Serviced Based Business - Hand Writing Thankyou Notes - Feedback /Marketing Ideas

[ndevore4]

Hi all - I've been lurking these forums for a few weeks now and finally have some questions. I've been kicking around the idea of starting a thank you note writing service as an (initial) side gig. I know one of my pain points is writing thank you notes, and it seems to be a common pain point throughout the internet. I am thinking about selling a service where I supply the card, postage, writing and mailing for a fixed fee - this could probably work both as B2C and B2B, if there is enough demand. I could expand into Christmas cards, events, etc.

Questions -
To get started and start networking, I've thought about contacting area COC's and charities and offering my help pro-bono, for the cost of materials up to a set number - in exchange for a mention at the event I assist with. I've also thought about reaching out to local businesses and extending a similar offer. Can you think of a more effective way to start spreading awareness?

More importantly, since you're all business owners - would this be something you would hypothetically pay for? Maybe to send to your top 10 clients, or your Christmas list. Or does it seem unnecessary?

Thanks for your help and thoughts!

[Steve B]

Honestly, I can't imagine anyone paying someone to do this.

[Harold Mansfield]

I have to agree. I can't imagine anyone paying for this as a service. To me, it's unnecessary and at the pace of business today, would take far too long and lose any effectiveness that it may have had 30+ years ago.

These days when someone wants to say thank you I'd rather have or give a nice review on Yelp or Angie's list, a referral on Linked In, a mention on Facebook or Twitter, or at the very least a nice email that I can knock out in a few minutes.

Sure a hand written note is a nice sentiment, but I don't think it would make the impression that you think it will today.

[ndevore4]

Okay. Thanks for taking the time to reply, and your honesty. I appreciate it - I had realized the idea was kind of out there from the get-go, but still wanted to get some feedback.

[Harold Mansfield]

Okay. Thanks for taking the time to reply, and your honesty. I appreciate it - I had realized the idea was kind of out there from the get-go, but still wanted to get some feedback.

To be honest, I've been typing and texting everything for so long, if you wait long enough actually handwriting anything may be a coveted skill. I signed my name the other day and it looked like I was having a stroke. It's strange how rarely I actually write anything anymore.

[KristineS]

The whole point of a handwritten note is that it's handwritten by the person for whom the task was done or to whom the gift was given or the donation was made or whatever. Outsourcing that work seems kind of odd to me. I do handwrite thank you notes on occasion (my mother drummed that into me when I was a kid) and what makes them special is the fact that I took the time to do it. I think I'd be more offended than anything if I got a handwritten thank you note that was obviously a form letter sort of thing.

[ndevore4]

Hi Kristine - Thanks for the reply. Those are good points, and things I've been brainstorming about. I think I would probably do more of a transcription service - someone would email me what they want to say, and I would write it out by hand. My mom raised me the same way, but I think there are people out there that feel insecure about their handwriting. Like what Harold said- he almost never writes by hand anymore. Whether or not someone would pay for that is another question, I suppose.

Thank you both for your thoughts!

[Harold Mansfield]

I think you are in the ball park in wanting to start a business that offers specialized services. I just don't think the concept of exactly what is completely there yet.

[David Hunter]

I handwrite notes with my 3D marketing. It's a pain in the butt and I don't have the greatest handwriting.

For me, it wouldn't be a bad service at all. But, getting you the products and having them shipped back to me would be a pain. That's where it wouldn't make financial sense. Would this type of service work, who knows. Go to some local businesses and pitch it to them.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Patrysha]

Handwritten notes are a very memorable way to say Thank You. Email, Facebook, and all those things are fine, but everyone today does them and a handwritten note does stand out. And they've been proven to increase return customers, I know I read a study somewhere. However - I wouldn't pay for that service. If I was to do anything to outsource this task at all it would be to Send Out Cards - but that's so much less personal and I personally love shopping for stationery. If it's a local customer I often save the postage and just drop it off on my way by.

[ndevore4]

Thanks for the feedback David- I am working on a little pitch I hope to start using in the next day or two. I used to live in Cleveland when I was in college, I miss it. :)

Thanks for your thoughts Patrysha!

