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She Treats Contests Like A Job
If you thought winning contests was all chance, think again. Contest entry is serious business to thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada.
Donna Hagen, North Battleford, Sask., was 10 years old when her grandmother introduced her to contests. Since becoming serious about ęcontesting' in 1981, her winnings ha
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She Treats Contests Like A Job AG WORLD 27-2-24 If you thought winning contests was all chance, think again. Contest entry is serious business to thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada.
Donna Hagen, North Battleford, Sask., was 10 years old when her grandmother introduced her to contests. Since becoming serious about ęcontesting' in 1981, her winnings have included cash ($5,000 twice), cameras, camcorders (5) computers (3), bikes (8), TVs (4) and more. She has traveled free to Europe, Mexico, the Bermudas and the Caribbean. Just a year ago, she won a trip to Toronto for the premiere of a Red Green movie. Her only expense has been postage stamps to submit entry forms.
So what's her secret?
Hagen treats contest entry like a business. She maintains an office in her home where she meticulously files all contest information. She subscribes to a contesting newsletter and has friends all around Canada, with whom she exchanges info on hot new contests.
"It takes organization and time and lots of stamps," she explains. "The nice thing about contesting is that you can put in as much time as you want. It was nice for me when I was home with my children. It has been a very good hobby, almost a part time job."
Hagen emphasizes the importance of carefully following contest rules. "You don't have to send in a lot of entries," she notes, "but put effort into those you do."
Hagen's friends and relatives are used to saving labels for her, and it pays off for them as well. She will often enter a friend's name in a contest and share her good fortune. They have received TVs, trips, cash and numerous smaller items.
"In the early 90s, a lot of my friends were having babies," she recalls. I entered 15 names of friends in a contest for baby seats and 12 of them won."
Hagen recommends that people interested in entering sweepstakes subscribe to a newsletter for tips on how to win and lists contests to enter. She subscribes to a Canadian newsletter, Traders Forum, at $30 per year (www.somewhereincanada.com/tf). A highly regarded contest newsletter in the U.S., SweepSheet (www.sweepsheet.com), costs $45 per year.
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