You have a business and you have the necessary permits to operate. What you need next are customers. You may feel disappointed at how long it could take for people to come to you. And it’s not going to help if you will just patiently wait and do nothing. You have to organize a marketing plan that best suits your type of business. You also have to consider your budget for such marketing plan.
Here are some ways you can promote your business:
Business Cards: These are things that you can create yourself. Attach them to all your correspondences, distribute them to everyone you know, give them extra to share with everyone they know, post them on community bulletin boards. There are a lot of ways you can distribute your cards, just remember to make them look professional. They will create the initial impression a prospective client will have on you.
Send Announcements: You can do this via e-mail (send an e-mail to everyone in your address book) or to specific people who belong to your target market. If you are opening a bookkeeping service, send announcements to small businesses in your community.
Press Release: This is different from an advertisement. A press release should come in the form of a news item. Some ideas for a press release are articles to announce a grand opening, introduction of a new product or service, a milestone like reaching the 100th customer, etc.
Network: Join organizations online or offline to exchange information and referrals. Develop relationships with people in your target market and let them know how you can help.
Community Service: Joining in community activities make for a great press release. It will also make people choose your service over competitors if you are with them in serving the community. Some may even refer you to their social networks.
Write An Article: Getting yourself published in a traditional newspaper or magazine can take long, but there are websites who will gladly publish your work for free publicity. Just try to create a unique content and distribute them widely.
Seminars: If you are confident about your field, you can consider offering a course related to your business. Say you are getting into a soap making business; you can coordinate with your local community education center to set up a workshop in soap making. This will create a positive impression that you are an expert in your field.
Create A Cyber Presence: Majority of home business owners now are taking advantage of technology. Websites, blogs, e-mails, forums or discussion groups can get information out about your products or services in no time. And the best thing about it is the minimal cost involved.
Great Customer Service: Aim to meet, if not exceed, your client’s expectations. Don’t offer more than you can deliver. Be upfront about your limitations. Use feedback surveys to know how your customers feel about your products or services, and use them to further improve your business.
Marge, also known as The Happy WAHM, is a virtual assistant who turned her passion for entrepreneurship into a worthy endeavor of offering complete business solutions to CEOs and business owners around the world. She turned her back on a thriving corporate career to become a hands-on mom and created a lifestyle that allowed her to build a homebased career, homeschool her children, and still have time to pursue her passion for arts and crafting.
She only posts her content on her website, TheHappyWAHM.com. If you see this content on someone else’s site then it is NOT by any means authorized.
