Small Business Marketing

April 22, 2004

Starting a small business is one of the most difficult, but also one of the most rewarding, things that you can do. In fact, although the work may begin hard, with long hours for the principals, the potential cash return on a successful business makes the possible risks seem small.

Of course many businesses do fail, which is why it is important to plan out every stage of your business to the smallest detail. From where your funds are going to come from, to choosing a location, to marketing your business so that it becomes a success, every factor must be weighed in advance so that there are a low amount of surprises.

Many small business entrepreneurs choose to get loans and advice from government agencies. The SBA is one place that many people turn to. People put hours and hours of effort in thinking about where to get funding, but then once they have it, they do not think about where it should go.

One of the most neglected elements of spending in a small business is marketing. Usually it represents a woefully small percentage of the annual budget. But experts all agree that what sets apart the businesses that succeed from the businesses that fail is the quantity and quality of the advertising dollars put into it.

Making sure that you spend enough on small business marketing, and making sure that that money is going to the right place, are two things that help make sure that your small business does not go under.

In the modern world it is crucial to diversify your advertising techniques. From newspapers to the print yellow pages to television, people will advertise anything to anybody. On Ryanair, a leading low-cost British airline, everything has advertisements on it, from the uniforms of the employees to the flight-sickness bags—which sometimes double as pouches to place your film in to be processed.

But one untapped reservoir, as far as small business marketing is concerned, is online, search-based advertising. Taking your ad and placing it where the customers that you want can see it is one of the keys to getting your small business off of the ground floor.

In fact, online advertising can take your company to the global level, or just strengthen its hold in your local community.

The time is ripe for stepping up to the plate and laying down some advertising dollars. In many cases it could mean the difference between failure and success.

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Written by Brad Geddes aka eWhisper · Filed Under Vertical Marketing