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The Recycling Entrepreneur     ISSN: 1539 - 6789

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© Scott D. Andrews December, 2002

In this issue:

1. Announcements & Commentary

2. Joint Ventures - How to Profit from Others' Customers

3. Recycling Information Review - Finding and Profiting from FREE Electronics Scrap

4. Cold Calling New Customers - How to Overcome the Fear of Rejection

5. Trivia Question - What are Strategic Metals and How Do They Differ From Precious Metals?
 

Well, another month has passed as we draw closer to a New Year. I pray that you and yours are enjoying health, happiness, and security. May the blessings and special feelings engendered this time of year be with you throughout the coming year.

Although we enjoy unprecedented wealth and opportunity, all is not well in much of the world, and the future promises to be tumultuous. The world economic system is coming to a "day of
reckoning", and no one will escape the repercussions. Not you,
not I, and not our posterity.

The Fed has openly announced that they are prepared to destroy
the dollar through the printing press, and the press stifles a
yawn. The Dow is hitting new lows, deflation is the economic
catchphrase of the moment, and talk is of a new "world dollar"
backed by precious metal!

But, will the US participate? Not as long as we can continue
our "worthless-paper-for-useless-debt-swap", as The Daily
Reckoning so aptly puts it.

After countless rounds of interest rate decreases with no attendant economic improvement (other than the boom in mortgage refinances), there is no place left for the dollar to go. Is it any wonder that gold is hitting 5-year highs, and silver is starting to creep up?

The ride is just starting, and it is not going to be a smooth one.
Take a look at Japan's economy to have a good idea as to our
economic future here in the US.

We are, however, fortunate in that we have the knowledge to
escape much of the trauma going on about us - IF we have the
courage to apply it in the form of establishing and/or expanding
our business.

My goal for the coming year is provide you with the newest,
most innovative tools and recycling techniques in the coming
year to weather any economic storm to arise. Whether you
decide to participate is your decision; if you're already smart
enough to have obtained our manuals, PLEASE start to take
action and profit from them.

Start small, get your feet wet, and build upon your successes.
Just DO something, and do it soon! As the economy gets
rougher, jobs become scarcer, and more and more major
corporations enter bankruptcy, bootstrapping small businesses
will become a profitable skill, if not an absolute necessity for
economic survival.

If you have not yet made a commitment by buying "The
Recycler's Library", I want to give you an opportunity to do so
at a very special price, but you must act before December 20. As
always, ALL future updates will be FREE to you online as
downloadable files if you want to print them yourself. The price
is rising substantially after January 1 once the updates are
completed, so NOW is the time to ACT!

Have you gotten your copy of "1,000 Ways to Make Money"
yet? I know dozens of you have, and I do not hesitate to tell you
that EVERYONE involved in recycling, or any field of small
business, should have a copy of their own.

Sometimes a unique angle or approach is all we need to motivate us on to success. This book is full of interesting and inspiring ideas - well worth the small investment. Get it here:
http://1000ways.scottrecommends.com .

Have you started your study of ebay as well? Again, I will stress
the importance of learning to use the unique resources you'll
find in the online auction community to locate, value, price, and
trade in types of scrap and recyclable materials.

...Not to mention the opportunity Internet auctions give you to
perhaps raise some ‘seed' capital by disposing of some
unwanted, underused, or outdated possessions about your abode.

An excellent resources is: http://auctions.scottrecommends.com

Frankly, in the coming year you will find me recommending
more products from the Site Build It! folks. Why?

Because I feel they provide superior value and follow-up, and I never have to fear that they will not live up to your expectations. As a matter of fact, I am in the process of completely rebuilding
http://recyclebiz.com using their unique site building package. I
have spent many thousands of dollars in the past five years
trying to learn what works and what is a waste of effort in
bringing my recycling manuals to the world..

If I'd had access to the tools provided by Site Build It! Then I'd
be light years ahead of what I've accomplished to date, and
would have spent a lot less than I did. If you are planning to
establish a web presence to market your business locally (or
even globally, like I've done) you definitely need to look at
utilizing this set of tools.

