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    Employee Relations Manual Sample Outline
    Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations Manuals. Nearly all businesses with over five or more employees have some sort of employee manuals but not all have Employee Relations Manuals for their managers. It is important in today’s litigious lawyer trap to have a good policy in place to protect you from a bad decision or improper handling of an employee situation by a manager. All too often a minor incident can lead to a problematic situation and end up in court, union arbitration or a hefty fine from a government regulatory agency which often tend to side with the employee, regardless of fact.Defusing situations early on can help your team avoid costly litigation and rectify situations quickly. During my 24-years as an entrepreneur operating a small business, which grew into the largest mobile car wash company on the Planet operating in 23 states and four countries, it became apparent to me that having a proper policy for the treatment of employees was a quintessential part of keeping the team strong. It is important to win markets and not allow your company to be torn down from the inside out. Below is the outline for our employee relation manual. I cannot give you the full version and the cas
    Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your

    Advertising Vs. PR in Your Small Business Marketing Strategy
    A great small business marketing strategy includes a mix of tactics. Advertising and PR are two very important tools that all small business owners need to be using regularly. Many small businesses I talk to do one of the other, but don't commit to doing both. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and are complimentary to each other.Small Business Advertising Strengths:-The biggest advantage with small business advertising is your complete control over the message. You get to focus on whatever you want, write the text, and choose the visuals. You ensure that your marketing message is delivered.-You control placement. You choose the exact timing and media in which your advertising is placed. This is a huge advantage because naturally you are going to choose to place your ads where your target market is most likely to see them.-You can repeat your messages over and over again. Effective small business marketing incorporates a high degree of repetition and consistency. Advertising can and should be run on regular schedules.-With advertising, you (and your budget) control your marketing saturation. You can run the same ad across different publications serving the same market, run matching Internet adverti
    Whether your target audience is in your neighborhood or across the world, you can use your local resources to get the word out about your business. Your local community is easily accessible and provides dozens of opportunities for building a buzz about your product or service. The following are twenty ideas to get you started.

    1. Offer Your Product or Service as a Free Give Away – For example, if you own a restaurant, you could have your local Holiday Inn give away dinner gift certificates for $10 to hotel guests during check-in. If you own a car wash, you could have the local car dealerships give away a certificate for a free wash with all car purchases. Think about businesses that are complimentary to yours and offer a promotion that is easy for them to implement and that will benefit their customers.

    2. Donate to Local Charities & Schools – Offer your products, services, or gift certificates for charity auctions and events. This will get you exposure to everyone who attends the event and build loyalty with members of the organization you are supporting- not to mention a tax write-off!

    3. Leave Brochures, Fliers, and Business Cards Everywhere – Many local businesses will allow you to display your cards and brochures. Potential venues include:

    * Car washes

    * Bookstores

    * Coffee shops

    * Apartment buildings (near mailboxes or in laundry rooms)

    * Churches

    * Student centers

    * Community centers

    * Retirement centers

    * Fitness centers

    * Subways and bus depots

    * Fraternities and Sororities

    * Libraries

    4. Canvas Nearby Neighborhoods – Instead of just leaving a flier, you could leave an inexpensive item or tips booklet. One local Realtor stuck an American flag on the lawns of everyone in our neighborhood and then left her brochure on the doorsteps. Not only did the neighborhood look wonderful with all of those flags waving in the wind, but everyone loves a patriotic theme. This is a great strategy for all kinds of holidays: Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, etc. You could take this idea a step further and do something similar for all of the major holidays. You can find inexpensive novelty items in bulk from www.rinovelty or www.orientaltrading.com.

    5. Hold a Contest – People love to get stuff for free and contests are a great way to lure in new customers. Make the prizes something people want, or even just a gift certificate or shopping spree for your business. Be sure to alert the media to your contest. Here are some contest ideas:

    * Have kids color pictures or submit stories related to your business.

    * Have customers submit funny business slogans.

    * Hold a poetry contest with a theme related to your business.

    * Have people submit their best solutions to problems related to your business. For example, if you own a garden center, people could submit their best gardening tips. Take this a step further and publish the entries in a booklet when the contest is over.

