The best business model meshes the best of online with offline. By finding a unique and interesting way to combine the best of both worlds, you will succeed in both.

The ultimate way to mesh online business and offline business it to have a product or idea that can flow between the two. A family friend of ours owns the Mt. Shasta View souvenir shop in Weed, CA. The funny thing about this shop is the merchandise the store sells. Located at the foot of Mt. Shasta in Northern California, Weed was named after a timber baron, Abner Weed. Nowadays the use of the word “weed” is more often than not associated with marijuana. Needless to say, the town of Weed has a lot of jokes surrounding it. Back to my friends shop.

This store has been in business selling souvenirs for about 60 years. I am also willing to bet that some of the best selling t-shirts were created not long after. As of lately, they have started moving their tangible business from the store in Weed more online. Sales have been trickling in from all over the country. My guess is that most of the sales have resulted in some potheads finding the site after searching for different t-shirts on Google. Now this is an instance of a “real world” business making its way online and growing even more.

The million dollar question is how do you take your online business and incorporate both businesses and people offline? As I was flying to Washington State yesterday it occurred to me that probably the easiest solution is through the use of business cards. What if you had not only a business card, but a business card with value attached to it? What if your card had $500 off first-time Internet business consulting? This would convey that not only do you do consulting, but that you also must be doing a good job to deliver $500 off. Make sure to express that this only works by having the business card. Now that card becomes something of value and worth. Who loses something worth $500 bucks, right?

Now if you know how to hold someones attention by getting them to see that you have a skill that they like, and they have a need you can fill, you are on the right track. They have your card in hand and wont easily lose it, knowing that it is worth $500. Perhaps, to make it even more dramatic don’t have the discount printed on the card, but rather, lay out a line that you enjoyed their time and their company and write the discount out on the card before handing it to them.

Related posts:

1. Finding the best marketing SCHWAG to increase your word of mouth marketing campaign
2. Step by Step Guide on How to Make Money With Twitter
3. Newspaper Marketing Ideas, Appeal to Your New Customers