How to Promote a Small Business on a Shoestring

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By Virginia Allain
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Promote your business without spending a bundle

It's important to get the word out on your business, but advertising gets expensive. Here are some budget ways to get some attention for a small business.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

If you have enough employees, start choosing an Employee of the Month. Send a press release (photo and some text praising the employee) to the local newspaper about it. Many small town newspapers look for free filler articles and larger newspapers may put it in their business section. Look for other opportunities to get the business mentioned in the paper.
Step 2

Send out press releases for any special activity your business does. If you attend a national conference, are asked to speak anywhere, unveil a new product or service, sponsor any local activity, or do anything else noteworthy, get the word out.
Step 3

Join Rotary. You need to be sponsored, so ask around to find out who you know that's in the club. In Rotary, you'll meet other business people and movers-and-shakers in the community. Be active and keep good attendance to get the most from the network you develop. If you are unable to join Rotary, check into Kiwanis or the Optimists or other civic organizations.
Step 4

If you can't afford a fancy website designed for your business, at least create some web presence. You can even do this with something like wordpress.com or other blogging sites. The graphics make it quite attractive and there's a lot of flexibility in the site. Best of all, it's free. See the link below for examples of business blogs.
Step 5

If there's a college or community college nearby, talk to an instructor in the business section or the art department. They might have the students plan a publicity campaign as a class project or create a free logo for you. Check with the computer instructor. Students might take on your webpage design for you.
Step 6

Put your profile as the business owner on sites like Facebook and MySpace. These are free and you can create a businesslike image that becomes an additional way people can learn about you.
Step 7

If you have some wall space, use it to feature the grade school art exhibit or the quilting club's quilt display. Lots of people will come to see it and at the same time check out your business.
Step 8

Have you one-minute promo speech ready to give at any moment. You never know when someone will ask, "and what do you do?" Tell them, and tell them succinctly what your business is about and what it's doing. Don't wait for them to ask. When you see someone, introduce yourself and bring up your business.