Blogging and Your Small Business – An Excellent Free Advertising Tool

Running a small company is not an easy task, you spend every waking hour thinking about how to keep the guys working, how to make ends meet, keeping the customers happy, where the next job is coming from, suppliers, and any number of other items that pertain to running a small business.Blogging is probably the last thing that will occur to anyone running a small business. But most people do not realize that blogging and small businesses are a perfect fit.Today most people looking for any service or large purchase is going online. If they are not online to find out where to buy or comparing prices they are looking to find out who they are dealing with. A company blog is the perfect way for you, as the business owner, to make sure that your “electronic business card” is out there for them.Unlike having a website built, you can build a blog yourself with surprisingly little effort.A blog can be created and hosted for free. There are many places you can start a free blog, a couple of the more popular hosts are Blogger.com and WordPress.com.A few of the best things about creating a free blog are:- if you are not happy with the look or the layout, it’s easy to change. Simply select a new template for your blog and suddenly it’s entirely redone for you.- there are so many options (templates, widgets, plugins) available to help you quickly create the look that you want.- you have complete control over how quickly it gets set up, the content and who has access to it.Creating a blog allows you to announce any specials that you may be running, share milestones of the company and its employees, advertise your location to any local prospects and anything else you want to let the world know about you and/or your business.Blogging is your online advertising “and then some”. Giving a profile for each of your employees along with a picture will help make your newly found customers feel more confident in your company.A history of jobs that you’ve completed, or brands that you sell, a picture of your office building with your street address and phone number below it; all are personal touches that will help to make your blog stand out.A blog is an online extension of your small business.- Stay focused on your goals when you approach blogging, just as with any other area of your business.- Determine what information should be shared and how often.- Visit the blog each time something new is added to verify it is right.- Put a reminder on your schedule for when the next post is due.- Decide if you will write the posts yourself or delegate the task to someone else.Take full advantage of this advertising medium and you may find that the time spent blogging for your small business has helped take your business to the next level.

Small Business Marketing: From Business Cards to Flyers

A small business usually has quite a few things to worry about that are a lot more important than business card printing. That is a bit like saying that a small airplane has more to worry about than keeping its engine running. It is advertising that makes a business fly and enables it to take off. The basic business card is one of the most cost effective methods of advertising available to the small business owner. Many small business owners view the business card as a status symbol frill for salesmen and executives of much bigger companies. The truth is that the simple business card is a necessary starting point.The business card has several elements and it comes in several styles. Its primary purpose is to provide contact information. This includes name, address, phone number, email, and Web Site Url if applicable. Another element is telling what your business does, and how it can serve its customers. Although the business card can be very simple: a one sided card printed on plain white card stock, for example, it can also incorporate design features that will create a more favorable first impression for your customers. This could include graphics and color, and could also include a distinctive logo that will come to represent your business in the eyes and minds of potential customers.The same design elements that go into the creation of your business card should be used in your flyer design. Flyer printing is even less costly than business card printing. The basic flyer is a logical first step in the important area of advertising. They can be placed on bulletin boards, or even distributed door to door in your neighborhood. Business cards and flyers can be handed out with your sales, and sent to customers with shipped orders.It is important to take the extra time and effort to produce business cards and flyers that give a favorable impression of your business. The extra effort will show the customer that your small business is a serious endeavor and generate customer confidence. There will be a subconscious connection made between your company and the customer. The business card and the flyer are two early ways to give out necessary information about your company and the products and services it provides. Their function goes a step beyond that, however, and they also are valuable in the creation of customer confidence and business recognition. Any extra effort devoted to their design and the excellence of their appearance will pay dividends. They could very well be the engines that help your business take off.

Small Business Websites, Do You Know What You’re Getting?

As a business starts to develop and spread their wings to take off, one of the first advertising steps they should consider is getting a small business website. The internet yields a vast abundance of open opportunities, and although not every small business owner is necessarily interested in growing their business into a nationwide corporate conglomerate, the door still swings open at the chance of local community connection and customer relationship development when you have a website for your company.A business owner, no matter the size of his or her business, is of course interested in attracting clients and staying connected within the community. There is little to none, when it comes to business owners, that don’t meet the terms of that last statement, and while some business owners seek higher profits, more growth, and larger business development, there are some entrepreneurs and owners that would rather live in content and happiness with a small, local establishment. The former is more complex, expansive, and exciting, while the latter remains simple, smooth, and enjoyable. Whichever your ambitions are as a small business owner, owning an attractive and professional website is equally beneficial to your desire.Operating and growing a business requires time, dedication, and perseverance. There are countless tools available to the one who seeks, and although many of these tools seem promising, most of them can be quite disappointing. Understanding what you are getting, what it can do, and how it works is always an important factor when learning to choose and use effective marketing and advertising mediums. Not every business card yields the same amount of results, nor every website. A less than optimal business card is no more beneficial to the user than is a child to a broken bicycle. The same goes for web design.When choosing which web design company is the correct one for your business, take into consideration these 3 main points:1. Experience2. Knowledge of the market3. Ability to follow through4. Sincerity5. And of course, Price (which is saved for last because it is the last most important factor when it comes to receiving a good website for your business)Just remember, a business is basically a representation of your yourself, in some way or another. Your business is fed by your thoughts, your intentions, you emotions and actions, and what you put into your business, you will get out of your business. Don’t expect to be a millionaire overnight, but don’t rule it out either. Most important of all, when it comes to getting a small business website that can help your company have a professional and attractive image, take it seriously and go with what feels right to you.