    * Host a recipe contest if you have a food-related business.

    6. Use Gift Certificates Creatively – Gift certificates are great for business because they cost you next to nothing, bring in cash, and often they are not redeemed. Get your customers to buy gift certificates by offering them a special bonus. For example: Buy a gift certificate for $20 or more and receive $5 off your next purchase with us. When the customer purchases a gift certificate, you then give them one worth $5 dated for use the following month only. This means that your customer must return to you the following month and if they do, will probably spend more than the free $5 you’ve given them.

    7. In-Home Parties – Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Pampered Chef are just a few of the companies who generate big sales from small parties. This strategy won’t work for all businesses, but if you have products that would benefit from an in-home party, contact your friends, family, and business associates and get the party started.

    8. Join Local Trade Organizations – Many organizations hold regular meetings and free seminars, providing you with another opportunity to make valuable contacts. Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) has chapters all over the U.S. and there are probably dozens of other organizations in your community to choose from. Even if you don’t think your business can benefit from networking, you might be surprised by the connections you can make at these events.

    9. Join Everything – Even the PTA (Parent/Teacher’s Association) can be a great place to network. Join book clubs, writer’s groups, or any groups of interest to you, even if they don’t directly relate to your business. Get known by everyone. They will associate you with your business as soon as they get to know you and your mere presence at functions could serve as a reminder and cause members to want to do business with you.

    10. Use Networking to Build Alliances – The secret to effective networking is to not just be on the lookout for what business contacts can do for you, but to consider what you can do for them. When you meet someone new, ask questions and engage them in conversation. Offer advice or ideas, build a relationship and trust between you. Once you’ve established a rapport, offer to meet for coffee or lunch and see if you can brainstorm ways to work together.

    11. Set Up Shop at the Farmer’s Market – If you have a food-related product or anything of interest to the general public, the local farmer’s market is a great place to not only generate sales, but to increase exposure to your business. Visit www.farmersmarket.com for a directory of these events.

    12. Swap Coupons with a Complimentary Business – Offer to give away their coupons with each purchase while they give away your coupons with each purchase. Each provides the other with coupons and runs the promotion simultaneously. Make sure you print a special run of coupons or give them some unique identifier (printed on a special color of paper, for example) so you can easily track the success of the promotion.

    13. Give Away Free Tips – Tips sheets or booklets can be a fantastic marketing tool. Put together a list of tips, similar to the tips you’re reading now. Your tips could be as few as ten or as many as 100. For example, a financial advisor could put together a tips sheet called “Twenty Ways to Save on Tax Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your

    Almost Free New Product Publicity Can Work For You
    You may wonder what I am talking about when I say you can get “almost free” new product publicity to work for you. By way of explanation let me site a couple of examples out of my personal experience. These are new product publicity campaigns I wrote and developed for my clients and myself.Example: One of my clients was an importer of disposable plastic hospital wares such as Petri dishes, plastic syringes, specimen sample trays and more. I helped him, using only a series of regular, well written, monthly new product publicity releases to grow his business from one based in his two car garage to what is now one of the largest, most successful importers and distributors of these specialized plastic disposables in the USA.Here’s another example: A number of years ago I invented a filing system for archiving used time cards and I promoted the sale of my system via regularly scheduled mailings to targeted lists of business publications. Some of the publications on my list then printed new product releases about my system in their publications. A few of their subscribers noticed the release and asked me for more information. I responded with a sales letter, a product brochure and an order form.
    es

    4. Canvas Nearby Neighborhoods – Instead of just leaving a flier, you could leave an inexpensive item or tips booklet. One local Realtor stuck an American flag on the lawns of everyone in our neighborhood and then left her brochure on the doorsteps. Not only did the neighborhood look wonderful with all of those flags waving in the wind, but everyone loves a patriotic theme. This is a great strategy for all kinds of holidays: Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, etc. You could take this idea a step further and do something similar for all of the major holidays. You can find inexpensive novelty items in bulk from www.rinovelty or www.orientaltrading.com.

