms certainly do not have the flexibility that a resume does, but you can still use them to your best advantage. Remember that the attitude of the person reading the form is not, “Let’s find out why this person is unqualified,” but, “Maybe this is the person we want.” Use all
the parts of the form–experience blocks, education blocks, and others–to show that that person is you.

Here’s some general advice on completing application forms.

* Request two copies of the form. If only one is provided,
photocopy it before you make a mark on it. You’ll need
more than one copy to prepare rough drafts.

* Read the whole form before you start completing it.

* Prepare a master copy if the same form is used by several
divisions within the same company or organization. Do not
put the specific job applied for, date, and signature on
the master copy. Fill in that information on the
photocopies as you submit them.

* Type the form if possible. If it has lots of little lines
that are hard to type within, type the information on a
piece of blank paper that will fit in the space, paste the
paper over the form, and photocopy the finished product.
Such a procedure results in a much neater, easier to read
page.

* Leave no blanks; enter n/a (for “not applicable”) when the
information requested does not apply to you; this tells
people checking the form that you did not simply skip the
question.

* Carry a resume and a copy of other frequently asked
information (such as previous addresses) with you when
visiting potential employers in case you must fill out an
application on the spot. Whenever possible, however, fill
the form out at home and mail it in with a resume and a
cover letter that point up your strengths.

Writing Intriguing Cover Letters
You will need a cover letter whenever you send a resume or application form to a potential employer. The letter should capture the employer’s attention, show why you are writing, indicate why your employment will benefit the company, and ask for an interview. The kind of specific information that must be included in a letter means that each must be written individually. Each letter must also be typed perfectly, which may present a problem. Word processing equipment helps.
Frequently only the address, first paragraph, and specifics concerning an interview will vary. These items are easily changed on word processing equipment and memory typewriters. If you do not have access to such equipment, you might be able to rent it. Or you might be able to have your letters typed by a resume or employment services company listed in the yellow pages. Be sure you know the full cost of such a service before
agreeing to use one.

Let’s go through a letter point by point.

Salutation. Each letter should be addressed by name to the person you want to talk with. That person is the one who can hire you. This is almost certainly not someone in the personnel department, and it is probably not a department head either. It is most likely to be the person who will actually supervise you once you start work. Call the company to make sure you have the right name. And spell it correctly.

Opening. The opening should appeal to the reader. Cover letters are sales letters. Sales are made after you capture a person’s attention. You capture the reader’s attention most easily by talking about the company rather than yourself.
Mention projects under development, recent awards, or favorable comments recently published about the company. You can find such information in the business press, including the business section of local newspapers and the many magazines that are devoted to particular industries. If you are answering an ad, you may mention it. If someone suggested that you write, use their name (with permission, of course).

Body. The body of the letter gives a brief description of your qualifications and refers to the resume, where your sales campaign can continue.

Closing. You cannot have what you do not ask for. At the end of the letter, request an interview. Suggest a time and state that you will confirm the appointment. Use a standard
complimentary close, such as “Sincerely yours,” leave three or four lines for your signature, and type your name. I would type my phone number under my name; this recommendation is not usually made, although phone numbers are found on most letterheads. The alternative is to place the phone number in the body of the letter, but it will be more difficult to find there should the reader wish to call you.

Triumphing on Tests and at Interviews
A man with a violin case stood on a subway platform in The Bronx. He asked a conductor, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
The conductor replied, “Practice! Practice! Practice!”

Tests. That old joke holds good advice for people preparing for employment tests or interviews. The tests given to job applicants fall into four categories: General aptitude
tests, practical tests, tests of physical agility, and medical examinations. You can practice for the first three. If the fourth is required, learn as soon as possible what the disqualifying conditions are, then have your physician examine you for them so that you do not spend years training for a job that you will not be allowed to hold.

To practice for a test, you must learn what the test is.
Once again, you must know what job you want to apply for and for whom you want to work in order to find out what tests, if any, are required. Government agencies, which frequently rely on tests, will often provide a sample of the test they use.
These samples can be helpful even if an employer uses a different test. Copies of standard government tests are usually available at the library.

If you practice beforehand, you’ll be better prepared and less nervous on the day of the test. That will put you ahead of the competition. You will also improve your performance by following this advice:

* Make a list of what you will need at the test center,
including a pencil; check it before leaving the house.

