I am a firm believer that you reap what you sow. Knowing this, I spent my slow period of January to get my name out there however I could. I was feeling very unsure about my choices and afraid of what was to come. My budget I had laid aside for me to be off work with no income was fading quickly. I had expected business to pick up faster than it did. The store was paying its own month to month expenses but nothing was left over to expand. I felt since we were not spending out of pocket things should continue to move forward, so we did. In all my business books people say some businesses give up moments before they see the success and work that they did. This is why I can not stress enough about looking 5 years out in a business plan.
"Continuous effort-not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential." Sir Winston Churchill
In my marketing research, I found a website from Janis Pettit. She is a small business life coach and offers some information and a video for free. I used as many things as she has listed that I felt comfortable to use. She recommends using websites like, Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Blogs, and many more. I had been using Craigslist since I opened and continue to put larger items on the gain more customer base. I have used Ebay as an option, but it requires more time to maintain than I care to use so it is last resort. They have the option to create an online store that can be viewed anytime. I already had my stuff on Google and I even show up on GPS in this area. I started a Facebook page in January and I started to give away a free thrifty tip each week to maintain weekly contact. Janis talks about giving something away for free as a constant reminder you are here. I also started a mailing list, and email list. This way I can send out advertisements and sales. To get my mailing and email listing, I had a survey that I gave away to all customers and I had a movie basket as a prize to return surveys. One lucky person who returns will win the basket. I was also able to use my surveys to find out what my customers want more of. I currently do not use Twitter or other social sites since most of my customer base is on Facebook. You need to do what works for you.
I also worked out a deal with my local paper for a small weekly ad. I pay quarterly for it and it has my hours and contact information. Some people say that advertising budget can be cut when capital is down, but most businesses will tell you that is time to advertise more. If advertising is too expensive, consider a co-op with other businesses close by and share the cost. One of our local papers and radio stations is doing a hometown half off advertising to help everyone during the down turn of the economy. And they sell gift certificates for your location for half price and you spend only the free product for advertising. It is worth looking into local specials in your area.
My last big marketing item is my frequent shopper card. I give 10% off their purchase after they earn 10 stamps. To earn a stamp they must make a purchase of $5.00 or more. They do not get additional stamps for each $5.00 spent. You can adjust minimum purchase or what they get once they complete the card for your own business. It has my business information on the front of the card so it can be a double advertisement.
Good Luck starting all your marketing seeds and watch your business grow!!!!
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