Last month I told you of my concern regarding SPAM and
whether my messages were getting through to you. Spam is a
bigger and bigger problem nowadays. Recently Ralph Wilson,
Paul Myers, and other Net marketing gurus have written about
the problems that spam is causing honest, hard working Net
marketers.

Actually, while spam is the fundamental root of our problems,
the anti-spam measures that large ISPs and important free e-mail
hosts (like Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail) undertake are what hurts
legitimate Net marketers.

Much like tuna nets catch dolphins by mistake, their spam filters
catch us. So the SiteSell SpamCheck Tool is a quick way for
honest marketers to make sure that their e-mails are less likely
to be considered spam by ISPs, by Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail
(which tosses you into their Junk folders) and even by individual
filters set up by an ever-growing number of recipients around
the world.

Here's how it works, and how YOU can use it, FREE of
charge...

STEP 1: Copy-and-paste your subject, but start your subject
with the word "TEST" (without the quotes, in UPPER CASE)
so that we know this is a test e-mail. (If the subject does NOT
start with TEST, we'll assume it's REAL spam and delete it).
Here's a sample subject...
TESTFlower-Lovers Ezine #007: Peonies for the Yukon
STEP 2: Copy-and-paste the rest of your e-zine and simply send
it, exactly the way you would send it to your recipient, to...
spamcheck-platinum@sitesell.net
-----
You'll get a report back (in seconds, perhaps a few minutes if
volume is heavy) telling you how good or bad your e-mail is,
from a spam-detector's point of view. You will receive a full,
free report of all corrections that you should make to your zine
or even your sig file onyour outgoing emails, in order to stay out
of the junk folders. It does NOT, of course, actually comment on
WHAT you write -- first, it's not that smart. And second, the
actual content is YOUR business! ;-)

And remember, this SpamChecker is just one feature of the E-
zine MailOut tool, which itself is merely one part of the entire
system of Site Build It! tools... guaranteed to make any small business succeed online... in a tenth of the time ... at a tenth of
price.

For more information about Site Build It!, please see...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/platinum.html

Onward. This month we're going to discuss the best way you
can supercharge your recycling efforts - by capitalizing on the
customer lists of OTHER businesses. I have a different report
for you on some unique angles in the electronics recycling area -
a critique on a report rather than the usual book review. I think
you'll find it profitable if this is an area you're working.

I'm also going to give you some basic tips on how to overcome
that basic fear we all experience - that of making that first
approach to a new account, or ‘cold call'.

2. . Joint Ventures - How to Profit from Others' Customers
Once you have established your business to the point you feel
you're competent to handle larger volume, it's time to start
looking for ways to expand efficiently. Want to buy large
amounts of gold from the public, without setting up a retail site
to buy from? Consider Joint Ventures and Endorsement
Marketing!

In a joint venture, you are essentially working with an
established business to offer your service to THEIR customers.
You will quickly learn that a business's most valuable asset (as
well as its most underutilized asset) is the list of customers who

frequent it or utilize its services or products regularly.
The reason I say that this is the most underutilized, and therefore
unappreciated, asset is that most established businesses don't
even keep a customer list! You'll be amazed at how few local
businesses ever market to their established clientele. Or if they
do, it's a pretty dismal effort done in an inconsistent manner.

A variation of the joint venture is called "endorsement
marketing". This differs in that the merchant is openly endorsing
you and your product or service to their customers in exchange
for a piece of the action. In either case, YOU need to be taking
the lead in strategizing and packaging the deal in a manner
which gives you the most control.

However, it MUST be structured in a manner which gives your partner or endorser motivation to participate; in other words, they must have a substantial profit split, with validation or proof of your performance to incentivize them.

I could spend hours and pages on this subject, but let me tell you
the starting point and give you some resources to explore if you
wish to pursue these types of deals.

If you are actively buying scrap gold and other precious metals
from dentists, for example, why not propose that the dentist
distribute your business card to his patients? Every dentist has patients eventually ask him (or her) how they can sell their scrap
gold the dentist has removed from their mouth.

