by Carmel Brulez

Created on: October 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 29, 2009

Anyone who owns or runs a business, especially a home based one, knows that potential clients and customers need to be informed about it before we actually get any business. Our potential clients may be just around the corner, within walking distance, or the other side of the World. So, how do we advertise our services and goods so that people are aware about what we offer and can say "yes please"?

Unless you have a good strategy to inform potential clients the business will not be a business, you can have a whole load of stock and goods waiting, but they know nothing about it. Even when we are offering something wonderful at a terrific price they need to be informed. Marketing and sales is two of the most important parts of running any business. You need to have the right service or product, the right price with the right mark up for you, and you need to make sure that the right people hear about it, so that they can make an informed decision and decide to say yes. Hopefully you will then continue to get customers or clients, some from word of mouth from the original clients, and business may not just continue but increase and flourish. Many businesses get a lot of their leads from word of mouth once they have hit the market and began trading.

If you are working as a service provider in your local area then you need to be focused on the fact that it is useless to advertise to people who are hundreds of miles away. If you work as a plumber or electrician it is only those who live within a short travelling distance to you who are suitable. There is no point in someone who id three hours drive away asking you to come and fix the washer in their tap. By the time you have charged them for your time and petrol to get there and back it simply is not worth it for you or for them. Whenever you are providing services to local people you only advertise locally. Some areas have local papers you can put little ads in quite cheaply. You may not get a huge response from this, especially if there is a lot of competition in your area, but you will get some clients who hopefully become regulars and pass on your details to their friends and relatives. Be happy to start small and then gradually expand. Some people will not come to you if they do not know you at all and will only be happy to employ you if someone recommends them.

When you are selling goods you can advertise anywhere, provided the goods are easy to package and post. If you are dealing with something which is very fragile, heavy or large it might not be so practical. Leaftets is the way to go. Drop imaginative, colourful, detailed leaflets through the letterboxes of anyone who is within the right radius of you. There is a little cost but the cost is insignificant in comparison to the results it can achieve. But do make sure that you charge enough for the goods and that this allows for post and packing and storage if this is necessary. Once such a business gets established set a routine so that you might take the goods that need posting to the postal service once or twice a week, so that you are not spending lots of time going back and forth unnecessary. Or take the goods straight to the people who have bought them. But I would advise you against allowing customers to know your address or come to your home for the goods. If you allow them to do this you will be constantly disturbed and interrupted at all hours and have no privacy.

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