Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah!

Thanks Allah for the tremendous success.

Collectively (HalfDate, HalalBucks Club*, and HalalBuzz) we have sold more games than MAJOR online & offline stores combined, mashaAllah tabaraka Allah.

So, what’s the secret and other lessons learned?

As for the secrets, we are going to share them in a marketing class inshaAllah. But to give you three quick ones:

1. Integrated marketing (offline, online, word of mouth, PR)
2. HalalBucks co-bazaar participation, where say member A of HalalBucks club sells the products of member B at one bazaar in exchange for member B selling the products of member A in another bazaar. This way you save the money of participating in two bazaars or events.
3. Cause-related marketing and buzz marketing.

As for lessons learned, here are the top 3 ones:

1. If you are giving away free samples, focus on the word “sample” not on “free.” That means you need to let people try it, not here you go, “A free copy of the Quran.” Especially, when your sample involves some time and efforts for people to try it.
2. The total cost of selling may be more than you anticipate: Inventory storing, tracking, shipment & handling, online payment fees, billing & collection, marketing & promotion, and finally your opportunity cost.
3. To make money, you need to rely on repeated customers, and staying for the long run. Especially when you sell a new product, like Kalimaat.

*HalalBucks Club is an exclusive business coaching and implementation club. You can join by invitation-only.

Often time you hear the statement, “Content is King.” Well, not if your content is delivered in a lousy way. That’s way many newspapers and contents providers are running out of business.

However, the following talk by newspaper designer Jacek Utko shows how design can revive the content business, or in HalalBucks terms: MAKES MONEY.

Back to basics: Farming!

One of our clients have invested in farm lands in Asia, because that’s the future business inshaAllah. Now, even in major cities in the US, farming is back. Click here to read about urban farming in Detroit.

What do you think? Would you go into farming business?

Related Posts:

http://www.halalbucks.com/2009/02/18/ask-ibn-halal-what-to-venture-in-to-earn-halal-money/

I was reading about the Untouchables and caste system in India and it came to my mind the parallel caste system that we have in our “modern” industrial society, from the school system to corporate job title definitions.

Many Muslim parents have defined/dictated a set of study fields and occupations for their children. These choices (or restrictions) not only limit the potentials of their children but also lead to a narrow view to Allah’s Rizq (provision).

As if we have no future, unless we took that haram student loan, or bought properties using haram mortgages. As if our Rizq only comes during Jumaah prayer or only by working in haram businesses or jobs.

We, the caste members of the modern economic caste system, are far more outrageous than the Untouchables, because often time we lock ourselves into these “casted” job even that we can escape from them.

May Allah liberate us from being slaves to jobs or money.

Related Readings:

If you are currently locked in a corporate caste system. Read this book, Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, it may liberate you.