“Home Based Small Business - Marketing Does Not Have to Be Expensive!”

If you're just starting an at home based business, you've got a lot of things to think about.

First step is to conduct your personality profile and skill-set analysis to see what business you're best suited for. Once you've got your ideal top home based business narrowed down to a handful, do your market research to determine the potential supply and demand for the businesses you're considering? The results of this study will show you the potential profitability of each business under consideration and their ability to get you where you want to be? After you make your carefully considered selection, you create your goals and business plan which are critical foundation pieces needed to be in place for your success, beginning with your ability to earn extra money from home!

And now you're at the point of putting together your marketing plan... if you've skipped any of the previous steps -- its time to put the marketing plan aside and get the basics covered before you move on. Here's how to get started if you still need the basics.

As I was saying -- marketing is next on the list. Putting together your marketing strategy -- is a little like playing chess. You must be very clear on what you want to achieve by having a complete strategy, -- how to convey your business message, who's your target market, where do they congregate, what is their likes and dislikes, wants and needs, how to create a relationship with them, and how to continue to build on that relationship. It's a strategy that can be pretty expensive -- that's where we come in.

We've got tips --free and inexpensive, yet effective tips -- to get your marketing up and running, and successfully getting the word out!

The email signature is one of the very best free ways to promote your at home based business.

It is also one of the simplest things to do. Any of the email services these days allows you to add your own email signature. You can define whatever you want it to say. We were working with one client who created an ebook on "How to Build Chicken Coops"! Yes, I know you're probably thinking, "Yeah, right!", but this is a true story and you can even look up how to build a chicken coop online and be amazed!

Anyway, we suggested they add an email signature to each and every email they sent out. It read John Smith (that part is not his real name), "Don't Let Your Chickens Fly the Coop - We'll Show You How!" Then they included the URL to their site along with telephone number and address.

Every time they sent an email out to any of their friends, family, business associates, vendors or suppliers they were advertising their business.

It brought them new sales every week! I'm not going to claim that it set their business on fire, but a few more sales every week is a good thing!

Everyone loves free stuff!

If you're just starting your work from home company, be creative about how you might give away something for free.

When Debbie Fields of Mrs. Field's cookies was just starting out, she would bake up a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies and wander up and down the streets in her small town giving away free samples. When the movie theater was about to let out, she would stand by the exit door giving away her now famous cookies. She did this with the hope that people would taste the goodness of her cookies and come into her shop.

As you know, it worked. Mrs. Field's cookies was one of the fasted growing companies in the early 90's which began by giving away some free samples.

In my staffing company, I would often give away a free hour's worth of work. My clients were law firms who needed legal secretarial work done, and I had a whole staff of legal secretaries that I would send in to work on temporary assignments. If I was trying to get a new client, I would offer to give them one free hour of work for three paid hours. So I sent my best legal secretary to do four hours of work and only charge for free.

It worked like a charm.

In almost every business you can figure out how to give something away for free! You'll be glad you did!

This tip will work whether your new at home based business is online or offline!

Online, there are actual Press Releases that you can post all over the internet about a new product or service that you've developed or are introducing. It's easy to check with the search engine of your choice to find out how to post press releases, which you'll get mega-exposure about your business if you do it right.

If you don't know how to do it yourself, it is easy AND cheap to get someone to do it for you. We'll show you how!

If your top home based business is more locally based, it is easy to get your local newspaper to run a press release for your business. Just contact your local paper and get their requirements.

In either case -- online or offline -- you'll probably need to write the press release yourself -- which is a good thing. Be sure to really toot your own horn -- that's what this is all about... telling people what a great product and/or service you have and what makes it different and better than all the other similar products and/or services that are out there.

So remember -- "toot your horn" like you were Louis Armstrong! Get your story out!!

These are just a few of the many successful marketing strategies we have to share. Our business has a ton of other low and no cost ideas for how to successfully promote your top home business as well! Please keep in mind that we're always looking for ideas from others on what they've found to be successful, so we would be happy to hear from you on any and all your successful marketing experiences.

So, again, if you've got ideas to share we'd really love to hear from you?