    5. Hold a Contest – People love to get stuff for free and contests are a great way to lure in new customers. Make the prizes something people want, or even just a gift certificate or shopping spree for your business. Be sure to alert the media to your contest. Here are some contest ideas:

    * Have kids color pictures or submit stories related to your business.

    * Have customers submit funny business slogans.

    * Hold a poetry contest with a theme related to your business.

    * Have people submit their best solutions to problems related to your business. For example, if you own a garden center, people could submit their best gardening tips. Take this a step further and publish the entries in a booklet when the contest is over.

    * Host a recipe contest if you have a food-related business.

    6. Use Gift Certificates Creatively – Gift certificates are great for business because they cost you next to nothing, bring in cash, and often they are not redeemed. Get your customers to buy gift certificates by offering them a special bonus. For example: Buy a gift certificate for $20 or more and receive $5 off your next purchase with us. When the customer purchases a gift certificate, you then give them one worth $5 dated for use the following month only. This means that your customer must return to you the following month and if they do, will probably spend more than the free $5 you’ve given them.

    7. In-Home Parties – Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Pampered Chef are just a few of the companies who generate big sales from small parties. This strategy won’t work for all businesses, but if you have products that would benefit from an in-home party, contact your friends, family, and business associates and get the party started.

    8. Join Local Trade Organizations – Many organizations hold regular meetings and free seminars, providing you with another opportunity to make valuable contacts. Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) has chapters all over the U.S. and there are probably dozens of other organizations in your community to choose from. Even if you don’t think your business can benefit from networking, you might be surprised by the connections you can make at these events.

    9. Join Everything – Even the PTA (Parent/Teacher’s Association) can be a great place to network. Join book clubs, writer’s groups, or any groups of interest to you, even if they don’t directly relate to your business. Get known by everyone. They will associate you with your business as soon as they get to know you and your mere presence at functions could serve as a reminder and cause members to want to do business with you.

    10. Use Networking to Build Alliances – The secret to effective networking is to not just be on the lookout for what business contacts can do for you, but to consider what you can do for them. When you meet someone new, ask questions and engage them in conversation. Offer advice or ideas, build a relationship and trust between you. Once you’ve established a rapport, offer to meet for coffee or lunch and see if you can brainstorm ways to work together.

    11. Set Up Shop at the Farmer’s Market – If you have a food-related product or anything of interest to the general public, the local farmer’s market is a great place to not only generate sales, but to increase exposure to your business. Visit www.farmersmarket.com for a directory of these events.

    12. Swap Coupons with a Complimentary Business – Offer to give away their coupons with each purchase while they give away your coupons with each purchase. Each provides the other with coupons and runs the promotion simultaneously. Make sure you print a special run of coupons or give them some unique identifier (printed on a special color of paper, for example) so you can easily track the success of the promotion.

    13. Give Away Free Tips – Tips sheets or booklets can be a fantastic marketing tool. Put together a list of tips, similar to the tips you’re reading now. Your tips could be as few as ten or as many as 100. For example, a financial advisor could put together a tips sheet called “Twenty Ways to Save on Tax Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your

    Evaluating A Franchise Before Buying
    Understand Both Merits and DemeritsThose who are planning to start a new business should also think about buying into a franchise. Several established companies offer franchises, giving you the opportunity of working in a diverse field of business. However, you must learn how to evaluate a franchise before buying because this will make you aware of both the merits and demerits of franchise before investing your hard-earned money.BenefitsThe biggest benefit of owning a franchise is that you immediately get name recognition. People are already aware about what to expect from a franchise so they feel more comfortable while shopping with you. In addition to this, you also get help on marketing plans, financing, and operating business smoothly. Moreover, you also get discounts for the products you are selling.More Investment in the BeginningThe disadvantage of owning a franchise is that you have to make more initial investments. Had you not opted for an established brand name, you could have started a similar type of business by making much less of an investment. However, you get the benefit of the collective purchasing capacity of the company and get the products at lower rates. Strict rules and regulatio
    xt to nothing, bring in cash, and often they are not redeemed. Get your customers to buy gift certificates by offering them a special bonus. For example: Buy a gift certificate for $20 or more and receive $5 off your next purchase with us. When the customer purchases a gift certificate, you then give them one worth $5 dated for use the following month only. This means that your customer must return to you the following month and if they do, will probably spend more than the free $5 you’ve given them.

