Small Business
and Self-Employed Business Owners Help Center
A 10 Step Guide to Successful Small Business Management
Print out the Step-by-step Checklist
Make your business run better and more profitably
Table of Contents
Ten Building Blocks
to Success:
1. Starting a Business
2. Financing a business
3. Company Name
4. Office Equipment
5. Hiring
6. Business Insurance
7. Advertising
8. Efficiency
9. Pension Plans
10. Succession Plans
Checklist for Success
More Useful Advice:
Resources
Business
Opportunities:
Home-Based
Business
Opportunities
Virtual Call Center
Job Opportunities
Dental Practices:
Buy, Sell, Valuation
Medical
Practices:
Buy, Sell, Valuation
Step 7: Advertising
The most important component of any
successful business is finding clients. There are endless methods and
people who will charge for their advice. Here we will list the best ways
to find and keep clients. It's important to remember that this process
never ends.
You must always be looking for new customers. You should
constantly be advertising
and marketing your business.
(1) Use your vehicle to advertise
You stopped at a traffic light and right in front of you is a
truck with the company name, phone number
and what they do. You have to
stare at that information until the cars start to move. What better form
of "FREE" advertising could there be? Here are some pointers to
make that advertising pay off:
(a) Remember in Step #2 "Company Name" where we recommended
using a name that tells people
who you are? Well, make sure that company
name is displayed in LARGE letters on the vehicle.
(b) Us a short slogan to tell people exactly what you do.
Which of these two examples does that:
John Smith Contractor, We do Everything
John Smith General Contractor, Home Remodeling, Roofing, Decks, Siding and Windows
See? The first one is cute and not
the least bit informative. The second one is!
(c) Address and Phone number. Very important. The person in
the car behind you might want to write
that information down.
(d) Web site address. Not as important as the phone number.
Omit it.
(2) Call people who can refer work to you.
A pediatrician would call local doctors and introduce
themselves. A plumber would call local contractors and ask for
subcontracting work. Highly recommended
that you meet these people and shake their hand. Follow up all calls and
meetings with a letter of introduction and business card. Check the
local newspaper that serves only your town or the surrounding town. Call
a businesses and ask for work.
(3) Start a mailing list.
On this list you will add the name, address and phone number
of those you've made contact with who
you would like to work with or get
referrals from, clients new and old, friends and family. Make it a
routine
to update this list every week or every month. This is a job for
a secretary, employee or even one of your children. Contact a local
direct marketing company and ask about coupon mailers.
(4) Business Cards and stationery.
Your business card should be given out all the time. When you
meet someone, when you mail something. Always give a business card.
Highly recommended: If you want to make
sure they don't lose your card then make a magnet card so they can put
it on the refrigerator.
Using stationery not only gives your business some class it's
another method of advertising. Use the stationery to tell your clients
more about yourself. Tell them what you do!
A great source for stationery, brochures and specialty paper
is Paper Direct at www.paperdirect.com.
(5) Create a website.
You can hire a professional to design a creative and
informative website. Your telephone company will
also create one for
you, which you can then ad to their business directory. They can also
create a listing on Yellow Book. If you have an online business or
online business opportunity then creating a website is a must.
If you can't create a web site hire a programmer who is
capable of web design.
(6) Advertise online. Internet
marketing is the future. Drive traffic to your website.
Once your web site us up and running place ads on Google, Yahoo
and MSN. They're the big three
search engines. Develop a marketing
strategy. Focus on web site promotion.
(a) Create the Google ad account at Google Adwords:
www.adwords.google.com
(b) Create a Yahoo account at Yahoo Search Marketing:
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/srch/why.php
(c) Create an MSN account at Digital Advertising Solutions:
http://advertising.microsoft.com/home/home
Highly recommended: Yahoo and Google have "Local" ads that include a street map showing prospective clients where your business is located. If you have the type of business that invites people in to purchase or request information this is an excellent tool. Yes, you can earn money online!
Your web site should have your email address prominently listed along with your business address and phone number.
(7) Purchase leads Online.
Our website had a section devoted to sales leads and websites
where sales leads can be purchased. From
personal experience we can verify that this is a very cost effective way
to meet new clients.
(8) Attend local business meetings.
Join or go to meets of Rotary, Lions, or Elk Clubs. Also, try
the Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration or a local
Business & Industry meeting. Bring business cards! It's called
network marketing.
(9) Newspaper Ads.
Research has shown that ads in local newspapers that serve
only a few towns will do better than a big
ad in the city or regional
newspaper. Usually the local newspaper can put your ad in the same
papers for the surrounding towns. You will get bigger ads with more
visibility. Highly recommended: Place a
coupon in
these papers. The newspapers can help you design
your ads.
(10) Sponsor a youth athletic team.
Baseball, basketball, Football. Place ads in their flyers.
Buy them their shirts. Place a banner at the
events. Make a donation. It
all helps.
(11) Hats, Sweatshirts and Tee Shirts.
Have baseball caps made for you and your employees to wear at
work or on the weekends. Same for sweatshirts and tee shirts. Give some
away to clients and friends.
(12) Promotional items.
Magnets, hats, cups, etc. Leave them at all business
appointments. The more useful the items will be seem by more people.
(13) Gifts for Clients - Best way to say thanks for the business. Great form of advertising. For ideas go to the Gifts for Clients page on our website.
Move on to Step #8: Efficiency.
New
This week:
Virtual Call
Center Jobs
Dental Practices:
Buy, Sell, Valuation
Medical Practices:
Buy, Sell, Valuation
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