One of the ironies of small businesses is that when the economy is bad and/or profits are down, one of the first things to be cut from the budget is marketing. Think about that for a second... you aren't making enough money, so you stop spending money... on the thing that makes you money!!! Doesn't really make much sense. The fact is, it is not that you need to cut your marketing budget, you just need marketing that is more effective. If you can combine effective marketing that is ALSO affordable, then you have the best of both worlds.
Below are 5 inexpensive small business ideas that can help ramp up your marketing results without breaking the bank:
- Create your own fliers-A well designed flier with an effective marketing message can really help you pull in some clients. These fliers can be mailed, handed out to individuals one by one, posted in local stores, and even included on community bulletin boards. Print as many as you can and get them out everywhere!
- Build a quality email list and send to it regularly-Nowadays, people are online, so you need to talk to them when they are! Start a weekly or monthly newsletter and collect emails from all your customers, friends, and family members. Then send them newsletter updates with special deals and sales AND reward them for referrals. Ask those on your mailing list to forward the newsletter to other friends and family as well. The bigger your list, the bigger your sales!
- Get some local press-Getting a feature story in a newspaper or other publication can be a great way to let others know about your business and convince them to give you a try. Sending regular press releases to local media is a great way to make this happen. Have an open house, give a portion of your profits to a local charity, talk about something unique your business does that no other does. Once you have a subject for a press release, create it or hire someone else to and put it in the hands of as many local media as possible. This is an incredibly inexpensive but effective small business idea that can pay off in a big way.
- Join a local leads or referral group-Leads and referral groups can be great sources of new business for you. Chances are, there are several close to you in your town. They usually meet weekly and will allow you to build relationships with local business owners and professionals. Often, these groups only cost a few hundred dollars per year to join. Attend regularly, offer referrals to other members, and reap the rewards in return.
- Get active online-Another great small business idea that is inexpensive but can yield huge results is simply by getting active online. Social Networking is all the rage and you can interact with clients and future clients online for free. Joining some of these networks and getting active will allow you to tell others about your business, any special deals or discounts you may be offering, and even offer them help or advice about your area of expertise if they need it. This can be a great way to expand your business with no cost to you at all.
So if building your business is your goal, but you don't have a ton of money to do it, follow some or all of the tips above...sometimes simple small business ideas are all you need to take your business to the next level.
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Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_McNamara/343480
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