[nabentre] nabentre Digest, Vol 65, Issue 3
Half-Blind Press
info at halfblindpress.com
Fri Dec 16 05:23:06 UTC 2011
I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my post.
Mary Ellen, I especially want to thank you for your insights. Some things I
was aware, others I was not. I have been in contact with AARP, but we are
not big enough for them to deal with yet. However, nearly all of your other
recommendations and suggestions should keep me busy for years. Maybe I
should hire you on as a marketing contractor!
Brad, you make some interesting points as well. And, if you do ghost
writing or press releases, we can probably work something out. I find my
time over stretched at this point and any work I can delegate, I am more
than happy to do.
And Dave, yes, I have the website, Facebook, newsletter, and, of course, I'm
in a couple of the catalogs. That's about all I can keep up with for now.
But your specific list of magazines to investigate is very useful, most I
wasn't even aware of. So thank you.
And Everett, thanks for your input as well. Seniors are definitely a huge
potential, and as you say, many will be highly resistant to losing their
sight and want to use what they have as long as they can. And, while some
will adopt the new electronic technologies, many will find the voice
navigation challenging and the text sizes too small to be usable. In
response to your question to the group, as one who makes and markets
calendars, as a part of my research in preparing to start my business I was
unable to find ANY good calendar making software programs which one could
use to make huge print calendars. There are many that can do simple layouts,
but once you get into the really big fonts, they look tacky and ugly.
Thanks again everyone and Merry Christmas!
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
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Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 11:00 AM
To: nabentre at nfbnet.org
Subject: nabentre Digest, Vol 65, Issue 3
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Today's Topics:
1. Introduction (Half-Blind Press)
2. Re: Introduction (Mary Ellen)
3. Re: Introduction (Brad Duns?)
4. Re: Introduction (David Andrews)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:57:19 -0700
From: "Half-Blind Press" <info at halfblindpress.com>
To: <nabentre at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [nabentre] Introduction
Message-ID: <000001ccb953$b1ab00e0$150102a0$@halfblindpress.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello,
My name is Robert, and I've been following this list for a little over a
year now. Up until now I've been listening, reluctant to weigh in on
topics, because I haven't really had a lot to say. But as the holiday
season gets into full swing, I decided it was time to introduce myself and
get some feedback from other Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs.
Unlike many on this list I do have a moderate amount of usable sight
although I've been legally blind since birth. I was "main streamed" as they
say, however, that did not improve my chances for good employment and
self-sufficiency as it turned out. Over the years, I have experienced a
substantial amount of discrimination, as well as, verbal and physical abuse
from classmates, co-workers, employers, and family. I was even made to feel
unwelcome at churches, stores, and restaurants. So it was, out of necessity
and concern for other legally blind individuals that I found myself forced
to embrace being self-employed. Maybe you could make the argument that my
entrepreneurial streak went back to my lemonade stand days as a kid, but if
so, it was only to train me to recognize other opportunities, other niches.
Now, after waiting 25 years for someone else to market better quality huge
print stationery products, I find myself owner of Half-Blind Press, a
business that does just that, manufactures huge print stationery products
specifically for those who are legally blind.
Unfortunately, while my products are in Independent Living Aids and MaxiAids
and available thru a number of low vision stores, it is clear that we are
not reaching enough people who are legally blind. So, my question to
everyone is threefold: 1) How do you market to your clientele? 2) Do you
market specifically to and in the low vision community? 3) As someone who
is blind/legally blind how would you like to be marketed to?
Thank you for your time and I wish everyone on this list a happy and safe
holiday season.
Warm Regards,
Robert
-----------------------------------------------
R. M. Dunn
Founder/CEO
Half-Blind PressTM
PO Box 16730
Tucson, AZ 85732
520.250.4547
Fax: 520.269.7862
www.halfblindpress.com <http://www.halfblindpress.com/>
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Half-Blind-Press-LLC/190262545535%23> Follow
Us on Facebook
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:42:39 -0800
From: "Mary Ellen" <gabias at telus.net>
To: <info at halfblindpress.com>, "'NFBnet NAB Entrepreneurs Mailing
List'" <nabentre at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabentre] Introduction
Message-ID: <1C7EA89DD3BA4EC48C6D836B3F6E8BB4 at bytz6cfd11aa06>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello Robert,
If you've been following this list for a year, you'll know that we come in
all varieties. There are entrepreneurs here who do network marketing. We
have travel agents, internet marketers, and a variety of other sorts of
businesses.
