5 Marketing Tips For The Small Business Owner

Copyright (c) 2009 Charles Boustany

As a small business owner trying to run your business on an everyday basis is a challenge on its own. In these trying months you will need all the help you can get and hopefully it will be free. Now excuse me if I am reminding you how to suck eggs but sometimes business owners are so busy they do tend to forget the fundamental marketing tools they have at their disposal more often than not free or nearly free.

Let's explore some of the tools available to you so that you can choose those that best suit your circumstances.

The majority of business owners complain of the lack of time and the constant new tools and ideas they have to learn to keep up in these tough times. For example the mere suggestion of using a website to promote and even sells their product, turn some business owners away.

Don't panic! If you can type emails and send messages on your mobile then you too can use any Blog platform to market your business on the internet.

Do you send mail out or pay or issue invoices? Well one simple tip is to add flyers, postcards or even a simple compliment slip promoting your latest special offer or bulk discount. This should not cost you anything.

Word of mouth advertising is still very powerful. Even if you are the business, as long as you promote it at every opportunity it will help you brand yourself. You can wear a T-shirt or have a sign put on your car promoting your business it cost very little but will help further in promoting your business.

Do you use emails? Don't forget to add a signature with every email. Make sure your signature promote your special offer and latest product or service adding your blog or website URL address. You can also add a picture or your logo helping you with your branding.

Use your answer machine or call waiting to promote your business. Take off the music and add an exciting special or latest offer message. Erase your out of the office message and replace it with your latest exciting promotion.

Blogging is free you don't need to learn html that is the special website language, and you can start by using the simplest platform so you can practice posting. The easy way is to follow their instructions which are usually 3 steps and you have an online shop front. As in the real world you will tend to change your shop front display from time to time, well on the web and especially when you start you will need to post a blog daily.

Don't worry you will only need a 150 to 200 words articles writing about your own experiences, your products and any special offer you are promoting. Your front page could be about the benefits of your services and or products. If you really do not have the time ask for help either in house, you will be surprised to find a webmaster within your midst, or seek the help of your local chamber of commerce or business association. You might be surprised but even your bank might help.

Those marketing tips dedicated for the small business owner are simple and achievable in very little time and easy to implement. Yet put all together will surely increase your marketing efforts 10 folds