Save money and get heard

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Here are some tips for trying to lower the costs of your business and for an almost 0-costs advertising. Maybe most of you are using these tips, but for sure there are starters that could miss some points.

1. Make alliances
Find businesses that also need promotion and establish a marketing alliance. Split with its the advertising costs, share mailing lists, try to do a sidewalk sale. It’s a good opportunity for each other to benefit from this campaign.

2. Let people help you
You have friends, family, collegues. Use them! Let them find out about what you’re offering, ask them to spread the word. Increasing referrals means increasing your business. For free.

3. Satisfied customer?
If a customer says “I’m happy with your product.” ask him kindly if he would agree to write a few words in a testimonial. Satisfied customers also spread the words very easily so watch out for not so happy clients. See here more about this.
It takes one “upset” customers to destroy what 10 happy ones did.

4. Advice other people
Write articles for a paper, write on the Internet, speak at meetings. All these actions make you look like an expert and make people seeing first in you a potential business partner.

5. Search the Internet
If you have a website you should start researching the Internet for potential customers. A best move is to register to groups related to your target market, groups that have a connection with what you offer.

6. Use online auction websites
Don’t you have a website where to promote your products? Start selling its on eBay and on other online auction sites, but that’s only untill you make a website. After creating your website you can continue with auctions in parallel.

7. Join business groups related to your products
This action can bring you customers, but the real first thing why you’re doing this is to find out more about the business you’re into. You’ll surely find out interesting and useful things from there. Do not forget to include your webpage in your signature, of course, there where this is allowed.

8. Let people find you easy
Write your website address on your letters, on your e-mails, business cards, prmotional gifts etc. You must bee seen almost everywhere.

9. Use recycled an refurbished office-related
Checking the Internet you’ll find a lot of useful things to use in your office, like recycled cartridge, refurbished laptops and office furniture. This also cuts your costs.

10. Use free software
Using free software is a very good way to cut-off your companie’s expenses. Use trial versions, freeware and limited versions of full products. Check out Google for free software or manufacturer’s webpage.

11. Give students chance to practice in your company
Hiring students means mutual benefits: they are acquiring experience and you get low-cost help and maybe some future employees in which you’ll can put your hope.

12. Contract sales representatives that work on commissions only
Not much to say. They sell, they get paid. They must sell and that’s good thing for the business.

13. Use overnight couriers for deliveries
Rates used for overnight deliveries are less expensives. Use its and save money.

14. Payments
If you suppliers give discounts for early payments, pay them in advance. It could be difficult if you have a lack of money but paying like this shorts a little the expenses.