Small business advertising/marketing

Lynnelle

Happy New Year!

I run a small business, and have a small budget.

As with any service business I need clients - how can I find more clients without advertising costing me too much? Local papers charge too much for me at the moment.

The trouble is I need equipment to help sell my business and provide the service - but its hard without the cash, and the money I do earn basically just covers my living expenses.

Lynnelle

PS My self-employment business is the best thing I've done and wished I'd done it years ago!

CraftyTwinkle

Hi Lynelle

Happy new year to you too! I am in the same boat as you. I have just started my own web design business and am looking for ways to market my services cheaply/for free.

Personally I'm going to be using social media to advertise (facebook, twitter etc) and hope that word of mouth is going to help me out! I'll be watching this thread with interest and hope to pick up some ideas.

Do you mind me asking what service your business provides? It may help other posters tailor their suggestions for your target market.

Best wishes for your business in 2013!

CraftyTwinkle

Russe11

What sort of service is it... friend referrals is a good one, vouchers for existing customers if they pass on the message about your company and create new custom.

The cost are next to nothing to begin with, the new customer is new business and the exsisting customer only gets to use the voucher if they give further repeat business(put a date on it/time limitation so you can increase the amount they use you).

mumlady1

Congratulations on your business, I hope it does well for you There are lots of ways of free advertising, some more relevant or successful than others so try to think outside the box a bit.
Facebook
Twitter
Posters in shops/leisure centres/pubs/clubs
Ask a smartly dressed & well spoken (important as this reflects on your business) to stand outside your premises (or nearest busy place) handing out flyers
Start an email database of your friends/relatives/customers & email regularly with news or offers

Regards your equipment, if it is going to benefit your business & gain you customers it might be worth a spend on a credit card -0% if poss or ask for a short term overdraft.

Good luck

Wywth

Lynnelle wrote: »

Happy New Year!

I run a small business, and have a small budget.

As with any service business I need clients - how can I find more clients without advertising costing me too much? Local papers charge too much for me at the moment.

The trouble is I need equipment to help sell my business and provide the service - but its hard without the cash, and the money I do earn basically just covers my living expenses.

Lynnelle

PS My self-employment business is the best thing I've done and wished I'd done it years ago!

You don't say what sort of business you are running, but we have most of our custom by word of mouth, but we do offer quite a specialised service and so there is little competition.
We find a satisified customer is worth their weight in gold and so prefer to spend money keeping our existing customers more than happy, rather than spend it on advertising which is a scatter-fire approach that may not even attact any customers.

But it does depend on what you are trying to sell and to whom.

If you need equipment to produce whatever it is you are hoping to sell, and your income doesn't cover this cost (even if via a loan or lease agreement) then I'm, sorry but it sounds like you don't have a viable business plan just yet.