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Organic Food on the Festival Circuit

posted March 14, 2018   category » Festival Food Vendors

Robert Berman for Mobile Catering Business

 

After many years of experimentation, organic food has finally arrived in the food concession business. Throughout North America more and more events want organic products in their food court.

Food Vendor News
Why has it taken so long? Many food vendors believe that a food concession is designed to provide greasy and messy products. They have a tendency to model their operations after others around them. And while looking at the success of others can be a valid way to enter a business, it does not leap frog you ahead of them! You become an industry follower rather than an industry leader.

But, there are other reasons why organic foods took so long to make a firm entry into the food concession industry. The manufacturers were slow to make the products available in bulk form. This was primarily due to the fact that most of the organic foods were being processed by small, local companies who were having problems keeping up with the demand of supermarkets and health food stores.

Read more!

Yes, You Can Book Gigs with FestivalNet!

posted March 14, 2018

Tools and Gigs
Special Video by FN member Tim Charron
TimCharron.com | AntiBullyTour.com

 

Over the last five years, Tim has opened for national acts and estimates he's played in front of 150,000 people. Of course, it didn't start that way. He credits FN's events database search options and organizational tools for helping him grow his business.  Listen to how Tim uses FestivalNet's tools to book more gigs:

Do You Have a Schedule for Creating Art? Maybe You Should!

posted February 15, 2018   category » Artist Resources
"So, do you just wait for something to inspire you?"

That’s a question I hear all the time. . . and it reveals a common misperception about artists. It's often imagined that we sit around, waiting for a muse of some sort to drop creative ideas into our brains.

Even many artists have this misperception, if not consciously, then subconsciously. And while it would be awesome if that was how art was made, it rarely works that way.

If structuring your creative time seems daunting, that’s OK! I'm going to share a couple of tips for getting started. Keep in mind, these are all just ideas, and you can definitely "tweak" them so they fit your personality, artistic process, and goals:

1. Examine your day-to-day obligations

We are not just business owners and creatives. . . we are also parents, spouses, family and community members and we often have many non-art related time commitments. So it is important to look at your current daily schedule and fit the art around it. I look for consistent open spots to know where the art activities can fit. As an example, here's how my current schedule looks now:

time for art

If your current schedule is packed and there is no room for art, perhaps it’s time to take a hard look at your priorities and start eliminating some things.

2. Make a list of any recurring business tasks

This list will probably include studio time, but it also needs to include things such as marketing (social media, blogging, website updating), accounting (taking care of invoices, bills, inventory), and opportunity chasing (show applications, gallery visits, cold calls, proposals, etc).

What business aspects do you need to tackle consistently to move your creative business forward? Be sure to include ALL the stuff. Not just the fun stuff!

Read more!

Musician Facebook Page Matters

posted February 14, 2018

IS YOUR FACEBOOK MUSICIAN PAGE DOING MORE HURT THAN HELP?
Ari Herstand for aristake.com

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Musicians, listen up!! Facebook is still relevant. Yes, teens have fled. But the rest of the population is still addicted. So, for everything that is holy, take it seriously. Next to your official website, your FB Page is THE destination most people go these days to become acquainted with your project. Oftentimes, it's the first destination.

Six Things Every Musician Page Needs To Have

1) Music
Seems like a no brainer that music should exist on a Musician Page, but so many musicians don't have music, of any kind, anywhere on their page. Unacceptable. When BandPage, Bandcamp and ReverbNation all have music playing apps you can quickly and easily install to your Musician Page, there's no reason not to have one.

2) Featured Video
This is the video (uploaded TO Facebook) that lives on the left hand side of the Page just below About on the Desktop and it's the first video listed below the pinned post on mobile. It should be some kind of music video. If you don't have a high production music video, then feature your highest quality live video. It needs to be high quality. It needs to be your music. It shouldn't just be the most recent 15 second video of you putzing around in Canters fed directly from Instagram. Sure, that can be a fun video to post to give a glimpse into your world, but it shouldn't be the featured video on your Page.