Some of us market primarily to blind/vision impaired people, but most of us
do not. However, through our involvement in the National Federation of the
Blind, many of us will be happy to share what we've learned that might
assist with your marketing challenge.
First, you've covered some of the obvious bases. On that score, I'd urge
you to read several articles about MaxiAids that have appeared in the
Braille Monitor. Go to www.nfb.org and look for publications, then for the
Braille Monitor. Alternatively, just search Maxi Aids in the search box
provided and you will be taken directly to the Monitor articles.
You might also want to contact Future Aids, the Braille Book Store.
www.braillebooks.com It's a Canadian company run by two brothers, both of
them blind. They have a reputation for offering a wide variety of products
at a fair price. They have an entire selection of products for people with
low vision. Their customer service is first rate.
The Materials Center of the National Federation of the Blind might also be
interested in offering some of your merchandise. I can't speak for anyone
there, but you can make contact by phoning (410) 659-9314 and following the
prompts for the Materials Center.
If you look on www.nfb.org, you'll note contact information for NFB state
affiliate presidents, committees, divisions, and groups. You mighte want to
let leaders within the Federation know what you have to offer.
Having said all that, I truly believe your best source of customers will be
outside the usual channels for reaching blind individuals. Most of the
people with severe vision loss who have not embraced the label "blind," are
over the age of 65. Have you considered contacting magazines with a high
proportion of older readers? I'm thinking here of the American Association
of Retired Persons and similar organizations. There are also numerous web
sites specializing in providing information to older individuals.
I'm certain that there is an association for Assisted Living facilities.
Assisted living housing caters to older people who are experiencing serious
health challenges but still desire to retain as much independence as
possible. Most cities of any size have at least one such facility, and many
have several. By contacting them, you could let activity directors and
other staff know about your products. Thousands of residents have serious
vision problems but absolutely refuse to self identify as blind.
The American Association of Homes for the Aging and the National Nursing
Home Care Association also could be a rich source of customers.
The Beteran's Administration has a program for reaching out to veterans who
are losing eyesight. They call their staff who do such work VISTA
coordinators. You can find Vista people at most VA hospitals. You could
also contact the regional rehabilitation centers that the Veteran's
Administration has set up to help in the rehabilitation of blind/vision
impaired veterans.
Many religious denominations have set up services to provide Bibles and
other religious materials in alternate formats. I'm a Catholic, and I find
Xavier Society for the Blind very helpful www. xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
I know the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran Church, and
many other groups produce Braille, large print, and audio materials. Some
of these organizations have news letters and might be willing to include a
notice about your company. While you're thinking of publications, make sure
you remember "The Braille Monitor," which is the Federation's magazine and
has the largest circulation of any magazine in the field of blindness.
Every state has at least one library for the blind. Librarians are famous
for searching out helpful information and would love to include information
about your products in the list of resources they keep on hand to offer
their borrowers. Many libraries for the blind have periodic news letters
that they send to borrowers.
I hope that helps in the marketing of your products. I'd also welcome you
to get to know the National Federation of the Blind in all its richness and
positive energy. Sometimes people who still retain a fair degree of useful
vision feel that a blindness organization isn't really for them. From the
things you mentioned in your email, your personal experiences are those of a
blind person. When it comes right down to it, we who are blind/vision
impaired are more wedded to the distinctions amongst us than our sighted
neighbors. To most of the world, we're either blind or nearly blind.
Anyone who isn't sighted is a bit of a mystery to our neighbors. I'm afraid
that those who have remaining eyesight often face a more difficult job of
educating than those of us who are totally blind. The Federation helps in
so many ways, not the least of which is putting the experiences we face into
perspective. If you have not already done so, you might want to get to know
Federationists in your state. The NFB national convention, to be held in
Dallas in 2012, is an unbelievably enriching experience. If you can manage
to get there, I promise you a very enriching week.
I hope this beginning list of ideas is the kind of information you're
seeking. I'm sure others on the entrepreneur list will have more
suggestions. In any case, welcome to active participation on the list.
