by Antonia Anderson

Created on: May 25, 2009   Last Updated: May 27, 2009

Advertising can be a huge financial drain on a business. If you're just starting out, or want to reduce your overhead, skip the expensive radio spots and focus on free advertising. It's not just possible, but easy and fun. And did we mention...free?

*Free Business Cards*

You can get these made at Vistaprint. They are 100% free-you just pay for shipping. The only catch is they include their logo on your card, but it's very small and the effect is still professional-looking-after all, that's how

Vistaprint gets *their* free advertising done!

*Free Flyer's and Brochures*

Do you know any design students who need real-life experience to add to their portfolio? Or, even better, ask a design teacher to set an assignment for her class. You'll have dozens of possible designs to choose from. Finally, if you're friends with a professional designer, you can offer free services in exchange for their help. (Don't know any designers? More tips coming on how to befriend them-for free, of course.)

*Free Advertising With Every Email You Send*

If you don't already have one, create an email signature. This is a piece of text that your email program automatically pastes at the bottom of every email you send. Keep it short and professional: your name, business name, website, and contact info. Click here for details on how to create a signature in Microsoft Outlook.

An email signature may seem too insignificant to be called advertising, but you never know when your friend will forward that cheesecake recipe you emailed her to her colleague at work who just happens to notice your Wendy's Wallpapering signature at the bottom and thinks, "Oh yeah, that spare bedroom! I was meaning to get it wallpapered!" CLICK....

*Free Advertising Through Social Networking Websites*

Social networking websites are surefire ways to increase your contacts without spending a dime. If you already have personal accounts on sites like these, it's worth setting up a strictly business account; your professional contacts don't need to know that Buttons just learned to widdle in the box.

LinkedIn is an absolute must, as it's specifically geared towards professional networking and there are free workshops out there to teach you how to use it more effectively. Facebook, Myspace, and Orkut are also useful and easy to use. Twitter allows users to receive on-the-fly advertising as text messages from you. What better way to send out reminders to your new office's grand opening?

If you're worried that social networking

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