3) Pinned Post
Like Twitter, Facebook allows you to feature one post at the top of your Timeline. So, do it. Pick the most interesting (newish) accomplishment, accolade, song, video, photo and pin it. It's one of the first things new fans will see when visiting your Page so make it welcoming and interesting.

4) Tour dates
Make sure you have a tour dates tab. BandsInTown and SongKick are the industry standard shows tabs, so pick one and add it to your Page. This is different from the Events tab. Whether you create an Event for each show you play is up to you (and can be an impossible hassle for a 60 date tour), but a BandsInTown or SongKick shows tab is a must (and is synced to all other concert listing sites and apps).

Read more!

Food Concession Support Vehicles

posted February 13, 2018

Concession Support Vehicles – Work Horses of the Mobile Food Business
Barb Fitzgerald for Foodbooth.net

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One thing you don't often hear mentioned in any discussion about the mobile food concession business is: support vehicles. They're the grunts of the concession business - working humbly and hard behind the scenes transporting the booth, equipment, stock and living quarters to and from events.

My first support vehicle was a borrowed pickup truck. It pulled my small concession trailer and a little extra stock. At night I rolled-out my sleeping bag onto the floor of the concession trailer. In the morning I brushed my teeth in the hand-washing sink. A few years later I was able to buy a used Chevy window van. Though I couldn't stand upright to dress, at least I could sleep without the aroma of fryer grease in my nostrils.

As the years went by I had several concession trailers and several trucks with campers. Then, as the quality of my events improved, I added a tent with a separate menu to my business. With that I needed an entirely different support vehicle.

I considered all sorts of vehicles. Initially, I thought I might get a motor home with a ramped "toy hauler" on the rear. It was easy to imagine myself traveling in luxury with a hot morning shower, kitchenette, wood paneling and a real bed to sleep in. The question was whether or not a motor home was built to pull and haul the substantial weight of the entirety of my business.


Food Vendor News

My next idea was to modify a small bus with a handicap lift, which would come in handy for loading and unloading stock. I was pretty sure a bus had the undercarriage and power to do the job. Alas, neither a motor home nor bus was within my price range.

After many months of rubbernecking used vehicle lots I came across a 1979 Ford F600 high box. It had a 4 speed split shift transmission, heavy springs and a 380 hp gas engine. The box was insulated and had high windows so I could see out.

Read more!

Technology is Changing How You Buy Merch

posted January 23, 2018

You Don't Have To Be A Major Artist To Sell Shirts Anymore
NationWide Source

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Check Out How Technology Is Changing The Way You Buy Merch

Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy shirts and other merch as you sell them to your fans? A fan buys a shirt from you, you replace your stock one shirt at a time, or order the shirt and have it sent directly to the fan from the printer. Bing, bang, boom. No set up costs. No major overhead. Yep. That would be nice. And, of course, you still want to make a little coin (profit) when buying and selling a single shirt.

So the question at hand is this: How does the independent artist/band bring home significant bacon from their fan base? Assuming you have an ever-expanding fan base (which is another article altogether), there are approaches to your small business that will help increase your profits.

Holy sell-out, Batman!

Did I just call you a small business proprietor? Yes. Yes, I did. But before you gag on such words as "business" and "profits" let me reassure you. Any band or artist who hopes to survive and keep making music is, in fact, in the music business.


The thing is, too many artists miss a serious money making opportunity in their merchandise department. Not so much at the merch table, but in how you buy your printed merch. It goes way back to the screen-printing approach. **Now, screen-printing has been a great solution for a long time, lest you think I'm hating. But technology has advanced, and it has advanced in your favor. Celebrate! And keep reading…**

In the past when you ordered T-shirts or hoodies the only viable option was screen-printing. A screen for every color in your design was created and custom ink mixed to print your specific colors. To make it worth everybody's time and money, it behooved you, the client, to purchase screen-printed shirts in bulk.

Read more!