* Get a good night’s sleep.

* Be at the test center early–at least 15 minutes early.

* Read the instructions carefully; make sure they do not
differ from the samples you practiced with.

* Generally, speed counts; do not linger over difficult
questions.

* Learn if guessing is penalized. Most tests are scored by
counting up the right answers; guessing is all to the
good. Some tests are scored by counting the right answers
and deducting partial credit for wrong answers; blind
guessing will lose you points–but if you can eliminate
two wrong choices, a guess might still pay off.

Interviews. For many of us, interviews are the most fearsome part of finding a job. But they are also our best chance to show an employer our qualifications. Interviews are far more flexible than application forms or tests. Use that flexibility to your advantage. As with tests, you can reduce your anxiety and improve your performance by preparing for your interviews ahead of time.

Begin by considering what interviewers want to know. You represent a risk to the employer. A hiring mistake is expensive in terms of lost productivity, wasted training money, and the cost of finding a replacement. To lessen the risk, interviewers try to select people who are highly motivated, understand what the job entails, and show that their background has prepared them for it.

You show that you are highly motivated by learning about the company before the interview, by dressing appropriately, and by being well mannered–which means that you greet the interviewer by name, you do not chew gum or smoke, you listen attentively, and you thank the interviewer at the end of the session. You also show motivation by expressing interest in the job at the end of the interview.

You show that you understand what the job entails and that you can perform it when you explain how your qualifications prepare you for specific duties as described in the company’s job listing and when you ask intelligent questions about the nature of the work and the training provided new workers.

One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to have some practice sessions with a friend or two. Here is a list of some of the most commonly asked questions to get you started.

* Why did you apply for this job?

* What do you know about this job or company?

* Why did you choose this career?

* Why should I hire you?

* What would you do if… (usually filled in with a
work-related crisis)?

* How would you describe yourself?

* What would you like to tell me about yourself?

* What are your major strengths?

* What are your major weaknesses?

* What type of work do you like to do best?

* What are your interests outside work?

* What type of work do you like to do least?

* What accomplishment gave you the greatest satisfaction?

* What was your worst mistake?

* What would you change in your past life?

* What courses did you like best or least in school?

* What did you like best or least about your last job?

* Why did you leave your last job?

* Why were you fired?

* How does your education or experience relate to this job?

* What are your goals?

* How do you plan to reach them?

* What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? 10?

* What salary do you expect?

Many jobhunting books available at libraries discuss ways to answer these questions. Essentially, your strategy should be to concentrate on the job and your ability to do it no matter what the question seems to be asking. If asked for a strength, mention something job related. If asked for a weakness, mention a job-related strength (you work too hard, you worry too much about details, you always have to see the big picture). If asked about a disability or a specific negative factor in your past–a criminal record, a failure in school, being fired–be prepared to stress what you learned from the experience, how you have overcome the shortcoming, and how you are now in a position to do a better job.

So far, only the interviewer’s questions have been discussed. But an interview will be a two-way conversation. You really do need to learn more about the position to find out if you want the job. Given how frustrating it is to look for a job, you do not want to take just any position only to learn after 2 weeks that you cannot stand the place and have to look for another job right away. Here are some questions for you to ask the interviewer.

* What would a day on this job be like?

* Whom would I report to? May I meet this person?

* Would I supervise anyone? May I meet them?

* How important is this job to the company?

* What training programs are offered?

* What advancement opportunities are offered?

* Why did the last person leave this job?

* What is that person doing now?

* What is the greatest challenge of this position?

* What plans does the company have with regard to…?
(Mention some development of which you have read or heard)

* Is the company growing?

After you ask such questions, listen to the interviewer’s answers and then, if at all possible, point to something in your education or experience related to it. You might notice that questions about salary and fringe benefits are not included in the above list. Your focus at a first interview should be the company and what you will do for it, not what it will pay you. The salary range will often be given in the ad or position announcement, and information on the usual fringe benefits will be available from the personnel department. Once you have been offered a position, you can negotiate the salary.
The jobhunting guides available in bookstores and at the library give many more hints on this subject.

At the end of the interview, you should know what the next step will be: Whether you should contact the interviewer again, whether you should provide more information, whether more interviews must be conducted, and when a final decision will be reached. Try to end on a positive note by reaffirming your interest in the position and pointing out why you will be a good choice to fill it.

