If there’s still penny candy

available, $10 will buy 1,000 pieces. If not, you can still get quite a

bit for a small investment. Including candy in your invoices makes companies

remember you. Typically, the people who handle accounts payable don’t get the

attention buyers get, so even the least little bit of attention could go a long

way in a company. You can also include two pieces--one for the receiver and one

for the receiver to give away. This isn’t huge materially, but it’s the

thought that counts.

For $10, you can hire a student, a niece or nephew, or a

friend’s teen to picket your business with a sign protesting something

positive. It may sound silly, but having a picketer outside your place

of business with a sign that reads something like, “We’re protesting good

customer service at this location!" or “This place is full of nice

people," will get you noticed. Who knows, you may even get coverage from the

local media.

On a toll road, pay the toll for

the car behind you, and ask the toll collector to give your business card

to the car’s driver and tell him or her you paid the toll. You may be thinking

that it’s a random chance, but you never know who might be on the road. And

it’s a low-cost tactic that has imagination written all over it. If the toll

is $0.50, you can do this 20 times for your $10 marketing budget. Chances are

good that at least one or two of those 20 people will contact you.

Show up in person with a cookie for

the receptionist at a client or prospect’s office.

The thing is, customers and prospects love attention. Drop in and visit a few of

your customers and just say you’re stopping by to brighten their day. You

can’t do this with 1,000 customers, but you can do it with 10 or 20. And

sometimes those 10 or 20 can be your ambassador who will supply you with just

the right orders to meet your monthly goal.

Advertise using fliers. At an average cost of 2

cents each, $10 will buy 500 printed fliers. You can use them to canvass a

targeted area, include them in packaging and delivered orders, hand them to

walk-in customers or mail them to a targeted list. Better yet, get your fliers

to 100 people, five times each, and the power of frequency will increase the

probability of a response. But do make sure you have the right message, the

right offer and the right target. Also keep in mind that many printing or

office-supply companies often offer specials on copy pricing. If you can’t

find any specials, offer a fusion marketing arrangement to do a joint promotion

with a printing supplier. 

One or two tactics alone may help you increase your business,

but if you have the patience, and dare to be innovative, try out several ideas.