Easy Does It Marketing

I have recently encountered a number of people striking out on their own to make a living. As they begin their entrepreneurial journey, I have seen a number of approaches to making it work and thought that it might be helpful to share a few of the choices that seem to be helpful to these business newcomers. Please keep in mind, though, that these suggestions are based on a broad brush approach. Each type of business has different needs to address on the road to success. What a retail business needs to gain dedicated customers is very different that what a new plumber needs to get going. As you scroll through these suggestions, please keep in mind the kind of business you are building and whether these things REALLY fit your business model. As has been stated before, every penny counts when you are getting started. Spend the money on the things that are most likely to give you a return on investment. As your business starts to boom, you can add more wish list items to your expenses list and watch your dreams come to life!

Develop a company logo. It does not have to be flashy and you don’t have to spend a ton of money on it, but creating a logo for your company will help convey to potential customers what services you offer, as well as set you on the right track to develop marketing efforts. This logo can and probably should be used on as many pieces of company correspondence as possible to build continuity for you business. Think about it this way – if you are searching for a company to fulfill a shopping need, are you more drawn to those with logos or those without? My guess is that like most people, the presence of a logo helps to lend some perceived solidarity to the company you are checking out making you feel more comfortable that they are legitimate and safe for you to do business with. (If I am wrong, please leave a comment below and let me know how and why!) One last thing to note – if you are hiring someone to create a logo for you, have them make several versions in various sizes. The logo size needed for business cards and checks is going to be different than that required for advertising and other larger scale items.

Logo applications you should consider include business cards, letterhead, envelopes, business checks, websites, social media outlets and advertising. Before you get overwhelmed by all the places you need to stick a logo, take a deep breath and review which ones are REALLY going to be used in getting your company up and running. If company does not write a ton of checks or send loads of letters, you might be able to hold off on logo imprinting for these items at first. I would strongly suggest adding it later, though, as it will help to create visual continuity for your branding efforts. Is your company primarily web based? If so, your concerns with logo application should consider the needs for a website, blog, social media and PPC advertising efforts. For businesses on the go requiring a lot of driving to customers, you may want to investigate the magnetic signs. Yes, I know they are a bit old school, but until your company can afford those super cool vehicle wraps, this item can offer some basic mobile advertising without busting your start up budget.

One item that I would suggest for ALL business initiatives regardless of their direct or indirect contact with customers is the business card. You never know where you may meet your next big account and not having something as simple as a business card to hand out could cost you loads of potential revenue. They don’t have to be super fancy, just an efficient way of communicating your business and contact information so that they can check you out. Of course it goes without saying that you will want to get their card, too!

Again, keep in mind what your business goals are right now and spend your marketing money accordingly. As your company grows you can upgrade your efforts and add from your marketing wish list to maintain your business momentum. There is a reason that some small businesses last and others do not – those who stick around longest usually started with the basics and waited to get fancy until they had money rolling into their coffers.