Immediately after the interview, make notes of what went well and what you would like to improve. To show your interest in the position, send a follow-up letter to the interviewer, providing further information on some point raised in the interview and thanking the interviewer once again. Remember, someone is going to hire you; it might be the person you just talked to.

If you are
– involved in counseling others about job opportunities,

– thinking about a career,

– contemplating a career change,

– involved in education planning,

– involved in worker training, or displaced worker retraining,

– or simply interested in knowing about the world of work
and how it is likely to change, you should examine these
two job outlook publications:

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Probably the most widely used career resource; found in 9 out of 10 secondary schools. Updated every 2 years, it describes what workers do on the job, where they work, how much they earn, the training and education they need, and job outlook for about 200 occupations.

Occupational Outlook Quarterly
It helps to keep you informed about changing career opportunities, and provides practical, “how-to-do-it” information on choosing and getting today’s and tomorrow’s jobs.

If these publications aren’t available in your local public library or high school media center, you may want to purchase them for your own use. Here’s how to order:

Send orders to:

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Publications Sales Center
P.O. Box 2145
Chicago, IL 60690

or to:

Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20402
Please Note:

Subscription orders and credit card orders must be sent directly to the Superintendent of Documents.

$100 in FREE Links

The thirteen steps to success can be your road to freedom.  Freedom for your family to do the things they want to do, when they want to do them. If you’ll follow the ideas set forth with the 13 Steps To Success we can guarantee that you’ll be the leader in sales (marketing) in your community.

1.  ENTHUSIASM:  Make a high and holy resolve that you will double the amount of
enthusiasm that you have been putting into your work and into your life.  To become
enthusiastic .. ACT enthusiastic.

2.  ORDER:  SELF-ORGANIZATION:  Let all things be in their places; Let each part of your business have its time.  Resolve to perform what you can! Perform without fail what you resolve.

3.  THINK IN TERMS OF OTHERS’ INTERESTS:  The most important secret of sales is to find out what the other person wants, then help them to find the best way to get it.  Help me to get my mind off myself and what I am going to make out of a sale, and get my mind on the other person and what he will get out of the sale.

 

4.  QUESTIONS:  Cultivate the art of asking questions.  Questions, rather than positive statements, will be the most effective means of making a sale, or winning people to your way of thinking.  Inquire rather than attack.

5.  KEY ISSUE:  The main problem in selling is to:  Find the basic need, or the main point of interest.  Find it and stick to it.

6.  SILENCE.  LISTEN:  Show the other person you are sincerely interested in what he is saying.  Give him all the eager attention and appreciation that he craves and is so hungry for, but seldom gets.

7.  SINCERITY.  DESERVE CONFIDENCE:  To win and hold the confidence of others, Rule Number One is:  Deserve confidence.  The Golden Rule applies:  “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

8.  KNOWLEDGE OF MY BUSINESS:  To have confidence in yourself, and win and hold the confidence of others, the only rule is:  Know your business and keep on knowing your business.

9.  APPRECIATION AND PRAISE : Everyone likes to feel important.  People are hungry for praise, starving for honest appreciation.  Show that you believe in them and expect bigger things of them.  If your interest is sincere, there is nothing they appreciate more.

10.  SMILE.  HAPPINESS:  If you want to be welcome everywhere, give every living soul you meet an honest-to-goodness smile, from down deep inside, even your own wife and family and see how better YOU feel and look.

11.  REMEMBER NAMES AND FACES:  Impression:  Get a clear impression of the name.  Form the habit of taking a mental picture of the name.  Repetition:  Repeat the name immediately and often.  You can remember almost anything if you repeat it often enough. Association:  Associate the person’s name with their appearance or business.

12.  SERVICE AND PROSPECTING:  Never forget a customer and never let a customer forget you.  New customers are the best source of new business .. NEW customers. Never let a sale run into a dead end.

13.  CLOSING THE SALE.  ACTION:  Before the interview repeat:  This is going to be the best interview I ever had.  “You never know what’s in a man’s mind by what he says.” Welcome objections.  Each of these 13 steps to success should be written on a 3×5 card that you can easily carry with you in your daily affairs. Start your system with Step number one.  Carry that card with you for one week.
Everyday take the card out of your pocket to read.  We mean really read it.  Read the card as many times as you can during the day while you are calling on clients, eating lunch, reading, whatever.  It will reinforce the ideas outlined in the 13 steps.