Building Trust at Art Shows

posted January 18, 2018

Building Trust at Art Shows Requires New Skills and New Words
Mckenna Hallett of MygoldenWords.com - Article source ArtsyShark.com

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In other words, you need your prospective buyer to know -beyond a shadow of a doubt- that you are interested in what they are interested in. To be crystal clear: they are, we ALL are, mostly interested in ourselves. If you appear to be more interested in YOURself, you lose THEIR interest.

"But wait!" you say. "How can I create interest if I don't talk about me and my process and me and my background and me and my thoughts about my art? They need to get to know me, don't they? How will they know I am valued, what my art represents, and that it is worth consideration?"

Well, sure…they need to understand your value as an artist, but they want to know about the things THEY care about. (Read that again and really drink it in!)



Today, the average attention span is about eight seconds. This is especially true during the early phase of first-time engagement. Those first eight seconds need nurturing to expand into ten, fifteen and more. The way to sustain interest in your art is to turn the conversation into whatever subjects interest them – the quicker, the better!

The Four Dirty Little Words

The easiest way (although it takes some practice!) to make sure you are keeping it more about them and less about you is to get rid of the Four Dirty Little Words: I, Me, My, Mine, as much as possible.

Find ways to convey your information by increasing the use of You and Yours and use third party references like owners, collectors, or patrons. For example:
  • Collectors of large work are thrilled to have so many choices for their big spaces. Do you have a space that can handle this size?
  • Have you collected______________? (Fill in the blank with your medium and/or genre.)
  • What most art patrons love about this collection/series/piece is _______________.
  • Did you notice ______________?
  • Is there a certain room you have in mind for your next piece of art?
  • While many serious collectors start with a small original, there are some wonderful limited-edition prints you might want to consider, also.

Read more!

Getting Booked

posted December 13, 2017

Getting Food Concession Space at Fairs and Events
Barb Fitzgerald for Foodbooth.net

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2018 is almost here! Every year I am surprised how fast Winter slides into Spring, bringing with it a flurry of the usual pre-season activities. This time of year, event applications should top every food vendors to-do list.

Obtaining contracts for food booth space at quality events can be a difficult undertaking. There are a limited number of booth spaces available at a limited number of events. Event coordinators may receive twenty, forty, or more, applications for food booth space each year. Here are four things you can do to get noticed and increase your chances of being offered a space at the events you want:

Serve a unique menu.
A new concessionaire who serves typical fair food, like corn dogs and snow cones, may be passed over by event coordinators. Serve a menu that is unique, but not so unusual that customers will be afraid to buy it. Initially, a unique menu may not sell as well as standard fair food but your event bookings will be of higher quality and your niche will develop quickly, producing higher sales in the future.

Have a clean, attractive, and professional looking booth, display and signs.
Better still, have a gimmick!

Read more!

Overcoming Event Crisis

posted December 13, 2017

Overcoming an Event Crisis
Kevin Dennis for Catersource.com

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In this industry, you can almost guarantee, at some point, you will experience a crisis! There’s no predicting when or how, but you can create a plan to help you when it does.

Leave out the emotion
 This is certainly easier said than done! When something happens it's tempting to allow emotions to cloud judgement. Before you react, take a moment to put some distance between you and what just happened. That could be something like waiting to respond to a negative review or asking a trusted colleague or friend for advice. Only respond once you’re able to remove the emotional side of the issue.


Don't ignore it
 As much as you may want to get rid of bad reviews you feel are unfair, it’s a bad idea. Social media sites don’t take kindly to businesses which delete poor reviews and prospective clients may conclude you aren’t honest or trustworthy. Transparency is crucial and vital to the success of your business. Instead, own your part and craft a satisfying solution for everyone.

Read more!

Finding Companies Interested In Sponsorship

posted November 28, 2017

How To Find Companies Interested In Sponsoring Events
Stephen Kim for Bizzabo.com

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There is no foolproof formula to bring in sponsorship, but by having a more targeted outreach, savvy event managers increase their chances of event success.

1) Define The Fundamentals of Your Event

What is the overall vision of the event?
What overarching goals are you trying to achieve through the event?
What are the values of the event brand?

