Low cost ways to market your small business

One of the most important things that any small business owner should do is learn how to market their business for not a lot of money. Many times small business owners feel paralyzed at the thought of trying to market their small business due to a lack of resources. The good news is that there are literally thousands of low cost marketing ideas that can pay off big for your small business. This means that even small businesses with limited resources can market effectively next to their larger competition. Here are some low cost ways to market your small business-

- Create a memorable business card-Far to often customers and other business contacts alike receive a large number of business cards that simply get thrown in the trash. If you want to use a business card to market your small business, then you need to think of something that can stick around longer then a traditional business card. Recently, a baker trying to promote her small business passed out sugar cookies with her information on the cookie. After the cookie was eaten a paper napkin under it had all her business info. For even longer lasting visual identification consider printing small note pads, fridge magnets, or even calendar pages that lets everyone that you hand them out to remember you with.
- Market to the customers that count-One of the lowest cost ways to market your small business is to be effective with your marketing. All too often small business owners get caught up in marketing to everyone that they do business with. This is not always cost effective. One of the best ways to save money is to focus on customers who are actually profitable for you. If you have breakeven customers they will most likely stay with your small business as long as your prices don't go up. Don't waste your time and money on them and instead focus on the customers that can help you make better profits and even bring in new customers for your small business.
- Attend trade shows and conferences-Many time's small business owners are reluctant to attend trade shows. They often feel that there is too much expense involved. However, it has been shown that if you carefully choose what trade shows and conferences you attend they can be lucrative marketing opportunities for your small business. The key to being successful with this type of marketing is to take the time to do your research. Make sure that the trade show that you attend will be the one that potential customers and other key contacts will be at. Once you know this then you can begin planning on how to attend the trade show or conference without spending a great deal of money.
- Offer great customer service-One of the best ways to market your business is often the most overlooked. This is unfortunate since offering the best in customer service does not even cost you any money!All small business owners should understand that studies have clearly shown that many customers will return to purchase from a business simply because of the service they received. This is true even when the business does not offer the lowest price. This makes it crucial that you train everyone who works for you that customer service is their top job priority. All employees should know how to service the customers of your small business and resolve problems quickly and efficiently. Once your customers see that you consistently offer this type of customer service theywill tell their friends and family which only grows and expands your customer base.