How to Run an Astrological Business

Copyright © All Rights Reserved

by Fei Cochrane

Fei Cochrane, B.S.E., TACC is the President of Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc., an international astrological software company. She is also the President of The Avalon School of Astrology. She is also one of the first graduates of The Avalon School of Astrology where she received the diploma in Theoretical and Applied Cosmic Cybernetics.

Fei is also part of the technical support team at Cosmic Patterns. She is also one of the designers of the Kepler program, and developer of all the astrological glyphs used in all of Cosmic Patterns products. Fei is our web master and graphic designer. She also travels at least 3 or 4 times a year promoting our products (which she very much enjoy).

She was born in Bato, Catanduanes, Philippines at 7:10 PM on August 30, 1960 (time zone 8 hours east, standard time). Fei received a B.S.E. degree in science education in the Philippines.

Fei has also been involved in serving in an administrative role at large international conferences sponsored by some of the world's most prestigious and largest astrological organizations. She is actively involved in major astrological conferences in both the USA and Europe. She has also worked directly with some of the world's most respected astrologers in developing software products that are marketed by Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc.

Fei has been President of Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc. for many years. She was also the business manager of A.T. Taroy Constructions in the Philippines. These experiencee have given her extensive knowledge of the mechanics of running a business of any kind (advertising, legal issues, accounting, etc.). She enjoys meeting people personally either by phone, by mail, in person.

Fei has expertise in many areas, including business administration, computer technician, education, and the issues and concerns that are specific to the field of astrology. Fei's involvement in astrological organizations and in administering Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc., which is a very successful and thriving enterprise has enabled her to gain this expertise. Her work with other astrological schools and in providing educational astrological software has also given her direct involvement in the delivery of astrological education.

7. Business Ethics.
As the business owner, you must be honest and honorable for the company to succeed. Ensure that your company displays good character in dealing with your customers. An honorable business will gain respect and loyalty from its customers, and loyalty from workers. Every effort should be made to maintain honesty, have integrity, demonstrate reliability, and act responsibly. These are the keys to success in running a good business. The most successful businesses are consistent. If you are going to have a positive, helpful, constructive business, then you must strive very hard to operate this way CONSISTENTLY.

Let me give you some guidelines on how you can do this:

• a) Treat your customers well by making sure that the service that you promise and advertise is the service that you provide.
• b) Usually you must apply the motto "the customer is always right", even when this is not true! It is best to listen attentively to your customer even if the complaint or suggestion does not at first seem reasonable. Feedback from customers is very valuable. Sometimes, even the most negative and obnoxious customer has a very valuable suggestion hidden in his/her ugly rhetoric.

Kinds of Astrological Businesses:

There are several kinds of astrology businesses. You can be an astrological consultant or you can have a business that provides astrological products or services. Some of the most common astrological businesses are: (1) Astrological consultant, (2) teacher of astrology classes, (3) writer of astrology articles or books, (4) provider of computerized interpretations, (5) reseller of books, (6) distributor of astrology software, (7) reseller or maker of products with astrological motifs, such as jewelry, t-shirts, calendars, etc., (8) provider of facilities for astrology classes and astrological consultations, typically as part of a metaphysical bookstore. Of these 8 kinds of astrological businesses, the first 3 require that you are a competent astrologer. The other 5 astrological businesses require knowledge of astrology but not professional proficiency. If you are not a professional astrologer, you can succeed in one of these businesses. However, you must not give the impression that you are an astrologer if you are not. Most people who are successful in an astrological business combine at least two of the above kinds of services, and some also combine astrology with non-astrological services.

Running an astrological business but you are not an astrologer:
You can have an astrology business although you are not an astrologer by providing the goods and services listed below, either in a physical store or an online store.

a) Sell Astrology Books:
Consider selling hard-to-find titles that astrologers cannot locate elsewhere, or do research to find out which books are most useful, helpful, and interesting to both beginning and advanced students, as well as to professional astrologers. Usually books can be purchased wholesale directly from the publisher or through a book distributor. Some bookstores prefer to order from the distributors because it is convenient to order most products from one or two sources. Other bookstores order directly from the publisher. The wholesale price of books is typically 40% off the retail price. Your price, in other words, is typically about 60% of the retail cost.

b) Sell Astrology Software:
Research which software is the best in the industry. You may discover that certain programs are best suited to particular clients who have particular needs. It is best to own a copy of any software that you sell so that you are familiar with it and can explain its features and capabilities. You can then help astrologers and students decide which software to purchase, based on their needs.