2) Know Why Companies Want to Sponsor Events

Increasing social media impressions - If your event is particularly well suited for social media sharing, companies will be very much interested in promoting their own social media channels and thinking of ways to push partnered content. If executed properly, this can be a win-win for all parties involved.

Collecting customers leads - Many companies are excited at the prospect of gaining more potential customers through event sponsorship.

Tapping into a specific demographic - Sometimes companies have a difficult time connecting with a certain demographic. Companies are especially interested if the sponsorship can give the brand the exposure it needs in regards to a specific demographic.

Whatever the reasons may be in your sponsor's case, make sure of the "why" behind their eagerness to sponsor and address those needs as directly as possible.

Read more!

How to Know, is the Gig Worth It?

posted November 21, 2017

Should You Take the Gig or Pass?
Ari Herstand for Aristake.com

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Remember, nothing in the music industry is black and white. Not streaming. Not pirating music. Not playing gigs for free. Is that ever ok? Short answer is yes. Should bands take non-paid gigs? Short answer is maybe. But nothing in the music industry can accurately be answered with a short answer. Use this guide to help you decide if the gig is right for you:

For Paying Gigs:
Don't take a gig unless it meets The Perfect 30 Test:
Payment = 10. Career building = 10. Enjoyment = 10.

You don't want to play any shows for less than a total of 15 on the scale. If the payment is incredible (10), but there will be very little career building potential (3) or enjoyment (2), that equals 15. If there is decent payment (5), but will bring great enjoyment (9), but little career building potential (1), that also equals a 15. Take these shows. The shows you shouldn't take are the ones for little to no payment (1), very little career building potential (3) and very little enjoyment (3) = 7 total. Pass!

For Non Paying Gigs:
There are a few instances when these are no brainers:

For Charity or A Worthy Cause: If you believe in the cause or the organization, then absolutely contribute your services. Your "normal fee" can sometimes be a tax deductible donation for certain organizations. Always ask the org.

Read more!

Present Your Work at Christmas Markets

posted November 16, 2017
FestivalNet Artists & Crafters News: Present Your Work at Christmas M…
November 2017
How to Successfully Sell Your Artwork at Christmas Markets

Steff Metal for emptyeasel.com

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Christmas markets are a real highlight in the community calendar. They're a great way for local creatives to get together and share their work, while adding a bit to your bottom line over the Christmas season.

If you're new to selling your artwork at a Christmas market or holiday, it's a great way to get your name known in your local community. Read on for some Christmas-specific tips!

1. Display both expensive and inexpensive artwork
The truth is, not everyone can afford the large pieces of art for their loved ones, and most stall holders find they do much better in a Christmas market if they have a range of smaller, more inexpensive items alongside their larger pieces. These might include prints, greeting card sets, and smaller scale sculptures or wall hangings.

When I set up a stall, I like to choose 3-5 of my larger, more impressive pieces to attract people to the stall, and stock the rest with smaller items. Direct people interested in your larger pieces to a photograph book or your website.

2. Include Christmas-themed items
It would seem obvious, but many stallholders forget that buyers are looking for specifically Christmas-themed items, such as greeting cards, tree ornaments, advent calendars, and anything wintery or festive. After all, they can get your normal work at any time of the year.

Spend a few weeks beforehand creating some unique Christmas items for sale, and place these prominently on display. They'll probably be your biggest seller for the day!

Read more!

Tis the Season for Shoppers!

So, we're rolling out a special campaign to increase visitors to the Marketplace this ho-ho-holiday season! Are you ready? Is your shop ready?
Here's what we're cooking up: 
  • New Google ads focused on holiday gift seekers starting up before Thanksgiving.
  • Site-wide banners and buttons going up to push our 1 million+ monthly visitors over to the Marketplace!
  • Upping our SEO efforts with some fresh content in our blog and articles!
  • Refocusing the Marketplace around holiday gift buying!
  • The New Items section will be changed to "Holiday Gift Ideas".
Have you considered upgrading to Pro Level to get the 10 item shop at no additional monthly or annual fee (5% on sales)? This would be a good time to upgrade!

