Before discussing the meaning
of 'there's no such thing as a free lunch' it would be useful to go back to the
days in which lunches were free. Free lunch was a commonplace term in the USA
and, to a lesser extent in Britain, from the mid 19th century onward. It wasn't
used to describe handouts of food to the poor and hungry though, it denoted the
free food that American saloon keepers used to attract patrons.
The economic theory, and
also the lay opinion, that whatever goods and services are provided, they must
be paid for by someone - that is, you don't get something for nothing. The
phrase is also known by the acronym of 'there ain't no such thing as a free
lunch'.
You will find, however,
that a free offer is a great stimulus to your business. A free ice cream cone
can be a both a benefit and a draw to bring in new and existing customers. You can of course tie the offer to a purchase
or you can be brave and just offer a small cone with no strings attached. Either way you will stimulate your business
traffic.
You can use your blog or
social networking to make your free offer so there will be little to no
overhead for the advertising of the offer.
You will also train your customer base to look at your social media for
special offers.
Using that type of social
media response you can even target a slow afternoon or evening to attract
customers. These offers can work for all types of businesses, not just the
restaurant example we have given.
A dry cleaner could make an
offer for a free shirt with a similar item.
A real estate sales person could offer a class on one of many aspects to
selling or buying a new home. A travel agent might offer an incentive that they
can arrange with a favorite vendor. Does the pet store you go to offer “free”
treats for your pet?
Is Google’s Gmail
free? They place ads on your pages as a
trade-off for their “free” email service.
They millions and millions of users taking them up on their free offer.
Does an “all you can eat
buffet” really make use of the “free” lunch thinking? If you have to buy a
coupon that offers two for one pricing (also known as BOGO) really mean the
second use is free?
The bottom line is always
present… are you still profitable when you figure in the cost of your next free
offer. Does the customer bribe really
work for your business and the overall way you do business?
What will you offer as a
“free” incentive for your business next week?
You can work with MI Printing to design your business
printing needs. We look forward to
helping with your business growth. Give
us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.
Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