Also, when you are familiar with the software that you are selling, you can give customer support to your software customers. Customers are often loyal to a software distributor who provides customer support or gives good advice on which software is best suited to the customer's needs. Call the software manufacturer and sign up for a dealership agreement so you can purchase the software at a wholesale price. Some companies may have limited availability of distributorships or special requirements for you to become a distributor.

c) Computerized interpretations and graphic information:
Computerized interpretations provide a very different service from consultations. Consultations are generally more expensive than computerized interpretations and are designed to enable the client to make important decisions. A computerized interpretation provides an objective assessment based solely on the birth data and makes a nice gift that people often like to give to a friend or family member without the expense or requirement to schedule a consultation. Low prices for computerized interpretations work best for most astrologers and astrology businesses. A price of $10 to $20 for a natal chart interpretation is about average. High prices typically reduce sales dramatically, so this lower price range is recommended. There are exceptions to this rule, however, and there are many variables that affect what price can be charged. The cost of producing a computerized report is very low. The cost of paper, ink, time, cover, etc. may total to only a few dollars. The largest expense typically is the time to produce the report and mailing costs. Do not try to make a "killing" on sales of each report. There are many providers of computerized reports at low prices and probably you want to be within the standard range of prices.

In addition to computerized interpretations, most software companies offer various kinds of graphic information printouts or artistically rendered printouts that can be as useful as interpretations. A typical example of this is an AstroMap printout, which is available from most major software companies. Other kinds of graphic printouts are also available. Note that if you are not an astrologer, do not claim to be one. When you get astrology questions, do not pretend that you know the answer. Simply tell them that you don't know the answer and that you will ask someone who knows and that you will let them know what you find out. You can send them the correct answer when you have it in hand.

d) Develop a relationship with professional astrologers:
If you own a bookstore, you can form a partnership with professional astrologers by having them provide consultations and classes at your store. You can either get a commission from the fees that they collect or make some other reasonable arrangement with the astrologers.

e) Offer other metaphysical products:
necklaces, bracelets, T-shirts, etc. Offering small items can enhance your business. Make sure that you don't overstock these items. Keep track of how well different items sell. Some manufacturers will allow you to return the items if you don't sell them within a month of so, but most manufacturers will not accept returns of unsold inventory.

Running an astrological business when you are an astrologer:
Some consultants in astrology as well as other fields offer flexible payments, depending on the financial status of the client. In general, any situation that involves flexibility will leave some people feeling maltreated because they did not receive as good a "deal" as someone else and can result in a lot of haggling over fees. A simple fee structure for all is best. If you want to help the needy, then you can do this on a voluntary basis separate from your normal consultation service. Providing assistance to the needy can be done in a way that makes it distinct from your normal services. One way to accomplish this is to provide it in a different location. Consider adding other services to your consultation service if you do not do so already! Some astrologers find that giving the client a computerized reading, an attractive printout of their chart wheel, a tape of the consultation, or other tangible "goodies" when they leave the consultation gives the client a feeling of tremendously increased value. People who receive frequent astrological consultations also tend to have at least a mild interest in astrology. After finding that you are an excellent astrologer via their consultation, they will greatly respect any recommendations you have for learning astrology, astrology books, and astrology software. You may find that there is much more that you can do to serve your clients in addition to providing the consultation. Consider the possibility of providing books, software, or other services, or at least be able to refer clients to a good source for these items. Providing consultations and classes as well as books and software can be synergistic: each of these services feeds the other services and enables you to provide everything your astrological clients want. From a financial point of view, offering books and/or software can be very profitable.

Another ingredient that you can add to consulting, teaching, and selling books and software is writing. You can write articles, books and interpretive reports for software companies. Royalty rates for sales of interpretive reports paid by software companies are typically much higher than royalty rates paid by publishers for books.

8. Form of Payment:
There are common forms of payment: check, cash, and credit card. If possible, you should accept all 3 methods. Credit card payment is the most popular, and I highly recommend that you accept credit cards. Before the Internet, the only way to accept credit cards was to become a credit card merchant. The requirements to become a credit card merchant usually include a physical store front, a large volume of credit card business each month, or both. The alternative to being a credit card merchant is to use one of the credit card merchant services. Paypal is a popular service, and Paypal will set up your account for free. Details can be found at paypal.com. Other credit card merchant services that are similar to payal.com are authorize.net and securenetshop.com.

Regarding payment by check:
Most businesses provide their product or service after checks have cleared when the check comes from an out-of-town bank or from a customer that the business owners have not met in person. Ask your bank how long it takes for checks from your customers to clear; most likely it will be in the range of 5 to 10 work days. Bounced checks fee from your bank are now very costly however. I will suggest requesting a money order or certified check payment to avoid this issue.

Before signing up for a credit card merchant contract, find out the details and perhaps hidden charges that may be involved. Ask every possible question that you have in mind, even if you think it is not relevant. You will be surprised how much information you can get when you ask all kinds of questions before signing a contract.