Do this each week with each one of your cards.  At the end of the 13 weeks start the
process all over again. 

And if you think that you ever stop the process .. well .. that’s when your sales will also
stop.  Once you’ve formed the habit of reading your cards everyday it will become as automatic as getting dressed in the morning.
 REMEMBER:  “Knowledge is power.  Power is success.  Success is helping other
people help themselves to get what they want.”

 

If you love cars and prefer driving to just about anything else,
you can turn your interest into money-making opportunities based
that involve cars and being on the road. You can combine that
fascination together with another area in which you’re
experienced and put in on wheels to create a new,
money-generating niche for yourself.

For a one-person business based around a motor vehicle, the van
or pick-up is often the vehicle of choice. It gets reasonable
mileage, maneuvers easily, and holds lots of cargo. Your major
considerations will be adequate power and size, the costs of
maintenance and repair, and reliability.

 

Using a pick-up or van, you can start a mobile detailing
business. There’ an increasing demand for high-quality detailing,
particularly in urban and suburban areas. Detailing is popular
because appearance pays, not only for those who look good, but
for those who make them look good.

If you enjoy working with animals, you can establish a mobile per
car business. You can turn the back of your van into a deluxe
studio where Rover and Fluffy can be bathed trimmed and cared for
in style.

What about mobile locksmithing? People who have locked themselves
out of their homes or their cars need help immediately. If you
provide instant response, you’ll be a favorite with customers,
police departments and shopping malls.

Another convenience people will pay money for having their oil
and oil filters changed without having to go to a service
station. And depending on your interests you can go far beyond
oil changes with the mobile maintenance concept. You can also do
tune-ups on the spot, change tires, or make minor repairs. The
key is to maximize convenience to the customer.

Waste hauling is another lucrative opportunity. Our society is
one where there’s a lot of waste items that have to be taken
away. Contact contractors, apartment rental services, condominium
associates and landscapers to see if they want any trash hauled
away on a regular basis.

Think twice about accepting anything that qualifies as toxic
waste, and don’t get stuck with any toxic waste. You lay yourself
open to major disposal fees for certain materials, and even
larger fines if you’re caught dumping them illegally.

You may be able to pick up extra money by coming up with ways to
recycle some of the items you’re paid to haul away. Fix any
slightly damaged furniture or equipment, and sell it at your
garage sales or go to swap meets. You can also find markets for
building materials.

Perhaps you like cameras and photography? Why not be a mobile
one-man camera crew? You can sell your photography skills by
videotaping events such as weddings, parties, ball games and any
other special events. You can outfit your car or van with all the
equipment you need, and you can rig a platform atop the van for
that special high angle that most people don’t think of. You can
also shoot on-the-road tapes of proud car owners in their
favorite vehicles.

Maybe you like variety - so you can combine these ideas in any
combination that suits you. You’ll find yourself making a lot of
money - doing exactly what you enjoy doing, with no boss but
yourself.

 

This is a creative business in which you can turn your spare
time into big money, and all you really need to get started is a
few materials and your existing work shop. If you don’t have a
workshop, a corner of your basement or garage will give all the
space you need.

You could have paid $14,990 for a course and setup in this
business. That’s what one company has advertised in Entrepreneur
magazine. Why would you want to pay such a high price when this
brief report will show you virtually everything you will need to know.

WHAT ARE 3-D PHOTO FIGURES?

You may have seen them on display or sold under different names
such as photo sculptures, photo statues or self-standing
figurines, but the principle is the same. Basically, they are
photographs that have been cut and mounted onto an acrylic
background, then fastened to a base. And, they sell like hot
cakes to those who want something unique and different
-especially when it is a likeness of themselves, a relative,
their home, or favorite pet.
INVESTMENT NEEDED

If you’ll be starting from scratch, your total investment
should not exceed $200… and it should be considerably less if
you already have a home workshop in your basement.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED

These are the basic tools you’ll need:

Variable speed scroll saw
Belt sander (or sand paper)
Drill & drill bits
Scissors
Goggles
Spray adhesive
Hand Vacuum
Work table ( or picnic bench)
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU MAKE?

