1. Friends and Family



This should always be where you start for any effort, whether it is fundraising or starting a new business. The people who know you are very likely to help you out, especially if you are just getting started in business. Don't be afraid to tell everyone you know about your business, even if you think they will laugh at you (they probably won't).

2. Talk to Other Businesspeople

Go around the area and introduce yourself to other business owners. As long as you are not competing with them, most of them will be happy to go into a sort of ?cooperative? marketing effort with you. You send customers to them, and they send customers to you. It's called networking, and it is a great way to build your business.

3. Start a Web Site

In today's computer age, a website is a virtual necessity. Many small business owners are afraid that starting a website is too costly, but that is not true. You can have a very good looking and professional website for a relatively low cost. Just do some research and find out how to make it happen. You can do it, even if you have no clue what HTML stands for.

4. Good Old Fashioned Advertising

Don't forget about the newspaper. Placing an ad in your local rag (even a classified ad) is a good way to go. And embark on a poster printing project to make some posters that you can place in strategic locations in your area. Business cards and brochures are very valuable, as well.

5. The Phone Book

Another forgotten old friend of businesses is the phone book. Make sure you get your company phone number into the yellow pages and all of the local phone books in your area. This is a tremendously cheap and effective tool that some small businesspeople completely overlook.

6. Free Attention from the Press

The press release is a tool that can get you some free publicity, if it is written properly. If you do not have a knack for the written word, hire a freelance writer to do up a professional press release for your company. This will only cost you $20 or less. Then, send it out to all of the media outlets in your community. You might be surprised by the attention you get from this simple step.