Jon Clarke Launches Contest to Help Small Businesses

(Ft Worth, TX, August 2, 2005) In an effort to help small businesses get the word out, increase clientele and cash flow, Jon Clarke Publishing Group is holding the “Dear Jon” Contest for small businesses. From Aug. 5 through Sept. 5, small business owners are encouraged to write or email a “Dear Jon” letter and answer the question, “If I were provided with free custom designed marketing materials, how will I use them in my sales plan to help my small business and what impact will it have on my company?



According to the US Small Business Administration (SBA), there are over 25 million small businesses in the United States, representing approximately 99.7 percent of all employers. Of all small businesses started in America, 80% fail within the first 5 years. Nearly half of those businesses are not getting the marketing results they bargained for.



American companies spend more on advertising than Mexico’s entire gross domestic product (something over 230 billion each year). America introduces more than 23,000 new products each year. Twenty-three thousand marketers and brand managers are competing for the same level of attention and the same buyer’s dollar. They all want to grow. They all want to achieve breakaway sales. So how do you get better results from your marketing?



Jon Clarke Publishing Group created the “Dear Jon” contest to offer small business owners the opportunity to get better marketing results and take their business to the next level. “Whether you are a small business owner or an executive at a major corporation, you need to know how to get three to ten times more bang for your marketing dollar,” said Tina Clark, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jon Clarke Publishing Group. Rhonda Johnson, Sr. Creative Designer, Jon Clarke Publishing Group, maintains, “It’s also about demonstrating in a real tangible way, our commitment to helping small businesses succeed by bringing great marketing to their company.”



Entries must be 250 words or less. The winner will be notified through mail by October 1. You may mail your letters to Jon Clarke Publishing Group, 777 Main St. Ste 600; Fort Worth, TX 76102 or email your letter to us at dearjon@jonclarkepublishing.com.



Tina Clark, Rhonda Johnson, Carol Ann Fleming of the Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce, as well as a panel of small business experts will serve as the official contest judges and will hand select the winning small business based on its sales plan and commitment to marketing.

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