    7. In-Home Parties – Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Pampered Chef are just a few of the companies who generate big sales from small parties. This strategy won’t work for all businesses, but if you have products that would benefit from an in-home party, contact your friends, family, and business associates and get the party started.

    8. Join Local Trade Organizations – Many organizations hold regular meetings and free seminars, providing you with another opportunity to make valuable contacts. Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) has chapters all over the U.S. and there are probably dozens of other organizations in your community to choose from. Even if you don’t think your business can benefit from networking, you might be surprised by the connections you can make at these events.

    9. Join Everything – Even the PTA (Parent/Teacher’s Association) can be a great place to network. Join book clubs, writer’s groups, or any groups of interest to you, even if they don’t directly relate to your business. Get known by everyone. They will associate you with your business as soon as they get to know you and your mere presence at functions could serve as a reminder and cause members to want to do business with you.

    10. Use Networking to Build Alliances – The secret to effective networking is to not just be on the lookout for what business contacts can do for you, but to consider what you can do for them. When you meet someone new, ask questions and engage them in conversation. Offer advice or ideas, build a relationship and trust between you. Once you’ve established a rapport, offer to meet for coffee or lunch and see if you can brainstorm ways to work together.

    11. Set Up Shop at the Farmer’s Market – If you have a food-related product or anything of interest to the general public, the local farmer’s market is a great place to not only generate sales, but to increase exposure to your business. Visit www.farmersmarket.com for a directory of these events.

    12. Swap Coupons with a Complimentary Business – Offer to give away their coupons with each purchase while they give away your coupons with each purchase. Each provides the other with coupons and runs the promotion simultaneously. Make sure you print a special run of coupons or give them some unique identifier (printed on a special color of paper, for example) so you can easily track the success of the promotion.

    13. Give Away Free Tips – Tips sheets or booklets can be a fantastic marketing tool. Put together a list of tips, similar to the tips you’re reading now. Your tips could be as few as ten or as many as 100. For example, a financial advisor could put together a tips sheet called “Twenty Ways to Save on Tax Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your

    Write the Best Resume - Avoid this Common, Yet Fatal, Mistake
    Let’s face it. When searching for a new job, most people feel that time is of the essence and they want to get the best results in the least amount of time possible. Unfortunately, many people employ the strategy of creating ONE resume that they can submit for multiple job postings. Sounds logical right? You’ll be able to spend a lot of effort writing one good resume that can be used for many purposes. Well, while this sounds logical it is not exactly the best practice.A resume that is BEST for one company is usually not the BEST for another. Even if you are applying to different job postings in the same general field, job postings usually differ. Some companies may be looking for one qualification in that field versus another. For these reasons it is extremely important to make sure that you tailor your resume for each job posting. So yes, this does mean more than one resume and yes this does mean that it will take more time when it comes to resume writing, however, tailoring your resume to each specific job posting will drastically increase your chances of being called for an interview.Why is tailoring your resume to the job posting or job description so important? The first reason is that it eliminates guessw
    w you and your mere presence at functions could serve as a reminder and cause members to want to do business with you.

    10. Use Networking to Build Alliances – The secret to effective networking is to not just be on the lookout for what business contacts can do for you, but to consider what you can do for them. When you meet someone new, ask questions and engage them in conversation. Offer advice or ideas, build a relationship and trust between you. Once you’ve established a rapport, offer to meet for coffee or lunch and see if you can brainstorm ways to work together.

    11. Set Up Shop at the Farmer’s Market – If you have a food-related product or anything of interest to the general public, the local farmer’s market is a great place to not only generate sales, but to increase exposure to your business. Visit www.farmersmarket.com for a directory of these events.