To further expand your holiday season potential, you might be interested in our Advanced or Ultimate shop plans where you can add unlimited products!

Whichever plan you're on, update your shop and add new items today for the holiday shopping season. You can do just so many shows over the next few weeks, but you can sell your products 24/7 in the FN Marketplace!

Copyright (C) 2017 FestivalNet.com All rights reserved.

Should You Quit Your Day Job?

posted October 25, 2017   category » Artist Resources

Should You Quit Your Day Job?
Carolyn Edlund

 

Several people lately have asked my opinion of simply quitting their day jobs and going solo as an artist. I'm self-employed myself, and owned a studio for over twenty years, so I'm a big fan of the independence and satisfaction of being a business owner. But it's not for everyone.

It partly depends on your personality. Does facing a challenge, like coming up with next month's rent through sales of your work, energize and motivate you? Or does it throw you into sudden panic and possibly an anxiety attack? Only you can tell what your comfort level is here. But, you can overcome some of the stress by putting a plan into place that works on multiple levels to bring in the income you will need when you quit that day job.

Read more!

Biggest Social Media Mistakes

posted October 25, 2017

Biggest Social Media Mistakes
Eugene Loj

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Yesterday, I made a brief stop at my local Barnes & Noble to check out Gary Vaynerchuk's book, "The Thank You Economy." Gary is one of my favorite social media experts. I give him a ton of credit because his wisdom comes from experience, NOT just book smarts.

 

These days the Internet is full of "marketing experts" and "Internet gurus" who are great at regurgitating info, but when it REALLY matters - can't deliver results. I digress . . .

 

 

During a quick scan of the "The Thank You Economy," there was a series of bullet points that jumped out at me. The bullet points addressed mistakes that companies make with their social media efforts.

 

Here are Gary Vaynerchuk's - "Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with Social Media":

  • Using tactics instead of strategy
  • Using it exclusively to put out fires
  • Using it to brag
  • Using it as a press release
  • Exclusively re-tweeting other people's material rather than creating your own original content
  • Using it to push products
  • Expecting immediate results

 

Read more!

How Efficiency Can Improve Your Life and Art

posted October 19, 2017   category » Small Business Resources

John P. Weiss for faso.com

The majority of artists I know have day jobs. They set their alarms, brew their coffee, tighten their neckties, perfect their makeup, grab their computer bags and hit the morning commute.


Their days are filled with meetings, quotas, emails, phone calls, texts, travel, office politics, deadlines, promotions, acquisitions, shift work, and the many other quotidian rhythms of commerce and professional life.


Some days bring professional recognition, raises, bonuses and personal satisfaction. Other days bring let downs, frustration, depression and a sense of endless entrapment.

Add into the mix all the commitments and responsibilities of family life. Getting the kids to school, sports practice and assuring homework gets done. Maybe a quick workout, walk the dogs, enjoy a glass of wine with your spouse and then it's off to bed. Before you know it, the alarm clock shakes you out of a blessed slumber and you're back on the career treadmill.

Somewhere in the above narrative, waiting like a forgotten child at the bus stop, is your artwork. Remember that? Before school, marriage, career, mortgage and life took over?


Read more!

Not Getting Responses From Events You've Contacted? We're Here to Help!

posted September 21, 2017

Not Getting Responses From Events You've Contacted? We're Here to Help!
Michelle Morrison for FestivalNet

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We know that the wait can feel like forever after you've submitted your application to a prospective event. And not hearing back at all can feel very discouraging. But fear not! We've compiled some trade-secrets to help you get ahead of the pack, improve your response rate, and get accepted to more events!

In most cases it's actually what you do BEFORE you contact the event that will set you up for a better response rate in the end:

Make sure you are contacting the right events for your product/service. Our Pro Search can help you with that. For example, selecting categories from the "Allowed" drop down in the "Exhibitors" box will find events that allow what you do. For more search tips, there's a help link in the top left corner of Pro Search.

 

  • Be sure the deadline date has not passed. Contact each event well in advance of their application deadline, otherwise emails & calls will not likely be returned. Use our handy "Deadline Reminder Newsletter" and the "Deadlines" option in Pro search to get ahead of the game.

