easy postcard marketing

Filing for bankruptcy is an option sought by many people each year.  However, since the bankruptcy law was amended in 2005, additional procedures have made filing for bankruptcy and getting approved for bankruptcy more difficult than ever. 

If you’re currently experiencing serious debt problems and is contemplating about bankruptcy, the question is, is it really the right time for you to file for bankruptcy?  Here are some pointers you should know about bankruptcy filing.

Should I File for Bankruptcy?

Have you considered other options apart from bankruptcy?  Your debt situation may not be as bad as you think and if you seek the proper help, you may be surprised to find that there are better alternatives to the problem.  Under the new bankruptcy law, consumers should first complete a credit counseling course six months before filing.

The government has assigned accredited credit counseling agencies that consumers can run to for their debt issues.  Upon completing the counseling, if filing for bankruptcy is recommended, then that’s the time you should start preparing your bankruptcy documents.  Otherwise, you would be advised to take on other possible debt solutions.

Filing for Bankruptcy

Unlike the past years, consumers were able to file their own bankruptcy applications.  Today, the government requires bankruptcy applicants to prepare their documents with the assistance of a professional bankruptcy attorney. 

Your bankruptcy attorney must ensure that all details and information that will be entered to your application are true and correct.  Any false information provided is a federal offense so you need to be very careful on filling up your bankruptcy forms.

The Qualification Income Means Test

After filing your bankruptcy application, what’s next?  Applicants used to have the option to choose on which Chapter of bankruptcy to request.  Today however, an applicant will need to undergo a Qualification Means Test to determine whether his monthly income will qualify him for a complete release from his creditors or not.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is what most applicants prefer because this type of bankruptcy completely releases them from all debts from their creditors.  Nevertheless, if an individual fails on the means test calculation, he will be subjected to a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  This chapter requires an individual to submit to a repayment program that will be set by the bankruptcy State court.  This means, a percentage of money will be automatically deducted from his income each month as repayment for his debts.

The Consequences of Bankruptcy

Don’t forget to consider the consequences involved in bankruptcy.  For the next seven years, your record of bankruptcy will be reflected in your credit report.  This can place a stigma to your credibility when you apply for a job, look for places to rent, or apply for loans or insurance policies. 

Therefore, seek bankruptcy only as a last resort to your debt problems and strive to work on other solutions to get out of debt.  Better yet, avoid getting stuck in serious debt situations by keeping control of your spending and keeping up with your debts.

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Debt Consolidation Information

Editor’s Note: Greg Laptevsky is a longtime Practical eCommerce contributor and a professional search-engine-marketing consultant. We asked him for tips to help ecommerce companies hire SEO firms. What follows, below, is his response.

The checklist below will help you choose the right specialist for your search engine marketing campaigns.

1. Stay away from agencies/companies that guarantee top rankings.

If you’ve been in the business long enough, you know that there are few guarantees with search engine marketing. No company can guarantee top natural rankings on Google, Yahoo!, MSN or any other search engine.

Agencies/consultants can, in fact, guarantee that you’ll be able to generate traffic via paid alternatives such as pay-per-click or paid inclusion but never via search engine optimization.

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Business Post Card

Advertising Postcards

Postcard marketing has been around for decades and despite the emergence of new marketing techniques, it is still a number one choice among business owners. Is postcard marketing really effective in generating customer response?

Based upon the experience of successful businesses, marketing with postcards really work when done correctly. Let us consider these top ten ways on how you can increase your customer response rate through postcard marketing.

1. Prepare the right mailing list.

Who would you be sending your postcards to? Who have the most potential to pay attention to your postcards? Who have the most potential to buy your products and services? Who are the people that have a genuine interest in your business? Do you have their names and addresses? These are very important questions that you need to find out before starting to market your business with postcards. Don’t be afraid to invest on a good mailing list. If you don’t have enough prospects on your database, buy from a reputable mailing list company for a list that matches your target market.

2. Offer something of value.

People will always ask, “what’s in it for me?” Postcards that offer something of value will surely be given attention and response. Think about what you can offer to your prospects.

3. Create a strong headline.

The headline would be the first thing that your audience will look at. You can either lose or capture their attention in that few seconds of reading your headline. Thus, it is crucial that your headline is easy to read and arouses interest in your reader.

4. Use a captivating image.

An image that well-illustrates your message is best. Don’t use an image just because it’s cute or pretty. Yes, it is very important to use an eye-catching image but try to find an image that is not just striking but also says more than what words can.

5. Focus on just one idea.

Postcards are meant to contain short but strong messages. Don’t try to put in too many ideas in just a single postcard. Instead, focus on just one idea. If you’re introducing a new product, make sure that the postcard is solely focused on that one product. If you’re inviting to a sale in your store, focus on that.

6. Make your message clear.

Don’t try to use metaphorical words that can confuse your readers. This isn’t the time to puzzle your audience. People will not waste their time figuring out what your message. State what you want to say clearly and to the point.

7. Use call-to-action statements.

Others fail to include call to action statements on their postcard. But it is a very important detail that must never be overlooked. Tell your reader exactly what you want them to do next after reading your postcard.

8. Be realistic of your expectations.

Don’t expect to earn thousands of dollars just because you send postcards once. Focus on your goal and what you wish to achieve from your postcard marketing campaign. Postcards are just tools in enhancing your business. The success will still depend on how you manage the rest of the business.

9. Track your results.

Generally, it is very easy to track postcard marketing results. If you use the postcard coupons, you can track the results by the number of people who bring along their postcard in your store. You can also use codes in your postcards that your customers can enter each time they make a online purchase.

10. Be ready to give what you promise.

Ultimately, the success of the business will depend on the quality of your products and service. If your customers are not satisfied with your products or services, you will lose them sooner or later. Never make promises on your postcards that you cannot live up to.

Read More Postcard Marketing, Top 10 Ways to Increase Response Rate

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