Mary Ellen Gabias
-----Original Message-----
From: nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Half-Blind Press
Sent: December 12, 2011 8:57 PM
To: nabentre at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabentre] Introduction
Hello,
My name is Robert, and I've been following this list for a little over a
year now. Up until now I've been listening, reluctant to weigh in on
topics, because I haven't really had a lot to say. But as the holiday
season gets into full swing, I decided it was time to introduce myself and
get some feedback from other Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs.
Unlike many on this list I do have a moderate amount of usable sight
although I've been legally blind since birth. I was "main streamed" as they
say, however, that did not improve my chances for good employment and
self-sufficiency as it turned out. Over the years, I have experienced a
substantial amount of discrimination, as well as, verbal and physical abuse
from classmates, co-workers, employers, and family. I was even made to feel
unwelcome at churches, stores, and restaurants. So it was, out of necessity
and concern for other legally blind individuals that I found myself forced
to embrace being self-employed. Maybe you could make the argument that my
entrepreneurial streak went back to my lemonade stand days as a kid, but if
so, it was only to train me to recognize other opportunities, other niches.
Now, after waiting 25 years for someone else to market better quality huge
print stationery products, I find myself owner of Half-Blind Press, a
business that does just that, manufactures huge print stationery products
specifically for those who are legally blind.
Unfortunately, while my products are in Independent Living Aids and MaxiAids
and available thru a number of low vision stores, it is clear that we are
not reaching enough people who are legally blind. So, my question to
everyone is threefold: 1) How do you market to your clientele? 2) Do you
market specifically to and in the low vision community? 3) As someone who
is blind/legally blind how would you like to be marketed to?
Thank you for your time and I wish everyone on this list a happy and safe
holiday season.
Warm Regards,
Robert
-----------------------------------------------
R. M. Dunn
Founder/CEO
Half-Blind PressTM
PO Box 16730
Tucson, AZ 85732
520.250.4547
Fax: 520.269.7862
www.halfblindpress.com <http://www.halfblindpress.com/>
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Half-Blind-Press-LLC/190262545535%23> Follow
Us on Facebook
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------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:46:05 -0600
From: Brad Duns? <lists at braddunsemusic.com>
To: info at halfblindpress.com, NFBnet NAB Entrepreneurs Mailing List
<nabentre at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabentre] Introduction
Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20111213061612.05431fc0 at braddunsemusic.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Robert,
Pleased to meet you and congrats on making lemonade out of those lemons you
encountered in life. You have done a wise thing getting into the blind/low
vision stores such as MaxiAids and ILA.
Since you asked? Here are my thoughts.
You are dealing with a very niche group that:
A. Are low vision, not totally blind.
B. Are still using stationary along with, or instead of, electronic
communications.
So my thought pattern goes as this?
Who fits this group? Perhaps the places you've already marketed to yes. I
think you can continue finding similar stores such as Blind Mice Mall, NFB's
store, and other blind related web sites and publications such as Braille
Monitor, ACB's magazine,to see about advertising not only in their product
line but perhaps work out some method of getting an ad spot out front on the
main page or such where appropriate. You could do this by swapping web ads
on each of your sites.
Who I think might more fit your buying group are the elderly. A large group
of the blind is due to macular degeneration and diabetes, and they are also
the group more likely to use stationary as oppose to, or in conjunction
with, electronic means such as email, texting, Skype and other
communications. So you might target:
? Assisted living facilities
? Senior centers
? Senior publications
? Community Outreach organizations
? Low vision facilities/centers
? Diabetic publications
? Dialysis facilities
? And any other place you can think of that might deal with that group of
people.
You could try to get some sort of free spot in AARP's magazine, diabetic
publications, or other similar publications? Brainstorm how and where you
can get free publicity?
Maybe you could offer:
? An Interview of how you came to wanting to help their clients? your
customers ?A magazine article profiling your company as an informational
piece ? A news release if you have a news splash for an event you are
holding ? Start a blog yourself or guest blog on other?s site ? Offer an
informational spot such as a quick tip on independent living, scam
awareness, or other helpful living or social tips ? Offer a discount to
people giving you the content for the above ? Offer to physically come in
and talk about certain related independent living issues (obviously a local
thing unless other arrangements could be made) ? Offer or sponsor a memoir
writing class (they do these in assisted living and elderly housing to
counter Alzheimer?s Disease) ? Provide free samples to the above
If you do not write yourself, you can have written material such as
articles, blogs, new releases, interviews, etc. ghost written for you by
someone such as myself or another person.
