The 4 best and cheapest promotional tools for small business.

     Marketing
The 4 best and cheapest promotional tools
for small business

#1. The Business Card
In today's world of low cost, quality color printing using digital imaging, small business owners have no excuse for NOT having hundreds of this number one promotional tool. Why is your business card the most important marketing tool you'll ever invest in? Because people remember people. Give out your card to every new person you've discussed your business with.

#2. Build a Website
People want to learn about you, your services, and to see your work. If you don't have a website, it's true - really, people will NOT take you as seriously as the business owner that does.

Why? Mostly because more then 227,303,680* people use the Internet in North America alone. And, can you guess how many dollars worth of transactions were completed in 2005? That's $36.3 billion** in Canada alone.

If you have a website - your customers can and will find you. If you don't - they won't.
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Research sources:

* www.internetworldstats.com

** Online sales by private firms increased 37.2% to $36.3 billion, while those by the public sector increased 55.4% to $2.9 billion.

This was the fourth year in a row that the overall value of e-commerce sales in Canada increased by 38% or more. To put this into perspective, the increase in online sales was six times the rise in overall retail sales in Canada in 2005. http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060420/ d060420b.htm

#3. Email
Email lets you send text, photos, video, sound. Can your phone message or print ads do that? Nope.

Ask yourself, "Would my customer like to see my latest creation? Would my customer appreciate a reminder of my next event or sale?" If you've answered yes to either of those questions, consider collecting email addresses from all of your customers. Then mark one day every 3 months in your calendar...and send them an email with information you know they would appreciate.
 

#4. Advertising
Yes, advertising can be expensive.
But, have you considered all the different ways you could "advertise" your business in addition to classic print advertising? Consider these options:
• Write a feature column
• Create a newsletter
• Research newspaper and magazines to find out if they print "Events" or "News" items for free. You will be surprised to find out how many do!
• Submit a press release

With careful planning and some guidance, advertising can deliver the new business contacts you're looking for - in more ways then just doing print ads.

Other
There are many other marketing vehicles and tools to help you (trade show, public relations, radio, TV) - it really all depends on your type of business and discovering how best to reach your audience. Remember - not one tool on it's own will bring you the sales you need. Successful marketing is unique to each business, involves trial and error, and can be achieved without spending a bundle.

You just have to be creative! And seek the help of professionals where you need it.