9. Dealing with customers:
In trying to please all customers, you may be inclined to get yourself into some situations which are better avoided. One situation to avoid as much as possible is giving deals or specials and different treatment to some of your customers. Always treat everyone the same as you treat others. The temptation to give special treatment to people is very strong, but usually the special treatment will go unappreciated and even cause greater problems. Here are some guidelines for providing a good service to your clients and customers:

1. Answer your phone during business hours. I do not recommend an answering machine during normal business hours because the time and cost of returning these calls can be prohibitive. You can end up playing telephone tag and talking about nonessentials when you do reach the person. Having a person answer the phone on the second ring is best; if the phone rings 4 or 5 times before you answer it, the caller may hang up before you answer or may feel that you are not interested and motivated to respond to clients.
2. Always answer the phone pleasantly. If the person who is calling has a complaint, listen carefully to the complaint. Try not to respond to anger or hostility with hostility. This can be very difficult to do!
3. Probably you will encounter angry customers very rarely. When you do, it can catch you off guard and you can be completely unprepared for it. If callers are angry, do not become "infected" with their anger. Listen attentively and do not get embroiled in an argumentative dispute. Just listen with understanding that they have the problem and that you need to listen and give the best answer to calm them down. If you do not involve yourself with the caller's current state of mind during that bad phone call, you can more easily think of the best way to answer the caller's concerns. Give your caller a chance to talk and express his/her feelings before you respond. Make sure that the caller finishes what he/she is saying so that you do not interrupt. Take note of issues that he/she is trying to convey while you are listening. This way, you don't have to ask what he/she has said, which can make him/her even more irritated. It is best that you are ready with the response when it is your turn to talk. Be prepared with pen and paper handy when you answer a phone call.
   
   Dealing with very difficult and unreasonable people in running a business is the most upsetting customer contact that you will experience. They will always try to make you feel that all of their problems are your fault. They will often give unacceptable and irritating remarks. DO NOT get into their current mood. Keep in mind that they are frustrated because of a problem, and frustration is not their normal state of mind. Always think that such customers may be having difficulty in their own daily life. So listening and understanding where they are coming from is the best tool to avoid getting embroiled with their current state of mind.
4. Always give your name and ask for the caller's name so you can address the person by name during the conversation, thereby making your conversation more personal.
5. Thank them before you hang up the phone.
6. Answering letters or emails: Answer business email within one business day (24 hours or by Monday if received after closing time on Friday). Always answer questions directly and to the point. Read the letter or email several times if necessary until you fully understand it before responding.
7. If you get a nasty email that makes you feel angry or upset, do not answer it immediately! Sudden impulse can cause you to respond much more harshly than you will at a later time. Let it sit for a few hours and then read it again. If the content still makes you feel angry after re-reading it, do not respond yet. Let it sit for another day then read it again until you don't feel angry while reading. By doing this you can write a very clear, helpful, and direct answer without becoming embroiled in the negative emotions. Try to write friendly, respectful, helpful letters. You will very often be surprised that this "nutcase" becomes much more reasonable and normal if you respond in this way.
8. Respect your customers no matter what happened. This way, you get the same treatment from them.

10. Make sure that you have enough savings every month to pay all of your monthly bills.
This savings must come from your business profit. Do not get a loan to pay your monthly bills.

If you have a full time job (not in astrology) and yet you want to have an astrology business, you can start the astrology business part time. Start small. You can still keep your full time job and at the same time have a side astrology business. This way, you still have a permanent income coming in your household. When your astrology business starts to grow, you can slowly spend less time to your full time job until your own astrology business can fully support your family. Many failures in businesses of all kinds come from taking unnecessary risks. You must be willing to work very hard if you want to be self-employed or the proprietor of a business. You need to take some risks, but only ones that you can recover from if you fail, not risks that will destroy your business entirely if you fail.

11. Taxes:
This is very Important. Remember to allocate funds to pay taxes! When first starting a business, some people overlook the taxes that must be paid. Social security tax in the USA for employees is double the tax for self-employed people because you pay both the employer share and employee share that you have withheld from pay checks. Pay all of the required taxes. Breaking the law is NOT a good idea! By operating completely legally and ethically you build a confidence and inner power within your business that is more valuable than the money saved by evading regulations.

12. Do not become disheartened by government regulations and requirements.
Tangible property taxes, zoning requirements, restrictions on how you can conduct your business, required paper work, perhaps the need to hire an accountant or other professional services, higher prices that businesses pay for telephone services and other services, etc. can feel overwhelming and unfair. Some people are surprised to find out that there may be lots of obstacles to starting or expanding a business. Some regulations may not be fair or reasonable but it is better to fulfill the requirements than waste energy trying to change the system. In time you will find the resources to manage all of these affairs.

Always ask the correct authority about the appropriate procedures to follow when you are making changes to your business such as change of location, change of ownership, change of status from sole proprietorship to a corporation, etc. before making any changes.

I hope that the above information is useful to you.

Feel free to email me with questions that you might have at kepler@astrosoftware.com attention Fei Cochrane.

AUTHOR: Fei Cochrane