One skill that a small business owner needs is the ability to stretch $1 in their budget into $5! There are many little things you can do that will cost you virtually nothing to market and grow your business. Here are 10 of my favorites:
1) Put Your Email On Your Payroll - Within your email setup, you have the option to include a signature. This is true of your personal email as well! Next time you forward that joke or inspirational email to your circle of friends…make sure you have a signature attached that lists your company name and the URL to your website.Don’t forget to include that snazzy slogan! Your friends will probably forward that email out to their friends and in the process send out your signature line. You never know who that information is going to reach and what that can bring!
2) Borrow “Craigslist” of Friends - Craigslist has become one of the largest classifieds/bulletin board sites to exist since the Internet began. The audience it reaches is phenomenal and is growing by leaps and bounds. Can you believe that almost every posting that exists on Craigslist.org was posted for free! With local boards in more than 100 cities around the word and with more coming, you have the potential to tell millions about your business with a free ad. Check out eBay Classifieds, as well! They allow free postings as well but have not built the same audience size Craigslist has. Eitherway…free is free. If one person reads your ad, it could be the one person who needs your business!
3) This Ad is “CLASSIFIED”! – Look to your local area’s classified ads. I live in North Carolina and there are two very large classifieds sites that allow free posts. A local station here (WRAL) allows free ads on their website that last for 7 days and RTPClassifieds.com allows free ads as well. That ad that took you 5 minutes to write and $0.00 to post could reach thousands and gain you much exposure. Make sure you start a database of your classified ads that you can cut and paste in quickly and easily when you find other free classified ad sites.
4) Donate “Cause” You Care – If there is a charity that may be related to your business or maybe one that is close to your heart, I am sure it is looking for fundraising items. If the charity is having an auction or giveaway, you could donate a product or service from your business. You are not only helping them with their cause, you are also showing your generosity, marketing your business and getting a tax write-off all at the same time!
5) “Plant” a Business Card – Use area cork boards at grocery stores, libraries and bookstores to post business cards of your business. Leave many in case a prospective customer wants to take your information. Keep a list of places where you have posted the cards and check them regularly to replenish as needed.
6) RIN-N-N-NG! Hello-o-o-o-o New Business! – Every year you get at least one new set of Yellow Pages…put it on your payroll! Choose an industry that would benefit from the services your business would offer. Check the yellow pages for a list of businesses in that industry. Open your planner or your PDA software and place the information about one of those businesses on your calendar for what you consider your “light day” for your next week. Take a few minutes to “Google” that company and find out what you can about it. Then call them. Tell them about your company and see how you can become a value-add for them. Repeat this with a different business regularly…once a month…once a week….once a day! It could be the beginning of a beautiful “business” relationship!
7) Howdy (Corporate) Partner! - Do you have friends that run or work for a company that could use your services? Ask about helping them! Keep in mind that-outsourcing is a major trend in business today. Cold call large businesses in your area and inquire about their small business partnerships. Put your business on a partners list with companies so they know where they can turn when they need assistance. Companies are always happy to align themselves with a company that can provide services to them on quick notice versus going through an official hiring process that could take weeks, maybe even months!
8) I Am Therefore I Write – The best way to let prospective clients and customers know about you is to use the Internet forums (bulletin boards) to post your expert opinions. Use your search engines to find online forums that address your area of expertise. Become a member and spend a few minutes every day or so checking for questions. It will give you an opportunity to show what you know. (Make sure you include that infamous signature with your company’s information with your posts!)You never know who is posting those questions…it could be someone asking on behalf of a company that you could end up partnering with!
9) Become Your Own Best Customer – How can you expect your customers to buy something you don’t even “buy” yourself! Maybe you make unusual handbags…carry one! The general public has NO problem asking about where you got something! Proudly tell them it is one of your originals! Do you design creative and innovative brochures? Create one for your favorite charity (with their permission, of course) and donate a few copies and the PDF version of your creation(with a small “Designed by….” with your name and web address). You never know whose hands that brochure may end up in! Paving the way to additional business!
10) Print Your Own Money – Wait! Let me explain! Don’t do anything that might get you in trouble with the Feds but offer your best customers the opportunity to make money! Design your own currency. When one of your clients sends you a customer that buys from you, give that client a rebate based on what the new customer purchases. Do you make items? Include that rebate offer inside the item for them to share with a friend! Say that new customer ends up purchasing $1000 worth of services or product. You could send the client who referred you a 10% rebate or$100 in “Your Money”. The client can use your “dollars” to buy even more services from you. Plus, a referral or customer testimony can be your best marketing. Make it fun…express your creativity…make all denominations and include fun pics of you or your products in use! Your clients will love it! And the referral business will flow in to your business like water!
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