If you have just a few spare hours available each week, you
should be able to make a nice part time income, a few hundred
dollars or more once you get rolling in this business. Here’s a
breakdown of approximate costs and selling prices for the
various size photo figures:
Approximate Cost Approximate
Size Cost to Make Selling Price
———————————————–
3X5 $1.40 $10.00
5×7 $1.90 $14 to $18
8×10 $3.95 $20 to $25
16×20 $5.00 $30 to $35

Now, figure in your labor and the time necessary to make such
figure which will be about 15 minutes when you complete a few
practices jobs and become accustomed to working with this
material.

Using the largest size as an example, if you had an assignment
for jut 4 figures and you completed each in 15 minutes, this
gives you a gross of $120 FOR an hour’s work. Now subtract your
production cost of $5 each or $20 for the four figures, and you
still come up with $100.

Naturally, all jobs won’t be for the larger size, but you could
(if you really wanted to) specialize, only in the size to make
the biggest net profits. You might do better, however, if you
will provide all sizes to attract the most customers.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT - AND PROFITS

Although this is relatively easy work, a certain amount of
practice will be needed to become proficient. Just how much
practice you will need depends on how skillful you are in
working with your hands. If you already have a workshop in which
you have done creative work, you will probably master 3-D
Figures in just a few minutes after getting a “feel” for the
acrylic materials. Otherwise, it might take an hour or two
before you begin feeling comfortable at this job.
HOW AND WHERE TO BUY YOUR ACRYLICS

Check your local Yellow Pages under Plastics. Acrylic is
generally sold in 4×8 foot sheets, such as wall paneling, but
ask if they will cut yours into smaller 2 x 4 foot sizes, which
will make the material easier to handle when you begin cutting
and gluing.

Be sure to check several sources because prices can often vary
greatly among suppliers. You shouldn’t have to pay more than
$100 for a 4 x 8 foot, quarter inch sheet. In fact, ask if they
have scrap pieces available that you can buy. If so, this could
save you a lot of money.
YOU’RE NOW READY TO MAKE 3-D FIGURE

Make sure your shop or working area is well lighted and
ventilated. If you don’t already have a scroll saw and have to
buy one, select one with a fast speed because the faster the
speed, the smoother the cut. Always use a sharp blade in your
saw - a fine blade for cutting small details, a wider blade for
larger area cuts. CAUTION: If the blade isn’t sharp, it tends to
melt the acrylic.

Take one of your practice photos and begin cutting out the
primary subject for your figure. The primary subject is what you
want to highlight, such as a head and shoulders figure of a
person, an entire group of people, a car, house, pet, etc. All
background areas will be eliminated.

DO NOT cut close to the subject, but allow about an inch all
around making sure your scissors are sharp right to the points.

The size and shape of your acrylic backing will of course depend
on the size of the subject. You’ll want to pre-cut a section of
acrylic that will accommodate your photo. A good adhesive for
this is a photo mount spray glue, available at most photo
stores. Before you glue the photo to the plastic, blow away any
remaining dust or plastic chips from the surface or they will
show through the picture.

To mount your photo, first spray your acrylic, then lay one edge
of your photo down and gradually bring it down to the other
edge. You only have one shot at this step, so sure you’re
practicing on your own photos before attempting to work for
someone else.

Keep your glue away from fire and flame, and allow plenty of
ventilation to protect yourself from fumes. You can use a rubber
roller to smooth out the photo and eliminate air bubbles. The
glue will dry completely in about 15 minutes.

Now you’re ready to make final cut around that border you had
originally left on. Lay the picture down, face up, and begin
cutting… moving the acrylic into blade. To make cuts in the
middle of a photo, such as between arms and legs, drill a hole
where you want to cut… then insert the blade in the drilled
hole and cut out the portion you want removed.
NEXT, INSTALL THE BASE

The base is what will make your figure stand upright and it can
be either a rectangle shape or cut free form - whichever will
make the picture look best. Be sure to sand all edges before
gluing the base. Super glue will probably be your best choice
for this.

When your figure is finished, examine it carefully to make sure
you have made all the right cuts in the right places, that all
edges have been sanded smooth, and that it stands straight on
the base. Now, put the finished figure into a plastic bag for
protection, or have small boxes ready.

At this point it would be a good idea to have small labels
printed with your name and address to put on the bottom (or
back) of each figure. When someone picks it up, they will see
who made it and this can produce a lot of extra business for you.