 

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How to Ignite Your Event Marketing with YouTube

posted September 21, 2017

How to Ignite Your Event Marketing with YouTube
Laura Lopez

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Marketing for your event can take many forms: email marketing, influencer content, paid advertising, or organic content like blogs and social media. The beauty of organic social media is its attractive, low-cost of $0. But YouTube, unlike its sister social media channels (and video in general), has statistics that might make you think twice about creating video content.

 

Consider these staggering video stats:

  • YouTube ranks as the #2 search engine behind Google (which holds the #1 spot and owns YouTube).
  • Companies who use videos in their marketing grow revenue 75% faster than those that don't.
  • Videos are 75% more likely to push a reader to your website than any other type of media.

 

Read more!

How to Make a Music Video on a Tiny Budget

posted September 14, 2017

How to Make a Music Video on a Tiny Budget
Ari Herstand

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A while back, I released a music video. It cost me exactly $0 to make and it looks pretty darn awesome if I do say so myself. Well, I can say so because I didn't make it. I kind of had nothing to do with it - other than writing and recording the song of course (and showing up and shooting the thing).

 

So how did this happen?

 

Well, 4 years ago I played a house concert in LA. After the show a woman came up to me and said she was really moved by the performance, is a filmmaker and wanted to make a music video for me. I wasn't planning on creating a music video at the time and told her I didn't have a budget together for one, but she told me it would be a passion project for her. We got together to discuss concept and then spent a couple days with a small crew on Venice beach shooting it. As time passed, I kind of forgot about it (I wasn't paying her so I couldn't really set deadlines), but then a few months ago I got an email out of the blue from this filmmaker with a Dropbox link to the video and a brief note "sorry for the delay." Ha.

You Pick Two

There's an old saying, "Good, fast, cheap. Pick two." So, this is good and cheap. But it wasn't fast.

When creating your music videos (and recordings), always keep the You Pick Two philosophy in mind. It holds true in most situations. You may get lucky where your good friend, who is an awesome filmmaker, just finished up a giant budget film, has some free time, doesn't need the money and will work on your project to help you out. But that is beyond rare. And you definitely can't plan on this.

 

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Most of Your Art Marketing Will Fail. Keep Going.

posted September 14, 2017

Most of Your Art Marketing Will Fail. Keep Going.
Carolyn Edlund

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This month, I'm working on a number of different projects. Editing and launching a new art business course. Talking with art organizations about potential workshops. Implementing a new email campaign series for the nonprofit I run. Reaching out personally to a hundred prospective customers.

Most of my efforts will fail, but this is part of the reality of business. Marketing and sales is a numbers game, and any good salesperson can tell you that if you close 10 - 20% of your prospects, you have done well.

The vast majority of attempts you make to market and sell will result in rejection, and as an artist, that might be hard to face. But as you gain experience, you will toughen up, be able to hear "No" without flinching, and move on to the next opportunity. To be successful, you must be willing to keep going despite difficult days, slow months and long droughts. It happens. Amazing opportunities also happen, and sales you didn't predict. Those sales might seem like gifts, but you actually earned them. You earned them through persistence and professionalism and simply not giving up.

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Summertime and the Living is... Busy!

posted August 17, 2017

Summertime and the Living is... Busy!
Marisa Morgan

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What starts with a 'C', ends with a 'T' and puts some 'EZ' into your summer? You got it: contest! Make that plural because we've got two cool ways to play! You're breaking a sweat everyday, working offline and on, to grow your business and boost your bottom line. Check out our revamped Affiliate Referral Program & our Sweet Summer Share-To-Win Contests!

 

 

Revamped and Smokin' Hot

 

Now, earn $10 for every Pro member you refer to us! That's twice as nice as it used to be. Go here for more.

 

Cool New Custom Flyer

 

It's hip, colorful and customized with your affiliate number! Easy to print. A breeze to hand out. Every time someone signs up using your number, you earn $10 and your referral receives $5 off membership! Get it here: Affiliate Tools

 

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