Here are a few ideas to get your business noticed if you are on a tight budget:
Write and distribute press releases that are newsworthy, and send them to newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations. If only one media outlet airs the story, you’ll have free access to thousands of people.
Renting space at a trade show can be expensive, but the best shows are a great way to build your business. Have plenty of promotional materials ready to hand out to interested people. When the show’s over, follow up. Call your leads in order of importance, but get in touch with all of them within seven days. Above all, keep every promise made at the booth.
Use Internet newsgroups that focus on areas similar to your line of business to draw attention to your site. Always include a phone number or email address so that interested visitors can contact you.
Direct mail results depend largely upon how much you’re willing to spend on finding your target market and delivering quality materials to them. The per-customer cost is much higher than you’ll pay for print ads, but if you create a finely tuned list of recipients, you will reach more highly qualified prospects. Few small firms are qualified to do their own direct mailings, so find a reliable specialist to do the work for you. Interview at least three or four mailing list vendors before you commit your money to a direct mail campaign.
An ad in the Yellow Pages is available to consumers all year long. Reference it and cross reference it properly so that potential customers can easily find you.
Volunteer your services to churches and charitable organizations. You will then get to meet many potential private clients. Offer to give talks to business groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club.
Milton Zlotnick was the founding and managing partner of a midsized CPA firm in NYC before joining Plan4Biz.com, LLC. He served for a number of years on the New York State Society of CPAs' Financial Planning Committee. He is currently a Community Leader and Host for AOL's Business Know How division, providing advice on business plan preparation. He has taught Business Plan Preparation at the College of Staten Island (Options Program), New York. In addition he has conducted numerous seminars on e-commerce for SCORE and the SBA.