    12. Swap Coupons with a Complimentary Business – Offer to give away their coupons with each purchase while they give away your coupons with each purchase. Each provides the other with coupons and runs the promotion simultaneously. Make sure you print a special run of coupons or give them some unique identifier (printed on a special color of paper, for example) so you can easily track the success of the promotion.

    13. Give Away Free Tips – Tips sheets or booklets can be a fantastic marketing tool. Put together a list of tips, similar to the tips you’re reading now. Your tips could be as few as ten or as many as 100. For example, a financial advisor could put together a tips sheet called “Twenty Ways to Save on Tax Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your

    Business Ownership – Just Like Working But With More Freedom - Isn't It?
    Well actually no it’s not usually but it can be far better if you know what to expect and how to manage your new business.Every new business owner starts off, full of hope, excitement and enthusiasm. How do you make sure that you are not on of the 80% of small businesses that fails in the first few years?1. Remember you won’t get a regular wage to start with. It takes some time for a new business to become profitable. Don’t panic, make sure that you have enough money in the bank to make your bills for the first 6 months. How do you do that? Make sure that you build this cash flow requirement into your initial planning, loan requirements and cash flow.2. Your business takes a lot of planning. The 6 months before you start your business and the 6 months after the start really requires a great deal of organizing and planning. Plan what your business will look like, how it will operate, where your market is and what you should sell at what price. That should be in your business plan – you DO have a business plan right? As you start your business, revisit your plans and update them as necessary.3. Become disciplined. Plan out your work day and produce a regular “To Do” list that you
    Planning.” A beauty salon could offer “Ten Tips for Ageless Skin.” A child care center could give away “Twenty-five Tips for Child Safety.”

    Print your tips sheets or booklets and give them away as a bonus with purchase or use them with your advertising. If you offer something of real value, people will be more likely to hang onto your list and refer to it over and over again, thus you are providing a consistent reminder of your business. Make sure your contact information and logo are printed on the documents.

    14. Smile for the Cameras – Television news programs like to host guests who have visual appeal. If there is something you can demonstrate, or an interesting presentation you can give, pitch your idea to local news program producers (locate their contact information from their websites). Watch your local programs to see what kinds of stories they feature and how you can tailor yours to meet their needs.

    15. Offer Something Wacky – One northern California restaurant started a “Bald Tuesday” promotion. You guessed it; anybody who was in a stage of balding could eat there for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this bring people in for a free meal, those patrons brought along paying customers with full heads of hair. And the biggest benefit of all? The media loved the story and covered it in the local news. Soon the story reached national news and the restaurant became the talk of the nation. Think of something unique and unusual that will bring people in—then be sure to alert the media.

    16. Online Classified Ads – One fabulous venue for getting the word out about your business is www.craigslist.org. There is no charge for listing your add in a variety of categories and Craigslist now has a presence in most major cities. Ads are archived for two weeks, so be sure to resubmit regularly. Try different ads to see what works best. You can even offer a discount or special offer for people who print the ad and bring it to you.

    17. Record Audio CDs – It can be relatively inexpensive to record a CD using your computer with a recordable disk drive. You can put together and audio presentation that your prospects can listen to in their cars. Assemble a display and give them away. You can also place them in the same types of venues where you distribute fliers.

    18. Turn Your Customers into Billboards – Give away your shirts, hats, and other gear or sell it at cost. The big companies print their logos on everything and get people to buy, so you can too. Make sure it’s something of interest that people will want to wear. You could put a fun image or phrase on the front of a shirt, with your company logo and website address on the back. Be creative!

    19. Make it Stick – Magnets are an inexpensive way to leave a lasting impression. Print your business card and logo on a magnet. Many people stick these on their refrigerators and will remember it’s there when it’s time to call a plumber, do their taxes, or order supplies. These are especially effective for service businesses. You can order these from www.4imprint.com.

    20. Use Your License Plate – It only costs a bit extra to order vanity plates from the DMV. If your business name fits on a plate, put it on there. Be sure to frame it with a vanity license plate frame.

    Your local community is a great place to build support and recognition for your business so don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity. By implementing even one of these suggested marketing strategies, you could open new doors for business opportunities.

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