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Marketing
 Think of colourful ways to sell your business
Marketing is basically one of the ways that you get your message out to possible buyers. It can be anything from sending out an email or letter to people you have worked for, or would like to work for, to exhibitions and leaflets. It also includes logos, websites your business cards and direct mail - basically anything that helps sell your products and services. If you are starting up it's a good idea to keep the costs low on these things. Go to a website like Vistaprint where they will print very good business cards for free. They also do cut-price marketing materials and personalised office supplies. The best marketing strategy is to allow some amount of time each week to talk to customers, former customers and potential customers – they are a mine of information. To get more business, you can also:
Branding is a type of marketing, where you concentrate on creating and pushing one “image”. Branding is more and more important these days, particularly where there is a lot of competition. Even if you are working as an individual freelancer you need to think about your own personal brand. You should remember to keep a consistent brand across your product (even if that is yourself). For example, a former journalist might describe themselves as a rugby specialist, or cunning celebrity spotter. That's a brand and they can increase 'brand-awareness' by writing a rugby book, setting up a rugby website and/or getting themselves on TV and radio as someone who gives good quotes on rugby matches. Consider this example: May has started a small business supplying fresh-baked muffins to the local café. Her muffins cost a little more than the wholesale variety, but that’s because they’re hand-delivered and really good. A name like “May’s Melt-in-the-mouth Muffins” will go a long way to establishing a brand. As funds allow, she could have a little logo designed and print the name on her invoices and business cards and so on and so on… The more you push your brand – in your website, your logo, your headed notepaper, gifts etc - the more it will advertise for you. If you get the look right, people will recognise the values (like humour, efficiency and professionalism) that your business stands for. If you’re a great designer, feel free to design your own logo, website, headed notepaper etc. If not, find a small design company that will do it all for you. You may even be able to arrange a “contra” where you pay them with your service in exchange for theirs.
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Jasmine and the Moneymagpie team
Moneymagpie Moneypedia
15.01.2008
