EASY AND INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

2. Send press releases to the newspaper when you hire someone new or when you add a new service or product line. Let the community know what you are doing to make life easier or better.

3. Carry and hand out business cards. Some large office chain stores now offer free business cards if you don’t mind their company logo on the back of the card. Or create your own cards with an inexpensive desktop publishing program for business card creation.
 

4. Send note of congratulations to companies or clients as a way to maintain your visibility.

5. If you do buy promotional items, buy something tangible which will be used long after the “give away”. You want your company name to be remembered. Think pens, water bottles and key rings instead of candy or balloons.

6. Smile when you answer the phone. Research has proven that smiling even when the other party cannot see you is proven to be effective in relaying friendliness and an upbeat attitude. Making someone smile will be remembered much longer than any four color glossy slick brochure!

7. Give them something unexpected. When you fill an order, add a sample of one of your products or give a certificate for 15% off the next order. Added value is always remembered and much appreciated.

8. Donate your services or product to a local fundraising event.

9. Host a celebrity. Authors need and love opportunities to promote their books. If you sell cookware, recruit the best local chef.

10. Teach a class. If you sell garden supplies, offer to run a free gardening class. If you sell computer services, offer a free informational night on how to keep information secure online.

11. Send a thank you note. Nothing beats a note of appreciation. Think about it. How many pieces of mail do you receive in a week? Real mail – not bills or junk mail.

Personalized, handwritten notes are a steal of a deal in promotional weight for just the price of a stamp and the cost of a card.

12. Take your advertising outdoors. There are hundreds of local runs and just as many opportunities to host a water station or rest station. Most events will allow you to wear your corporate t-shirts or hang a banner if you provide the volunteer time and energy needed.

Promoting your business is not just good for business but should be good for your customer as well. Keep that concept in mind and you’ll find plenty of ways to shine the spotlight of success onto your business.

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