This is a very lucrative business, and it’s growing in demand and
popularity. There are thousands of people in all parts of the
world who are making hundreds of dollars each week, just reading
and clipping news item in the privacy of their own homes!

The press-clipping business is very much misunderstood by most
people, and therefor there are a lot of people who are very
skeptical about it as a way for ordinary people to make extra
money at home. If you explain to friends or neighbors that you
operate a press clipping business, most of them will think you
pore through the obituaries, funeral notices, ad wedding
announcements. Clipping these out and sending them to people or
relatives of the people being written about.

In reality, this is but a very small part of the home-based
newspaper clipping service. The really successful press clipping
services have contracts with companies and organizations that
want to keep current on any number of matters reported in the
papers.

Some companies hire clipping services in order to keep track of
what their competitors are doing. Other companies, including
businesses of all kinds, use clipping services as a means of
locating sales leads and new customers. National magazines and
newspapers are always in need of different or interesting
material, and frequently employ home-based clipping services.

To set yourself up in this kind of business, you’ll need only a
pair of scissors and as many different newspapers and magazines
as you can subscribe to. A visit to your local public library
should be most informative relative to newspapers and magazines
available to subscribers.

You should also visit your local wholesale paper house, or make a
deal with the local stationery store to buy labels at a discount
price. You’ll want to attach these labels to the top of each
clipping you send to your clients. On these labels, you’ll want
to print the name of the publication the clipping came from, and
the date it appeared, as well as your on name and address.

The next step is simply to start clipping articles that mention
or talk about specific companies or people. File you clippings in
envelopes or boxes according to industries or types of
businesses, by company name, ad according to the names of the
people mentioned.

Once you have ten or more clippings that talk about a particular
company or person, put them in a envelope and send them to that
company’s owner or public relations director. You should include
a short note with the clippings, explaining your service and your
fees.

Your should try to get your clients to agree to pay you a monthly
“reader’s fee,” for which you agree to look for anything in the
newspaper about him or his company or industry. Every time you
spot such an article, you of course clip it, and send it to him.
A minimum monthly “reader’s fee” is usually $25,but it can vary
according to the number of publications you read, and the number
of clippings found.

Generally, a clipping service that scans statewide publications
charge about $50 per client, or $100 per client for those wanting
clippings from national publications. These fees, of course, are
monthly fees, and you can easily see how you could make very good
money with just 20 or 25 clients.

To promote and build your business, you can scan your local
business services directory and send out a solicitation letter to
each of those listed. A couple days after you’ve posted your
sales letter, you should follow up with a phone call.

A short, to-the-point ad under “Business Personals” in your daily
newspaper will also bring in new clients for you. And as soon you
can afford it, go with at least a small display ad in the yellow
pages of your telephone directory.

You should definitely contact relations firms, advertising
agencies,and civic organizations in your area. Explain your
services and ask them if they have any special clients or needs
you can help them with. You’ll find many of your local political
and “cause” groups very interested in receiving clippings about
their opponents.

Clipping services in one form or another have been around since
the advent of the printing press, and as stated earlier, they’re
becoming more in demand. It’s definitely the kid of business
anyone who knows how to read can set up ad operate with an
absolute minimum investment.