Many dentists will just hold on to this gold and deduct a few
bucks from their bill. Many will return it to the patient - who
has absolutely no idea of where to sell it, other than to a pawn
shop where they will get a paltry sum for it. Most will take it
home, throw it in a dresser drawer or jewelry box, and there it
sits - forever. This is why you frequently find dental gold at
estate sales.

Of course, all these patients most likely have some amount of
old, unfashionable, or damaged gold and platinum jewelry
sitting in that same jewelry box! What better way to find these
people than a trusted health care professional who is giving
them this stuff to begin with? Their endorsement of you as their
"exclusive, local buyer" of junk precious metals is truly
"golden"!

How about taking a look at other businesses in your area such as
scrap yards, recycling centers, coin shops, or jewelers. Many of
these businesses do not want to actively buy precious metal
scrap due to legal, ethical, or reputation concerns. Once a
business starts advertising that they trade in scrap precious
metals, it is a guarantee that they'll be visited by local law
enforcement to check their compliance with local laws.

Many do not want to be misconstrued as pawn-type businesses
if dealing in used metals. This doesn't mean that they cannot
participate in the profits to be made by your business in
exchange for their referral or endorsement.

What if your local scrap yard gave your price list for scrap gold along with your business card to each of the customers coming into their business each day (this could be hundreds of potential new customers for YOU, DAILY!) In exchange for a cut of the
profits? Do you start to see the potential to multiply your business?

If so, and you want to learn more, and perhaps stimulate some
creative juices, go here: http://jvmarketer.com/jv/ . Follow some
of the links (yes, I do know some of them are outdated), but
there are some outstanding sources here.

Here is another source of some excellent, free reports by Jay Abraham. ANYTHING by Abraham should be read, studied, memorized, and acted upon in the area of small business marketing: http://www.abraham.com/Reports.html

Good luck, and tell me of your experiences in creating these
types of deals!

3. Recycling Information Review - Finding and Profiting
from FREE Electronics Scrap

This is a little different from my normal book review, but I felt it
bears reporting to you. If you're actively going after electronics scrap, you need to learn every angle in locating the high-profit
material, because there's a LOT of worthless junk out there!

This 9-page report by John Windolph is a gold-mine on unique
and little-known insider's information if this an area you work.
He gives some sources of high-grade electronics scrap most
likely available in your area, how to go about getting it cheap (or
FREE), and how to ‘deconstruct' it most profitably. Also
covered is a method for reclaiming the precious metals values
using common household chemicals.

Does this I've changed my philosophy on refining scrap? No,
not at all. I may be coming around to the idea that SOME types
might yield better values if you reclaim them, but I still do not
endorse anyone getting to refining scrap or metals as a business.

It is, however, often valuable to know the processes and perhaps
even have SOME hands-on experience in this area. This is why
I do not hesitate to provide information on how it is done, with
the caveat that I am not a refiner, have never been one, and will
never be one.

Regardless, I feel that this short report is well worth the $25
asking price - HOWEVER, you do not to pay that! My readers
can buy the report directly from Mr. Windolph for a mere
$15.00! Here's the address: John F. Windolph III, 17433
Hoskinson Road, Poolesville, Maryland 20837

4. Cold Calling New Customers - How to Overcome the
Fear of Rejection

I've spent a large portion of my career establishing new
accounts, or cold-calling. I still get butterflies when meeting
someone new, and I know this is probably the single biggest
impediment to building a profitable business. It has been noted
that public speaking ranks right at the top of the fear inducing
experiences we're likely to experience in our lifetime. And for
the marketer, cold calling is the equivalent of public speaking -
only without the large audience.

So what do ya do? A couple of quick pointers: First, arrange it
so that you're going to be talking to the decision maker. Part of
the fear in going to a business ‘cold' is knowing who you need
to speak with. Do some groundwork - call the business first and
find out who handles the area you're marketing to. More
importantly, who makes the actual decisions.

I've gone into hundreds of dentists offices without preparation
and, as long as I treat the receptionist as if she runs the practice,
I have better results. Often, she DOES make the decisions!

Do not assume that a secretary or receptionist is a minor participant in the business, regardless of what type of business it is.