With some brainstorming, internet research, and maybe contacting sources in
your local area to ask them for input as well; you could probably find a
host of ideas.
Seems to me there would be many senior centers and other points of interest
across the country since we are entering in an aging baby boomer era. It is
just finding an efficient and effective way to let either them, or their
relatives and caretakers, know you are around.
I think targeting both the print market and electronic market would be wise
as you'll find customers in both.
I do think however, that there will be less a need in the future as more
and more people become reliant on electronic devices. My parents who are in
their mid-70's have no iDevices and are scared of a computer; a DVD player
is the extent of their technological adventure. My mother-in-law however at
63-years of age, has an iPad and iPod, computer and such. So we live in a
unique transitional time I think.
Hope that is of some help to get the marketing muse going.
Brad Duns?
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way...
If you don't, you'll find an excuse." --Unknown
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:59:45 -0600
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
To: info at halfblindpress.com, NFBnet NAB Entrepreneurs Mailing List
<nabentre at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabentre] Introduction
Message-ID: <4EE78481.10004 at visi.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Robert:
There isn't an easy, or obvious answer to your question. This is, in fact a
large part of why stuff for the blind and/or visually impaired is more
expensive. We are difficult, and expensive to market too. This is because
our numbers are small, and we are scattered throughout society, and the U.S.
So, there isn't an easy way to reach many of us at once.
By getting ILA and MaxiAids to carry your products, you have probably done
the biggest, and best thing. You can benefit from their marketing and
catalogs. You should have a web site, and search engine optimization and
other things can have you appear in searches, buying ads if you have the
money.
There are the major magazines, Braille Monitor, Braille Forum, and others
Matilda Ziegler, Dialogue, etc. There are organizations, conventions,
e-mail lists, twitter, facebook, some low vision stores, etc.
It won't be easy, you definitely have a niche, but with aging baby boomers,
a potentially larger market.
Dave
On 12/12/2011 10:57 PM, Half-Blind Press wrote:
> Hello,
>
>
>
> My name is Robert, and I've been following this list for a little over
> a year now. Up until now I've been listening, reluctant to weigh in
> on topics, because I haven't really had a lot to say. But as the
> holiday season gets into full swing, I decided it was time to
> introduce myself and get some feedback from other Visually Impaired
Entrepreneurs.
>
>
>
> Unlike many on this list I do have a moderate amount of usable sight
> although I've been legally blind since birth. I was "main streamed"
> as they say, however, that did not improve my chances for good
> employment and self-sufficiency as it turned out. Over the years, I
> have experienced a substantial amount of discrimination, as well as,
> verbal and physical abuse from classmates, co-workers, employers, and
> family. I was even made to feel unwelcome at churches, stores, and
> restaurants. So it was, out of necessity and concern for other
> legally blind individuals that I found myself forced to embrace being
> self-employed. Maybe you could make the argument that my
> entrepreneurial streak went back to my lemonade stand days as a kid, but
if so, it was only to train me to recognize other opportunities, other
niches.
> Now, after waiting 25 years for someone else to market better quality
> huge print stationery products, I find myself owner of Half-Blind
> Press, a business that does just that, manufactures huge print
> stationery products specifically for those who are legally blind.
>
>
>
> Unfortunately, while my products are in Independent Living Aids and
> MaxiAids and available thru a number of low vision stores, it is clear
> that we are not reaching enough people who are legally blind. So, my
> question to everyone is threefold: 1) How do you market to your
> clientele? 2) Do you market specifically to and in the low vision
> community? 3) As someone who is blind/legally blind how would you like to
be marketed to?
>
>
>
> Thank you for your time and I wish everyone on this list a happy and
> safe holiday season.
>
>
>
> Warm Regards,
>
> Robert
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> R. M. Dunn
>
> Founder/CEO
>
> Half-Blind PressTM
>
> PO Box 16730
>
> Tucson, AZ 85732
>
> 520.250.4547
>
> Fax: 520.269.7862
>
> www.halfblindpress.com<http://www.halfblindpress.com/>
>
> <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Half-Blind-Press-LLC/190262545535%23>
> Follow Us on Facebook
------------------------------
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