Delaware Kids' Directory

*Charis Latshaw featured on the Nov. cover*

For those of you who don't know much about my business I thought I would explain a little more. Hopefully it won't be too boring : )  So, Kids' Directories (www.kidsdirectories.com) are in over 100 cities across the nation and how you start yours is you buy a license for your area. Delaware was not taken yet, so we got to buy the license for Delaware. Usually, you get a city or a city and the surrounding area. Nope, not us, we get the whole state : )  I guess they didn't think anyone else would take just lower Delaware.  

A Kids' Directory is a free, digest sized, resource guide for parents. It's all advertising for anything kid (or mom) related. I have photographers, ice rinks, theatres, dance companies, work-at-home businesses, kids' entertainment (bowling, inflatables, etc.), non-profits, martial arts, and many more.  It's a monthly, full color, publication that I get to hand deliver myself (with some help of course). We will be distributing them to pediatricians/pediatric dentists offices, libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA's, hospitals, maternity/kids retail stores, OB/GYN offices, women's doctors' offices, all our advertisers businesses, salons...the list goes on and on since we have 10,000 to deliver each month.

My job includes many things since it's pretty much a one-man show (or one-woman in my case). I am responsible for contacting potential advertisers and meeting with them (if I can get a hold of them and then convince them to let me stop by for a few minutes). I really love meeting with people in person so much more than having to talk to people on the phone. Once I can get a meeting I am good to go, for the most part. I really hate making the cold calls and trying to get the initial meeting. Businesses get bombarded by people wanting them to advertise so many business owners are a little guarded about using up their precious time on something they're assuming won't work for them. What's great about the Kids' Directory is that it is so targeted and there is nothing like it in the area. Of course we have some competition but they are newsprint and are focused on articles related to kids/families with some advertising in them.

Another part of my job includes working with my graphic artist to get the ads created or redesigned and then get the directory laid out. I don't do any of the designing, I leave that to the professional, but I do put in my two cents here and there. I am the go between for the graphic artist and the advertiser. I have to get approval from the advertiser once their ad is completed.

There's more involved of course with running your own business but that's the idea anyway. We will have our website up by next week hopefully so you could check it out then. It's www.delawarekidsdirectory.com

I hope that wasn't too boring for everyone (all three of you reading this). Jamie I was a little long getting this up but hopefully that gives you a better idea of what I'm doing : )  I'll write more of the personal side of it, as far as the ups and downs, at another time. Time for bed before Maddie gets up...