I almost lost the chance to win my largest catalytic converter
account at one time. I went into the scrap yard which eventually
ended up selling me hundreds of converters a week and treated
the secretary like she was not important. She turned out to be
the owner's wife, and partner in the business as well!

Needless to say, she always got a nicer Christmas gift from me than she did from any other of their clients!

Secondly, be prepared to be the expert in your field. You need to
realize that you're expected to know more than the person
you're calling on. Just as they do not expect you to know more
about their business than they do, they respect that you probably
know more about precious metals and recycling than they will.

They may know more about certain aspects of precious metals
than you, and appreciate your acknowledgment of that fact.

Bottom line, know your stuff but do not flaunt it. You are there
to try and build a cooperative relationship which is mutually
profitable.

It is important that you not slam any doors behind you from a
marketing standpoint. Some, perhaps many, will not want or
need you services immediately. Always ask if they're open to
having you visit (or fax, or email) in the future since everyone's
needs change. You'll find less than one per cent will ever forbid
you from contacting them again unless you make an enemy of
yourself.

Once they've left the door open to future contact, make sure you
do so! If you find an article or reference you think they might
benefit from, send it to them, or, better yet, deliver it to their
office with a handwritten note. They will appreciate it and feel
indebted to you. Your next visit will not be ‘cold', but with the
appreciation and expectation that you've initiated a professional,
long-term relationship.

There are dozens of good books available on sale and marketing
techniques. Check one or two out at your local library and read
them occasionally - and continue to develop and fine-tune your
technique. It will be some of the most valuable self-training
you'll ever do.

5. Trivia Question - What are Strategic Metals and How Do
They Differ From Precious Metals?

Back in the "Days of Scarcity", better known as the ‘70s and
Eighties, there was much talk of how we were running out of
resources. Everything seemed to be in short supply - gas, oil,
clean water, and especially a lot of different metals.

Talk on the street was that industry was going to grind to a standstill due to the shortage of various metals. These essential alloys and elements came to be know as strategic metals because they were absolutely essential to our ability to manufacture almost everything.

Among these metals and elements were: cobalt, germanium, tungsten, tantalum, chromium, manganese, titanium, and many other rare-earth and rare metals.

Most of these were characterized as rare more from the fact that
they are primarily found and produced in parts of the world not
necessarily friendly towards our economic well-being. This list
also includes the platinum group metals, as well as gold and silver.

Most are utilized as relative minor, although absolutely essential, constituents of many manufacturing processes and components. Due to this fact, many are not actively recycled because the cost of recovering them from the waste stream is greater than their mined cost.

Because of this, many were subject to almost open manipulation
in their supply and therefore cost. And this to the point that
people started to become concerned that shortfalls in supply
would need to be made up eventually from the recycling stream.

Of course, most contrived shortages eventually disappear when
better technologies are developed or political changes occur in
countries which are the source. Most of these materials are still
considered strategic, but these degrees of demand are in constant
flux.

A prime example of this is that silver is becoming more and
more of a strategic metal because it is necessary in the
manufacture of weapons systems. Care to take a guess as to
why that is becoming more of a concern?

Perhaps our $350+ Billion defense budget will have an impact in this market, as the US has effectively given away its strategic stockpile at bargain basement prices the past thirty years. This means the US government will have to go out on the open market to buy silver at competitive prices to build our new smart bombs and missile systems.

So, the precious metals are considered strategic, as are a number
of other unique and little-known metals. As the supplies of
these materials ebb and flow, the recycling markets are
impacted. We will be bringing you some information and
tactics to profit from these fluctuations in the coming year - so
stay tuned!

Coming next month - a new book review - Megan Rose's
newest book on Platinum Recycling; "Mystery Metals - What
The Heck Is This and How Much Is It Worth?" ; how to use free
and low-cost software sources in your business, and next
month's trivia question: What is elutriation?

Thanks for reading. My wishes to you and yours for a Happy
and Safe Holiday Season, and a Prosperous and Successful New
Year!

With Warm Regards - Scott Andrews

P.S. - I will have a couple of free ebooks available for you to
download and utilize in the next two weeks. Sorry for the delay,
but I think you'll find them beneficial, along with a long-
awaited announcement! - Scott

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