PART 1: Promote Your Business Inexpensivly

I wonder if it's a cheque or a bill?

Business Promotion Starts With You

Business promotion is critical for your business to grow and prosper. You need to be doing it all the time, and you need to be as consistent as possible regarding your promotional projects.

Lets face it building contacts may not be a thrilling activity in itself, but you just have to do it. You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning how to promote your business.

You promote your business by getting the word out. Don't think that, because you are meeting a bunch of people each week that this alone will build your business. You have to be proactive and work at reconnecting with people and reestablishing conversations as often as possible.


1) Use every outgoing piece of paper, and every electronic document for business and branding promotion.

You have business cards, but you also put out a lot of other documents in the course of doing business. Check these to make sure you're using their promotional possibilities to full advantage.

For instance, business stationery is an ideal business promotion tool. Is your business name, logo, contact information, and slogan on your envelopes as well as on your letterhead? Or are your envelopes only printed with your business name and return address? What a waste! Your phone and fax numbers, your URL, and even a memorable slogan should be there, too. It's not just an envelope, it's a business promotion tool. You're sending it out anyway, so why not make it work for you? If having an expensive color envelope printed does not work for you, have a variety of stickers printed up with different core messages on them and stick them on the envelope yourself. This can be expanded to special offers your company may have as well.

The same goes for outgoing faxes, bill payments, receipts; whatever paper you send out should carry your full company message. And don't forget to make sure that your email has a complete signature that provides all your business information and a promotional tag-line.

Electronic documents, such as email, are also easy to update with your latest business promotion information, whether it be a special price on your product or service, or letting people know that your company has won an award.

Articles and press releases are also excellent business promotion tools. In my next post you will learn what types of articles and press releases you should write and tips on where to send them to promote your business effectively.