An electronic clipping service is a new age version of the old style newspaper clipping services where actual "clips" of a newspaper were cut, saved and forwarded to interested business entities for a fee. Today the work is all done with a computer.
This work from home business opportunity is a database business. You are contracted to watch for newsworthy items that may be of interest to your clients. You make your money when you forward the "clip" to your client.
You must like doing online research and know your way around the Internet. Your experience using computer database research and online information services would be helpful.
This work-at-home business works best as a sideline business or part-time to supplement other income. This would also make a good secondary business when added to an existing entity like a virtual secretary service.
Focus your efforts on local or regional media (newspapers, periodicals, journals and magazines) since the larger clipping services do a good job covering national and international publications. The unmet need for your services will be found in your ability to provide timely local clips.
Your business can be entirely computerized with incoming news service and RSS feeds. Online database providers and online keyword or phrase searches provide articles that may be of interest to your customers. Your job is to monitor the specific media and "clip" the newsworthy items. Your customers are then sent their "clips" on a previously set schedule, via an email, hardcopy, or disk, FAX or CD-ROM.
Set your fees on a monthly flat rate basis and price special requests for additional work at about $25/hour which is an industry standard.
You might want to start out by offering 30 day free trails or reduced fees in exchange for each new client referral; anything to get your name out into the marketplace. Most of your customers are going to come to you by word-of-mouth advertising, so be on your best behavior and do a good job. An electronic clipping service can be a good source of growing revenue as the word spreads about what it is you can do.
Your homework: Do your keyword phrase research using online information services before you set your fees and business structure. My Google search just turned up 797,000,000 sites for those keywords. Go online and read what services are in demand and how other clipping services market their merchandise. Write down tips and good ideas.
You should be aware of copyright laws and that you may need to pay for any articles that you clip or copy. Although the copyright subject is beyond the scope of this article, don't let the issue stand in your way. Seek the professional opinion of a qualified attorney. You often can get a free 30 minute consultation.
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