One of the satisfactions--and sometimes thrills--of being in
business for yourself is unexpectedly meeting or getting a call
from someone who wants what you offer. But for this to happen, you
need to get the word out that you're in business. While most
new business owners think the best way to do this is through
advertising or using direct mail, experience has shown us that
while these avenues may help increase your visibility, they're
not the activities that'll produce the quickest or the surest
results.
So just how can you best let people know you're in business?
Here are several methods that have been praised over and over by
people we've interviewed about how they got their business
rolling:
Face-to-Face Time
Solicit customers you're familiar with. One of the best
ways to generate business is to directly solicit the people or
businesses who will likely buy your services, and you should start
with people you already know. If you're in the gift balloon
business, for example consider contacting the managers of
restaurants where you're been a regular patron. If you're
at all nervous about contacting people, you can warm up cold calls
by first sending post cards or e-mail.
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Network. If you haven't joined any organizations in
your area yet, such as your local chamber of commerce, now's a
good time to think about doing so. Then you can begin networking
through these business and trade organizations. Going to these
organization's meetings and events means you connect with
people on their schedules. There are also both local and
international organizations whose goal is to promote networking.
The largest of these is Business Network International. You should also start
promoting your business to people you already know and ask them if
they know other who might be interested in your products or
services.
Walk around your neighborhood. This method can be ideal
for anyone who likes meeting and talking with people. You can do it
any time, and it doesn't involve selling. You introduce
yourself, ask something about the business you're visiting, and
leave a card. It's immediate, and you can tuck it into your
schedule even on busy days by visiting the areas your own business
activities take you to. People who do this tell us it's not
unusual to get regular referrals from the businesses they visit.
Another option is to attend trade shows, conventions and expos your
potential customers will be attending.
The Web
Establish an online presence. If you don't already have
one, now's the time to set up a website. Even local businesses
need a site--you never know how your customers will search for you,
and this is one way to cover your bases. Be sure your site includes
information, or keywords, that are specific to your location and
specialty so people can easily find your business in a search
engine.
Network online. Use a site like Daylo that enables you to
post a profile of what you do and allows you to review postings
from people needing your services. Or think about joining an online
networking community and actively participating in ways that can
expand your presence on the site.
Get listed. Since more and more people are using the web
every day to find what they're looking for, pay for a listing
on a Yellow Pages site. According to Alexa Rankings, last year the top five sites to
be listed on were:
- InfoSpace
- SuperPages.com
- WhitePages.com
- Switchboard
- SmartPages.com
Newer sites to consider are Google Local and
Yahoo! Local,
both of which enable someone seeking something to enter a city or
ZIP code in order to search.
Remember, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get the
word out about your business. There are plenty of creative ways to
attract new customers. So pick the two or three that are best
suited to your business and your personality, and get started
today.