Not spending enough time developing your business leads to periods of inactivity and therefore stress. Constantly making sure your pipeline of leads is full isn't easy when you're busy trying to look after the needs of those hard-won clients. However if you want to remain in business, it's a necessity. And there are so many ways of building and marketing a business today.

This article looks at two cost-effective marketing tools: networking and e-newsletters.

Focused networking builds relationships
Networking is an obvious way to meet useful contacts and potential new clients. There are so many networking groups and events every day in the UK that it can be daunting to sift though to find ones that are right for you. Keep a spreadsheet of the groups you belong to, and the events you've attended over 12 months, together with how much business, or particular nuggets of advice, you can attribute to each.

Like most marketing tools networking isn't something you can try once, decide it didn't work and move on to something else. Just because a particular event didn't turn up any interesting contacts on the first occasion it doesn't mean you should write if off just yet.

Give it a least one more shot but trust your instincts too. You can waste an awful lot of time going to events that aren't worth your while and time isn't something you have a great deal of when you're running your own show.

It's not all about leads
Remember it's not always about money. You may meet someone who gives you a great piece of advice that helps you along the way. You might pick up some tips on handling difficult customers or find a reliable supplier.

Importantly, remember networking is a two way street. Always listen and think about how you can help the people you meet: what goes around comes around.

Keep in touch with clients and prospects
Of course networking is just one marketing tool. E-newsletters are a cost-effective way to keep in touch with existing clients, let past clients know you still exist, and of course, attract new ones.

There are differences of opinion on how regularly you should mail people. One school of thought is at least once a month but I think that every other month is better. Once you've started something like this, you have to make sure you stick to a schedule.

By producing a bi-monthly newsletter it's more likely you will keep on track. You'll also find it easier to find interesting things to write about. A

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