15 Marketing Ideas for a Small or Start-Up Business

Here are 15 marketing ideas that may help you think “outside the box.” One may just create a spark and get your business moving forward.

1. Always carry business cards with you. You never know when an opportunity will arise to hand one out.

2. Publish a newsletter for customers and prospects – people trust an authority.

3. Hold a seminar at your office for clients and prospects.

4. Send hand written thank you notes.

5. Promote your business jointly with other professionals via cooperative direct mail.

6. Sponsor and promote a contest.

7. Get a booth at a trade show attended by your target market.

8. Follow up on your direct mailings, and e-mail messages with a friendly phone call.

9. Join your local Chamber of Commerce. (you’ll find me there!) In particular, serving on a committee will create opportunities to really get to know people and do some quality networking.

10. Call your clients “just to say hello” and see if they are satisfied. (how rare that is these days!)

11. Put time aside each day for “cold calling” prospects. All you need is 15 minutes a day – if you make just 5 to 10 calls a day, think of how much you can accomplish in a year! (This is something that will guarantee results, but 99.9% of business people don’t do it.)

12. Join an association of a particular industry (niche marketing).

13. Place an ad in your church or synagogue newsletter.

14. Sponsor a little league team.

15. Is there something that you know will get you results, but you’ve been putting off? Do it today! Go for it!