Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2010. Its list of media, such as free newspapers, phone directories and furniture magazines, predates the shift of advertising to online platforms.
This time we look at a business idea that is barely exploited in Spanish-speaking countries, one you can start with practically no investment and without employees until the time comes to expand the business. It’s undoubtedly a good idea. What do you need to become an advertising sales representative?
To get started you’ll need some knowledge of the advertising industry, which is very easy to acquire.
The best thing about this business idea is that both of your types of customer need the product you sell:
- Companies that need advertising to make themselves known or to promote their products.
- Companies that live off the advertising their advertisers buy.
Your job, as a freelancer or as an agency brokering between both kinds of client, is to negotiate advertising space and its price for both sides, always trying to pick the best advertisers and the best media to advertise in, and charging a commission for it.
The range of clients on the side that needs advertising is huge, and the range of companies looking for advertisers is very varied. From smallest to largest:
- Free newspapers
- Local newspapers
- Phone directories
- Specialized trade directories
- Furniture magazines
- Local radio spots
- Advertising slots on national radio
- Local TV stations
- National TV networks
National TV networks are undoubtedly the main target for this kind of agency, although by taking your business only as far as level 6, you would be earning about €65,000 in less than two years. After that, the business should aim to cover as many clients and markets as possible.
Once you become known in this field, which I’m sure is not very well known, every time a company launches a new newspaper or directory, it will turn to you to find advertisers to fund the project.
On the other hand, every time a company needs to advertise, it will come to you for advice on where its advertising would work best and which kind of advertising would be most profitable, with the most impact and effect.
To start this business, all you need is your mobile phone and business cards, since at first you can set up your office in a corner of your home.
If you’re wondering why this business idea is so profitable, the answer is simple. When a company launches a directory or a magazine, it usually hires sales reps to visit potential advertisers. The cost of a sales rep plus the corresponding insurance is much higher than subcontracting a company specialized in this field, and as it happens, there are hardly any.
Remember: you sell advertising, so don’t forget that for this business idea to be profitable you’ll need to make yourself known through advertising; word of mouth will do the rest.
Further reading
- Business ideas in home services
- Business ideas in services for companies
- Business ideas in leisure and tourism
- How to start a business with no money
- Why new businesses fail
Featured image: African Studies Centre Leiden, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
