| So, you are starting a small business. First, let me say | | | | marketing and advertising if you will invest time in |
| congratulations. Small businesses are the backbone of | | | | learning how to make it work for you. |
| the US economy and are the foundation of the | | | | No other advertising or marketing vehicle has the |
| American Dream and I have nothing but the utmost | | | | instant offense and long term residual benefits that a |
| respect and admiration for anyone that is willing to risk | | | | proper Internet marketing program offers at such a |
| in order to grow and achieve success and a piece of | | | | low cost. High return on your investment, turning your |
| that American Dream. | | | | time into new customers, keeping your cash in the |
| Since I was sixteen years old, I have been an owner | | | | bank to focus on inventory or expansion is all benefits |
| of a business. Seven businesses in 23 years and each | | | | of a quality Internet campaign. |
| one taught me valuable lessons. Starting and owning a | | | | You will need a quality website. Don't spend a great |
| small business is unique and never dull. It will test your | | | | deal of money here; you can start off with a |
| metal and often times leave you breathless. But no | | | | registered URL and a blog from one of the free blog |
| work is more rewarding and potentially profitable than | | | | vendors. The great thing about a blog based website |
| working for yourself and being your own boss. | | | | is that you can edit and update it yourself, you control |
| I wanted to share with you a lesson I learned along the | | | | the content and you have the ability to load it with |
| way that I hope will help you in pursuit of your dreams. | | | | keywords and phrases - all for FREE! |
| I have no doubt that you are good at your trade. | | | | Make sure your website includes photos of your work, |
| Whether you are a plumber, chef, mechanic or | | | | your professional credentials, a map, contact info and a |
| landscaper...the belief that you are capable is what has | | | | little about you personally in addition to your keyword |
| brought you to the decision to go out on your own. | | | | rich content pages about your services and products. |
| The problem with that is your trade skills rarely | | | | You should ad a new blog post weekly and as soon |
| translate into small business ownership success. In my | | | | as you can, add testimonials you get from your clients. |
| opinion, success as a small business will require you | | | | Next, you need to get your new website listed on as |
| become an expert at areas of business that may be | | | | many FREE directories as possible. There are |
| foreign to you. | | | | hundreds of regional and national yellow page |
| The most important concept you must master is | | | | directories that accept FREE listings as well as vertical |
| marketing and advertising. I have seen more small | | | | sites that specialize in your industry. Remember to only |
| businesses go belly up because of poor or | | | | take the FREE listings initially. That way you can wait |
| miscalculated marketing and advertising decisions than | | | | to see which sites give you the best traffic before |
| anything else. Whether it be overspending on yellow | | | | deciding, which, if any, you will pay for better |
| pages, over extending your budget and not having | | | | placement. |
| enough for operations or just flat out spending money | | | | You will also need to get your company on social |
| on stuff that doesn't work. If you don't have an | | | | media sites. These sites allow you link to your website, |
| effective marketing and advertising campaign, you are | | | | introduce your business and network with potential |
| dead in the water. | | | | clients and neighboring businesses and tell your story. |
| Frankly, the reason why franchise operations have a | | | | Again, this is all FREE. All that social networking |
| much higher success rate than independent small | | | | requires is time. The short term benefits are good, but |
| businesses is because the marketing and advertising | | | | the long term relationships and optimization you build |
| plans are already in existence and all you have to do is | | | | from networking can generate thousands of dollars of |
| follow the plan. | | | | profits down the road and you pay nothing. |
| If you are not looking at a franchise, then you need to | | | | Now you are starting to make headway into the |
| come up with a plan of your own. My suggestion is to | | | | Internet world. Next, you will need to get yourself |
| always first start with a budget of zero. This may | | | | recognized as an expert in your field. Time to start |
| sound strange, but if you don't set a budget, then you | | | | writing some articles much like this one. Pick topics you |
| are forced to seek out all the ways you can get free | | | | are an expert at and make sure you get them proof |
| marketing and advertising. Areas to focus on are word | | | | read. Select an online article publisher and use their |
| of mouth, personal relationships and networks, barter | | | | tutorials for writing better articles. These expert articles |
| opportunities, hand made signs and posters, email | | | | are fabulous ways to get more customers and in the |
| marketing, social networking and networking with | | | | long run, will create a body of evidence on the Internet |
| friends and neighbors and former associates. Before | | | | about your expertise that will significantly increase the |
| you spend a dime, you should exhaust every avenue | | | | effectiveness of your marketing. If you think |
| available to you that is free. You just might find that | | | | consumers don't do their research before they call |
| you don't need to spend money to make money. | | | | you, then you should reconsider your desire to open a |
| After you exhaust every free opportunity, I suggest | | | | small business. |
| you look at building long term strategies that will | | | | By focusing your attention towards FREE marketing |
| support your growth and income targets. Resist the | | | | and advertising opportunities and building an Internet |
| easy road of spending thousands on direct mail and | | | | network and reputation, you will generate new |
| yellow pages advertising...they offer no long term | | | | customers and profits in the short term and long term |
| benefit and little short term ROI. Typically, you will | | | | residual profits that are exponentially increased over |
| spend much more than you make and will be left with | | | | time. Trade your time, which you have when you start |
| no money, no customers and little hope. | | | | a new business and keep your money in your pocket. |
| Instead, focus your marketing and advertising on the | | | | That way, when you start to see the exponential |
| Internet and the continuation of the free strategies you | | | | growth of your business from all the wise decisions |
| initially developed. The Internet is the single greatest | | | | you made early on, you will have the financial |
| resource ever devised for small business and | | | | resources for expansion and growth. |