August and EARLY September are the time to get your school mailouts done. You can often find addresses online for different large city or county systems, or you can contact the state department. If you have a GPS just pick a location and do a search for points of interest to find schools nearby.
Better yet, if you have a map program in your computer you can use tools to find the addresses.
I haven't tried it yet, but the yellow pages online may give you elementary school addresses, daycares, etc. They often don't give zipcodes, which can be time consuming.
Daycares book EARLY so they can have checks ready from the corporate office, so if you're thinking of a holiday show contact them soon.
CDC's (Child Day Cares) that take place on school property often look for entertainment during the days that schools are closed. For example, that hard to book week of Dec. 26th! People are still working and schools are closed so the Child Day Cares have extra kids! Great time for entertainment or workshops on puppets.
And human resources is starting to plan for company holiday parties. Let them know that you are family friendly.
Here are other holiday venues:
Country Clubs
Shopping Malls (Santa Breakfasts)
Strip Malls
Churches (Provide a show for the kids while they do their big Christmas Concert)
Libraries (not holiday, but winter themes)
Someone once said, "I know 30 ways to find 1 new customer and I use them all."
Personally, I use the cheapest ways I can. It is easier to keep a satisfied customer than to find a new one, so contact people from the last 3 or 4 years. You may want to put an OR in the address by their name.
Jim Beam or Head Master, for example. Cruella DeVille or Human Resources Director.
Then find similar schools or corporations in their area and write to them. Use a quote if you have it from the nearby school, otherwise just list the schools you have been to in their area.
Don't forget the telephone. Call the old customers and let them know that you are just putting together a mailout for the next year and wanted to let them know about your new theme. OR just see if they knew of any month where they needed another show. If not, then just send them the mailout for their file.
|