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What are some really effective ways to market my small home-based business?

I have a home-based business and provide Administrative, Clerical and Computer Training services to businesses. I will also be offering Computer Training services to individuals as well. Last week, I started by creating a nice full-color flier (to advertise the Administrative and Clerical side of my business) and e-mailing it to a list of over 300 people. I got the company names and e-mail addresses from the local Chamber of Commerce directory. I received a couple of phone calls, but no business has came out of it yet. This week I am planning to distribute full-color fliers (to advertise the Computer Training side of my business). I am going to put them in page protectors and tape them to the sides of the mailboxes on our subdivision. We live in a house and have 2 to 3 mailbox receptacles per street. I want to really get my company name out there. Do you know of any really effective ways to market my small home-based business?

Public Comments

1. Join your local chamber of commerce. Also see if you have a BNI group in your area, although they can be pricey to join. http://www.bni.com
2. You are on the right track with what you are doing now. (somewhat...keep reading) with our small business (auto glass) we learned that you must put your name in front of someone at least 4-5 times before you will have any recognition. Small businesses come and go, so if they see it once, they dont care. For the Admin and Clerical side, keep doing what you are doing emails, cold calls, flyers. The business will come, it just takes time. Stay in contact with the chamber of commerce. See if you could set up a mini-seminar for other small businesses to get to know what you offer, say...to focus on one small aspect of what you offer. See if there is interest and if so, get those folks in the door show them that little thing and make sure they know how much more they can get if they want. For your Computer training that you want to offer to just anyone, I advise you NOT to put something on the mail boxes. You will waste you money as that will just get tossed. and could be illegal. (I know you cant put them in the mail box, but not sure about taping to the outside is or not) Instead create flyers that you can post on any and every bulletin board you find. Lots of restaurants, laundry mats, etc have boards for this stuff. If where you live has a small free paper they send out, get some advertising in it. Along with your flyers be sure to put business cards or something so people can take something with them after they read your flyer. If you know of any computer place in town see if you can place your training info on their counters. Word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools around. Get your friends to talk you up to others. Make sure any customers that use you, pass your info on to others too. "if you like what you have seen, be sure to tell a friend..etc" Be patient and the business will come! Good luck