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There are many businesses that you can start and run from your home. With today’s technology, your imagination and the marketplace are the only limits. To be successful, whether you are a web designer or selling widgets online, you must let people know that you are out there, and precisely what kind of service or product you offer. You do this by marketing your business in a number of ways, many of which do not have to be expensive at all.
Here are several suggestions to help.
Expand your network. Your friends and family may be supportive of what you’re doing but they may not be the best sources of referrals. Consider who would make a good customer and then look for ways to meet those people. Chamber of commerce meetings, PTA meetings, local civic associations, regional trade shows, professional conferences, and phone calls can all be effective. So, too, can networking online through message boards and mailing lists. Don’t spam the boards or lists with links to your products. Just participate and contribute to the groups that are likely to include prospects for your services and you will get known.
Look for needs you can fill and ask for business. I ran a small business forum on America Online for 11 years because I got on the phone one day in early 1990 and called them to ask about writing a column for them. Remember, if you don’t ask for business, know one will know you want it.
Enhanced Business Card -?Get a business card with color, an eye catching background, and add your picture to it. Maybe you could also have a cool quote or a free offer on it, plus anything else you can think of to get peoples attention.
The point is you need to make it stand out among all the other business cards someone might see in a month. Make sure your website URL is on it in a highly noticable place. Then, leave it everywhere you can, and hand it out to everyone you meet.
Advertise on the web. Pay Per Click advertising can be a very affordable way to find targeted customers for your home business. Even if you just sell to consumers or businesses in your local area, pay per click can be helpful. The major search engines all feature local pay per click advertising, and AOL also has a search to call feature. A surfer looking for a local dentist, might search for the phrase “dentist in Centereach” and be directed to a web site that has a phone number to call a Centereach dentist.
Sponsor Events – A great way to spread the word about your business is to sponsor events in your area. There are many games, events, charity drives, intramurals, little leagues, etc… That are just waiting for people like you to give a little bit of your money to help out.online business website or offline business if you have one.
You will usually get your business name on a T-shirt, a sign, a flyer, or something else related to the event. A lot of people will be seeing these events and YOUR business name. It’s a great way to drive local traffic to your
Learn from others in your industry. Attend meetings where people talk about their successes and problems. Read trade publications, get to know who’s who in the industry, then find ways to introduce yourself to people you’d like to get to know. If you can’t meet them in person, try calling them. Don’t waste their time. Have a specific question or problem in mind that you’d like them to help with. Then follow up with a note thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate their help.
Stay in touch. Just because a prospect doesn’t buy today doesn’t mean they won’t buy. This is particularly true if you sell to businesses. Some industries and some products have very long buying cycles. Even if the initial prospect doesn’t buy, they may give your name to someone who does
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