Stretching The String: Five Tips To Maximize Your Marketing When You Are On A Shoe String Budget

"I know I need to market my business in order to grow my business, but right now I can't afford it."

I have heard this statement numerous times from business owners that are struggling to stay in business. They are hanging on by a frayed string that will break at any moment, resulting in any chances at a successful business to come crashing down.

But it doesn't have to happen that way. Instead of focusing on what they don't have and not doing anything to market their business, struggling business owners should focus on making the most of what they do have.

If you are on a shoestring budget, it IS possible to stretch the string and generate revenue for your business.

Here are Five Tips to Stretch the String:

1. NETWORKING:

The key to maximizing opportunities with Networking is to do it effectively and consistently.

Don't attend events with the intention of trying to sell your services to everyone you meet. Go with the intention of getting to know more about other business owners and their services.

Set a goal to make a connection with at least three business owners and immediately follow up with them after the event. When you take their business card, ask them if you can have another one to pass on to someone who may need their services in the future.

2. ARTICLES:

This is one of the most effective ways to market your business when you have more time than money.

Write about what you know and use your knowledge to help your target market.

If you get overwhelmed by the thought of writing to a large audience, focus on writing to one person...your ideal client.

3. NEWSLETTER:

You have a lot of affordable options in this area.

You can create an electronic newsletter (ezine) at no cost or very low cost.

You can create a one page print newsletter and mail it to your target market or use as a handout.

If you don't have the budget to pay for postage, you can also convert your one page newsletter to a .pdf document and email it (with permission) to your target market.

While there is no limit to the amount of pages you can put in your newsletter, keep in mind that the string will snap as the number of pages increases due to rising publishing costs.

4. SPEAKING:

Seek out speaking engagements to market your business. As the guest speaker, you will be the center of attention and will have a great opportunity to maximize your marketing efforts.

Be sure to ask the audience to fill out a feedback form that asks for their contact information. You can offer an incentive to encourage more responses.

If you distribute handouts, include your contact information along with a special offer just for attendees in the handouts.

5. BUSINESS CARD:

Increase the effectiveness of this little marketing dynamo by utilizing the back of the business card.

Think about your most wanted response and then capitalize on all of that real estate space to get it.

Think beyond putting a yearly calendar on the back. How about a special offer for your target market? Valuable tips that solve the problems of your target market?

Give the recipients of your business card a reason to hold onto your card or to contact you immediately.

Use these five tips to generate more ideas and revenue for your business. When it comes to stretching the string, you are only limited by your imagination and attitude.

If you invest your time wisely while on a shoestring budget, your return on investment will eventually yield enough revenue to give you an actual marketing budget that will allow you to take your business to new heights.

Copyright 2005 Black Unicorn Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Tresaca Hamilton is the CEO of Black Unicorn Communications. Black Unicorn Communications helps Service Businesses attract more clients in less time.

Visit http://www.blackunicorninc.com to receive our free Business Success Toolkit including the free course: 7 Steps To More Clients.

---

Hispanic Market Reality and Purchasing Power

How many Hispanic people live in the US currently. Well... Read More

What Is Better Than FREE?

Oh come on! FREE is free. Zero, zip, nada, zilch.... Read More

5 Ways to Give Your Web Site a Big-Company Look and Feel

We all DO judge a book by its cover, and... Read More

Demographics For the Masses

Information is the lifeblood of the economy. That's especially true... Read More

Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?

When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More

Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter Appeals

Donors will stop responding to your fundraising letter appeals for... Read More

6 Article Marketing Smarts: How To Get More Reprints And Exposure

Article marketing is the latest buzzword for marketers... Read More

How To Use Humor Successfully In Your Business Communications

For generations people have been saying that laughter is good... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started

1) Create systemsCreate systems for everything you do, especially those... Read More

Business to Business Direct Mail Sales Letters Need an Offer (and Heres Why)

In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward... Read More

Guide to a Profitable Marketing Mix

You may have heard the term Marketing Mix used in... Read More

Niche Marketing: The Affiliate Angle

If you're just dipping your toes into the waters of... Read More

How To Start With Absolutely Nothing And Create Wealth online in 30 days or less.

Without a doubt, if you asked me, Shane if there... Read More

Stretching Your Marketing Dollars--7 Cheap and Easy Ways to Market on a Budget

Just because you have to stretch your marketing dollars doesn't... Read More

Keeping Marketing Simple / Ten Simple Steps

1. Business CardsIt is very important to market yourself via... Read More

The Art Of Writing Classified Ads

The writing of good classified ads truly is an art... Read More

What Is Multi-Level And How Should It Be Worked

Multi-level marketing is really a partnership. You go into... Read More

Where to Find New Customers Using B2B Direct Mail

The challenge in business-to-business direct mail is knowing where to... Read More

Do You Really Need a Brochure?

The phone rings. Good news... it's a potential client. You... Read More

Getting Ideas for Your Postcards

If you're going to do postcard marketing on an ongoing... Read More

Ready, Aim, Fire...Oops...Wheres The Target?

Everywhere you go on the Internet you find the words,... Read More

The Day I Learned to Start Saying No

It was the fall of 1998 when I had just... Read More

Direct Marketing Puts Information In The Buyer?s Hands

Direct marketing is advertising from a manufacturer or front-end supplier... Read More

Maslows Marketing Filter

One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training... Read More

Natural Marketing for Full Business Success

Is your mind muddy on marketing? Do you wake up... Read More

Trade Show Exhibit Booth ? 7 Tips to Improve Yours

Once you have decided to participate in a trade show,... Read More

Distinguish Your Business From The Competition

You followed time-honored online marketing techniques to the letter: you... Read More

How to Win a Price War

Any economics student can tell you that price is a... Read More

Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook (part #1):

1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More

How to Up-Sell Change

As Freud cautioned, it's insanity to keep doing the same... Read More

Financial Services Marketing Insights: A Marketing Compass

What we now call "marketing" began long before the name... Read More

Trade Show Promotional Products ? Boosting Booth Traffic

I was about seven or eight years old when I... Read More

10 Tips For Packaging That Sells Products To Boomers

Boomers are a prime and growing target audience. Does your... Read More