Don’t be afraid to experiment (on your own photos, of course) to
create new and different ideas that will be salable. For
example, acrylic comes in a variety of colors, so you can
standardize on black or white… or experiment with your color
for the backing and another for the base; or, you might want to
arrange your figures on layers of different size and color
backings. Let your imagination guide you.
SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS

We’ve just covered the creative end of 3-D photo figures, but
now we must find an outlet for them, first establishing a
business. You’ll need official stationery for this, so decide
what you will call your business, or just use your own name;
John’s 3-D Figures or something like that. Any local quick print
shop can print your name and address on letterheads and
envelopes, and it would be a good idea to also include business
cards as well as Statements and Order Forms.
MARKETING YOUR CREATIONS

Check your local photo shops to find out if they offer such a
product to their customers. If not, you have virgin territory.
If they do, see if you can beat the prices they pay and sell
for. Show them a few of your samples and offer to work with them
on a 50/50 arrangement. You do all the work, they make sales to
their own customers. If you have 5 or more shops working with
you this way, the business should keep you pretty busy.

Of course, if you would prefer not to share your profits, you
might want to sell directly to the public. To do this, run small
ads in your local newspapers, something like this:
YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOS COME TO LIFE

Beautiful Lifelike 3-D Figures. Skillfully crafted and mounted
on durable, colorful acrylic. Show off your prize possessions or
those you love on these free-standing 3-D Photo Figures. A
perfect gift for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas and other
holidays. A cherished lifetime gift for as little as $9.95.
Phone ______ (Your name & address)

You can enhance the above ad by including a small picture of one
of your 3-D photo figures, or several samples, to show what they
look like for those who don’t know.
SELL BY MAIL

These 3-D Photo Figures make an ideal mail order item, so your
might want to establish your own mail order business. To do this
properly, however, you should keep your ad small (to reduce the
cost) and ask readers to write for information

To those who write, send a friendly letter and circular/brochure
illustrating your sample figures. Include an order form
including your size and prices for the various figures.
Naturally, you will have to ask potential customers to send you
the photo they want mounted, with full assurance that it will be
beautifully created into a 3-D Photo Figure that they will be
proud to display or give as a gift.

Using the pricing example on Page 1 of this report, you can
determine the price for your customers based on your cost, size
of the finished product, and the length of time it requires to
complete.

However you decide to sell your creations, you can quickly build
this into a very profitable part time (or fill time) business in
which you can make $100 or more per hour. Even if you work only
10 hours a week, $1000 weekly isn’t to be scoffed at.

Audiotapes and videocassettes are as common as books right now,
and there is an expanding need for reproduction services.
Businesses are the most frequent users of these
audiotape/videotape duplication services. The business world is
making heavy use of duplicates of tapes of conferences, business
meetings, speeches, in-house seminars and workshops. You may also
find yourself copying promotional tapes or sales videos.

 

Beyond the business world there’s an ever-expanding number of
opportunities for tape duplication. Audiobook publishers use tape
duplicating services. Musicians need promotional tapes of their
work. Travel companies often want videos of the trips they offer.
Parents want copies of their home movies to send to the
grandparents. With more than seventy percent of the households in
the United States having videocassette recorders, there is a
large market for tapes of all kinds.

In the videocassette world, the VHS format now dominates the
market. The basic equipment to do the job cost less than two
thousand dollars, and with some looking around you might find it
as low as thousand dollars for good used equipment. The quality
of your transfers will be important.

Duplicating audiotapes will yield one to three dollars apiece.
Videotape copying services can be offered at five to ten dollars
an hour. If you have several machines in operation, you can see
that you can make hundreds of dollars an hour.

Keep away from Illegally duplicating any tapes, for example,
copyrighted movies or audiotapes. Movie studios and other film
producers keep a vigilant eye out for such piracy and they
prosecute any counterfeiters they uncover.

If you really enjoy this field, you may hire out to do the
original recordings, and then do the duplication, too. This will
be more expensive and require more expertise, so you may want to
plan it for a future goal as your business uncover.

If you really enjoy this field, you may hire out to do the
original recordings, and then do the duplication, too. This will
be more expensive and require more expertise so you may want to
plan it for a future goal as your business grows.

If you don’t have all the equipment you need to handle some of
the jobs you’re being offered, you may make use of larger
services to do the work and add a broker’s fee to the cost.