[Wozcreative]

As a small business I usually hand-deliver gifts during new years/christmas to my good clients. I prefer to hand write them myself. I'm very particular with the messages I send.. usually can take 20 minutes at a time.. but I am nit picky so I would rather do it myself.

[Business Attorney]

I have to agree with the others. I do think that handwritten notes can be effective in some situations but I don't think it is a sustainable business. The few people who would use the service would probably only use it for a small number of thank you notes. I don't see how you could possibly build a client base sufficiently large to justify the business.

[ndevore4]

Thanks for the replies Woz and David - I appreciate your thoughts.

[Barcode Parade]

Ndevore,

This might actually be a good idea! I honestly really really like it.

Look, there are companies that need to have this kind of more personal approach with their clients. I know for a fact that even large scale high end merchandise retailers such as Tiffany & Co. send hand written thank you notes to their more valued customers. Granted, Tiffany & Co. makes their sales professionals do this job themselves, but smaller companies might want to outsource this (especially those that don't have as many employees as Tiffany does). You might want to market this service to all kinds of fine merchandise and services businesses.

[Toby Milroy]

There are lots of folks in the business you're describing.
I've had MANY, MANY, MANY of my client use similar services for sending hand written notes.
These (seemingly) personal touches are MORE and MORE valuable as we get more and more inundated with "digital" messages.
A Hand written note cuts through the clutter.

We've used SendOutCards.com for MANY, MANY, MANY of my clients (ie. more than a thousand).
Their system basically allows you to upload your handwriting as a "font" then prints postcards and greeting cards in what looks like handwriting.
It's not "perfect"....but pretty good.
We've built integrations with Infusionsoft, SugarCRM, SalesForce and a few others so these cards get queued automatically when a prospect/customer is at a given stage in the sales or deliver funnel.

So it's a solution that business owner do want, and can really benefit from.....
I can't way anything about the viability of your proposed model.....but from a market viability standpoint, it's PROVEN territory.

Here is what I'd recommend.....
JV's with folks who "teach" marketing tactics to business owner, preferably in businesses that have a relatively high "customer value" (ie. Mortgage Borokers, Insurance Agents, Car Sales, Investments, etc..etc....etc) - folks who REALLY VALUE the customer, and want them to get a personal touch......this way, you're getting "in front of" hundreds of prospective business owners at once, who are focused on improving their marketing.

My $0.02

[Toby Milroy]

How do I delete a mistaken duplicate post???
Sorry.

[Toby Milroy]

Heh....In fact, I JUST logged into my SOC account, and I've spent - $7,925.67 this year so far on Personal "looking" greeting cards from SOC.
382

Heh...love this stuff.

[tmead57]

Kristine -

I agree with you. I was taight how to print and write by hand. The elementary school I went to taught cursive handwriting and I
did well in it, and I still write letters to be people by hand them tell me they like those letters and that I have great handwriting. They
tell me it is readable and looks nice as well. I have been thinking about starting a service like this myself.

[ndevore4]

Toby and Barcode - thanks so much for the feedback! I registered a website, and am working on writing copy etc. I've wanted to start a business for a long time, so even if this doesn't pan out I will learn a bunch either way. I had 'entrepreneurship' classes in college but they didn't really teach a whole lot.

Go for it tmead. :)

[CallBettie]

I use SendOutCards and stopped doing hand written notes for my clients. I swore I'd never switch over to an internet card company BUT I can also send small gifts out as well and save myself from having to run out and pick up gift cards all the time. I have asked a few of my clients if they'd like me to send out a thank you card on their behalf for a referral and have not received a good response. Most business owners don't have time to send hand written thank you cards and they certainly aren't going to carve out time to get a list of their needs together and pay someone else to do it for them.

Maybe looking into being a SendOutCards distributor? The fella who signed me up does it full time and loves it. His name is Jim Pittman and he calls himself the keep in touch guy. He gets to spend time fostering happiness by helping folks sign up for and use their send out cards account. I'm sure he can tell you much more about the business than I can... I'm just a new user myself but so far love it.