Five Tips For Marketing a Home Based Business

1. Start by printing business cards. This is one of the most basic steps you can take and it won’t cost you a fortune. A good online printing company will offer printed business cards for less than $20. It’s a small investment you should make. A business card is something you can have with you at all times, the small size makes it easy to carry. You never know when you’ll have the opportunity to hand one out. It could be a huge client that will come back over and over. Look for a printer offering an online design center, or one that will accept your print ready files via upload.

2. Networking, get out there and chat. There are a lot of networking groups which meet regularly. They are designed to get small businesses together and refer leads within the group. These groups are helpful because the other small businesses are in the same boat. They all need customers and they have incentive to refer customers to you, because they know the favor will be returned when the opportunity arises. You should also let everyone you know about your home based business. Your friends already know and like you, try to enrich these relationships in an effort to gain the powerful advantages of word of mouth advertising.

3. Websites are essential. Even the smallest home based business should have an internet presence. A website should provide information about your business, what service or product is offered, and a method of contact. A website is a great way to get started marketing a home based business. Customers need to be able to know how to reach you, so ensure you put a phone number, contact form, or email address on your website. If you don’t know how to create a website, don’t worry. Coding isn’t necessary. There are a lot of alternatives including templates and themes that are ready to go. All you need to do is reserve a domain name and select a hosting provider.

4. Brochures can come in handy. If you ever go to trade shows, need to mail out information, or meet with clients in person, having a brochure can give your business a lot of credibility. Professionally printed brochures should contain brief information about your business, great graphics and a company logo.

5. Stay in contact with email marketing. You likely already have a ton of contacts in your email address book.. Use these to your benefit. Create a monthly e-newsletter and start sending it out. You can start with the friends and contacts you already have. Eventually your distribution list will grow. Every time you meet with a client, or talk with a potential customer on the phone make sure you get their email address. They may not be a customer right away, but keeping in touch on a regular basis will increase your chances of them becoming one.